Nokia 1208 Mobile Phone £4.99 with £5.00 Top Up (updated)

Dustangle

happypig wrote: »

I'm fuming! Just had a reply to my ticket with PPM, after discovering the handsets that I bought were intended for the CIS/Russian market, hence no T9. PPM have subsequently removed the T9 feature from their list of features. I still have the web page from last week open on my mac, unfortunately for them! I'd steer clear of this bunch of cowboys in the future! Just a word of warning. If you are happy to use Russian predictive text, then fine!

Oh my God! And I've just paid out a whole ten British pounds to these vagabonds! No wonder these so called phones are so cheap.

On the other hand, the cheapest phone deal possible comes with a phone that makes you just have to spell out words properly or not.

Dustangle

happypig wrote: »

...Also, the warranty will be void as it is not a phone manufacturered for the UK market.

I don't understand this. It's a consumer sale in the UK so how are consumers' rights affected? It is for the vendor in Stoke-on-Trent, not the manufacturer, to deal with any issues.

I know that a lot of these cheapo vendors try to deny liability but if there was an issue a visit from Stoke-on-Trent trading standards will put them right I'm sure. All I care is that I'm getting a spare phone for a fiver plus £5 call credit. It's a Nokia anyway so it's unlikely to break down in the first year if I don't confuse it with an ice hockey puck.

happypig

Dustangle wrote: »

I don't understand this. It's a consumer sale in the UK so how are consumers' rights affected? It is for the vendor in Stoke-on-Trent, not the manufacturer, to deal with any issues.

I know that a lot of these cheapo vendors try to deny liability but if there was an issue a visit from Stoke-on-Trent trading standards will put them right I'm sure. All I care is that I'm getting a spare phone for a fiver plus £5 call credit. It's a Nokia anyway so it's unlikely to break down in the first year if I don't confuse it with an ice hockey puck.

Yeah, of course you're right, however I felt I should post this fact as I feel partially responsible having made the OP.

That said, PPM aren't known for their fantastic customer service. A quick google will show recent feedback, such as:

""Despitre being refunded would never use prepaymania again system of replacement or refund all too difficult and slow."
Date: 1 September 2009"

""Phones delivered were those displayed as refurbished at the VODAFONE shop hence cheap..no wonder! When I returned the phones,delivery charges were deducted from my refund which were supposed to be free delivery as it says all over the website plus the £6.70 for Royal Mail Special Delivery for my returns. Potential Con Artist."
Date: 1 September 2009"

""The item I ordered arrived well within the expected time but was faulty and did not work at all. I have contacted the seller twice about this and have not received any response whatsoever. I would definitely not recommend this seller. As the item I purchased was not very expensive I will not bother to request a replacement or refund but will certainly not use them again."
Date: 30 August 2009"

""Horrible experience.Quick to send bad phone, SLOW to help. You must call 0845 number for any help!They trade under 2 names; careful.Phone arrived 'sim free' & LOCKED to 3 networks, none of them mine.They claim can't check new phones, but box not sealed & why would motorola sell sim free phones locked? Never again."
Date: 30 August 2009 "

Yes, they may be cheap, but I feel I have wasted twenty quid. I'm left with two phones I cannot use and two £5 sims which can't be used in my usual handset.

Dustangle

I don't have a lot of sympathy. They're not cheap, they're very very cheap indeed - almost disposable at that price. If you're hard up, sell them on Gumtree or eBay, or give them to a local charity like your local Women's Aid who will find a use for them, or just put them away till Christmas to give as gifts.

happypig

Dustangle wrote: »

I don't have a lot of sympathy. They're not cheap, they're very very cheap indeed - almost disposable at that price. If you're hard up, sell them on Gumtree or eBay, or give them to a local charity like your local Women's Aid who will find a use for them, or just put them away till Christmas to give as gifts.

:rolleyes:

I'm not looking for sympathy - Just following up with my experience! Jeeeeez!

littlejem

Happypig, you weren't to know. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date. Glad I only ordered the one now. If anyone manages to get compensation or gets their Topcashback payment Confirmed please let us know.

minimoneyme

Hey, don't panic, all is not lost!

Just got my 'phone this morning, and although it does have, IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Sesotho and Afrikaans, it also has English - Phew!
So although mine is obviously a 'phone destined for the South African market the English T9 works fine.

It seems to be the luck of the draw as to which 'phone you will get

Thanks Happypig :T - hope you get your refund sorted.

For those who get a Russian 'phone and don't want the hassle of doing a refund Mobile2Cash are offering £6 for the 1208 at the moment, so as long as the cash back goes through you'll be in profit

z000m

theres also a t-mobile Motorola W156 on the prepaymania site for £5 same deal

antenna

Ok....the battery and charger are worth it.............OMG.....the russian charger is a 345v 9 pin plug the shape of a babushka wooden doll.........comes apart 11 times getting smaller all the time and ends up as a 2 pin scandinavian shaver socket.......and the battery is a non rechargable lithium/plutonium energy cell made from spent waste from chernoble........still must'nt grumble.........the battery has a half-life of 5000 years

gazwood

antenna wrote: »

Ok....the battery and charger are worth it.............OMG.....the russian charger is a 345v 9 pin plug the shape of a babushka wooden doll.........comes apart 11 times getting smaller all the time and ends up as a 2 pin scandinavian shaver socket.......and the battery is a non rechargable lithium/plutonium energy cell made from spent waste from chernoble........still must'nt grumble.........the battery has a half-life of 5000 years

And it's free.......................................;)