Carphone Warehouse - forced 20 EUR top up?

dubsgirl

Hi all

Just bought an LG kS360 phone and was told by the salesperson in Carphone Warehouse that it is compulsory to buy 20EUR top up with it.

So price of phone is 99.99 & 20EUR credit.

When I queried this I was told that o2 make it compulsory so that people only use the phone on their network.

This sound correct to you?
Should you not be able to simply purchase only a phone?

Thanks

Jev/N

Are you on O2 already?

dubsgirl

Jev/N wrote: »

Are you on O2 already?

No but was buying the phone as a gift...

Jev/N

Dunno the legal/consumer aspect but it makes sense as,assuming you're getting it with a SIM card, you generally have to buy a certain amount of credit when getting a SIM card on its own

rubadub

dubsgirl wrote: »

Should you not be able to simply purchase only a phone?

It might well cost you a lot more to buy the phone on its own, most pay-as-you-go phones are heavily subsisided. I remember getting one for €90 with a sim with €80 credit. I unlocked it and sold the phone in buy & sell for €100 without the sim. I think it was €140 new in shops at the time as a sim free phone.

JordanDC

If it was not on the price tag as requiring a top up and just said €99.00 then you can complain with false advertising.

jor el

dubsgirl wrote: »

When I queried this I was told that o2 make it compulsory so that people only use the phone on their network.

That sounds like lies, and possibly illegal. The phone is locked to O2, that's what stops you using other networks. Topping up will not stop you from moving, you just need to unlock the phone.

The KS360 is 109 euro on O2's site, and they're normally cheaper by about 10 euro on the website. Sounds to me like CPW are doing something dodgy to make their prices look cheaper. Blatant false advertising if that's not clearly marked on the price label.

Nody

I admitt it has been quite a while since I was in any carphone or other phone shop (I usually buy mine online second hand) but most phones I recall where listed with a list of 5+ different prices depending on the plan. Hence if this phoen was 90 with sim I'd be very surprised if it did not have a * saying for 02 required to top up by 20 EUR or more or similar in the list price.

jor el

Well, I bought my phone in CPW only a few months ago and the price was the price. There was no requirement to top up immediately.

I had to top up in order to get the free credit that came with it at the time (can't remember what it was, not much anyway) which is the usual, but forcing you to top up immediately, never heard of that.

foggy_lad

the normal store price of handsets is usually €10 dearer than online prices so currently that phone is €109 on the o2 website as a gift purchase and is not mentioned on the carphonewarehouse site so you could expect the in-store price to be €119 in o2 stores and most likely the same in carphone warehouse unless advertised as special offer?

seeing that you were sold the handset for €99 then forced to top-up by €20 looks very much like CPW making an extra bit of commission out of your purchase? i would log onto the o2 forum site and report this to o2 as they may not be aware of this dubious practice. also you can make a complaint to CPW head office 1800 424800

dudara

If there was no written mention anywhere of the need for this E20 top-up, then CPW need to be called to task.

Write a formal letter of complaint and post it via registered post to CPW Management and O2's franchise/retail division

theteal

JordanDC wrote: »

If it was not on the price tag as requiring a top up and just said €99.00 then you can complain with false advertising.

a price tag is not an advertisement, it's an "invitation to treat". nonetheless it seems like a very dubious issue, my guess is that possibly they had mistakenly put the wrong price up (these things happen rarely) and the sales guy was trying to cover his ass while still making the sale. . .still worth a complaint though

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

MunsterCycling

Besides, on bill pay they have to unlock your phone for free as its covered under European directive, many many posts covering this. Wonder how the fruit seller thinks they can lock their phones only to the provider they chose.

MC

Gummy Panda

OP,

Did you ask on the talk2o2 forums or pm daryl that posts in the mobile section?

JohnC.

The same issue has recently arisen in the UK with the iPhone, with CPW, O2 and Apple Stores saying you need a £10 top-up when buying a PAYG iPhone, though Apple Stores don't always. Sounds like they are expanding this practice over here and to other phones.

JohnC.

