iinet has released a new rental plan for its BoB modem for Naked DSL. In case you haven’t heard about BoB, it is an ADSL2+, Wireless and VoIP enabled Belkin modem especially branded for iinet. BoB is super easy to set up which is one of its most attractive features. This article is about the pros and cons of the rental plan, so for more details on the BoB modem itself visit www.iinet.com.au or read our iinet BoB Review.
Cost of iinet BoB Rental
The rental is $9.95 per month on top of your monthly broadband plan. This isn’t a rent-to-own situation so as long as you are renting the modem you will have to pay the monthly fee.
Over a 24 month period this works out to $238.80. If you wanted to buy the iinet BoB modem with no contract then it is $369. If you buy BoB upfront on a 24 month plan the discounted price is $269. These prices include the modem and a phone handset. So after 24 months you’d be slightly ahead with the rental option except for the fact that you don’t own a modem. So if you want to keep Naked DSL (or ADSL2+) then you’re going to have to buy a new modem or keep renting BoB at $9.95 per month.
Pros of iinet BoB Rental
There are two key advantages of renting BoB.
1) You don’t need to pay upfront for a modem. BoB isn’t the cheapest modem on the market and so spending $269 to $369 upfront to get BoB is a big deal. Especially when the Naked DSL connection fee is $79.95 to $150 as well. Naked DSL will save you money – especially if you make a lot of home phone calls and get them for free with iinet VoIP. But it’s still a decent investment if you’re buying a modem and paying a set up fee.
If you want to get iinet Naked DSL and get the simplicity and features that BoB provides, and don’t want to pay upfront, then the rental could be a great option for you.
2) If you join iinet on a 24 month plan with the BoB rental, you also get the $79.95 set up fee waived! So you can get started with iinet Naked DSL with no set up fee and no upfront payment for a modem. It’s a pretty compelling proposition if you don’t like paying upfront for things.
Cons of iinet BoB Rental
The big downside to renting your BoB unit is that you never own the modem. If you want to own the modem that is! If you’re the type of person who will use a modem for 3 or 4 years until it dies on you, then renting BoB is going to cost you more in the long run ($477.60 over 4 years).
So if you decide to stop renting BoB after a couple of years, that’s fine. iinet supplies you with a postal bag to send it back. But you’ll then need to buy your own BoB modem or go and buy another brand of ADSL2+ modem (with VoIP and Wireless if you want similar features to BoB).
What Should You Do – Buy or Rent?
It really comes down to personal preference and available cash flow. Some people prefer buying – they buy their house, they buy their appliances and buy their cars. You don’t have to buy a BoB modem to connect to iinet Naked DSL, so there are cheaper options available. And some people prefer to rent and that’s equally fine and comes with its own benefits. Do what suits your preference and your financial situation (we are not certified financial advisers so please go and get some expert advice if you want to know if buying or renting suits your situation better!)
If you don’t want to pay upfront fees to join Naked DSL, but know that it will save you money if you sign up, then the rental option with no set up fee is very attractive to get you started quickly and easily.
Visit www.iinet.com.au for more information BoB rental, see the iinet Naked DSL plans or sign up with iinet
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