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A Case When A LIME Is No Ordinary LIME

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blackberry-boldIt is the Christmas holidays approaching and we were hoping to take a short break from blogging. However the thought of a company which has operated as a monopoly in the Caribbean for so long and has generated unconscionable profits contemplating sending home employees makes a sour taste in our mouths. Cable and Wireless (C&W) aka LIME has been in the Caribbean since the 1880’s. According to C&W 2005 Annual Report the Caribbean was the second most profitable market with a turnover of £550 million which was second only to the United Kingdom’s £1,602 million.

C&W is not you regular company, it is one which has a foundation deeply rooted in the communities of 15 former British colonies.

Any decision to re-brand and downsize by C&W must be viewed not as a simple business transaction. When taken in the context of the collaboration between the respective Caribbean governments leading into the period of deregulation, the region deserves better. One of the key planks of the Barbados economy is its Offshore Sector which is attracted to an efficient telecommunications infrastructure. The current arrogance which is being exhibited by LIME is quickly causing its goodwill accrued over 100 years to dissipate.

We will expand on this blog another time but here is a note from a BU family member who wants to ask LIME a question.

Hello I was just browsing the site and saw the boycott LIME tabs. Please allow me to share something with you. Don’t know if this has been brought to your attention but did you know bajans have to purchase their blackberry handsets at much more than others in the Caribbean? For example the Blackberry Bold is roughly 1800 bajan or USD900 (it was 1300) but jumped near Christmas ,yet my contacts in Jamaica have told me the price has remained at roughly USD600 there an other places in the Caribbean.

I asked a LIME rep what was the deal but they can’t give me a proper answer.

Thanks.

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17 responses to “A Case When A LIME Is No Ordinary LIME”

  1. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    It’s not only Lime that rips off bajans.It seems ALL business that deal in the region push their Barbados prices of items and services upwards. The problem is we only talk but there is no action. It’s time we boycott these International business. For some reason they believe wr’re affluent and should get our eyes gouged out.For that same reason these foreign immigrantsare going to take this place from us because all we do is “a lotta long talk” noaction. Rise up and fight back Bajans.

  2. Livinginbarbados Avatar
    Livinginbarbados

    This is not a full rip off, as those taking out new Blackberry service can buy the phones at half price, at least until December 31, 2008. That applies to current mobile service users who opt to add BB service for the first time to a particular line.

    Digicel go a bit “better” by not offering the new BB phones because the stock of older models have not yet been sold, so a friend told me when trying to go with “the competition”. Gotta laugh.

    Oh, I just bought a BB with a one year contract for US$45 in the US.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    In this scenario Digicel should not be let off the hook. While we respect the right of any company to fairly compete it is evident that both LIME and Digicel are engaging in what the experts call profit maximization. The manufacturer’s price for the Blackberry and other handsets is no where near the retail price offered in the Caribbean. Having acknowledge this the marketing experts explain one of the P’s as price and explain that price is what any market is willing to bear.

    This brings us back to Chris Halsall’s repeated point, what are we the customer prepared to do?

  4. HUH??? Avatar
    HUH???

    that half price BB offer is a sham. the amount of money you will pay per month for that service, you are better off buying it at full rip off price.

  5. David Avatar
    David

    Who are the people buying the Blackberrys?

    Are they the companies that should know better but write a cheque to supply employees?

    Are they the men and women on the streets who are buying them to read hotmail?

    Is it a combination?

    Can we blame LIME?

    We talk about price gouging in the supermarkets but watch out because we have it with LIME.

  6. Tony Hall Avatar
    Tony Hall

    We can only blame ourselves if we continue to buy these phones. I have a Blackberry with a plan and to compare the high prices that one has to pay for the same phone in Barbados I can only say WOW. I think a lot of businesses charge higher prices in Barbados because we give the impression that we have a lot of money and secondly we complain but take no action, saying,”yuh cant eat de money”

  7. Bdos Consumer Watch Avatar
    Bdos Consumer Watch

    Here we go again. Dont we sound like a stuck record. The Limes of this world know us , bajans , very well. We will shout from the roof tops about how expense the black berry is, but our friend bought one, so you know what , we go and buy one two.
    Then we look to somebody to represent us in terms of the rip off price.
    You know what…it will continue until this educated group of persons called bajans, wake up and smell the coffee.

  8. Chris Halsall Avatar
    Chris Halsall

    @Bdos Consumer Watch: “You know what…it will continue until this educated group of persons called bajans, wake up and smell the coffee.

    Well said Halam.

    Hopefully, next time, you’ll have the confidence to use your real name when you do so…

    [wink…]

  9. Technician Avatar
    Technician

    WTF………

    If it will only change when ….’this educated group of persons called bajans, wake up and smell the coffee.

    Then why is there a Barbados Consumer Watch to start with??

    Seems to me that you all are just like the ‘uneducated’ bajans who are still ‘asleep’.

    For a group who is supposed to be a ‘watchdog’…….you sure as hell sounding like the thief !!

  10. RE Engineer Avatar
    RE Engineer

    I have to agree with Bdos Consumer Watch. What would be the point of being a ‘watchdog’ or security for persons who care not to be guarded or needlessly constantly put themselves in danger. It would be highly frustrating.

