Vodafone and Phones 4u link up: Carphone Warehouse unhappy
Vodafone has done a deal with Phones 4u that will ensure P4U is the only third-party UK company allowed to sell Vodafone mobile contracts. This ends the previous partnership with the Carphone Warehouse who can now only sell pay-as-you-go phones on the Vodafone network.
"Phones 4u is fully aligned with the Vodafone strategy of delivering a superior customer experience. This strategic deal will… ensure we can target all key customer segments through their channel of choice," said Voda UK CEO Nick Read.
OK, but some are speculating that Vodafone is doing some kind of payback for CW getting increasingly involved in broadband by acquiring AOL.
Not surprisingly CW aren’t happy, saying that it will limit consumer choice as Phones 4u will now be working towards selling Vodafone quotas. Vodafone had apparently approached CW prior to inking the P4U deal, but CW declined as they said they sold phones based on what was best for the customer, not the mobile phone companies.
