Cheaper brand new iPhones, is it dodgy?

EdgeCase

If it's bought from inside the EU you've protection but you'll have to deal with the European Consumer Centre ECC Ireland to find out how to enforce your rights in another EU country.

Your warranty and recourse is ONLY through the retailer. Anything Apple offer as a manufacturer warranty is above and beyond statutory rights, unless they sold you the phone.

They're completely within their rights not to offer any sort of warranty if you didn't go through their official channels, as you've a contract with a third party retailer who they've nothing to do with. Your contract of sale is with whoever you bought it from only.

If you bought from outside the EU, it's just buyer beware. You've no real ability to enforce anything legally at all.

jasonb

Paid by cash. Will have to see if I can find a SIM from another Network. If it is Network locked, is it just sheer luck that it’s working for me (on Vodafone) and if it had been locked to another Network it wouldn’t have worked? They did say in the Shop that it was unlocked, but I’ll check that obviously. If it is locked, does that cause any hassle, assuming we don’t leave Vodafone? Could I contact Vodafone and ask them to unlock it?

Bottom line, what are the effects of no VAT Number, phone from Germany, and if it’s also Network Locked? Are they only issues if something goes wrong, or are they issues either way? For example, I got an iPad years ago in Seattle and brought it home. So its ‘home’ country was the US, but that never caused me any issues?

Thanks for all this advice, it’s very interesting, and I’m just hoping I haven’t walked into a minefield.

Oxter

Oxter wrote: »

Upgrade and insurance phones are network locked.

The only insurance replacement I've ever had (from Vodafone) wasn't network locked. I sold it boxed.

rizzee

You'll be fine, i've bought a lot of phones from these sellers (i've bought 5 Galaxy S8's for family members from one seller in particular since last August)

They are grey market imports so avoid certain taxes and charges, along with buying the phones in bulk they can keep costs down compared to Official shops.

jasonb

Thanks... Everything seems to be fine, I've checked with Vodafone and they unlocked the phone etc. So far the phone itself is perfect, and I can't find anything wrong with it online in terms of its 'status' (i.e. locked/stolen whatever). From what I can see the only thing I'm exposed to is 'will the shop still be there if something breaks and I have to bring it back'.

dodzy

The phones are perfectly fine. They are not upgrades or returns although these shops do sell them but they are clearly advertised as such. Many are locked to Vodafone but the unlock request is processed very quickly. You are not paying VAT, neither are they. Your receipt will reflect this.

IamMetaldave

dodzy wrote: »

The phones are perfectly fine. They are not upgrades or returns although these shops do sell them but they are clearly advertised as such. Many are locked to Vodafone but the unlock request is processed very quickly. You are not paying VAT, neither are they. Your receipt will reflect this.

How can they not charge VAT, that's what puzzles me.

Oxter

IamMetaldave wrote: »

How can they not charge VAT, that's what puzzles me.

They are illegally operating as tax evaders - pop up shops.

The turnover threshold for having to register for vat is €75k per annum, not a lot of iPhones.

Pkiernan

Not sure how saving €50 is worth so much hassle and worry.

Grab All Association

Absolutely ridiculous pricing. I didn’t want to bring my 7 to the states so I bought the SE brand new on Verizon for $199 32GB 2016 that was. Verizon CDMA (since iPhone 4s) phones now support GSM and are unlocked too.

Their only $129 there now.

Oxter

Grab All Association wrote: »

Absolutely ridiculous pricing. I didn’t want to bring my 7 to the states so I bought the SE brand new on Verizon for $199 32GB 2016 that was. Verizon CDMA (since iPhone 4s) phones now support GSM and are unlocked too.

Their only $129 there now.

Verizonwireless have the SE for $159 as a prepay but it’s locked to their network.

dodzy

Pkiernan wrote: »

Not sure how saving €50 is worth so much hassle and worry.

On the top tier phones, the saving is well in excess of €50.