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Using search and such I've found lots of advice on different places to buy from, but I'm looking for some more general advice as it pertains to those of us that have to import to the United States.
1. As a US resident are there any hassles I should expect in ordering from Europe?
2. What is that VAT thing, and does it affect me? I've noticed that prices often state two amounts, one with and one without VAT.
3. I've seen people discuss getting unlocked versions, pay-as-you-go versions, contract versions and cancelling, etc. What options are available to those of us in the US? Do we have to buy an unlocked, contractless phone? Or is one of those other options involving buying a SIM, or cancelling a contract available?
4. Related to #3, I've seen mention of paying extra money to unlock the phone at some website. Will we have to do that even if we buy an "Unlocked" phone?
5. As far as warranties go, are we better off buying from a US based website or does that not matter?
6. Will our current GSM sim cards fit/work? (Yes, yes, I'm pretty much a newbie to GSM phones)
7. What's the meaning of life, the universe, and everything anyhow?
Thanks so much in advance for helping out someone new to the idea of importing a really cool phone! I've been debating between the iPhone and the Touch HD to replace my HTC BlueAngel, and I think the Touch HD is finally winning out!
sschrupp said:
Using search and such I've found lots of advice on different places to buy from, but I'm looking for some more general advice as it pertains to those of us that have to import to the United States.
1. As a US resident are there any hassles I should expect in ordering from Europe?
2. What is that VAT thing, and does it affect me? I've noticed that prices often state two amounts, one with and one without VAT.
3. I've seen people discuss getting unlocked versions, pay-as-you-go versions, contract versions and cancelling, etc. What options are available to those of us in the US? Do we have to buy an unlocked, contractless phone? Or is one of those other options involving buying a SIM, or cancelling a contract available?
4. Related to #3, I've seen mention of paying extra money to unlock the phone at some website. Will we have to do that even if we buy an "Unlocked" phone?
5. As far as warranties go, are we better off buying from a US based website or does that not matter?
6. Will our current GSM sim cards fit/work? (Yes, yes, I'm pretty much a newbie to GSM phones)
7. What's the meaning of life, the universe, and everything anyhow?
Thanks so much in advance for helping out someone new to the idea of importing a really cool phone! I've been debating between the iPhone and the Touch HD to replace my HTC BlueAngel, and I think the Touch HD is finally winning out!
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Click to collapse
Just Google HTC Touch HD. You will find several US based companies selling the phone. Pick a reliable company. Anyone with a price of $300-$400 is probably a scam and want payment by western Union.
Most companies will offer a warranty program. The HTC warranty for the HD is not honored in US as far as I know, since it isn't released here. Any SIM card will work in an unlocked phone. No need for a contract is your already have one and can use
the SIM card.
I am curious about the VAT as well. No idea what that means.
VAT is a value added tax in Europe... If your located in the USA and order from Europe, then there is no VAT charge.
Hi all
I have 4 Digitizers for the T-Mobile G1. These are brand new units and was wondering if anyone in here wanted one, figured it was better to post in here than in the marketplace
Will have pictures etc once they arrive in my hands from my supplier
they will be priced at £36.50 excluding postage/shipping
if anyones interested please either shoot me a PM or an email to
cheers
Confused
I'm a little confused here.Didn't you make this thread earlier http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=513657. Now you have 4 for sale/ I'm just wondering. Wish i would of held out cause i just paid 65 for mine.
Maybe he bought several for a discounted price?
Hi
just to avoid any confusion:
I made the earlier post when i was finding difficulty finding one at a reasonable enough price, noticed there were a few people on here who have had such difficulty finding these digitizers and i've since been in contact with a person from shenzhen who is willing to sell me a small batch (their normal order quantity is 100) of 5 pieces the price i have given is the price i am paying plus £3.00 for the postage from my contact to me
i can assure everyone this is legitimate, i will post pictures once i have them in my hands
Pretty cool of you to help out the community like that.
Hello,
Im thinking about buying Universal, but i have some questions about it.
1.Where to buy it, i would like to get it in good shape/now, not some old cheese.
2.Has it any defects or easy brokening parts.? Warranty after buying via. internet is a pain.
3. I read somewere that there are some fake models avabile?
Is it real talk or some WomensInSaunaToldMe story?
