although i believe that vodafone is the superior service provider by far, i believe that the stories people tell you about parallel imported goods are a little false, and that you can pick up a phone from an importer at a drastically reduced price, for little to no risk.
my current phone is a one from overseas, as are several of my friends phones... and i'm getting a new one from overseas too...
if you pop your head in to a parallel importer you'll see that you can pick up a 7250i for $600 or less... i think i even saw one advertised for $520 theo other week. your only risk is that they aren't under warranty... but if you're will to take that risk then a parallel importer is definitely the way to go...
it seems that even first mobile (a registered vodafone dealer) is up to $150 cheaper in most handsets than a vodafone retail store...
i think there is one important thing to note from this thread anyhow, and possibly the MOST important point... of the 35 or so posts i don't see anyone telling you how great the phones are on telecom... because, for all they'll tell you - they're rubbish!
gc.