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Besides, on bill pay they have to unlock your phone for free as its covered under European directive, many many posts covering this. Wonder how the fruit seller thinks they can lock their phones only to the provider they chose.

MC

Any idea what directive this is?

Pythia

I don't know why they are bothering to do this, they make such little money from selling credit I don't see what benefit this would have. All it would do is p1ss the customer off!

Jaysoose

theteal wrote: »

a price tag is not an advertisement, it's an "invitation to treat". nonetheless it seems like a very dubious issue, my guess is that possibly they had mistakenly put the wrong price up (these things happen rarely) and the sales guy was trying to cover his ass while still making the sale. . .still worth a complaint though

People that keep banging on about this "invitation to treat" get right on my tits.....basically gives the shops another way to shaft people. Set the price and stick to it or Fvck right off carphone warehouse.

nothin personal but people using this "invitation to treat" as justification for dubious practices is ridiculous and whoever made it up must be laughing his/her head off at people.

JohnC.

If people said no and went elsewhere, it would stop soon enough. They are only getting shafted when they allow themselves to be shafted.

Jaysoose

It just fvcks me right off if a company is incapable/unwilling to putting the correct price on a product then the customer gets the shaft then smug twats hide behind this "invitation to treat".

theteal

Jaysoose wrote: »

People that keep banging on about this "invitation to treat" get right on my tits.....basically gives the shops another way to shaft people. Set the price and stick to it or Fvck right off carphone warehouse.

nothin personal but people using this "invitation to treat" as justification for dubious practices is ridiculous and whoever made it up must be laughing his/her head off at people.

so a little scrote is loitering around your shop and unnoticed he chops and changes a few price tags (just for kicks, as scrotes are liable to do). 5 seconds later, a separate customer is looking to buy one of the affected products, you notice that the price is €40 less than it should be. Would you take the hit? This is where the "invitation to treat" point is necessary.

Jaysoose

theteal wrote: »

so a little scrote is loitering around your shop and unnoticed he chops and changes a few price tags (just for kicks, as scrotes are liable to do). 5 seconds later, a separate customer is looking to buy one of the affected products, you notice that the price is €40 less than it should be. Would you take the hit? This is where the "invitation to treat" point is necessary.

But then a phone shop can advertise a price at €99 but when the consumer gets to the till they essentially force them to pay an extra €20 using the same "invitation to treat" logic! Lets stay on the topic and not use random examples about how a ninja could come in and change all the prices in a shop.

If you cant keep an eye on your shop then thats a whole different issue.

JohnC.

They can't force anyone to pay an extra £20.

Gillo

I know in the O2 stores it's advertised as 99 euro when you top up by 20 euro.

I've also heard the reason's why it's sold that way and to be honest can't blame them, unfortunately it's now why place to explain why though.

Sam Vimes

Jaysoose wrote: »

But then a phone shop can advertise a price at €99 but when the consumer gets to the till they essentially force them to pay an extra €20 using the same "invitation to treat" logic! Lets stay on the topic and not use random examples about how a ninja could come in and change all the prices in a shop.

If you cant keep an eye on your shop then thats a whole different issue.

It's not a random example, it's the main reason for the law along with staff errors, such as a e2000 tv getting labeled as 20 accidentally. No one's forcing anyone to buy it

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

They don't get commission for credit

Jaysoose

Sam Vimes wrote: »

It's not a random example, it's the main reason for the law along with staff errors, such as a e2000 tv getting labeled as 20 accidentally. No one's forcing anyone to buy it



They don't get commission for credit

Again another random example considering this is not a staff error/Customer sabotage but a phone advertised as €99 then CPW looking to charge €119.

jor el

Jaysoose wrote: »

But then a phone shop can advertise a price at €99 but when the consumer gets to the till they essentially force them to pay an extra €20 using the same "invitation to treat" logic! Lets stay on the topic and not use random examples about how a ninja could come in and change all the prices in a shop.

They can't hide behind the invitation to treat, if they have the wrong price in place, or a deliberately misleading price, then they must correct it as soon as it's pointed out to them. Otherwise, they are open to prosecution for false advertising or misleading selling practices.

