Orbit 2 is NOT launching tomorrow

[windows]

Whoo hoo - when is it due to arrive Jim?

[Bassey]

Probably tomorrow but it's being delivered to my home and Sarah is out all day. Wasn't expecting delivery until Saturday otherwise I would have had it delivered to work!

Mind you, being the IOM, there is always the chance DHL will just sign it themselves and leave it in the shed! One of the many advantages of living on a (largely) crime-free Island.

[boz]

Originally Posted by Bassey

Well, the Orbit 2 may or may not have launched to consumers, depending on which sales person you speak to at any given time but Expansys have just confirmed that they have received their first delivery of the HTC Touch Cruise and, as of this evening, still have 430 in stock after fulfilling the advanced orders (including mine!).

Nice one Jim, you will enjoy it.

[cyclist]

Well you are doing better than I am Jim. My attempt to buy one online from O2 is stymied because the online system wants a home address and an office address, but will only deliver the handset and send bills to the same one, which doesn't work for me. I need delivery to the office but bills to home, and they don't seem to be able to do that, and phone order hours for business sales are only 9-5. So in the morning I'll probably see if the consumer phone number will sell me one, because they open first.

[neilm]

Originally Posted by cyclist

Well you are doing better than I am Jim. My attempt to buy one online from O2 is stymied because the online system wants a home address and an office address, but will only deliver the handset and send bills to the same one, which doesn't work for me. I need delivery to the office but bills to home, and they don't seem to be able to do that.

Its even worse than that sometimes The last time I tried this with O2, I got through all the 'addresses must be the same' palaver, and ordered with my work address, then used the debit card to pay for the phone.

Nothing happened for 7 days so I rang to enquire, and was told the transaction had failed because the debit card address didn't match the transaction address, but no-one had thought to inform me. There was nothing I could do about it- had to remake the order with home credentials.

[cyclist]

If I order from home no-one will be here to receive it. If they use Royal Mail special delivery that's OK, I can collect from the sorting office using the card they leave quite easily. But the other carriers are all problematical, depots are miles away on obscure industrial estates with restricted opening hours, not even lunchtime in the case of ParcelFarce who are the worst.
Have just phoned O2 business and they will only deliver and bill to the same address. The salesperson suggested changing the billing address after delivery, but then like you I'd fail the credit checks because those have to be for the delivery address. So it looks like a trip into Manchester tonight to buy one, or it'll have to be the Expansys version.

[Bassey]

Steph, if you do go the HTC route rather than O2, Mobilefun are about £20 cheaper than Expansys. I went Expansys for a number of reasons* but Mobilefun ARE cheaper.

*got CoPilot bundled for £20 less than buying separately. Was buying my wife the StarTrek (Qtek 8500) from them at the same time so saved on shipping. Got a free DECT phone for spending over X amount which we need because Daniel has chewed one of our two DECT handsets to death. Expansys shipping to the IOM is actually very reasonable and fast.

[waveydavey]

If you speak to Clove they will price match too.

[cyclist]

Ta for the tips guys. Clove have stock now at £398 incl postage, but Mobilefun's website appears to be out of stock.

However it looks to me like O2 is still the best. Firstly the casing is nicer, and secondly on financial grounds. The O2 package is £85 for the phone plus £28 per month plus Vat, which is £495 for a year. The other half needs an airtime package anyway, so I'd have to be able to find the airtime for £495-£398= £97 for the year, which works out to £8 a month. Don't think there is such a deal anywhere for new customers and T Mobile weren't offering that for a renewal on his old contract. But I did get T Mobile down to £5 per month for my contract, but that's probably because I have some additional expenditure, and he doesn't. Could have another go at TMobile I suppose, as I can't get to an O2 shop till tomorrow evening anyway.

[waveydavey]

I ended up getting the device for free on a £35 ppm contract because I'd been misled about the 12 month contracts costing £5 more a month for the same as an 18 month contract so there is scope for "discussion" Steph.