Documents obtained by MobileSyrup reveal that national carrier Telus plans on introducing a new upgrade program dubbed ‘Bring-It-Back’ sometime in September 2018.
The Bring-It-Back program will allow customers looking to renew their Telus contracts to purchase a higher-tier smartphone at a lower upfront cost on the condition that customers bring back the device in “good working condition” at the end of their two-year contract.
Customers looking to keep their new smartphone can also do so, as long as they agree to pay back a Bring-It-Back fee at the end of their two-year term.
Bring-It-Back will be able available across Canada on in-market Premium and Premium+ plans (including Platinum plans in Quebec) for both consumer and two-year small business accounts.
According to the same internal documents, customers will be able to pay their Bring-It-Back program at “any point during their two-year term.”
Additionally, customers will receive reminder notifications through their ‘My Telus’ accounts to return their smartphones or to pay the remainder of the Bring-It-Back amount.
“If a customer wants to keep their smartphone at the end of their term there is no further action required,” reads an excerpt from internal Telus documents. “The customer will be charged for the Bring-It-Back Program Amount directly on their bill after their contract end date.” Once customers pay their Bring-It-Back amount, they will not be able to return their smartphones.
The Bring-It-Back goal is to give customers “an industry-leading smartphone affordability program.” For instance, customers who purchase an iPhone X from Telus — a device that costs $1,350 — have the choice of paying $400 upfront and $105 per month on a two-year plan, or $600 upfront and $95 on a two-year plan.
The Bring-It-Back program appears to be a direct successor to Telus’s T-UP! upgrade program that was discontinued in April 2016.
Introduced in 2013, the T-UP! program allowed existing Telus subscribers to trade in their devices after 12 months for a brand new smartphone so long as they paid a $10 monthly fee.
MobileSyrup has reached out to Telus for comment. This story will be updated with a response.
Via: iPhone in Canada
