How we got a VFM SIM Free Phone!

kluivert

GF has wanted a Sony Ericsson W580i for a good while now, but as she was on Vodafone and the phone was only available on O2 she didnt get it till yesterday.

To buy this phone SIM free it would cost around 320e, alot more than the subsidised price from O2 of 169e.

While in Newry yesterday we called in Car phone warehouse to see what they could do.

The phone would work on the Vodafone.ie network but would not have the settings for Vodafone Live! and MMS.

She bought the phone for 100 pounds + 10 pounds for a Vodafone UK Sim, otherwise the phone without the SIM would have been 175 pounds.

We took the phone home, logged onto the Vodafone.ie website, went to Help and Support, got the settings for the nearest type of phone to this one, and followed the instructions on the screen, an hour later she had Vodafone Live and MMS.

Another RIP Ireland in my opinion.

Sony Eircsson W580i in Ireland 320e SIM Free
Sony Eircsson W580i in Northern Ireland 150e SIM Free.

Thats even cheaper than buying it on the O2.ie Network.

I know where I will be buying my phones from now on the next time I change or upgrade.

Anyway just thought I would share that experience.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

ardmacha

To buy this phone SIM free it would cost around 320e

Expansys will deliver a W580 to you for less than €200, why would you pay €320 for it? Now this does reflect the poor value of the O2 deal, but the price has probably fallen.

Another RIP Ireland in my opinion.

surely you mean RIP 26 counties since you bought the phone in Ireland.

There is a general point here, though. Are the likes of Carphonewarehouse able to sell any phone and apply a discount from a mobile operator for an upgrade etc, or are they only able to sell the same limited range of phones the operator has?

kluivert

ardmacha wrote: »

There is a general point here, though. Are the likes of Carphonewarehouse able to sell any phone and apply a discount from a mobile operator for an upgrade etc, or are they only able to sell the same limited range of phones the operator has?

The Salesman asked what network did we want to choose. He said we could choose anyone as when we bought a SIM Pack, the price of the phone was reduced.

I have never heard of Expansys before, going to check them out.

120_Minutes

ardmacha wrote: »

Are the likes of Carphonewarehouse able to sell any phone and apply a discount from a mobile operator for an upgrade etc, or are they only able to sell the same limited range of phones the operator has?

they have a slightly different yet limited range, only a few of their phones are sim free.

neilled

In my experience o2 uk do not lock their phones, (with the exception of the iphone) so I've bought o2 prepay handsets there and used them with other networks in the past.