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Cellular forums Home > Archive > Cell Phones in Great Britain > March 2007 > CarPhoneWarehouse lying ?
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| Author |
CarPhoneWarehouse lying ?
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| Nospa 2007-03-28, 12:33 pm |
| Hello,
I went to CarPhoneWarehouse today, and was told by the spotted youth that
the law has been changed, and that buyers of PayAsYouGo telephones must give
all their details, which CarPhoneWarehouse must keep on their database.
This, he continued, is so that if you sell the phone to someone abroad (he
particularly mentioned Pakistan), they can catch and fine you, as this is
highly illegal.
2 questions arise:
- is there any trace of truth in what he is saying, or is it pure 100%
bollox ?
- surely, if I own a phone, and give it to my uncle in Pakistan, it is
nobody's business ?
Regards,
Richard.
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| G a z . 2007-03-28, 12:33 pm |
| In article < rMGdneUV0acOBpfbnZ2d
nUVZ8sOonZ2d@pipex.net>,
spam@pipex.com says...
> I went to CarPhoneWarehouse today, and was told by the spotted youth that
> the law has been changed, and that buyers of PayAsYouGo telephones must give
> all their details, which CarPhoneWarehouse must keep on their database.
> This, he continued, is so that if you sell the phone to someone abroad (he
> particularly mentioned Pakistan), they can catch and fine you, as this is
> highly illegal.
>
> 2 questions arise:
>
> - is there any trace of truth in what he is saying, or is it pure 100%
> bollox ?
> - surely, if I own a phone, and give it to my uncle in Pakistan, it is
> nobody's business ?
>
I think there might well be some truth in that, as if you have a look
in the any of the catalogues available particularly Argos, you will
see that it now states "Only 1 PAYG phone, per person, per
transaction!"
I think that is also to do with the new anti-terrorism laws...
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| Mike P 2007-03-28, 12:33 pm |
|
"Nospa" <spam@pipex.com> wrote in message
news:rMGdneUV0acOBpf
bnZ2dnUVZ8sOonZ2d@pi
pex.net...
> Hello,
>
> I went to CarPhoneWarehouse today, and was told by the spotted youth that
> the law has been changed, and that buyers of PayAsYouGo telephones must
> give all their details, which CarPhoneWarehouse must keep on their
> database. This, he continued, is so that if you sell the phone to someone
> abroad (he particularly mentioned Pakistan), they can catch and fine you,
> as this is highly illegal.
>
> 2 questions arise:
>
> - is there any trace of truth in what he is saying, or is it pure 100%
> bollox ?
> - surely, if I own a phone, and give it to my uncle in Pakistan, it is
> nobody's business ?
>
Sounds like bollox to me, I bought one in Asda the other day no questions
asked.
Mike P
| |
| Reestit Mutton 2007-03-28, 3:33 pm |
| G a z . wrote:
> In article < rMGdneUV0acOBpfbnZ2d
nUVZ8sOonZ2d@pipex.net>,
> spam@pipex.com says...
>
>
>
>
> I think there might well be some truth in that, as if you have a look
> in the any of the catalogues available particularly Argos, you will
> see that it now states "Only 1 PAYG phone, per person, per
> transaction!"
>
> I think that is also to do with the new anti-terrorism laws...
Nope...there's a much more down-to-earth explanation for this...
Networks can heavily subsidise PAYG phones. To have that subsidy poured
down the drain by someone who wishes to buy up the cheapest and most
heavily subsidised PAYG handsets in bulk, remove the SIM cards, unlock
the handsets and then send them abroad where they command a much higher
price (a practice known as box-breaking) makes the networks think twice
about the way that PAYG phones are sold in this country.
The one phone per customer rule is designed to limit the practice of
box-breaking and the CPW member of staff simply wanted your details so
that they could limit the number of purchases you make with any of their
best PAYG deals by simply checking what you have purchased previously on
their database.
It is perfectly within teh network's power to stop supplying outlets
where a high percentage of their PAYG handset sales result in
box-breaking so it is in the retailer's interest to put systems in place
to control this practice.
Pakistan may well have come up in conversation purely because it may
simply be a favourite destination for these handsets to be sold to.
HtH
Reestit Mutton
--
The UK's only listing of 12 months free contract mobile phone packages
with a built-in price history
http://www.reestitmutton.co.uk/MOBI...p?query=12mfree
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| So, illegal it is not, then.
Appreciate your contribution
Richard
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| Ivor Jones 2007-03-28, 3:33 pm |
|
"Reestit Mutton" <NOBODY@NOWHERE.IN.PARTICULAR> wrote in
message
news:460abb2a$0$8735
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net
[snip]
> Networks can heavily subsidise PAYG phones. To have that
> subsidy poured down the drain by someone who wishes to
> buy up the cheapest and most heavily subsidised PAYG
> handsets in bulk, remove the SIM cards, unlock the
> handsets and then send them abroad where they command a
> much higher price (a practice known as box-breaking)
> makes the networks think twice about the way that PAYG
> phones are sold in this country.
