EasyMobile UK ook dicht

Bron: Planet

EasyMobile UK ook dicht
Gepubliceerd op dinsdag 14 november 2006
Een tweede flop voor TeleDanmark en Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

Onder meer The Guardian en Reuters berichten over het staken van de activiteiten door EasyMobile UK. Inmiddels heeft Easy een stakingsbericht gepubliceerd: de deur gaat per 13 december dicht.

In Engeland had EasyMobile naar eigen zeggen zo'n 80.000 prepaid-klanten ingeschreven via het web. Maar dat was gezien de minimale tarieven niet genoeg om zware verliezen te voorkomen, zodat het nu over en sluiten is.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, de Cypriotische luchtvaartondernemer, leende zijn Easy-merk voor mobiele telefonie aan het nationale telecombedrijf van Denemarken, TDC.

Klanten krijgen een andere provider aangeboden, zo belooft Stelios. Op die manier kunnen hij en TDC de gewonnen abonnees nog pogen te gelde te maken.

De Britse pers vergeet te vermelden dat EasyMobile in juli 2006 in Nederland stopte, na een lang verwachte start in oktober 2005. EasyMobile is nog wel in Duitsland actief. Ze werkt daar niet via E-Plus, zoals de meeste wederverkopers van mobiele telefonie in Duitsland, maar via het net van T-Mobile. Ook in Engeland levert T-Mobile de netwerkdienst aan EasyMobile. In Nederland verkocht Easy op het net van Telfort.

Ze zijn veel te laat de markt op gegaan...

Op de website van easyMobile.com (Engeland) is inderdaad een bijna identiek bericht te lezen als destijds op de easyMobile.nl site. Met het verschil dat easyMobile.com naast simkaarten ook toestellen leverde, en het bericht in het Engels is natuurlijk .

LINK

Important Notice to all existing easyMobile customers

Dear Customer,

First let us start by thanking you for your custom and loyalty to easyMobile.com over the last couple of years.

As you may recall, easyMobile.com in the UK was set up as a partnership between TDC (the telecom company from Denmark) and easyGroup (Stelios' investment vehicle). Due to a change of strategy at TDC, TDC have decided to withdraw from the UK market. Consequently you will not be able to use your easyMobile.com service in the UK from midnight (24:00) on 13th December 2006. Our agreement with you will then formally end on 20th December 2006. Further details on this are contained in the attached document.

If any top-ups you have made remain in your account at midnight (24:00) on 13th December 2006, we will fully re-fund you such amount, subject to any outstanding mobile telephone service charges which are due as at 20th December 2006 or on the closing of your account, which you will remain liable for. Details of the process for and calculation of such refund/outstanding amounts are contained in the attached document.

We have made an alternative arrangement available for you as a customer with Fresh Mobile from The Carphone Warehouse. As you know, The Carphone Warehouse is a reputable operator and if you choose this option we hope that you find their service useful. If you wish to proceed with this option, please login to My Account on www.easyMobile.com, where you will find details on how to take advantage of this offer.

If, as an alternative to the option set out above, you would prefer to move to an alternative service provider, then we will do our best to unlock your easyMobile phone or port your number to another service or operator at your request. Details of how you can arrange this can be found in the FAQs on the www.easyMobile.com website.

Please see the attached document for additional information in relation to the process going forward. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Customer Services or visit our web-site www.easyMobile.com which will be updated from time to time if there is any additional information or changes you need to be aware of.

The easyMobile.com team

Verder valt op de easyMobile.com site te lezen dat easyMobile Duitslands naam gewijzigd zal gaan worden in callmobile.de;

Latest news

14th November, 2006
easyMobile UK: We are committed to customer care

LONDON, United Kingdom, 14 November 2006: easyMobile UK has taken steps to ensure extensive customer service to reduce any possible inconvenience for customers due to the closure of the business.

The closure of easyMobile UK was announced yesterday by TDC, the Danish telecom operator and owner of easyMobile, due to a change of strategy with respect to easyMobile. Customers can use the ser-vices on easyMobile.com until midnight (24:00) on 13 December and customer agreements will formally expire on 20 December 2006. Any outstanding prepaid balances will be refunded.

