Nexus 4 floods eBay at crazy prices as Google stock struggles
Google is officially sold out of Nexus 4 phones, but stock is hitting eBay at wince-inducing prices.
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.
