this was in my letter box tonight - wonder if its a scam?



*im not going to call and find out its a scam, let alone hand over money, and I recommend others don't either. Consider yourself warned

Hmm is it any different from a myriad of sellers here in Australia offering imported iPhones? Probably not methinks.

there were heaps of signs like that floating around the uni notice boards...

I think it's just some dude wanting to sell his iPhone. He doesn't know how to explain it, so has copy+pasted stuff from apple.com.

Not everyone selling things unofficially is a scammer.

How much does he want?

To actually be in your letterbox... sounds more like an organised thing than just an individual selling 1 phone...

i didnt call, thats whay I ask if its a scam, we are in a complex with a number of boxes. its a bit of an effort to copy/cut and post for just 1.

ive had one request for the number

buyer beware, im not responsible for any loss you may face from calling this mob, if indeed it is a scam.

Slightly off topic...

Other than being "against Apple's rules", is selling an iPhone in Australia actually ILLEGAL?

it dosent have type approval, so from a "radio" point of view, its illegally transmitting, as a phone. but otherwise, i don't think it would be "illegal"

Under the Australian Telecommunications Act 1997, it is an offence to operate or connect any telecommunications equipment to Australian telecommunications infrastructure unless the device conforms to AS/ACIF S043 and bears the "A-Tick" logo or an antecedent label, as defined by the Act. Penalty per offence is sixty penalty units.

(source: Australian Federal Government, Attorney-Generals Department Federal Registry Of Legislative Instruments.)

Than means, every time you power up your iPhone in Australia, you're eligible for a fine of A$12,000 (going on the current average of one penalty unit == A$200)

Until the iPhone has passed ACMA approval and been awarded its "A-Tick" (which it still has not received), using an iPhone in Australia is technically illegal.


Brains

What is the likelihood of actually being picked up and fined though.....

As for the ad, I saw very similar ones at uni not long ago. Just someone trying to make a buck outa getting phones as cheap as they can, unlocking them and selling them at very high prices to people who are attracted by the cool factor.

So are tourists warned as they come into the country?

Usually not.

You'll find that a lot of mobile phones sold here legally do not bear an AS/ACIF S043 sticker (the "A-Tick") because the phone's GSM chipset is one that is already approved ... technically, the manufacturer / importer of those phones are breaking the law, but because the bit that does the actual connecting has already been approved by the ACMA, they tend too be lazy gits and not worry about it.

There are some GSM chipsets -- from Korea and Japan especially -- that have had the spec tweaked, or some localised speciality added. These phones may work on our networks, but they will not pass approval.

From http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1784:

"Q: I have lived or travelled overseas - can I use the GSM mobile phone I purchased overseas in Australia?

"A: A mobile phone (for personal use) may be brought into Australia and connected to a mobile telecommunications network provided the phone meets Australian standards. If you are travelling and plan to purchase a GSM mobile phone overseas, ACMA recommends that prior to departing from Australia you contact your mobile carrier to find out what mobile phones are suitable for use in Australia. Some features on certain models of mobile phones purchased overseas may not work on the Australian mobile networks."

In other words, if the bought-overseas phone uses a GSM (etc) chipset that has already been approved for use by the ACMA, you can use it provided it is bought by you, overseas, and is not for resale.

So, technically speaking, the person behind that original shitty advert is breaking the law.


B.

I dont see this law with the iPhone being taken anywhere. I would be shocked if someone went to court over this and was sued for that amount. Heck even Rove showed his iPhone on the show and I dont see any telecommunications douches striking on him. Meh!