Your best bet would either be eBay or the Marketplace. I think the latter is a better choice because you'll probably find it much cheaper with details.
Just looked, at the ebay.
I could get for 350$ from there.
Now i need some info abot the fake thing.
And one question more:
Is this mobile still sustainable (this may be wrong word ) or is there a hope for support in XDA nexr 2-3 years?
But yeah, Wallaby is much older
Do not hessitate on buying an Universal!
Is one of the best devices ever!!
Thanks to the Chefs and Devs here you´ll have Universal for a long time!
Have a look here to see another buy options
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=25385196
jaank said:
Just looked, at the ebay.
I could get for 350$ from there.
Now i need some info abot the fake thing.
And one question more:
Is this mobile still sustainable (this may be wrong word ) or is there a hope for support in XDA nexr 2-3 years?
But yeah, Wallaby is much older
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't heard of this "fake" business you speak of but i'm pretty sure eBay is safe. I'm also sure you can get one for much cheaper than that.
kareem9nba said:
I'm also sure you can get one for much cheaper than that.
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Cheaper than the Ebay?
Where?I think 350usd for that kinda High-End device is pretty cheap.
All im worried about is, that maybe it doesn't fit into my pants pockets, because im only 12 and my pocket's arent very big.
edit: Orb3000 could you please fix the link. I like'd to read it.
Enter here and do a search with the word "Universal"
You´ll see many options:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=476
price and size
jaank said:
Cheaper than the Ebay?
Where?I think 350usd for that kinda High-End device is pretty cheap.
All im worried about is, that maybe it doesn't fit into my pants pockets, because im only 12 and my pocket's arent very big.
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Click to collapse
Hi jaank.
On Ebay in the UK, Universals are selling for £100-£130. that is 1840-2390 Krooni (you live in Estonia, right?) You could probably get a better deal on this site in Marketplace.
If you are worried about the size for your pocket. A Uni is 130mm X 78mm X 23mm. Maximum. make up a cardboard one and try it out. that was what I did before I bought my Athena.
A Uni is pretty tough but so is school.(at least mine was) you need to be careful. You already have a Wizard so you know that. Best of luck. let us know how you get on.
Oh, cool answer
But, has Universal some weak spots?
Like the screen turning system or so?Im thinking about some other mobile, at the weekend.
Im in Middle schoool , so im pretty peaceful and im pretty peaceful at all, but im sportly active and so having second phone is pretty good idea I think.
And the point for buying Uni IS school.
Im a boy, so i sit at the back and our school has wifi.
And as you all know (I hope) is school pretty booring.
Thank you for the help, and sorry for my English.I started learning English in third grade and Im going to Six't grade so I'm not really experienced about english.
Thank you, and i love PayPal.
EDIT: Where did you see NEW uni for 2000eek. I talked to my parrents and it's have to be new
EDIT2:About future Is there some roms wiht the latest Manila as in the Touch Pro/Hd
SorryForDouble
Looking for the Cheapest NEW uni.
My old mobile battery is diening so needed fast.
Uni's can be bought cheap at the German eBay. Current prices are at about 100 Euro, I saw auctions finishing at 90 Euro. This is madness, for such a great device.
You need to search for "MDA PRO", as this is the name given by the German phone operator.
I actually own two of them, so that is a good sign on how much I like this phone!
Drawbacks: whilst driving, my phone holder does not allow the Universal to be placed such that the keyboard is accessible. This means, I can't type while driving (one shouldn't do that anyway). Also, Internet Explorer will render quite small fonts.
When I am driving, I do prefer the form factor of my VDA GPS (like a Motorola Q9).
Other than that, this phone is simply great.
No known issues.
You should consider:
- new battery
- screen protector
- proper car holder
Cheers,
vma
i got mine about a month ago. i got it off ebay germany, i paid 88eur for the universal g3, plus a 3200mah battery, a tomtom mkii sirf3 gps receiver and a docking station.
that was about the best 90eur i ever spent, although i didn't get a stylus, a case or a handsfree, which i thought, was standard accessories, the gps alone is priced at 75eur in germany
VMA:
- new battery- IDK, I'm scared about weight.
- screen protector- Shure
- proper car holder- Dont have a car so not needed.
