i went to mep SACC asking bout ip3gs hotlink package since im with celcom 3g unlimited package. she said starting last month no more prepaid package and idata, i have to subscribe iplan. then im asking when will the ip3gs arrive once i book, she said expected atleast 3 months due to logistic problem.   

nak beli unlock oversea mahal sangat but i cannot wait 3 months la. too long...... 

wtf , in this case i think i stick with my ip3g je lah.....

guys,
i booked mine on 16 august, but i din sign up for any plan not even prepaid. I just buy the phone barely. Is it normal ? (i ask this because i saw many ppl taking the phone with contract).

no =.= i tried ( paid deposit on 10th august) and the worst case is.. i m going to india for studies this sunday...=.=

I received an invitation letter from Maxis too and I made my booking last Sunday. Here are the details of the invitation/rebate:
- purchase the iPhone 3GS 16/32GB outright
- no contract involved, stick back to your current iValue plan
- no deposit required for booking
- RM500 cannot be deducted from RRP.
- Pay full RRP price but the RM500 will be credited to your account over 5 months
- 1 month waiting time or less (they will sms/call for collection, but if more than 1 month just show up to collect)*

I don't know about the last point but the personnel who served me told me in a very consistent voice that if I receive no calls in one month time, I can show up to collect it. Seems to me they have stock but aren't releasing it. Just reserved for potential 'profitable' customers.

Finally took the plunge and book myself one at the Maxis I-Centre Northam. As usual when ask about the availability they say "1 month" but when pushed CS said that stock arrival has been smooth now and should get in 3 weeks. Considered as 4th batch as of last week and they're handling the collection for 3rd batch now. Let the waiting begin! 

A piece of (mis)information I got while I'm there is the Iphone prepaid purchase will be available only in October. Sorry to bring the bad news guys, but then again, it could be wrong.

@Iroci
your case is exactly what Maxis is trying to avoid... they want people to use iPhone on their network, otherwise where is their business?

Orange Mobile Ampang Point?

hmm, Maxis already enable prepaid purchases? i will go and check at Maxis Centers soon.

I went to Maxis Selayang branch today. They confirmed that hotlink plan is temporarily closed for now.
They also warned that some MEP that are selling hotlink plan are actually using the customer's rm200 booking fees to get iPhones for their Contract-booking customer. So those who paid rm200 for the Hotlink package will end up waiting more than a month. I dont know how true is that.

no i dont think Australia has any shortages.

Maxis keeps on BS'ing us by saying worldwide shortage but it is infact a business strategy, they want to tie as many people as they possibly can in getting contracts. This is what happens when there's a monopoly.

maxis just called me n said "awak yang bagitau nak pergi oversea haritu kan?"

i said yes n he said i can collect the phone in one week...yahoooo!!!!!!!!!

advice everybody to check ure monthly bill

last month bill already settle a dispute of overcharge of RM273.

this month overcharge of RM221.

sishh.

stop asking if the phones are unlocked or not ! under malaysia telco law, every phone have to be unlocked to prevent monopoly. so as long as your handphone is brought in legally by the company, iit is confirmed unlocked. if you got one that is not unlocked, it means it's not a local set. it does not only apply to iphones, it is to all handphones selling in malaysia.

another solution then; move to another network provider, if you feel that maxis is not doing a good job.

Actually I think the only reason that Locking the phones is justified in some countries or for some telcos is because the cost of the phone that you have to pay...

Like when I was studying in UK... some of the locked phones that were sold are really cheap.. so I guess they want you to keep to their service etc else they'll lose money on the phone..

In Malaysia.. the IPhone isn't really a
""OMG huge discount!! ", so I guess they don't really need to lock it to their network.

Yes, except that they now charge exorbitant prices for things as basic as a handphone. Of course, they improve on the products and you get something tangible to spill your money over. Not to mention the taxes that get shafted on every consumer's throats. Over here, things are done different in the sense that the service and the terminals (handphones) that uses the service are 2 different products. We pick the phones we want and match the service we think is good for us (and the budget).

In other parts of the world, the handphone and the service are essentially one product. They come together. You cannot in any way buy a phone without service. You're forced to pick the bundle. That is why exclusivity is key. Some networks try to get a mobile phone earlier than other networks. This is to keep them at the edge and ahead of competition. The never ending fight for more users. Users are finite at a market. Industry players come and go. Who gets the bigger chunk of the market wins. Because services are commodity and they are no different from any others. However, phones are special. They change and improve as we progress. Content changes. So users pick phones and the bundle that comes with it. Phones are cheap, however the services aren't. They get exclusive phones to lock users to a particular network. They brand the phones and they lock it to prevent people from jumping ship. There's no such thing as the best phone for the best network. Thats competition.

Over here, our services are cheap and we get to pick them. We can match with the best phones we see fit. THAT comes at a price. There's ALWAYS a price to pay. A price to pay for having CHOICES. A lot of people say our mobile charges are dirt cheap.

Having said all this, my point is simple. ITS THE SAME. You calculate the contracts and add up the cost of the phone and we'll be talking total cost of ownership. Its all the same. Either way, consumers get shafted. Hehehe...Of course we paid for what we use.

The same can go for cars. The age old debate saying cars are cheaper elsewhere. Cars are expensive here because of our cheap fuel prices, road taxes, insurance fees, etc. Cars are cheaper elsewhere but hey... look at their fuel prices, road taxes, and insurance fees. The same bloody statistics.