Where to buy a mobile phone
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 91
Where to buy a mobile phone
Hi all,
Traveling to Hong Kong next month and I want to take the opportunity to buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, unlocked, so I can use it in Australia.
Has anyone got any good ideas of where I should pick one up in Hong Kong. Are there any pitfalls for buying a mobile in HK for use in Australia?
Thanks heaps.
TKM
Traveling to Hong Kong next month and I want to take the opportunity to buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, unlocked, so I can use it in Australia.
Has anyone got any good ideas of where I should pick one up in Hong Kong. Are there any pitfalls for buying a mobile in HK for use in Australia?
Thanks heaps.
TKM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Gold, JGC Sapphire, OZ Diamond, AF Silver, CX GR, Marriott Lifetime SL
Posts: 3,598
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 4: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)
Just buy it from major electronic shops namely fortress or boardway.
Just buy it from major electronic shops namely fortress or boardway.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 10,659
Even buying from Broadway/Forrtress make sure you pay by credit card and the unlocked phone with model and serial number is on the invoice, for your protection.
I was given a locked phone. Without getting anywhere and accumulating IDD cal to them I initiated a chargeback with all documentation. two days later I got a call from a manager who sent me steps and code to unlock the phone and gave me a 500HKD credit.
I was given a locked phone. Without getting anywhere and accumulating IDD cal to them I initiated a chargeback with all documentation. two days later I got a call from a manager who sent me steps and code to unlock the phone and gave me a 500HKD credit.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Home: East Mids UK - Work (Base): Accra, Ghana.
Programs: BAEC: Silver - Marriott: Titanium
Posts: 12,086
I was thinking of doing the same to get an iPhone to use back in the UK, but had/have no idea if that would work back in the UK, but, seeing the advice above, it may be an idea...
Are things really a lot cheaper in HK?
Are things really a lot cheaper in HK?
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: HKG
Programs: Priority Club Plat
Posts: 12,311
Apple products in HK are priced about the same as in the US, and significantly cheaper than in Europe.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Gold, JGC Sapphire, OZ Diamond, AF Silver, CX GR, Marriott Lifetime SL
Posts: 3,598
Only if you check the price before hand but yes, normally cheaper than UK and EU
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
Hi all,
Traveling to Hong Kong next month and I want to take the opportunity to buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, unlocked, so I can use it in Australia.
Has anyone got any good ideas of where I should pick one up in Hong Kong. Are there any pitfalls for buying a mobile in HK for use in Australia?
Thanks heaps.
TKM
Traveling to Hong Kong next month and I want to take the opportunity to buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, unlocked, so I can use it in Australia.
Has anyone got any good ideas of where I should pick one up in Hong Kong. Are there any pitfalls for buying a mobile in HK for use in Australia?
Thanks heaps.
TKM
Personally, I have better experience at Broadway than Fortress. Twice in recent months, Fortress sales rep. was trying to do a bait and switch with the free gifts on me, or claimed at check out that the gifts have all been given out and there was no substitute, so I walked out.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,006
You are pretty much guaranteed to receive a phone that comes with counterfeit battery/accessories, to start. The phone itself could be refurbished, re-manufactured - using salvage/stolen/counterfeit components - locally known as "ghost phone".
Unless of course you are buying a phone that is a very recent release and the factories in China haven't managed to produce the counterfeit accessories/packaging.
#12
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,066
Probably the safest bet is to buy the phone from one of the major retailers, namely (as already mentioned) Fortress or Broadway. They are much the same and the retail price is pretty much the same across the board.
I've had luck in the past heading over to the Wanchai Computer Centre and getting a bit better discount, or better "freebies" thrown in then I would have got with Fortress / Broadway.
Goes without saying, make sure you double check everything, Hong Kong has really poor consumer protection laws and it is very much "buyer beware" here.
I've had luck in the past heading over to the Wanchai Computer Centre and getting a bit better discount, or better "freebies" thrown in then I would have got with Fortress / Broadway.
Goes without saying, make sure you double check everything, Hong Kong has really poor consumer protection laws and it is very much "buyer beware" here.
#13
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,006
Even buying from one of the established chains, I once got a phone that is used, with time logged in the hidden, un-resettable lifetime odometer. 99% of the users would not know such stats exist as the other user-accessible odometer reads zero.
It is not illegal to sell returned goods as new in HK.
It is not illegal to sell returned goods as new in HK.
#14
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 2,066
Even buying from one of the established chains, I once got a phone that is used, with time logged in the hidden, un-resettable lifetime odometer. 99% of the users would not know such stats exist as the other user-accessible odometer reads zero.
It is not illegal to sell returned goods as new in HK.
It is not illegal to sell returned goods as new in HK.
#15
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,006
So typically, no I cannot find anything in the law book that says it's not illegal to do XXX.
Rather I should be asking you sir, which HK legislation says it is illegal to sell returned goods as new.
Last edited by beep88; Feb 12, 2012 at 7:08 am