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Mobile Broadband - Hard pressure selling from Phones 4 U

13 August 2009

I bought a new broadband dongle from Phones 4 U today. I went there as they were cheapest for that particularly dongle, but only slightly. That's the last time I'm going to go in that shop.

This is an approximate transcription of the conversation I had to purchase a O2 Play-as-you-go broadband dongle costing £19.55

Can I help you?

I'd like O2 Pay-as-you-go broadband please

Do you want a contract one as we do those on contract?

No pay-as-you-go

The contract is only £5 per month - are you sure you don't want pay monthly?

Just pay-as-you-go
[gets the dongle]

We do have some good deals on pay-monthly We have some free laptop offers - would you like a free laptop?

Just pay-as-you-go

Who do you have for your TV at home - Sky or Virgin?

Virgin

Would you like Sky - I can do you a good price on Sky phone, TV and broadband

No I'm not interested

Do you want me to find you a price for Virgin Media as we have some good packages?

No I'm not interested

You don't want to save money?

I'm not interested.

[Takes name address details etc.]

That will be £39.55 including insurance.

[Note that insurance is actually more than the dongle that is insured]

I don't want insurance - just the dongle.

I can try and find you a better price for the insurance - how about £10?

No I don't want insurance

That's a really good price for insurance, you could walk out of here and get it stolen or lose it somewhere?

The dongle only costs £20 I don't want insurance

Okay let me start again without insurance

[Takes address details again]
I finally get to pay and leave.

What should have been a simple and straight-forward purchase turned into an attempt to sell me just about every other thing that they sell. It amazed me that they tried to get me to pay for insurance for something that was only £20 and even more ridiculous was that the insurance was more than the cost of buying a new one.

It is the worst example of hard pressure selling I've ever experienced and will not be going back to Phone 4 U for anything ever again. I wish I'd paid the few quid extra and got it from a reputable store instead.

I haven't yet had chance to have a go with it yet, but I'll be trying it on my EeePC to see if mobile broadband works easily with Linux.