Ufone has partnered with Habib Bank Limited to offer post paid connections to HBL credit card holders with special rates plus free handsets. Rates are not that special in fact, as line rent is kept high, but calling rates may beat every other cellular package by Ufone itself and othre companies too.
Idea of giving out free handset with mobile connections was tried by Ufone itself and other cellular companies too, but that was for low end market with subsdized handsets. However, in this case, they are offering high end handsets like Nokia N78, Blackberry Curve 8320 and 8310 too.
As i mentioned earlier, line rent is kept high for all four packages available – meaning that you will be charged on monthly basis, and for minimum of two years. Yes, you will have to sign a 2 year contract in order to get this package and free handset.
Also note that there are around 20 models of mobile phones available for different packages. But first let’s look at tariff
Package Plans (All Rates are for 30 Second pulse)
| Package | line rent | Ufone to Ufone | Other Mobile | PTCL | Free Minutes | Free sms | sms (on-net) |
sms (off-net) |
| Package 1 | 599 | 0.40 | 0.95 | 0.70 | 600 | 50 | 0.5 | 1.00 |
| Package 2 | 999 | 0.35 | 0.90 | 0.65 | 1000 | 100 | 0.5 | 1.00 |
| Package 3 | 1699 | 0.30 | 0.85 | 0.60 | 1700 | 250 | 0.5 | 1.00 |
| Package 4 | 2499 | 0.25 | 0.80 | 0.55 | 2500 | 350 | 0.5 | 1.00 |
| Package 5 | 3499 | 0.15 | 0.70 | 0.45 | 3500 | 500 | 0.5 | 1.00 |
Note: Package information displayed on Ufone’s website is incorrect as free minutes are called Free SMS there. But i have counter checked this and made sure that all packages come with Free Minutes. By the way, i have informed their helpline about this typo. Also, Ufone didn’t mention that these rates are for 30 seconds pulse.
Clearly, both on-net and off-net calls are offered at good rates. Also number of free minutes and SMS, somehow justify line rent.
What Handset options are available?
You are given with couple of options for handsets, depending on package you choose.
Package 1: Nokia 1680, Nokia 2630, Samsung M150
Package 2: Samsung M620, Samsung E251, Sony Ericsson R300, Sony Ericsson T303
Package 3: Nokia 6300, Nokia 3500 (C), Nokia N72, Sony Ericsson W350
Package 4: Nokia 5310, Nokia 5610, Nokia N70 ME, Sony Ericsson K770
Package 5: Nokia N78 – 2 GB, Nokia N – 81 8 GB, BlackBerry ® CurveTM 8320,
BlackBerry ® CurveTM 8310
Offer seems attractive… isn’t it? Okay there is a good news too if you are already a Ufone customer, and that you can associate your in-use Ufone number with your HBL Credit Card and can switch over to these packages. Along with you will be qualified to get free handset too ; -)
Let’s see if such offers with free handsets come for regular customers too – apparently, this could be done only with Banks as they have a comparatively reliable system for tracking customers’ in case of non-payments.
Terms and Conditions
- All current and new HBL CreditCard Holders are eligible for this offer.
- All current and new Ufone Postpay customers can avail this offer by applying for HBL CreditCard.
- Customers are required to sign an undertaking.
- Accordingly customer’s monthly charges will appear automatically on the HBL Creditard statement.
- HBL and the customer will be required to adhere to the terms and conditions of the contract for a two-year period for any one of the 5 plans applied for by the customer.
- HBL reserves the right to refuse any application.
- Handset models are subject to change based on their availability. In case the selected handset is not available, customers can choose from the same package.
- Handsets will be delivered within 15 days of application approval.
Customers can call HBL PhoneBanking at 111-111-425 for further information.
Seems that offer still howers around /targets elite consumers, as evryone (if) wishes to switch a better handset would look at it initially but will be left regreted since the catching / best cellulars are tagged with the package 3 to 5, which appears to be out of range of medium level consumers. On the contrary keeping in view the vendor too has to align the cost + profitability with the offer but generally me or more than 65% medium range pre paid consumers even though tending to swap but still feel no charm / affoardability in the offer due to the fact that they must be already holding handsets ranging package 2.
Draw backs in package 1 & 2 are very much apparent as the handsets tagged threwith are average and phsycic swaping cost is higher so i dont feel its gonna get good worth.
This is the biggest rip-off after Car-2-Car from HBL. Honestly, I am really disappointed from HBL. My perception of HBL has completed changed after the launch of such products. HBL used to be an honest and caring bank before but now it has turned into a wicked and profit-centered bank.
Even if you take the 5th Package you are paying double the amount of the handset’s price. This offer is for those flashy youngster who would do anything to get a lousy blackberry. Its a classic example of banks taking advantage of the materialistic desires of their not-so-mature young customer base. I think that having the contract for 1 year can make this a more reasonable bet.
Offers like this have been going on for more then 10 years overseas. The idea is the minimise the upfront cost of the mobile phone. But the combined rentals are much higher than the cost of any handset which is a given with long term lending.
My question is that do HBL or UFONE offer any sort of insurance on this package? With street crime at its peak and phone snatching a norm, I would be stuck with a two year contract which I bought only for the phone on offer which got stolen after a week! What happens then??
@Jamal Ahmad, you raised an important question. Let me try to collect some info regarding this
Thanks for your input..!
I would advise people to stay away from this – I dont think contracts would work in Pakistan where people are used to switching services and phones quite often.
http://telecompk.net/2008/10/31/is-a-free-handset-worth-2-year-commitment-for-a-postpaid-line/
@Babar, thanks for your valued input sir…
Seems, you are back in Pakistan… if so, do you have any plan to stay here longer???
I have a ufone sim and coincidentally recently got a credit card. So I looked up this offer. However, the bad news is the phones that they are giving. I recently purchased a brand new Sony ericcsson T303 for my ufone sim. It didn’t work, for ufone but worked for warid. I heard it had something to do with 32kb sim of ufone as opposed to the supported 64kb and that ufone is incompatible with w350 as well. If that is true, why on earth is ufone offering these phones? There is some truth to these rumors as I experienced it first hand. So whats going on??
hi i think this offer is good 4 only hbl costmers.but its is useless 4 other ufone postpay costmer.
assalamualaikum
simply useless offer if u calculate the pakage 5 with bills u will be paying as much as 2 n81s lol
3000multiplied with even one year gives uu 36thuosand wo wat a wierd offer in foriegn counteries with which hbl is tying to campet thy introduce such a pakage that handset price falls more than half which is being doubled here
These offers are good. But this is black mailing.
And I want to tell all of this country that all coomunications Net Works are still not goog. I am using Warid Net Work and from six months this net work signal not received at my home inside because this net work tower was still sealed from City Govt. and company has no answer. After sometimes may be possible Ufone, Mobilink, Zong, Telenor will be get these issues.
I am living in Gulshan-E-Iqbal, Karachi.