Telstra limit on Handset Price if Paying over 12 Months

Lendor on 11/07/2018 - 15:57
Last edited 11/07/2018 - 15:59

Been a Telstra customer for many years and every year I buy a phone over 12 months, long story short my company pays for the phone so I want it over 12 months and own it at the end.

I want to buy an S9+ over 12 months from Telstra. I don't want new phone feeling or lease or any of that stuff. I just want to handover the cash to Telstra over 12 months.

The way I have done this in the past is to get a SIM only BYO 12 month plan and attach a handset MRO for 12 months for the phone.

Problem is they have an imposed limit on their systems of $1320 for a handset over 12 months and the S9+ is $1368.

OK so i offer to pay cash the $48 difference. "We can't do that". Have tried on chat, in-store and over the phone, I've even been referred to Loyalty team who offered to discount the plan (by more than $48 a year) but couldn't discount the handset or accept an up front payment to cover the difference.

I can get an S9 because it's below $1320 but not an S9+, or a Pixel2 XL or any other large phone because they are all over $1320 and they won't let me give them the cash!

Can anyone think of a way around this?

The obvious way is to go to Vodafone who can do it instantly on their website, but I don't want to switch…although I may now have to.

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Comments

  • coxjon on 11/07/2018 - 19:59
    +2

    If they wanted to keep you as a customer how hard it is to discount the phone by $48? 4% off isn't really unheard of!

    • endor on 12/07/2018 - 10:40

      You would think so wouldn't you, the loyalty guy offered me $10 discount on the plan but told me they are not allowed to discount handsets.

  • jimbobaus on 11/07/2018 - 19:59
    +1

    A lot of these restrictions relate to credit limits.
    Teleco’s have to give you an equipment limit under responsible lending laws.
    The limit relates to the rrp of the device and you can’t add to it Because regardless they would be giving you a device over your limit. Same applies if thy discounted the device. The actual equipment cost is what’s considered not what you pay for it.

    The Telstra limit being imposed is not because you want it over 12m it’s because the limit they are imposing is not enough to cover your device (afaik)

    • endor on 12/07/2018 - 10:58

      It does seem to be related to the total credit commitment over 12 months, which includes the total of the handset + the plan.

      I'm going to guess that it's $2000 maximum, since my handset is $1368 and the plan they got me in on is $588 = $1956

      When we tried $1368 + $948 (12 x 79) = $2316 that failed.

      No one seems to understand this at Telstra though, probably because not many people do it.

  • PorkHunt on 11/07/2018 - 20:13

    Can any Joe Schmoe get onto this 12 month repayment for handset only? Or is it only for businesses?

    • pennypincher98 on 11/07/2018 - 21:26
      +1

      "Businesses" only require an ABN. Which you'd be surprised about how many people are subcontractors

    • endor on 12/07/2018 - 10:37

      Anyone can buy a SIM only and add a phone MRO to it, the catch is you pay the full price of the phone / 12. There is no discount on the phone. I get reimbursed so it suits me but would be more expensive for the average punter.

  • Username checks out on 11/07/2018 - 22:26
    -1

    How about don't bother buying it though telstra? Just buy it outright from Kogan for $1089 and perhaps buy it on your credit card and pay it off over the year? Or Plenty of websites offer AfterPay or Zipmoney. And while you're at it, don't even bother going on a 12 month plan with telstra, just go prepaid and go a MVNO that uses the Telstra network. Like Boost Mobile or Woolworths mobile or Aldi mobile or Tangerine Telecom to name a few. You can find way better deals than what Telstra has to offer.

    • redforever on 12/07/2018 - 10:05
      +1

      I presume the OP requires a monthly invoice that their employer will reimburse or pay.

      • endor on 12/07/2018 - 10:39

        Yes that's right.

    • endor on 12/07/2018 - 11:01

      I did consider an MVNO as an alternative, Woolworths were the only ones I could find that do Handsets, but only over 24 or 36 months not 12.

  • endor on 12/07/2018 - 10:49
    +2

    I case it helps someone else….I finally found someone at Telstra that knew what was going on, a guy on the webchat. He has managed to process this by putting me on a cheaper plan, the $49 plan and then I can switch to the $79 plan I really want after 1 month.

    This all took me about 10 hours to get over the line, all for the sake of $4 a month! Big company inflexibility. I came within in a whisker of moving to Vodafone but changed my mind after looking at their coverage maps for a rural area I travel to.

    I'm crossing my fingers the order actually does go through as I've had one order cancelled already by the phone sales team after they told me . At least I do have a trackable order now and their tracking site says stock allocated so hopefully it goes through.

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