50% off during Ramadan... Only for Muslims though

[Nemesis6]

Get 50 percent off on your on your phone-calls during the month of Ramadan.

That is the commercial from the Danish phone company Tele2 in an attempt to increase turnover in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which is right now. The company's administrating director Thomas Nistrup got the idea from Sweden where Tele2 tried out a similar arrangement before. So Tele2 is lowering the price on a specific mobile phone subscription, Amigos, for talk-time cards which is popular for international calls.

"During Ramadan we want to present the oppertunity to call cheaper to the Arabian countries. It might be that we'll choose Poland or some other place next time, because there are a lot of Poles in contruction yards and garden centres that use the product Amigos," says Thomas Nistrup.

Aren't you afraid of criticism because only Muslims can get it?

"Naah, it's got nothing to do with politics. We just want to make a good offer," says Nistrup

Is it OK to differentiate between people from a market point of view?

"Yes, there are also mobile phones only for women and "gaymobil" for gays. There are are many ways to address a certain audience," says the Danish director, and besides, everyone kan SMS cheap now, he says.

The Koran on your mobile phone

Today, Tele2 in Denmark and Sweden are no longer in the same group. Tele2 in Denmark is owned by Telenord. But Thomas Nistrup makes no hassle of hiding at the old colleagues in Sweden got the idea. Over there, Tele2 is ready with new products - A Koran-offer.

"We noticed that during the bigger holidays -- Not just during Ramadan -- there was an increase in phone calls between 10 and 15 percent. This gave us the thought last year of lowering the price especially during Ramadan to lure more customers over from other operators. And we succeded big-time. We got 30 percent more traffic, and a lot of the customers have stayed with us," says Thomas Ekman who's responsible for Tele2's home-user department in Sweden.

Tele2 in Sweden has about 100.000 Muslim customers and now, the Koran has been made available as an audiobook on your mobile phone, and the sales are already impressive, remarks Thomas Ekman.

OK from the Consumer Council

Whether you're losing eye-sight or if you're a Muslim, either way there's nothing wrong with special rebates directed at specific target groups, says the Consumer Council.

"This time it's the Muslims who get cheaps phone calls. Another time it was older customers at Synoptik[A store that sells glasses, contact lenses, etc] who get cheaper glasses, there's nothing stopping a company from directing its rebates in this way," says Karsten Kolding of the Consumer Council. At long as the modalities for the rebate are clearly outlines, he says.

http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20070925/danmark/109241091/

Translated by yours truly. They also included this picture: http://images.berlingske.dk/apps/pb...ARK&Lopenr=109241091&Ref=AR&MaxW=620&border=0
Guy in the middle: "Can I convert my FASTnet to the Ramadan subscription?"
Salesman - "Sure, if you're a convert."
Guys on the right - "Holy crap, I am so prank-calling my cousin in Ramallah!"

What do you think?

 

[Gunner]

Sounds like a joke.

I'm glad I don't live in the middle east anymore, ramadan was ****ing horrible.

 

[No Limit]

Nemesis, will you extend your outrage to my bank that lets me skip a payment in December because of the holiday season?

 

[<RJMC>]

OMFG NOW DA TERRORIST PAY LESS IN PHONE BILLS!!!1 TRAGEDY!!!1

nuke those brown people!

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Nemesis, will you extend your outrage to my bank that lets me skip a payment in December because of the holiday season?

Exactly what I was thinking. When complaining about special offers in any religious festival, you have to remember...christmas.

 

[soulslicer]

they should be happier now I guess.

 

[jverne]

this just depresses me.

 

[Mr Stabby]

Nemesis, will you extend your outrage to my bank that lets me skip a payment in December because of the holiday season?

Only because your a Christian?

If it's Muslims only then it's ridiculous.

 

[watermonster]

Back here (UAE), everyone usually gets discounted international costs for a few days during Ramadan or towards the end of it, when it's Eid.

 

[Absinthe]

If it's Muslims only then it's ridiculous.

This is the only I problem I see with this, and I'm not reading anything in that article that really says that.

If there's any evidence that this benefit would exist for Muslims only, I'm not seeing it. They're simply trying to profit more off a religious occasion the same way they would Christmas. That's just business.

 

[Nemesis6]

"Er du ikke bange for at m?de modstand, fordi kun muslimer kan f? det?"

"Because only Muslims can get it?" Only Muslims.

 

[The Monkey]

How the hell are the people at Tele2 supposed to know if you're muslim? It's cheaper for everyone, it's just specially directed at muslims. I don't see how this differs from any Christmas sale. It's not like non-Christians have to pay full price at those occasions.

 

[No Limit]

"Er du ikke bange for at m?de modstand, fordi kun muslimer kan f? det?"
.

Can you format that correctly so I can search for what it means without taking your word for it. No offense, but you know how it is.

