Samsung launches its plus-size-with-stylus Note phone in Australia this week. If you buy the Android phone outright through a local Samsung-endorsed supplier, you’ll pay $899, but going online you can buy it for $559. So why on earth would you not do that?
The question of why the price was so high was put to Samsung telecommunications VP Tyler McGee at the Note launch event yesterday. His response:
At the end of the day it’s due to the fact the product is optimised for the market here.
However, as Gizmodo editor Alex quickly pointed out to him, the grey import versions do support the frequencies used locally, so optimisation doesn’t seem particularly relevant. McGee’s comment? “Buyer beware. Be sure that what is claimed on a website is accurate.”
As far as that goes, consumer law is your friend. If you purchase from a locally-based supplier such as Mobicity (which has the phone for $699) or Kogan (which has an even better deal at $559), then you’re entitled to a refund if the phone doesn’t match the description on the site you purchase from. It’s always a good idea to check out any supplier before spending money with them, but it’s ludicrous to suggest that you should pay $200 extra just because Samsung decides that’s a reasonable price for Australians.
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