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Sim-free phones, why the price disparity?

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  • 12-08-2015 11:09pm
    #1
    stannis
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭


    H'llo all, was recently looking to buy a sim-free (new) Galaxy S5 and noticed a major difference in pricing between Argos and Carphone Warehouse. The former has S5s for about 465 euro, the latter for about 700 euro!

    Can anyone explain the huge difference in price? Am i missing something here?


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    #2
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    Because you are buying the phone locked to a network. Therefore, you are going to be buying credit with that network. However, unlock codes are cheap to come by these days, so most just buy them from whatever network is cheapest, and unlock them right after.


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    #3
    stannis
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭stannis


    Techmaster wrote: »
    Because you are buying the phone locked to a network. Therefore, you are going to be buying credit with that network. However, unlock codes are cheap to come by these days, so most just buy them from whatever network is cheapest, and unlock them right after.

    I asked in Argos and they said the 460 euro model was sim free and sim unlocked. No network. The 700 one in CW was also sim free and not tied to a network, as far as i could tell.

    When i pointed out the disparity to the staff minion in CW, he just shrugged and said he has no idea.


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    #4
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    stannis wrote: »
    I asked in Argos and they said the 460 euro model was sim free and sim unlocked. No network. The 700 one in CW was also sim free and not tied to a network, as far as i could tell.

    When i pointed out the disparity to the staff minion in CW, he just shrugged and said he has no idea.

    That would be CW's pricing then. No other reason.


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    #5
    stannis
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭stannis


    Techmaster wrote: »
    That would be CW's pricing then. No other reason.

    Fair enough. Maybe CW's strategy is get dough from the suckers who don't bother to shop around. Or CW couldn't be bothered to check what price others are selling at.


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    #6
    StaticNoise
    Registered Users Posts: 2,420 ✭✭✭StaticNoise


    stannis wrote: »
    Fair enough. Maybe CW's strategy is get dough from the suckers who don't bother to shop around. Or CW couldn't be bothered to check what price others are selling at.

    CPW prices differ. Shop around.


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    #7
    ChopShop
    Registered Users Posts: 1,797 ✭✭✭ChopShop


    If an S5 is 360GBP on Clove, why would anyone pay CPW €700 for it?

    Argos might be cutting the margins tight, but CPWs pricing sounds like gougery to me :confused:


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    #8
    kayos
    Registered Users Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭kayos


    Sure argos have the Lumia 640 cheaper than you can get it directly from MS. And have the 640XL, which MS don't even sell from the Irish store, cheaper than you will get it else where. So it really doesn't surprise me to see them undercut CPW


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    #9
    boardzz
    Registered Users Posts: 861 ✭✭✭boardzz


    iPhone is cheaper in Argos than what it is from Apple direct


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    #10
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    stannis wrote: »
    ...
    Can anyone explain the huge difference in price? Am i missing something here?

    People are lazy and dont shop around.


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    #11
    Heart Break Kid
    Registered Users Posts: 834 ✭✭✭Heart Break Kid


    beauf wrote: »
    People are lazy and dont shop around.


    Not even that, I can't imagine there's much profit margin on SIM free phones. Might not be worth their while


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    #12
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    250 euro difference seems quite a bit.

    Even on locked phones there can be 50% difference between networks and the unlock is only 10-20%.


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