 

[Nemesis6]

I'm guessing they go by names: Abdul, Mohammed, Aziz, whatever,

Formatted: "Er du ikke bange for at moede modstand, fordi kun muslimer kan faa det?"

 

[The Monkey]

^ One of the most ignorant statements I've ever heard on this forum.

@ No Limit:

"Aren't you afraid to face opposition, since only muslims can use it?"

Still doesn't explain how the company is supposed to know who's muslim and who's not.

 

[No Limit]

Also, this seems to be the official press release:

http://www.tele2.com/pages/Press.aspx?id=91&source=1152562

be honest nemesis, does it say anywhere in there that this only applies to muslims?

 

[Nemesis6]

That article doesn't mention being exclusive to Muslims, but this is the one in Sweden, not the one in question here.

 

[No Limit]

Still doesn't explain how the company is supposed to know who's muslim and who's not.

Not sure, but even if they claim this to be a rule then I will join nemesis is saying this is ridiculous. But I just have a really hard time believing this only applies to muslims. Using a crappy translator for the above press release it seemed to me like it said that the credit applies automatically when you call any of the listed countries. I could be wrong.

 

[No Limit]

That article doesn't mention being exclusive to Muslims, but this is the one in Sweden, not the one in question here.

Well do you have an official press release from the company you are talking about? I don't see why there would be a difference in the location of the service since it is the same company, isn't it?

 

[Nemesis6]

No, this is mentioned in the original article: They are not part of the same group anymore. Tele2 in Denmark is a subsidiary of Telenorden, the Swedish part is not. So while he got the idea from the Swedish part, they've got a free hand.

 

[CptStern]

http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20070925/danmark/109241091/

Translated by yours truly. They also included this picture: http://images.berlingske.dk/apps/pb...ARK&Lopenr=109241091&Ref=AR&MaxW=620&border=0
Guy in the middle: "Can I convert my FASTnet to the Ramadan subscription?"
Salesman - "Sure, if you're a convert."
Guys on the right - "Holy crap, I am so prank-calling my cousin in Ramallah!"

What do you think?

zomg I cant enter a synagogue without putting on a kipa, RACISTISM!!!
zomg I cant wear a tzit-ziot without wearing a kipa, DISCRIMINASHENS!!!
zomg I cant have cheese and ham in a sandwich, ANTISANDWICHISMS!!!
zomg I cant be jewish if a moyel doesnt carve up my johnson like a christmas ham ANTIFORESKINISMISTS!!!

 

[The Monkey]

Not sure, but even if they claim this to be a rule then I will join nemesis is saying this is ridiculous. But I just have a really hard time believing this only applies to muslims. Using a crappy translator for the above press release it seemed to me like it said that the credit applies automatically when you call any of the listed countries. I could be wrong.

It says that during Ramadan it will be cheaper to call 19 selected countries (including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Jordan and Turkey). It applies for everyone.

As far as I know it would be against Danish law to favour a certain religious group, so Tele2 wouldn't get away with this.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

What does ZOMG mean?

 

[CptStern]

OMG = oh my god

Zomg is just a variant:

A more enthusiastic (if not sarcastic) way of saying OMG. The Z doesn't stand for anything, but rather is added onto the O, thus making it pronounced "ZOH MY GOD!!1"

I have to tell you something. I have canc-ZOMG A SHINY NEW PENNEY!

 

[Nemesis6]

I'm still pretty sure it only counts for Muslims. If it didn't, I doubt the question would have been presented along with the fact that the director of the company didn't deny it. I'd try to contact them, but their website only seems to allow questions from customers.

But it does seem to include everyone. At least people say it does.

 

[PvtRyan]

I sincerely doubt it's limited to Muslims only. Only 4% of the Danish are Muslim, and of that only a tiny percentage would care about this kind of deal. It doesn't make business sense since this would give Tele2 a bad name under non-Muslims for a minimal increase in monies.

 

[No Limit]

I sincerely doubt it's limited to Muslims only. Only 4% of the Danish are Muslim, and of that only a tiny percentage would care about this kind of deal. It doesn't make business sense since this would give Tele2 a bad name under non-Muslims for a minimal increase in monies.

And as the monkey pointed out under their laws it would also be illegal.

So nemesis, if this is open to everybody are you still upset over it?

 

[kirovman]

I'm still pretty sure it only counts for Muslims. If it didn't, I doubt the question would have been presented along with the fact that the director of the company didn't deny it. I'd try to contact them, but their website only seems to allow questions from customers.

But it does seem to include everyone. At least people say it does.

What if it's a trap?

 

[Laivasse]

Don't listen to these idiots, Nemesis! THEY'RE TRYING TO WEAKEN YOUR HATRED!!

 

[Nemesis6]

Don't worry, I know that Muzzies are really evil vampires and that I've got every right to hate them.