las2003: As we were ablready with telecom and had NO contract with our existing mobile we were a bit reluctant to go onto a contract. However to purchase the phone we wanted (builders one which is supposedly unbreakable) we had to go onto a 12mth contract.
you were either misinformed by the salesperson or misunderstood the salesperson.
All the XT phones are available on an open term contract (i.e. no minimum period)
Of coruse you would have to pay full price if you go for that option, instead of having it subsidised by XT, but that is the way it has always worked all over the world.
http://store.telecom.co.nz/mobile/pay-monthly/telecom-r90
is the phone you have I presume? On an open term contract it would be $399