With where to buy my next mobile from.

Bit of background info first: I had bought a sony erricson w910i last sept from Tesco it was on the vodafone PAYG service, now I did look at the reviews of the phone and a lot said it was rubbish but also folk said that about a SE phone our Stevie had and he had no trouble with it) and my last phone was a SE K800i, brilliant phone,

Well if any of you have this phone chances are you know what's coming....I have been plagued with problem's mainly switching itself off when IT decides to, freezing, resetting etc etc, it had been sent away for repair (Tesco policy is repair it 3 times then offer refund or replacement) and this was a Tuesday I recieved it back by the saturday, claiming it had been repaired. Now its gone for it's 2nd repair again on a Tuesday (Last Tuesday 2nd to be exact), the guy mentioned a replacement, I told him I did not want a replacement as everyone I know who has this model phone has nothing but trouble with it (admittedly I didn't tell him I only know of one person with the phone - but she is having same problems).

So Saturday came and no phone, I thought might come on Monday, Monday arrives, no phone so I rang the mobile repair number, gave my details, mobi number imei no. etc and she says to me, oh yes, it's been returned to you on Wednesday, I am thinking to myself, they will have only recieved it themselves on Wednesday, but perhaps they repaired it and sent it straight back out. She said if it hasn't arrived by tomorrow (Tuesday 9th), to give them a call back and they'd trace it for me.

Tuesday, no phone, so rang again and I was told the woman who I spoke to yesterday was new and it's not been returned I am getting a refund (YESSS!!!) and to expect a cheque soon. So I was happy with that.

Now this is why I need help.

I have seen the phone I want, its the LG Cookie KP500 and I want it on vodafone PAYG network.
Now I can't get it at Tesco (as I like the repair/replace policy) I can get it from CPW which I have been told to avoid like the plague, by friends and review center on line and also from people who have had to return phones to them.
I've tried vodafone online (don't stock it)
Tried Curry's, Comet, Dixon's - don't sell it
Argos only do it on Orange
Phones 4 u only do it on orange, t-mobile and virgin
Asda don't stock it.
Dial-a-phone only stock t-mobile and virgin
Amazon more expensive than shops
Play.com more expensive than shops

So I was wondering do any of you have experience with buying a PAYG mobile from some of these online websites if so, what's the returns policy/customer service like, and which do you recommend?.

I'm looking at ordering my next phone from ebay (one of their shops so it's brand new and unlocked - you can still buy them locked though), and continuing with my sim only contract :-)  Seems to be better value for money to me.

I bought (awhile ago) a w910i from an ebay shop. The phone was a load of rubbish as you said but the service was great. It was cheaper than it was in the shops at the time and the return system was good also.
I have at the moment got an Apple iPhone which is FANTASTIC! It has everything you could ever want from a computer/organiser/camera/mp3 oh and it also makes phone calls :) Couldnt fault it!

i have the LG renoir
well i did til an hour ago when i heard it in the washing machine......
its now in the airing cupboard...
i may be looking for a new one too...

Oooh never thought to look in an ebay shop.

Hope your phone dries out and is usable again

so do i its a really good phone would reccommend it

Do you know anyone who might have a compressor? MY B-I-L (farmer) dropped his phone in the silage pit, then dunked it in the water butt(he had noting to lose so washed it off), used a compressor on it to blow away all the small water droplets, left it out in the sun for a few hours and hey preso - a rather smell but working phone!!

Maybe a hairdryer would do the same thing on the cool setting :-)

ooh no i dont but will try the hairdryer....

I have the LG Cookie.

I also have a contract with Carphone Warehouse, although I bough the phone as PAYG from O2 as I wanted it in white which is exclusive to O2.  I have been with CPW for about 7 years and can't complain at all about the service I've had from them.  In fact, i recently got a refund of almost £500 when they noticed that I'd been overpaying on the insurance policy I have with them - I would never have noticed myself!

Do you know anyone who might have a compressor>

ooh no i dont but will try the hairdryer

What about someone with a blaster-dryer (dog sort)

as we speak Dave has taken it apart and we have a fan blasting it
he has tested the battery and that is fine so there is hope...
we will leave it in the airing cupboard til tomorrow night then try to turn it on...
Dave is checking to see if its covered on the house contents insurance....

Never had a problen with CPW .
Friend has a Cookie which has gone wrong 3 times and told me NEVER to buy one .

i have a viewty which is the model before the cookie, i have had it since xmas so just over my 6 month warranty and the battery barely lasts 6 hours!!! Theres a smart new nokia coming out in july the n76 my OH has the n95 in red and its a very very good phone nokias have excelled themselves in phones as have SE the only 2 i would ever buy again. I too had a SE k800i and it was the best, only got a new one as the signal was going because i dropped it so much. DONT BUY ONE!!!

My daughter had the LG Viewty Shine.....well until I gave it a full 40 degree wash!  Tried everything, even my blaster dryer, nothing worked, the sound went very strange, actually sounded like it was at the bottom of a bucket of water.....lol.  Luckily it was her birthday in April so we bought her a replacement.

I've just got a Samsung Pixon M8800 fantastic phone, touch screen, even has a qwerty keyboard, I normally hate texting, but this is great.