“The German unit of Vodafone Group PLC has obtained a restraining order against Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile unit prohibiting the German telecommunications giant from selling Apple Inc.’s iPhone in Germany,” Stefan Mechnig reports for Dow Jones Newswires.
“Vodafone is questioning Deutsche Telekom’s iPhone sales practices [regarding to] the iPhone’s exclusive use in T-Mobile’s network and the use of the device being limited to certain fees within T- Mobile’s subscription offerings,” Mechnig reports.
Vodafone isn’t generally opposed to T-Mobile’s exclusivity contract with Apple, but wants to have these new sales practices examined… The restraining order doesn’t aim at a total sales stop,” Mechnig reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “ChrissyOne” for the heads up.]
Vodafone feeling the pain?
MacDailyNews Note: Vodafone owns 45% of Verizon Wireless in the U.S., which also blew the iPhone deal, losing out to AT&T.
“can you hear me now?” hey, someone was going to…
Gotta love the publicity. Maybe Cisco will sue ’em again!
I can’t believe I was able to register with this username name after this long.
It is unbelievable the length some companies will go to for a buck!
Having said that, If T-mobile in Germany is extricating more money out of iphone users than the O2 in the UK, then they will fall foul of the EU trading laws.
These laws have been set to create a uniform pricing policy within all EU member Country’s.
They are good laws
They are enforced laws
They protect consumers in the EU
T-Mobile….examine your house and rectify it were neccesary!
gay.
Vodaphone should be careful: turn about is fair play!
If Vodaphone does own 45% of Verizon, seems like they woulda did every thing possible to NOT screw up like verizon did here. Whatta buncha losers! Typical business practices… if it makes common sense, do the exact opposite.
Vodafone’s pain is only just starting..!
@ shiftOpt k,
Vodaphone was the first mobile phone company to be offered the iphone! which means that they were the first to turn Mr. Jobs down. They later claimed that the terms were too draconic, but the truth of the matter is that they spent a hell of a lot of money buying up a 3G license that they still haven’t recouped it yet.
If you cant beat them then take them to court. Fcuking loosers.
What are all these star thingies about?
Stars = registered users.
The star shows that your name is registered with MDN.
The star also means that you get your own private dressing room along with the fulfillment of your contract rider that guarantees it’s always stocked with six cans of Schweppes Ginger Ale, Aveda candles, a tub of Red Vine licorice, ten bottles of Fiji water and six bags of green M&Ms;.
Vodafone isn’t generally opposed to T-Mobile’s exclusivity contract with Apple, but wants to have these new sales practices examined… The restraining order doesn’t aim at a total sales stop.”
What’s that? Doublespeak? What is the aim, if not to stop the sales??
PS. I <u>love</u> being an MDN all-star!
Vodafone was in talks with Apple too before T-Mobile won the exclusive contract. If Vodafone had won it instead, would they have had obtained a restraining order against itself to examine the deal? Yeah, I don’t think so. Hypocrites.
vodafone must be really excreting bricks on the story that 2/3 of O2 (England… not T-mobile, but imagine similar stats for DE) customers are from other providers. they have to be dumb as a box of hair to risk the ill will of being known as the company to block germans from the iPhone.
Verizon sucks a big hairy bean-bag. If Vodaphone owns 45% I can only assume they suck equally. So eff them.
Gotta love them stars! Registered MDN readers are exempt from annoying banner ads, pop-up ads, and pop-und… Whoops!
Sorry. Forgot my user name there for a moment.
“The star also means that you get your own private dressing room along with the fulfillment of your contract rider that guarantees it’s always stocked with six cans of Schweppes Ginger Ale, Aveda candles, a tub of Red Vine licorice, ten bottles of Fiji water and six bags of green M&Ms;.”
What about the cheddar cheese, pickled onions, French bread & a Black & Tan?
“Registered MDN readers are exempt from annoying banner ads . . .”
So, you’d pay a subscription fee if that was available? Just curious.
What sucks is that I, as a US T-Mobile customer have to switch to *shudder* AT&T;to get an iPhone, where as my German counterparts do not. Or, at least they won’t once this ridiculous stalling tactic from Vodafone blows over.
Sour grapes…
For those who want to delve into this a little more, it’s worth remembering that Vodafone’s life started to go wrong round about the time it paid (rather too handsomely) for control of Germany’s Mannesmann (?), thus creating the German part of Vodafone.
Firstly, the purchase of Mannesmann came hot on the heels of acquiring their 3G licence in the UK (again at great cost); then came the realisation that, having acquired Mannessmann, they would be forced by the UK regulator to dispose of the German company’s asset in the UK, Orange (who were subsequently sold to France Telecom). And then, IIRC, there was a bit of a scandal involving Mannesmann’s management board.
So, having acquired the Teutonic telecoms company for a reasonably high price, it’s not actually surprising that Vodafone is desperate to stop the value of what is probably one of its most valuable end-markets by any means possible.
How many of these lost customers are defectors to iPhone is questionable. Vodafone have always struggled in the consumer marketplace due to perceived higher prices than their competitors, at least in the UK. Also there have been rumblings about various ‘billing errors’ lately resulting in customers being overcharged… not exactly the way to retain a loyal customer base.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/26/vodafone_billing_again/
Of course competing with a killer product like the iPhone can hardly help matters for them but I think it’s more like ‘another nail in the coffin.’
But yes I really want an iPhone!!!