    The same things are said over and over but all Barbadians are very aware of the very high prices around here. But no one is prepared to do anything about it. All talk. I buy just about everything I own outside of Barbados, and not only because I get a better variety, but because it just makes no sense buying anything here unless it is an emergency, so thank God for the internet and credit cards. I bought my phone online for quarter of the cost of the Blackberry, it does the same things and much more, I don’t have a data package, but with the advent of Wifi I have no need really, the amount of unsecured networks around the island is incredible plus in my job I don’t get any really urgent emails, if someone needs me they call or text, emails can wait until I am in the office. All I needed was something that I can pull up various word, excel and powerpoint files and save me lugging around a laptop and if I had to buy it at blackberry prices it would have still been cheaper to get a laptop!! . A lot of persons who have these fancy phones rarely use even 1/4 of the features, but many are happy to spend thousands of dollars on phone so they can chat with their friends on MSN or browse Facebook. The Blackberry is a business phone, for persons who are constantly traveling and need a quick means of correspondence. Since this is the vast minority of Barbadians it baffles me why sales here are so high. But then again, maybe I am missing something.

    Has anyone noticed that prices of PHD products are significantly cheaper in St. Lucia than they are here. It is SSDD people complain, stupse, quarrel and then purchase, the price goes up and the same thing happens. Commodities prices are going down, Cheffette prices have gone up recently, just in time for Xmas when stores are open late. Wise decision on his part I believe, people are still going to buy. Pricesmart started out with a bang, but as prices constantly roll up even though they have preferential suppliers and should be able to provide much lower costs, they are basically on par with most other establishments that don’t have this advantage. Why not stretch their profit margins as much as they can? Same with Digicel, it came here to lower prices and that is exactly what it did, efficient customer service, great packages, but they are slowly creeping towards the same poor service as LIME, and why? Clearly because they can, if you can streamline operations, cut costs and drive up prices even though reducing quality and your revenue remains unaffected, by all means do it. I would! Solution? Do without and be patient. If I see something I like (excluding foodstuff of course), I see if I can find something similar online. If it is worth it I purchase it there, however, 70% of the time I end up realising I don’t really need it or I can do without it and end up not buying anyways or I come across some background data and realise it is not for me or end up finding something better. Not saying this will work for everyone, but it certainly works for me. In the paper a few months ago people were asked about their spending and I was shocked to find out how much persons spend on going out between $400 and $600 were the basic averages. Where do they get this money from? It amazes me!!

  11. L. Medford Avatar
    L. Medford

    @ RE Engineer

    I fully agree with you. Barbadians must learn to curb their spending in these hard economic times. Cell phones are helpful in times of emergencies, but some people spend hours chatting merrily; which allows Lime & Digicel the high profits their shareholders and executives currently enjoy. Cell phones have now become part of some people’s attire, as some people return home only to retrieve their forgotten cell phone; as they are now convinced they cannot leave home without them!

  12. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @ Re Engineer

    Great post!!! Its all about “bling”, some people want to be seen with certain accoutrements and the Blackberry falls within that category. I agree that many people don’t need a Blackberry for everyday use but the attitude is “if everyone else has one why shouldn’t I have one also”. If people bought what they needed instead of what they wanted they would be far better off.

    Companies like PriceMart will charge whatever the market will bear and if the Courts are prepared to give them a slap on the wrist as they did for ripping off consumers by selling chicken parts as chicken wings who or what will stop them? Certainly not the consumers, who will grumble among themselves and move right along and shop as usual.

  13. Cancerman Avatar
    Cancerman

    I love to read blogs since person write with such conviction about things they do not know.
    So the original precept was about a Blackberry bold. Not this has to be about fashion since you can get a Blackberry Curve for even less at standard prices.
    So it has got to be the bling not the functionality since then persons who go for the cheapest device.

    But it is beyond this – persons upgrade proper working phones since – “they had it for a year and it is time for something new”.

  14. David Avatar
    David

    @Cancerman

    The issue here is the cost of the handsets when compared to Jamaica. Maybe there is a valid position, the BU family wishes to know.

  15. RE Engineer Avatar
    RE Engineer

    @Cancerman

    Don’t be mislead by my rantings, my point is that if you can raise prices and still get good sales, then by all means do it. That is how it goes here, everything its more expensive ’cause Bajans are willing to purchase. I never said I understood why. And I just said it baffles me the very expensive stuff ppl buy that they cannot or will not fully utilise. There is nothing wrong with an upgrade if it is to get the features you may need. If you want extra features that you don’t really need, then one should not complain about the price of this upgrade. If you can give me any reasons as to why prices here for the same device are significantly higher than in other Caribbean countries and why Blackberries are so widespread when their features are generally overkill in most cases, I am all ears.

  16. LIMErs international Avatar
    LIMErs international

    Dat suit all a wunna bajans who want to shell out de money for a Bold. If the phones stayed on the shelves then you would see how quickly the price would drop. The Blackberry bold is being offered at 1/2 the price this xmas season but has one ever noticed the price was increased by 500 dollars before the 50 percent discount was announced?
    Hahahaha….Bajans love a good Lime

  17. LIME Representative - Dominica Avatar
    LIME Representative – Dominica

    Before handsets are priced, various aspects are considered…namely the economy being operated around and the bargains of competitors…thus explaining why the prices and promotions vary across the islands.

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