Can any company force you to forego your natural right to sell your used mobile phones through second-hand channels like eBay? Word on the street has it that Motorola might be trying to do just that with their Motorola AURA.
A “source close to [Motorola]” has apparently told Register Hardware that Motorola will require any Motorola AURA buyer to sign a contract that prevents them from hocking their luxury handset on the secondary market. The contract makes provisions for selling the unwanted handset back to Motorola directly, but it’s unclear how much Moto will pony up for a used Motorola AURA.
The move to lock down the Motorola AURA strictly to retail channels is said to be an effort to preserve the Motorola AURA’s air of exclusivity. The luxury handset market is a fiercely competitive market ripe options. Forcing customer to pay the expected retail price of $2,000 for the handset ensures that the AURA projects an image of wealth and privilege.
We’re not sure how Motorola would prevent eBay sales or how Moto would enforce such a contract. But, if true, this could set a precedent for contract-tied handsets that goes beyond the multi-year wireless contracts we already have to deal with.
The Motorola AURA isn’t exactly within reach for us, but we’d imagine that anyone with the bankroll to snatch up an AURA wouldn’t be too worried about recouping a portion of the handset’s purchase price on eBay.
