Outrageous O2 grey market practices!!

[Anonymous]

So I buy a Sony Xperia z5 Compact from the o2 shop in Preston and am pretty happy with it. Notwithstanding the first one I had had a technical issue it was dealt with pretty efficiently. At the time I wanted to buy a cover but the store said their stock had been 'uplifted' by head office!.  I went back a week later to see if the cover I wanted the Sony scr44 in black was in stock but again nothing doing.

The black one is pretty sought after, and  I assumed you must have just run out of stock... till I found this...

O2 Official Ebay store run by Kondor ltd

Where you are flogging them out at nearly £40 for the black ones but only £16 for the coral ones.

I guess it wont be long before o2 get into the ticket touting, and market trading business!!

I have put in a complaint!! 

[gmarkj]

Agreed, and in line with what I said earlier.
In defense (of an indefensible stance!), they are more expensive on Amazon than any other colour. Admittedly "only" 35 compared to the 26 for the white, 23 for the orange/yellow and 16 for the coral.
However, it does seem very underhanded to remove something from sale in stores at one price and put it online at an inflated price.
Which is what this all looks like!

[MI5]

Thanks for checking Toby.

[Toby]

Hi guys,

Out of interest (and to better understand your points) how would you change what is already happening? What could be done to the site to combat your points? Eager to hear your views.

[gmarkj]

It's not the site per se that is the problem here @Toby.
I think the issue is the morality behind taking something off sale in stores (and removing the stock) to allow a 3rd party to sell it at a much increased price.
Remember that pharmaceutical company that increased prices for an AIDs related drug? It looks like that...

[Cleoriff]

O2 may see this as a profit making venture....I think it's appalling practice.

By all means allow them to sell stock....but at the prices O2 sold them. Not at these vastly inflated prices.

[MI5]

What was the previous O2 shop price?

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:
What was the previous O2 shop price?

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No idea Rich...but the coral one selling at £16 is some sort of indication. If anything the black cover would 'normally' be a couple of £'s more expensive?

[Toby]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[viridis · Accepted solution]

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@ianmr65 wrote:

So I buy a Sony Xperia z5 Compact from the o2 shop in Preston and am pretty happy with it. Notwithstanding the first one I had had a technical issue it was dealt with pretty efficiently. At the time I wanted to buy a cover but the store said their stock had been 'uplifted' by head office!.  I went back a week later to see if the cover I wanted the Sony scr44 in black was in stock but again nothing doing.

The black one is pretty sought after, and  I assumed you must have just run out of stock... till I found this...

O2 Official Ebay store run by Kondor ltd

Where you are flogging them out at nearly £40 for the black ones but only £16 for the coral ones.

I guess it wont be long before o2 get into the ticket touting, and market trading business!!

I have put in a complaint!! 

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Just an FYI.

The rrp set by Sony on SCR44 is £34.99.
Addin on the eBay fees for corporate will give you the £37.99 price.
The coral is the hard to shift one as it's a niche colour, so has been reduced. The black one at £37.99 is the retail price.

[gmarkj]

Interesting (and should really have thought to look at that myself!).
Thanks for putting it more into context.