difference between online shops and providers?

[freeflyer56]

Hi all, is there any advantage/disadvantage between buying from somewhere like mobiles.co.uk or buymobilephones.net (eg any online retailer) as opposed to buying from the provider direct (eg orange).

Yes, the phones are a lot cheaper, but why is that? I know in the small print on a phone i recently bought from mobiles.co.uk , that it says the phone remains the property of them until the contract has gone through its duration, but isnt that the same with buying from a direct provider?

Are there any real disadvantages? or is it plain and simple just cheaper?

[Badger0-0]

I only know of 2 people who used 3rd party companies and both times, they were had over, in that they were paying more than they expected. That was about 10 years ago and things might have changed, I suppose.
I'd never use them personally. The way I look at it is, they have to make their cut somehow.

[freeflyer56]

yep i think they're much better now, but what i'm really after is ownership differences of the phone, who deals with contracts or problems etc.

Essentially, after buying the phone, is my dealings with the seller now redundant, and i always deal with orange for example? or, during the duration of my contract, does the phone belong to orange, or does it belong to the online retailer?
I noticed in the contract that the online retailer can chase me for the cost of the phone should i not oblige my orange contract, but is that the same had i bought it from orange themselves?