First time buying a phone outright (eBay) - concerns

timmsy23 on 01/06/2017 - 13:07
Last edited 01/06/2017 - 13:09

Hi

Just purchased this phone off ebay (Galaxy S7) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S7-SM-G930F-4G-LTE…?

I wanted australian stock / manufacturers warrenty, and no branding.

After reading the the description, it said it is 'Factory Unlocked' which I am of the belief there should be no branding. http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Factory-Unlocked-Phones-vs-Unlock…

I am travelling overseas in July and therefore will claim the GST on this. I have explicitly stated in my message to seller as part of the sale that I do not want any branding and that I want an invoice that has an appropriate GST value.

I also sent the store (my-phonez) a direct message asking about this, their answer was "Yes we provide an invoice", noting that they didn't answer my question about GST. They also say it is Telstra branded which I do not want either.

I got it for a pretty good price including the CBIGBANG code for 10% off, but I am not overly confident I will get what I want.

Any thoughts on what I should do?

Hopefully I can flash the phone and put new firmware on (and not void warrenty) to remove Telstra branding / bloatware, not exactly sure how to do this though.

Edit: I did purchase through Paypal, so atleast that gives me some security.

Thanks

Mobile

Comments

  • Joe Sixpack on 01/06/2017 - 13:42

    If it's Telstra branded, it should have been stated in listing. Start a claim, send it back, try again

  • teacherer on 01/06/2017 - 14:59

    Why do you want an unbranded phone?

  • Sage on 01/06/2017 - 15:04

    It's not that hard to flash it. I'd just do that, there are other perks to doing it anyway.
    Use xda-dev forum for instructions.

    Is GST involved for eBay sales?

    • timmsy23 on 01/06/2017 - 15:35

      Thanks for the info. I want GST to be involved, i believe anything from ebay.com.au must have GST. The guy keeps avoiding my question though. Not sure if I should cancel the order rather than get the phone with an invoice that just has sale price and no mention of GST.

    • timmsy23 on 01/06/2017 - 16:15

      Rules on GST from Ebay:

      Goods and Services Tax (https://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/seller-tax.html)

      GST on eBay fees
      If a Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) or similar consumption tax applies in your country of residence, eBay will add the tax as a separate charge on your seller invoice or include the tax in our fees as noted for each jurisdiction where eBay is required to collect such taxes.

      Please ensure that your registration details are up to date, so that we know where you are based.
      New Zealand sellers
      GST for items sold on eBay
      GST may be payable for the sales you make on eBay. If you are not sure if this applies to you, please contact the Australian Tax Office (or in New Zealand, Inland Revenue) and/or seek professional advice about your tax obligations.

      If you are required to charge GST on your items:
      For listings on eBay.com.au, your prices must include GST, when applicable. You may not add GST to the final value of an item once it has been won or bought.
      You are responsible for paying that GST in accordance with the appropriate laws and regulations.
      Information for buyers on eBay.com.au
      All listing prices on eBay.com.au are GST-inclusive, where applicable. Sellers may not add GST to the final sale price after an item has sold.

      If you've bought an item and you need a tax invoice showing the GST component, please contact the seller.

  • Kangal on 01/06/2017 - 15:38

    Sure, you might be able to flash it to a Stock Samsung firmware… but what if the phone's hardware is branded by Telstra?

    By the way, the listing included two times that it was Australian Stock phone Factory Unlocked.
    So I don't see the seller trying to dupe you in any way.
    You may be eligible for a full/partial refund if that might be better for you.

    Otherwise, you're out of options.

  • timmsy23 on 01/06/2017 - 16:05

    I am under the impression factory unlocked means that there should be no branding.

    From http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Factory-Unlocked-Phones-vs-Unlock…

    "Factory unlocked phones are shipped from the source and unlocked before being sold to the customer. For example, an iPhone 6 that is bought from the Apple retail or online store factory unlocked. However, if it is taken from the Apple store as-is, it does not have working cellular capabilities. Instead, it functions as an iPod when hooked up to wireless internet. The buyer must go to a network carrier and set up service in order to make that iPhone function as a phone."

  • edwardsajl on 02/06/2017 - 15:55

    You know you can only claim trs back if it is under 900 aud. they mark your passport when you come back to search you if its over. then charge you the gst plus extra.

  • timmsy23 on 02/06/2017 - 18:43

    Good to know. I should be fine, I got the phone for $621 with coupons. The guy rang me after I was threatening with bad feedback etc, feel much better now, he will put gst on it and has shipped it today and I got a tracking number.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join