Vodafone to completely shut down Crazy John’s brand

IT’S the end for a once-irreverent brand which shook up the telco industry. Crazy John’s will cease to exist in two months, with 100,000 customers affected.

The Crazy Johns store at Helensvale Westfield is one of 60 stores nation wide which may close down or be rebranded as a Voda...

IT’S the end for a once-irreverent brand which disrupted the staid Australian telecommunications industry.

Customers loved it for its unapologetic marketing and low prices. But the remaining customers of what was once Crazy John’s will be shifted onto Vodafone contracts from September and all its operations will cease at the end of September.

Approximately 100,000 customers will be affected.

The Crazy John’s empire was acquired by Vodafone in 2008 when founder John Ilhan’s widow, Patricia, sold 75 per cent of the business for a reported $150 million.

Mr Ilhan died suddenly in 2007 at the age of 42 from a heart condition.

John Ilhan started the business in 1991.

Last year, Vodafone closed dozens of remaining Crazy John’s retail stores while it rebranded the rest to Vodafone stores.

The Crazy John’s brand effectively disappeared from the market then. Vodafone also closed the ‘3’ business at the same time as part of a “streamlining” strategy.

“Crazy John’s was a dynamic, energetic company that generated goodwill by putting the customer first,” Vodafone director of sales Ben McIntosh said. “We understand we need to respect this legacy and we’ll seek to be the brand that pulls the mobile phone industry closer to the customer’s needs, not the other way around.”

John Ilhan’s widow, Patricia, took over the Crazy John’s business after her husband died.

Mr Ilhan started the Crazy John’s empire in 1991 with a store in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Brunswick under the name of ‘Mobileworld’. He rebranded it to Crazy John’s and expanded the business aggressively to become Australia’s largest Telstra mobile reseller.

Crazy John’s was renowned for introducing $1 mobile phones where customers paid back the cost of the phone over the length of the contract rather than outright.

After a legal battle with Telstra shortly before his death, Mr Ilhan moved his customers onto Vodafone’s network.

Mr McIntosh added: “We look forward to welcoming those Crazy John’s customers who are coming over to Vodafone, and we say goodbye to those who are leaving and thank them for their loyalty and support over the years.”

Originally published as Vodafone to completely shut down Crazy John’s brand