They also can't force anyone to pay anything. You get to the till and find out the price, you can chose to pay, or not. It's up to the consumer to point out any discrepancy, and then up to the shop to correct that.

Tom1991

Same as me LgKS360 99 euro sticker not warning just another price for bill pay people lucky i had the 20 quid spare or i would of been pissed to make a double journey.I got it in their 02 store in rathmines

Sam Vimes

Jaysoose wrote: »

Again another random example considering this is not a staff error/Customer sabotage but a phone advertised as 99 then CPW looking to charge 119.

I wasn't referring to this case, I was pointing out that invitation to treat is not "something to hide behind" as you were suggesting

In this case the phone was e99, the extra 20 was credit. It's very similar to how the networks advertise free sims but you have to buy credit to get them. The sim is still free

Venom

Sam Vimes wrote: »

I wasn't referring to this case, I was pointing out that invitation to treat is not "something to hide behind" as you were suggesting

In this case the phone was e99, the extra 20 was credit. It's very similar to how the networks advertise free sims but you have to buy credit to get them. The sim is still free

This is not true, well not for 02 anyways. Friend of mine was over from the states so I asked in an 02 shop for sim card for her and was given one for free. When she registered online there was even €10 credit on the sim

Sam Vimes

Venom wrote: »

This is not true, well not for 02 anyways. Friend of mine was over from the states so I asked in an 02 shop for sim card for her and was given one for free. When she registered online there was even €10 credit on the sim

It's true for meteor, or at least used to be. They might be giving them completely free now

benj

phone companies = rip off merchants

daveyid89

dubsgirl wrote: »

Hi all

Just bought an LG kS360 phone and was told by the salesperson in Carphone Warehouse that it is compulsory to buy 20EUR top up with it.

So price of phone is 99.99 & 20EUR credit.

When I queried this I was told that o2 make it compulsory so that people only use the phone on their network.

This sound correct to you?
Should you not be able to simply purchase only a phone?

Thanks

thats the biggest load of bo**ocks ever. Ive worked in an o2 store as recently as a couple months ago (am a student on placement now so had to leave for the summer).... the "mandatory" €20 must refer to the €20 you have to top up by to get your free credit... it can be bought anytime after you register your phone on the website. does not have to be bought there and then.
one of two things, this rep was trying to get an attacehment of topup onto their sale to up their sales stats, (ass!)... or o2 have completly changed their SOP's.... (which would make them as above)

son.of.jimi

phone companies = bad

phone resellers = the devil!

daveyid89

Venom wrote: »

This is not true, well not for 02 anyways. Friend of mine was over from the states so I asked in an 02 shop for sim card for her and was given one for free. When she registered online there was even €10 credit on the sim

you must of got in on a good day... usually sims cost a tenner (and you get a tenner credit), or their 9.99w/o buyin the credit, you can then register it an get d free credit.
or do you mean there was ten euro on it already?.... u may have got a promotion, or else the guy forgot to charge ya. lol.

Bazzy

Your wasting your time complaining to cpw.. you'd get more koy out of interflora, i'm currently taking them to the small claims court.

I used to work for a mobile phone retailer in a very busy part of dublin and because the shop sold so much credit over the christmas we all got €150 brown thomas vouchers. So there's someone making a killing.

JohnMc85

Something passed onto me.... A considerable % of the ks 360's have been unlocked are not being used on the O2 network. The profit/loss margin has creeped into the red because of this. Both LG and the network worked together
to get this phone down to the price it is today. This is a direct marketing response to promote both O2 and LG. (Source not 100% accurate) Hence the reason for the network implementing the 20euro charge.

And for all the finger pointers - its not the guys behind the tills who make up the 20euro rule. It came directly from O2 so write to ppl in O2 and stop giving out to ppl behind the tills as its not them personally who have implemented this!

Venom

If the phone is cheep due to being bill pay then popping in a different sim card is pointless as your still under a contract. If the phone is pay as you go they its yours to do with as you please with what ever operator you want to use it with.

Both pre pay and bill pay packages have the overall phone costs factored into there price. Either way sticking on an extra €20 cost is going to just harm 02's image in the short term never mind the long term.