argos

vikingaero

Kilty wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl:

OK then - basic Nokia phone that's £4.99 + £10 credit at the moment?

That'll be £50 please - with no credit.

Amazing how people always want sometime for nothing and only query the cost and not why it cost's that much.

As Kilty and others have said, the phones in the UK are subsidised. When you buy a handset for £15, the network is pinning it's hopes that you will lock into their network and buy multiple top-ups as a long term customer. The retailer who sold you the phone will also get a one-off payment. In making you buy a £10 top-up the network is trying to prevent the phones from being resold abroad. Most stores also limit the number of phones sold per transaction to discourage these grey marketeers.

If you go to many countries abroad there is far less competition. Handsets often cost hundreds even with a monthly contract. Even in America and other places when people call you it costs you money against your PAYG credit/monthly allowance or just billed direct to you.

alison99_2

Try Tesco, just picked up a phone for my son without the need to buy top-up too.

Owain_Moneysaver

A couple of weeks ago bought a new phone from Tesco (£14.99)which included £10 top-up. The top-up is tied to the phone not the SIM. Put in old SIM, call the top-up service number, £10 added to existing SIM account.

And Tesco transferred all the credit off my lost phone/SIM to the new one as well. Tasty.:j