If you buying MDA Pro than you can still flash it?
EDIT: Is MDA pro software in germany?
Hi,
With new battery I meant the fact that most MDA PRO's sold nowadays at eBay are over two years old, so you should not expect to much from the shipped battery. You certainly will need to purchase a new one soon to get a full day of heavy usage out of your device.
I agree that the extra capacity batteries increase the size and weight of the Universal beyond reasonable lilmits (for me at least), so I would stick with the normal sized batteries.
Basically I wanted to alert you that you should not spend *ALL* your money on the Universal - save some for an extra battery...
The German MDA PRO will in most cases come with a German falvour of WM5 and with a SIM lock.
You can, however, unlock the SIM by following the procedure of the Unlocker (search forum) and you can certainly flash a different ROM. I personally like Tomal's modified WM6.1 ROM's a lot.
The only remaining issues you will have with the German version of the Universal:
- MDA / T-Mobile logo on the inside, T-Mobile logo on the outside
- German keyboard: essentially you will have the "Y" and "Z" keys swapped - and no, you can't physically exchange the keys, because they have different size
I can live perfectly well with both issues and they don't affect the usability or the value of the device at all.
Cheers,
vma
Now it's about Ebay safety.
How to chose seller?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-O2-XD...trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:1205|293:1|294:50
What do you think about that?
Check on marketplace first!
I saw yesterday a great Uni selling from a trustable member
There is always a risk involved in any internet related purchase...
At eBay you should look for:
- sellers with more than a minimu of 5 feedbacks
- sellers with 100% rating - in case of 99.x% rating, check what was the cause of the negative feedback (sometime's it is not the sellers fault)
- check what other products the seller has been selling
- pictures of the real device, not just standard marketing images
- ask the seller a question and see how long it takes him to respond - avoid sellers who dont respond
- avoid sellers accepting Western Union or similar payment forms
- don't relay totally on PayPAL - it is not that secure
- check shipping costs
- check taxes - specially in case of imports from other economic areas
If nothing is strange so far, nothing fishy, then you can take the risk.
Regarding the Marketplace here at XDA-DEVELOPERS: I have never purchased anything, but would do so from respected members. Check how long they are registered and how many postings they have. No crook would be wasting time with hundreds of posts over years just to sell you a broken Universal...
However, in case things go wrong and if you bought something from someone on the other side of the world, there is nothing much you can do.
That is the price you pay, for getting the device with a discount of aproximatly 50%.
Cheers,
vma
OK - sellers with more than a minimu of 5 feedbacks
OK - sellers with 100% rating - in case of 99.x% rating, check what was the cause of the negative feedback (sometime's it is not the sellers fault)
OK - check what other products the seller has been selling
OK - pictures of the real device, not just standard marketing images
OK - ask the seller a question and see how long it takes him to respond - avoid sellers who dont respond
OK - avoid sellers accepting Western Union or similar payment forms
OK - don't relay totally on PayPAL - it is not that secure
OK - check shipping costs
OK - check taxes - specially in case of imports from other economic areas
So look's pretty good.
I was just asking your opinion .What do you think about him.
Gonna order soon.
Does anyone know if fake or replica ones are now flying around from China (just like iphone)? I found some ebay sellers offering HD2 on a very very low price, but I'm under the impression that they are replicas
If in doubt, don't buy from shady sources. There's a list of official retailers in your country on HTC.com.
Personally, I haven't seen any fakes yet but I guess it's reasonably to assume that there are some out there. btw: The cheap mobile phone offers on eBay are often coupled with a carrier contract, thus the low price.
Just don't do it. There's not that much of a mark-up through official retailers, so unless they're doing you a favour and selling at a loss...
I got burned once, and once was enough when buying a glofiish x800. Never again.
well my budget is limited and i'd really like to get the tmobile version, but they are sold out everywhere in stores and people are marking up the prices on ebay ;(
bry4ntt said:
well my budget is limited and i'd really like to get the tmobile version, but they are sold out everywhere in stores and people are marking up the prices on ebay ;(
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But if you blow your limited budget on a fake, you won't have anything at all?
yes, i get your point, thanks all for your inputs
can u upload here the image for the fake hd2?