To ensure continued telephone connection when the services from easyMobile come to an end, easyMobile UK offers customers an alternative arrangement with The Carphone Warehouse. Customers can – free of charge – and just by selecting transfer via their current online account transfer the subscription directly to The Carphone Warehouse, a reputable operator, and thereby take advantage of its subscription service Fresh Mobile. By doing so, the telephone service will continue unchanged. Fresh Mobile offers services and tariffs that are similar to those of easyMobile UK. That means a per-minute rate of 15p and 5p for a text message (SMS).

Customers can also, at any time and free of charge, terminate their agreement with easyMobile UK. easyMobile UK will effectuate terminations immediately and customers will receive any outstanding prepaid balances.

Customers who prefer to switch to another mobile operator or service provider are offered the opportunity, without restrictions and costs, to port their current mobile number. easyMobile UK will ensure that porting of mobile numbers will occur as quickly as pos-sible. It will be within a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 30 days, depending upon the operator chosen by the customer.

Henrik Scheinemann, CEO of easyMobile Ltd. says: “There should be no doubt about our commitment to ensure that customers are served with great care: Our call center is available on the phones, on e-mail and through chat to serve our customers. We have secured an alternative offer with Carphone Warehose free of charge, and we will refund any outstanding prepaid balances”.

Yesterday, easyMobile Ltd. e-mailed to all of its customers and explained in detail the background for the close down and provided detailed and relevant information to its customers. The e-mail was supported by a text message with an encouragement to check the e-mail and read an important notification on the easyMobile web-site. It can be found on: www.easyMobile.com.

Further information, please contact:

TDC’s Press Secretariat on tel. +45 70 20 35 10




13th November, 2006
TDC changes strategy on easyMobile

TDC has changed its business strategy on easyMobile. With this, easyMobile in Germany will be renamed into callmobile and easyMobile UK is to be closed down. TDC – the Danish telecom operator – is the majority shareholder of Telmore International Holding A/S, the entity that owns easyMobile.

“We will further build on our success with the SIM only, no-frill concept in Germany. At the same time, we are withdrawing from the UK market, as the realised growth in the customer base does not live up to TDC’s original business plan expectations and as we do not believe that easyMobile UK has the potential to develop into a sizeable and profitable MVNO in the short term,” says Jesper Theill Eriksen, CEO of TDC Mobile International A/S.

Last Friday, the German mobile service provider Talkline acquired the remaining 20 per cent of the shares of easyMobile in Germany from TIH Invest. Talkline, which is a subsidiary of TDC, is in the process of renaming the company into callmobile. callmobile will without interruption deliver exactly the same services as previously delivered under the easyMobile brand.

"We were keen to take over all shares in the German easyMobile business, because it is showing a very solid development and the no-frills market in Germany is offering substantial potential. With the full take-over and the renaming into callmobile, it becomes possible for us to benefit fully from the synergies that Talkline is able to provide due to its extensive knowledge and experience with the German market,” says Jesper Theill Eriksen.

easyMobile UK has today given its 80,000 UK customers a written notice, explaining that their agreements will be terminated in compliance with the Terms and Conditions, although customers can continue to use the service until 13th of December 2006. After this date, any outstanding prepaid balances will be refunded according to the Terms & Conditions. The staff has been given notice following the conclusion of a collective consultation procedure.

Further information, please contact:

TDC’s Press Secretariat on tel. +45 70 20 35 10

Door: Hugo Boss 14 November 2006 22:37

Tja zonde weer... ze hadden (in Nederland) goede tarieven! En ook de buitenlandtarieven waren schitterend 14 cent/min gebeld worden zonder starttarief afgerekend per seconde.... Maarja blijkbaar té goedkoop....

Ja moet je nagaan en die 14ct zal niet onder kostprijs zitten. Wat een winst maken de andere providers erop....

Off-topic:

- Wie zegt dat ze niet op of onder kostprijs werkten om marktaandeel te krijgen?

- De gewone tarieven van andere operators zijn onder andere hoger omdat de "gratis" mobieltjes bij de contracten betaald moeten worden. Kijk maar naar de sim-only tarieven...

Door: Marly 15 November 2006 02:14

Ook off-topic :
Bovendien hebben de "echte" providers een eigen netwerk moeten bouwen, ze moeten dit ook onderhouden en huur betalen voor de sites.