[grunty]

As the title says! Can i walk in to t-mobile with some cash and get a sim free handset? (i'm a t-mobile customer who's 13 months through an 18 month contract and they are refusing to give me this phone in any way shape or form..)

Failing that i'm waiting on CarphoneWarehouse or Orange getting it

[kaibex]

As the title says! Can i walk in to t-mobile with some cash and get a sim free handset? (i'm a t-mobile customer who's 13 months through an 18 month contract and they are refusing to give me this phone in any way shape or form..)

Failing that i'm waiting on CarphoneWarehouse or Orange getting it

I think CPW & P4U are only places you can walk in to pick one up, oh and maybe O2.

[mattglobal]

It seems ludicrous that a company wouldn't sell its product to a willing customer at any given price.

[grunty]

It seems ludicrous that a company wouldn't sell its product to a willing customer at any given price.

Tell me about it. I called up on friday asking for how much it would be to get my pac code (�160) told them I was willing to pay it now, then i thought about it and asked about taking a new contract with t-mobile - was told it can't be done. The number has to be taken off the network and then back on again.

So they'll lose me as a customer - go figure..

[Pete6]

It is not really that silly. Carriers principally sell their network time. Phones to them are a means to an end.

Their products are all geared to selling their network. If they cold work out a way to sell you minutes without the hassle of a nast old phone, then they would do that. Trouble is, they have to sell you a phone in order to sell you the minutes on their network.

So if they sold you an unlocked phoe tha would work on any network, then they are now phoe retailers and not a network xales company and they don;t want to be in that space.

If you want an unlocked 9700, go to CPW and pay the 415 pounds or so for one. This is what I do. It works well.

[mattglobal]

It is silly. I was in Berlin this last August and a colleague of mine damaged his Bold. In all of Berlin, a city of over 3 million people, I found only one place out of over a dozen a visited that a) had the Bold and b) would sell it to me. I understand that these companies make their livelihood on selling service. But I was willing to pay full price on the phone, and even a premium if necessary. Charge me 500�, fine, but only a single O2 store would even consider it. And it's not as if I was in some backwater town on Mars. Germany has one of the largest economies in the world and in its capital city, I can't buy a replacement phone. How is that not silly?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[thecandleholder]

If you want an unlocked 9700, go to CPW and pay the 415 pounds or so for one. This is what I do. It works well.

Did you get one yet?

[Spawn12]

I had a **** of a time trying to get Vodafone to sell me a Storm2 offline as i have a contract with them...in the end i gave them the choices either they sell me one or i cancel my contract and take my business elsewhere.

After about 10 mins talking, the guy put me on hold...then came back and said right we will sell you the phone for �300 but you need to extend your contract by a further 6 mths...to which i said that seems fair enough..so i went for it and got the phone on fri...i love it but im having to send it back as theres a screen problem with it...plus i wont be taking them up on their offer as i have another S2 coming to me tonight...offline without having to extend my contract.

As for the 9700??..Tmobile wont sell you one without a contract but you can buy them offline...which is what im doing...ive placed my order with Mobile Fun - Mobile Accessories, Bluetooth Headsets, SIM Free Mobiles, Ringtones, Games & more! who are doing them for �380...the cheapest ive seen as Expansys are selling them for �420, Clove is selling them for �400 and Handtec are doing them for �380 as well...but stocks not due in until 23rd of Nov...only a few weeks away.