"Snapper" <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote in message
news:47e45d82$0$16254$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
> I'm looking around for some new mobile phones. I've not decided yet
> exactly what I want. However, the phones that I have looked at can be had
> for considerably cheaper online, such as Ebay, for example, than if I go
> into one of the telcos' shops.
>
> For example, the Nokia N95 is $1,195 outright via Telstra. Or between $800
> and $900 on Ebay.
>
> For example, the Motorola V9 is $350 to $500 on Ebay. Telstra's price:
> $829.
>
> There are similar price differences for the other networks that I quickly
> checked.
>
> How can these Ebay sellers flog them for so much less than what Telstra,
> as an example, sells them for? Why doesn't Telstra try to compete with
> this market?

Because telstra are reliable, and ebay is mainly rubbish.

would you buy a phone from someone at a pub too?

> Has anyone had any success negotiating a price break when buying outright
> from Telstra?

No one is silly enough to buy phones outright from telstra