The Google Nexus 4 is flooding onto eBay, with bid prices rising as phone shoppers clamour to get their mitts on the eagerly anticipated sold-out smart phone.
Listings have started to surface on eBay's UK site, with bids standing at upwards of £340 for the 8GB model -- over £100 what Google is charging for the Android-powered blower. Google's page on the Play store still lists the Nexus 4 as sold out, however.
One 16GB option is on sale with a Buy It Now price of £420, with £8.75 postage on top. Another listing sees the 8GB model up for sale with a starting price of £1,200, which strikes me as just a tad optimistic.
Google surprised us all when it revealed the 4.7-inch, quad-core Nexus 4 would go on sale for just £239, which is more than half the price of the iPhone 5. The Editors' Choice award-winning mobile proved too tempting for many shoppers, with Google's stock reserves drained in a mere 30 minutes.
Sly eBay entrepreneurs clearly spotted the high demand, with several of the Nexus 4 listings specifying that the seller didn't have the phone in hand yet, but they would be posting them out once they were delivered.
"This will be sent out WHEN IT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO ME FROM THE PLAY STORE," one seller writes, "Which should be November 15th."
I wouldn't recommend paying over the odds for the Nexus 4, as part of its high score came from the fact that it offers blistering performance at a bargain price. If it had the same price tag as, say, the Samsung Galaxy S3, it would be a less appealing phone.
We'll be keeping a close eye on the Google Play store to see when Google gets more supply in stock, and we'll be sure to let you know. Stay tuned, folks.
Are you tempted to pay extra to get the Nexus 4 from eBay? Or will you sit tight while Google refuels? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
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Comments 31
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AkumaJack 14 November, 2012 12:48
Still less than O2 for the 8GB nexus4. £399 from O2......67% mark up.
Raja Az Rajput 14 November, 2012 13:13
I really wanted to get myself this phone, but as they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is !
Google has done its job, they sold a few on the play store, made headlines and created a real buzz.
They have agreements with O2 and CPW too, hence its not surprising that they've put up pay monthly prices to £31 per month when you can "apparently" buy the phone for £239 etc. They knew this will happen as it was planned as a marketing strategy. These big multi-cooperations such as Google and O2 are dodgy, tax avoiding scums, we should all buycott them ! Google will now let these network providers have their go and sell the Nexus 4 on pay monthly plans in the run up to Christmas, and after they had a go, google might sell the rest of the stock again for the cheaper sim free price on the play Store !
Id rather pay the £100 extra to an ebay seller than to O2 who want399 for it ! the phone is worth it !
anonymous 14 November, 2012 13:31
I will not be buying off EBAY. I don't want to encourage the greedy little irks that bought up all the stock to sell them at an inflated price.
andydandy 14 November, 2012 13:49
I expect to get a Nexus 4 before Christmas. I would not pay £100 premium to get it a couple of weeks early. Some people will. Don't be too critical and remember. It is a phone.
el_perro_con_gas 14 November, 2012 13:53
I would neither buy the Nexus 4 from an eBayer nor a high street retailer at the prices being quoted. People selling them on eBay marked up are as bad as ticket touts or worse. At least touts usually have the tickets on them when they sell them.
I would say just be patient until Play restocks. They will. It just means you won't be the kid with the shiny-est phone on the block for a few weeks.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 14:37
Disappointed that such multiple purchases were allowed. What with the limited stock levels, this sort of touting was inevitable.
Anyone who can't wait a couple of extra weeks to get this from the next batch when they become available and willingly pay £100+ extra are only encouraging this sort of questionable behaviour in the future.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 15:56
Seriously... if the people that bought up ALL the Nexus 4's they could possibly afford in the hope they would make a mint by selling them on scumBay are going to get a shock right now. Why are they going to get a shock? Well unlike festival tickets or any very limited item, there will be more Nexus 4's... tons of the bloody things in fact.
My advice is to ring Google and see if you can buy one and then they will send it when LG send them more stock :)
Hussein ElAlaily 14 November, 2012 16:05
Why don't they just buy the Samsung SIII or the HTC ONE X+. The whole point of the nexus is that it's cheap... the HTC ONE X+ is a better machine with 64 GB and LTE. So I really don't get it.
Nick Hide 14 November, 2012 16:43
@Hussein ElAlaily The One X+ doesn't have LTE in the UK. The XL does, but it only has 16GB of storage (and only 9GB is usable). Odd choices by HTC. Anyway, you're right, there are plenty of other options.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 16:50
Just seen one go for £460!
