According to Cell C, this “will give customers up to R10 000 to help them buy themselves out of their contract should they want to move to Cell C but still have an outstanding value to settle before they can cancel.”
Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos said: “So many South Africans are feeling trapped in long-term contracts by their providers that ask for extortionary cancellation fees for early termination. Cell C’s Contract Buy-Out proposition releases customers from those fees by offering to help buy themselves out of their existing contracts.”
Cell C Contract Buy-Out
The Contract Buy-Out is available to Postpaid and TopUp customers if they sign up for one of Cell C’s new EPIC packages. These customers qualify for an amount between R1 000 and R10 000 to assist them in paying off their contract termination fees, as well as a new handset.
Dos Santos explained: “[To make use of the Contract Buy-Out proposition, all customers] have to do is visit one of our stores, take their latest up to date invoice and trade in their current handset to find out how much they qualify for.”
Cell C provided the following information for EPIC package SIM only details and contract buy-out values:
| PACKAGE (Postpaid and Hybrid) | EPIC 100 | EPIC 150 | EPIC 200 | EPIC 350 | EPIC 500 | EPIC 650 | EPIC 1000 | EPIC Infinity |
| Monthly subscription fee (SIM only fee) | R69 | R99 | R129 | R229 | R339 | R449 | R699 | R999 |
| Buy-out value (postpaid) | R1000 | R2500 | R4000 | R6000 | R10 000 | R10 000 | ||
| Buy-out value (hybrid) | R4000 | R6000 | R10 000 | N/A | ||||
| Inclusive airtime | R100 | R150 | R200 | R350 | R500 | R650 | R1000 | *Unlimited calls, SMSs and 3GB data |
Dos Santos highlighted: “We understand that carriers must recoup costs for the handset when customers leave before a contract comes to an end, but charging any percentage of the remaining contract subscription as a termination fee is ludicrous. Some of our competitors are charging exorbitant amounts disguised as ‘reasonable early termination fees’ to customers who wish to end their contracts before the contract term.”
EPIC Contract packages
Cell C highlights that there are several EPIC packages available, ranging from R69 per month to R999 per month for the unlimited package.
“[The EPIC packages] are all based on flexibility of value, allowing customers to decide whether to spend their contract value on voice, data or SMS.
“These new packages offer an average discount of 30% on the subscription fees. For example, pay R129 per month and receive R200 value to use as you please on EPIC 200,” explained Cell C.
Furthermore, Cell C is also guaranteeing customers that sign up on an EPIC Contract package that they “will not be subject to any price increases for the duration of the contract.”
According to the Cell C website, there are three daily minute bundles available on the EPIC package. These are EPIC 60, EPIC 90 and EPIC 180.
| Bundle | Price | Inclusive minutes (On-Net) | Validity/ Expiry |
| EPIC 60 | R5 | 60 | Valid until midnight on the day of purchase. Available to buy from 5am to 5pm. |
| EPIC 90 | R7 | 90 | Valid until midnight on the day of purchase. Available to buy from 5am to 5pm. |
| EPIC 180 | R12 | 180 | Valid until midnight on the day of purchase. Available to buy from 5am to 5pm. |
In addition there is also the EPIC Weekend Bundle:
| Bundle | Price | Inclusive value | Validity/ Expiry | Depletion rates |
| EPIC Weekends | R20 | R100 |
Valid between one second after midnight on Saturday morning and one second before midnight on Sunday evening. Available for purchase any time. |
R1.99 (voice) R0.50 (SMS) R1.99 (data/ MB) |
Cell C noted that existing Cell C customers are also able to switch over to one of the EPIC Contract packages if they want to.
For more information on the Cell C EPIC bundles, click here.
**All prices accurate according to Cell C on 13 May 2015