UK iPhone buyers 'misled' at Carphone Warehouse stores

Hi,

Everyone seems preety keen on blaming the guys on he floor in Carphone Stores, they were instructing custoemrs as they had been briefed prior to the launch, at regional training days, and via email in the run up to the evening of the launch. The company has denied responsibility and has passed it all off as confusion. There is more information on www.mobiletoday.co.uk about the emails sent etc. People on online forums are always quick to blame the people on the sales floor when things don't go their way. Remember these guys are only human, do you never do anything wrong, do you deserve to be insulted for it?

I bought my iPhone at carphone warehouse and the sales guy told a lot of rubbish to sell the insurance but I didn't buy it because I thought it was too expensive. He did tell me that if I lose or if the iphone gets damaged, then I'll have to buy a new iphone and a new contract (and keep on paying for the old contract too). I did trust him, but it appears to be a bullshit.

Yeah, we got that at CPW. Given that our insurance _didn't_ actually cover the iPhone at the time of purchase, we agreed to take it out (just in case it fell in a puddle on the way home); phoned the home insurance people two days later and arranged cover; then cancelled on CPW. I figure they'll have lost over the whole deal. :)

The iPhone seems to be a product that attracts greed...

Greed from Apple, with its most grasping market play yet, securing ongoing network revenue, and cat & mouse game to thwart unlockers.

(So, what's the bet Apple spent all its time on the new Bootloader instead of actually adding new features, like much needed iCal todo and Notes syncing, Mail usability fixes, and a few dozen bug fixes.)

Greed from the networks, first by outbidding each other to secure the sole access providership of the product, then by tactics such as Vodafone Germany offering to rebate the 600 euro unlocking fee of a T-Mobile purchased iPhone if the customer agrees to remain with Vodafone instead.

Greed from the resellers, with AT&T "encouraging" customers to buy accessories at point of sale, and this Carphone Warehouse lying to sell insurance.

Greed from Apple again, with its credit card only policy to keep tabs on purchasers, so that eBay resellers have a hard time.

Oh, and greed from those too - inflated prices for the unfortunates who live outside an Apple blessed country.

Even greed from the users, with flame wars erupting over whether "hackers" are the lowest form of life in the Apple kingdom and deserve it when their devices are bricked.


Methinks iPhone should be renamed The One Ring... My precioussss!

Oops! Beaten to it.

There's a comment on this blog on this evening's Watchdog exposé. It is comment 3.

http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2007/11/the-great-iphone-insurance-swindle.htm

There's quite a lot of detail on the blog.

After this debacle I'm quite happy to carry on calling CPW Car Phone WhOrehouse, though it does seem a little unfair on ladies of the night to compare them to these scum bags ;)

I wonder what'll happen when I go in to CPW tomorrow to purchase a cheapie PAYG phone to tide me over until Apple bring out a better featured iPhone. If they mention insurabce I think I'll just say 'Watchdog' to them and see what happens :)

I need my web to be mobile when I'm in the countryside, not in some trendy café - edge coverage here is pathetic. Actually, I wonder if Apple don't appreciate that we Brits expect coverage literally everywhere. I can see how this is not the case in the US where your out-of-town is just vast by comparison, and hence not realistically coverable. 3G please, and don't give me that battery life b*llocks - I have a 3G phone at the mo and an overnight charge is perfectly adequate.

Ed

o2 aren't squeaky clean on this one either.

http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2007/11/the-great-iphone-insurance-swindle.htm

I can't remember being told that I would have to start the contract again if I lost my iPhone.

I was told that because the iPhone is only available from Carphone Warehouse, O2 and Apple that I couldn't claim it on the home insurance. That's why I got the Lifeline Insurance from CW.

Does anyone know if this is true?

Might have to pay CW a little visit!

I'd be interested to hear from anybody else who had this experience in an O2 store - please contact me via http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2007/11/the-great-iphone-insurance-swindle.htm

Mark

It's not just the Carphone Warehouse that are doing this - I had the same experience in an O2 store when I bought my iPhone.

I managed to cancel my insurance after O2 confirmed in writing that I would be able to buy a replacement at the current recommended selling price (i.e. £269 today) and would be released from the original contract but tied into new one for 18 months.

Still trying to get a decent explaination from O2 though.

@7 as for Apple, their PR people wouldn't even respond to me when I asked them for comment.