Other people ripping other honest people off, same with the ipad mini over charging and people are still buying them for around £100 more than apple charge.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 17:07
not being smart, but how exactly does one "ring google"?
anonymous 14 November, 2012 17:09
I'm already looking at the Samsung S4 and it's release dates.
Well done Google you sold your soul to the devils and soon your going to pay the price in loss of sales.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 17:17
How can you be looking at the s4 there's only roomers?
anonymous 14 November, 2012 17:45
its rumors, you twonk.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 18:11
It's actually 'rumours', you idiot. And it is, 'it's', not its. Eejit.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 18:11
Some people's greed sees no end!
anonymous 14 November, 2012 18:35
Sorry for the spelling mistakes that's apples auto correct for ya!
anonymous 14 November, 2012 18:37
I will probably buy one once they're back in stock. I won't be buying on ebay or from a carrier that will charge more than I feel is reasonable.
o2's argument that they're bundling their service with an unlocked phone constitutes higher prices makes me angry. I'd put it to them that it's actually my custom that has value, not theirs.
anonymous 14 November, 2012 22:24
4G in the UK is still too expensive. Three (soon to be renamed Four?) and the others should get something later next year- until then I'm not letting 4g bother me- after all much of london you can get wifi
anonymous 15 November, 2012 01:39
I have bad feeling that Google is gonna increase the price after they have them back in stock.
anonymous 15 November, 2012 03:48
Anyone after google UK number its 0800 328 6081
anonymous 15 November, 2012 09:48
It became illegal for gig tickets to be sold in this way, and so they are moving onto mobile phones instead. Unethical
The sad part is, O2 seem at the top of the list of these sellers - selling it at £399!! Just wrong! They are justifying it by saying their customers get access to exclusive rewards so that's why their price is £160 above google's price. Erm, I'd rather pay £239 than get a half price meal at Bella Italia thanks.
:( It's sad as my phone broke just before the nexus launch date and I was all set for buying one.
anonymous 15 November, 2012 09:53
Who buys a phone without actually having tried it in a shop first, anyway? That's what I'm going to do today (at O2) before buying it from Google. It's annoying that the eBay a$$holes have fecked it up for the rest of us by buying in bulk - Google should accept some of the blame for allowing multiple purchases. I've seen elsewhere on the interweb that Google says more stock will arrive 'within the next few weeks'. That doesn't sound promising at all.
anonymous 15 November, 2012 18:29
This is so different than scalping tickets. I got a 16 gig on its way that I intended to keep. But if I can make a few bucks and wait to get another why not. Now the guys that buy in multiples to make a coin.... they should be ashamed. But at the end of the day if some crazy cat wants to pay me a 50% premium I would be equally crazy to not sell.
Why is this different than ticket scalping....... There is more than one show! I gaurantee more will be available in the coming weeks.
If you want it more than me.... its yours.
uksnapper 15 November, 2012 22:20
People dont HAVE to buy these things however they are free to pay what they like if they are dull enough to buy off ebay.
Do the phones have warranties if they are second hand ?
anonymous 16 November, 2012 00:53
A good phone is only half the issue. We need improved network coverage, stronger signals and faster speeds over 3G and 4G than we will actually get. 3G and 4G are still prisoners of network congestion at certain times of day which can impact on the speeds achievable. I can't see this particular problem being dealt with by providers any way soon, even though if we want 4G we have to buy more expensive phones and pay higher data charges.
anonymous 16 November, 2012 07:34
"I will not be buying off EBAY. I don't want to encourage the greedy little irks that bought up all the stock to sell them at an inflated price."
Totally agree with you! let's just wait a lil more. let em take a lesson..
anonymous 28 November, 2012 23:30
screw all the goddam sharks.
anonymous 4 December, 2012 15:33
I'll take my "lesson" in the form of cash profit in pocket, thank you very much.
anonymous 13 December, 2012 20:36
Welcome to capitalism.
A free world in which people are free to buy and sell whatever they like at whatever prices they like and make whatever profits they can. You all signed up for it.
At he end of the day, if people are dum enough to pay more for a phone than its worth, good luck to them.
Regarding warranties; Some eBayers are claiming they come with full warranty, but unfortunately, in most cases, warranties only cover the original purchaser. So I say let the idiots buy eBay phones.
1000106921 18 December, 2012 08:59
I ordered it expecting 6 week delay after missing out on the first batch and got it in a few days. Very happy with the phone. It is worth the wait people much better then the boring iphone haha!! Its an amazing piece of kit and you will not be disappointed once you have it.
Don't go to the carriers, wait for Google play even if it is a few weeks. The carriers are just ripping you off with high charges.