Dodo have launched their Magic SIM-only mobile plan, and it’s a doozy. With Unlimited standard calls and text (including 13/1800 numbers, usually a big bone of contention), the plan offers a big challenge to Amaysim.
Click here to check out Amaysim’s excellent Unlimited plan – or call 1300 302 942!
Click here to check out Dodo’s Magic SIM unlimited plan – or call 1300 136 793!
Both plans are appropriate for users who have a decent connection to the Optus network, and who already own a phone outright and aren't looking to upgrade. Did you buy an iPhone 4 when it first came out, and resist the urge to go with the 4S? Well done! Enjoy either of these amazing plans.
Amaysim plans have arguably been the best plan available for a few months now. Both plans offer unlimited calls to any number in Australia and unlimited standard SMS and MMS messaging – for only $39.90. Amaysim offers 4GB of data while Dodo offers 5GB – both plans run on the Optus network. Dodo is sweetening the deal by offering additional data packs at only $5 a gigabyte ($20 for 5GB), and by including 100 minutes of free international calls to over 50 destinations.
In regards to the resemblance between the two plans, Amaysim Public Relations manager Gerard Mansour has said:
"We’re glad to see things heating up in the mobile market and think imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Ultimately customers benefit, which is great. The best advice we can give is to compare all aspects of a product when choosing who to go with. This includes not only price, but also the level of customer service you receive, product inclusions, billing options and charges for excess use on data".
We’ve scoured both Amaysim and Dodo’s plans, and can find very little in the way of catches or drawbacks. Both plans offer amazing value over the competition, and avoid traps that can hit customers with bill shock.
Cap plans and so-called Unlimited plans have been scrutinized heavily over the past few years. Consumer advocacy groups like ACMA and the ACCC have cracked down on plans that offer a seemingly inexhaustible amount of credit for a flat fee, which gets eaten up quickly by astronomically high per-minute call charges. Once the credit is exhausted, additional calls and text are charged in real-world dollars, resulting in bills in the thousands of dollars range.
Vodafone was the first to offer 'Infinite' call plans, but a major hitch with these is that calls to 1300 and 1800 numbers were not included, and charged per minute. Of course, many customer service numbers are 13/18 numbers, so hour long waits in a queue could translate to an extra $50 or $60 on your monthly bill!
Amaysim broke the mold by including these numbers, and by adding ethical moves like barring 19- services (companies that provide ringtones and other media on a very expensive subscription service).
Dodo is notable for always striving to beat the market leader in price, and only a few months after Amaysim’s plans have finalized, they’ve come out with a superior product. Dodo’s plan not only provides more data, it also offers very reasonable add-on data packs, and those 100 international minutes are nothing to sneeze at.
Amaysim’s fantastic customer service, based in Australia, brings them a little bit more neck-in-neck with Dodo’s challenge, but Dodo definitely has a slight edge for now in the stakes for great value month-by-month mobile plans.