The initial stocks were rapidly depleted as customers rushed to get a "free" portable power pack, though new stock has arrived and is expected to last from the 24th of June until the 1st of August.
Money Saving Expert's website has an article today detailing how this portable power pack isn't free, but is instead a "loan".
According to this website, Facebook went crazy when customers realized that the charger wasn't quite theirs to keep.
But, EE's website clearly states the usage agreement (which is not even buried in some T&Cs) surrounding the loan of these chargers, which demonstrates just how people have a tendency to want something for absolutely nothing.
Admittedly, I'm not an EE customer, so when I saw the original announcement I thought that every customer would get a power bar for free, but what this agreement actually involves is that you get one power bar, which of course you can charge up and use when out and about, but the idea is that if it is depleted whilst out, you pop into an EE shop and exchange it for a fully charged power bar to take away with you.
I know that most high street network retailers have offered their customers the option of leaving their handset with the shop to charge up whilst you carry on and do some shopping (Vodafone have championed this for years), but this is a more convenient option.
However, some customers reckoned that the charger was theirs to keep, when in fact it's still definitely the property of EE, and they will ask for them to be returned after 18 months so that they can be replaced - After all, no one wants to be given a duff power bar!
Is this a good deal? Of course it is: You get the use of a portable charger for the price of the text (35p), and if you regularly pass an EE shop you could avoid ever having to charge it up yourself.
Unlike your own personal charger, when this one's battery begins to degrade, EE will just swap it for a new one.
The downsides? Lose or damage your power bar and EE will charge you £20 for a new one, which is pretty steep for a non-branded portable power bank - You could grab your very own charger for around a tenner.
Also - and I know that this is a personal issue - but how do you fancy "someone else's" charger, each time you swap one over in an EE shop? I'm sure that you won't catch The Plague from one, and they are probably a damn sight cleaner than most library books, but I know that some people might just want to use "their own" power bar, which is fine - Just don't expect to be the proud owner of one forever.
