Currys insist you buy airtime with a PAYG phone !!

curly_2

Hi
I recently purchased a PAYG phone from my local Currys store, when my partner bought the same model at a different Currys store they insisted he had to purchase airtime to the value of £5. Yesterday my daughter-in-law went to her local Currys and they insisted she had to purchase £15 of airtime before they would sell her the phone. The PAYG phone is on the Virgin network, and the value of the phone is under £10 as it is a discontinued line. All three of us have a Virgin sim card with a contract for £10 per month direct debit.

In store Currys insist that it is the networks that say airtime must be purchased, I have spoke with Virgin and they confirm that it is NOT their policy. I have checked Currys Terms and Conditions on their webiste and cannot see this policy anywhere, so I telephoned Currys Customer Services who advise me that it may be on their in store Terms & Conditions (surely the T&C's should be the same online as in store !!) or it may be at the Branch Managers discretion.

I can't help feel that there is sometime very underhand going on here and plan to take this up with my local Trading Standards.

Has anyone experienced this when buying a mobile from Currys ????

drancill

I may be able to offer a pearl of insight on this.

Firstly the PAYGO market works in a bit of a strange backwards way.

Lets say Currys sell you a phone of £49.99, their gross price would actually be a bit higher £69.99, if the network thinks curry's sell it properly they let currys have it at net at £39.99. If they don't Curry's get clawedback and end up selling it at a loss, rumours have it that this is a very unfair approach as people such as Tesco's don't have to worry about such problems, but definately small dealers (such as me) and other stores do.

Different networks have a different view of "Selling properly", some like to see a topup or two, chargeable calls made, sim used in the same handset etc. Yes it may not be a network policy, its just the dealer trying to safeguard themselves from usually making a loss (and sometimes if a phone is on an accelerator, it can mean a nasty loss) However, generally Vodafone don't care, so you won't find this happening very often on Vodafone.

Its a bit of a messed up game, but sadly its how it works.

matty538

Same thing applies in cpw and phones for you, however if the phone is on the same network as your current sim, they will sometimes let you top up your own sim card instead of the new one.

philnicandamy

weird thing I found though in CPW......you have to top up £10 if buying a PAYG phone with a credit/debit card...if you pay cash for the phone you have to buy a £20 top up!

iwanttosave_2

Along with what Drancill said, it is also a measure to prevent box breaking http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/news/mobile-phone-news/boxbreaking-is-a-big-problem-for-the-mobile-phone-networks/780/

ssgtsnelly

Iwant is 100% correct, its to stop mass purchasing of cheap handsets for inflated price sale and use abroad, thus the UK networks make nothing from it and in some cases a loss due to subsidies.

drancill

iwanttosave wrote: »

Along with what Drancill said, it is also a measure to prevent box breaking http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/news/mobile-phone-news/boxbreaking-is-a-big-problem-for-the-mobile-phone-networks/780/

The good days of box breaking

curly_2

Thanks to all who replied. I see all your points.

I am pleased to say that when pressed Currys relented and I was able to purchase the phones without the added airtime. Their Customer Services helpline confirmed that we should not be made to purchase airtime and if the store persisted we should phone their dept. from instore.

brightonman123

dont worry. currys (and i hope any other firm..) will be going under shortly, if they bully customers into cross buying stuff like this.

drancill

brightonman123 wrote: »

dont worry. currys (and i hope any other firm..) will be going under shortly, if they bully customers into cross buying stuff like this.

Its not "bullying" its a case of them safeguarding themselves to be in a situation to supply mobile phones, sadly its a service they have to provide if they're going to supply a mobile phone.

If we want the choice, its something the retailers have to do until the network providers setting the guidelines change their attitude to how they can totally screw the retailer.

robt_2

brightonman123 wrote: »

dont worry. currys (and i hope any other firm..) will be going under shortly, if they bully customers into cross buying stuff like this.

What an (incorrect) stupid post.