There is another answer, of course. Stop this stupid subsidy business and
sell handsets for their true value.
Ivor
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| Reestit Mutton 2007-03-28, 10:33 pm |
| Ivor Jones wrote:
> "Reestit Mutton" <NOBODY@NOWHERE.IN.PARTICULAR> wrote in
> message
> news:460abb2a$0$8735
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net
>
> [snip]
>
>
>
>
> There is another answer, of course. Stop this stupid subsidy business and
> sell handsets for their true value.
>
Absolutely! - However, there are 5 main UK networks in competition with
eachother and none of them want to be the first to blink on this issue.
What's more, for all of them to agree a change of strategy wrt removing
their subsidy could well be illegal on the grounds that it could be seen
as an attempt at price-fixing.
So, it's between a rock and a hard place that they all find themselves.
Reestit Mutton
--
The UK's only listing of 12 months free contract mobile phone packages
with a built-in price history
http://www.reestitmutton.co.uk/MOBI...p?query=12mfree
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On Mar 28, 9:20 pm, "Ivor Jones" <i...@despammed.invalid> wrote:
[color=darkred]
> There is another answer, of course. Stop this stupid subsidy business and
> sell handsets for their true value.
Or just close down those scumbag criminals Carphone Warehouse. That
would work too.
Tariq
| |
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| spam@pipex.com declared for all the world to hear...
> Hello,
>
> I went to CarPhoneWarehouse today, and was told by the spotted youth that
> the law has been changed, and that buyers of PayAsYouGo telephones must give
> all their details, which CarPhoneWarehouse must keep on their database.
> This, he continued, is so that if you sell the phone to someone abroad (he
> particularly mentioned Pakistan), they can catch and fine you, as this is
> highly illegal.
>
> 2 questions arise:
>
> - is there any trace of truth in what he is saying, or is it pure 100%
> bollox ?
It's not a question of law, more of CPW policy.
> - surely, if I own a phone, and give it to my uncle in Pakistan, it is
> nobody's business ?
Indeed.
--
Regards
Jon
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| Sam Nelson 2007-03-29, 7:33 am |
| In article < rMGdneUV0acOBpfbnZ2d
nUVZ8sOonZ2d@pipex.net>,
"Nospa" <spam@pipex.com> writes:
> I went to CarPhoneWarehouse today, and was told by the spotted youth that
> the law has been changed, and that buyers of PayAsYouGo telephones must give
> all their details, which CarPhoneWarehouse must keep on their database.
This has to be rubbish. What about phones bought as presents? I bought one
shortly before Christmas as a retirement present for a member of staff. I
can't see how an arrangement like that could possibly work in these
circumstances.
--
SAm.
| |
| David Hearn 2007-03-29, 7:33 am |
| Ivor Jones wrote:
> "Reestit Mutton" <NOBODY@NOWHERE.IN.PARTICULAR> wrote in
> message
> news:460abb2a$0$8735
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net
>
> [snip]
>
>
> There is another answer, of course. Stop this stupid subsidy business and
> sell handsets for their true value.
>
> Ivor
Why?
I got my Vario for free on a £35 per month 18 month tariff. I therefore
paid, over the term, £630. For this I got 5400 minutes and unlimited data.
I go for a SIM only deal (ie. no handset subsidy) from the same
supplier, and pay £7.50 per month, but unlimited data would be extra
£7.50 per month. Over 18 months that's £270 for 900 minutes and
unlimited data.
Difference is £360 and 4,500 minutes.
SIM-free handset price (18 months from when I purchased it!) is still
around £350+.
So, I can pay my handset price over 18 months, and get 250 minutes extra
per month - or I can pay the full price of my handset (which isn't much
different to what I pay extra in my line rental) and lose 250 minutes
per month. Better than interest free credit in my opinion!
If networks are already offering SIM only deals which aren't much better
than buying the handset separately, do you really think they're going to
reduce their prices significantly if subsidy stopped? At best, it would
go down to their SIM-free prices - at worst, it'll be somewhere in
between due to the extra minutes provided.
To repeat - if I buy the handset separately and have a non-subsidy
tariff, I'm still worse off!
D
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| Tim Downie 2007-03-29, 10:33 am |
| Reestit Mutton wrote:
> Ivor Jones wrote:
>
> Absolutely! - However, there are 5 main UK networks in competition
> with eachother and none of them want to be the first to blink on this
> issue.
> What's more, for all of them to agree a change of strategy wrt
> removing their subsidy could well be illegal on the grounds that it
> could be seen as an attempt at price-fixing.
>
> So, it's between a rock and a hard place that they all find
> themselves.
It would be nice to be offered the choice between low handset price (along
with extortinate call costs) or a cost price handset and fair call costs.
Is there any technical or commercial reason why that couldn't be done?
Tim
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