@owl @resist1984 @rysiek the problem is that most of the people want to change phone every 1-2years. Even if they're are forced to take a loan for that or they take a subsidised phone from the carrier. You don't have to have law for everything until you have to manage a mob.
@Br0m3x @rysiek @owl The OCD phone upgrading disease that inflicts many Americans is separate problem, which happens to hide the problem of designed obsolescence. Belgium solved the OCD consumption problem by banning the practice of locking phones to plans (which encourages ppl to upgrade needlessly at the end of their contracts).
@resist1984 @Br0m3x @rysiek @owl
Mmmh, mobile plan providers in Belgium are still pushing hard so people subscribe to a mobile plan when buying a phone.
Example with an iPhone at Proximus, where the price drop from 800 to 200 € as long as you subscribe to a 24-months data plan costing 25 €/month.
@meduz @owl @rysiek @Br0m3x I believe the rules changed in Belgium. They banned phone locking, at which point Belgium was the most expensive place in the world to buy an iPhone. Then a few years later there was a law change that enabled contracts. I'm not sure if the locking became permitted, or if the contracts are somehow in force without locking.
@resist1984 @Br0m3x @rysiek @owl “Joined offers” (it’s how they name it at Proximus) are not the only available option: people can still subscribe to plans or buy phones separately. But every providers try to push them.
I don’t know at which point these practices are encouraging people to renew their phones, but I think this behaviour is rather still a thing in Belgium. 🤔
(Mine is now 5 years old. 😎)
@Br0m3x @rysiek @owl @meduz I've not been there recently, so it could be as screwed up as the US now.