Keep a look out for http://www.dealextreme.com website. They usually have all kind of popular phone knock-offs for a few hundred bucks if you're into those kind of thing.
Hey guys, as the popular term goes, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster and have to say what an awesome section this is! I was hesitant after bad reviews whether or not to get this bad boy, but after reading countless positive opinions on this forum I have decided to take the plunge. My only question is, do you guys think it's safe to get it off eBay for 400$au? It just seems very cheap and I want to know it's factory unlocked and not hacked before I get it, thanks in advance and keep up the good work!
Pandasouljah said:
Hey guys, as the popular term goes, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster and have to say what an awesome section this is! I was hesitant after bad reviews whether or not to get this bad boy, but after reading countless positive opinions on this forum I have decided to take the plunge. My only question is, do you guys think it's safe to get it off eBay for 400$au? It just seems very cheap and I want to know it's factory unlocked and not hacked before I get it, thanks in advance and keep up the good work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
eBay comes with buyer protection anyway so you won't loose your money
just check the sellers feedback score and histroy, if it seems to be too good to be true!!
i brought my xperia play from ebay and was perfectly fine just sim locked when it came out
Hi man
Im in Australia and bought mine through Ebay for AUD $398 about 2 months ago so that price is right. It came from Hong Kong, it works perfectly, im heaps satisfied with it and there are no faults.
Also to let you ease your mind dude, they are unlocked so they work with any Australian mobile network and also when purchasing the phone make sure you get the R800i xperia play model as these ones work on all of the Australian network bands for mobile 2G, 3G etc.
Another thing also like someone said before, Ebay offers their protection program and if you use paypal they also offer their own protection program so you are pretty much covered if somethings goes wrong.
Have fun with it dude If you wanna know anything else let me know.
the r800a runs on telstras 3g network, not the r800i, and it costs a fair bit more to buy but is worth it imo for telstras far superior network(least where i live)
the r800i can use telstras old 2100mhz 3g network..but thats not long for this world..
TLR telstra:r800a, optus or anyone else:r800i
Thanks guys, I'm actually in china now on holiday so I'm wondering whether to grab one while I'm in hong kong, but as previously mentioned eBay gives the security of buyer protection... will let y'all know how it fares but either way I'm looking forward to joining the club
just bought mine through ebay, price was $394 (ausd). came with an 8gb card, case, screen protector and car charger. seller is based in hong kong and i'd gladly recommend him if you were to buy through ebay. no hassles, no stress, no problems at all. seller even used ups for shipping which allowed full tracking online. i bought my unit on a thursday. ups online said that the unit was already in melbourne by saturday. got my phone by monday morning (darn, no postal services on sundays =)
2 of my friends got it through the same vendor I think. He's called rose#somenumber#.
Trouble-free and they got it for 280-300€ depending on the change rate.
280-300? Geez, that's a bargain! I saw that rose guy (or girl) on eBay but Aussie price is 385, still a good buy, just wanna stop at HK first n see if I can haggle a bit with the locals
Pandasouljah said:
280-300? Geez, that's a bargain! I saw that rose guy (or girl) on eBay but Aussie price is 385, still a good buy, just wanna stop at HK first n see if I can haggle a bit with the locals
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Click to collapse
just be careful, mate. no offense to anyone honk kong related...i was based there for 2.5 years mind you...but a mate of mine dropped by hk recently. he bought a brand new xperia arc and haggled for a lower price. the seller took out 150 bucks from the phone. phone was working fine but when he got back to melby the phone stopped functioning.
if you're going to hk, try getting the phone in tsim sha tsui (kowloon). specifically, ocean terminal (right beside the ferry and bus depot). there's a building there called star city. second floor houses the best electronics from reputable stores. or, there's something similar in wan chai (hk side). but personally i prefer the one in kowloon as the one in wan chai can be a bit dodgy regarding some stores.
im not sure what country your in but if your not in australia you may have to pay import tax which will boost the price
Thanks for the advice guys, ended up getting it from wanchai paid 340aud so pretty happy, it is a wicked phone so far n I havent even rooted it yet! Need some help with but I asked in another thread and am googling as I type thanks again guys, looking forward to exchanging info once I suss it out.
Sent from my R800i using XDA App