I have cellular service with Cingular. My phone suffered unfixable (and not-covered -by-warranty) damage about eight months into a two-year contract. When I originally bought the phone and got service (from a business that is now an empty storefront), I asked if I could change to a different phone later, should I not care for the one I got, and was told, sure, just make sure that it’s compatible with our system, bring it in, and we can activate it on the spot. Now that such a time has arisen, I go to a non-Cingular store and I’m told that they can’t sell me a phone - at least, not one I can use. They can only sell Cingular-usable phones with a new contract. (They offered the helpful option that I could cancel my current contract - with a couple hundred dollar penalty - and start a new one, which I declined.) A call to Cingular’s customer service boiled down to “All you can do within to stay with your existing plan is buy another phone from a Cingular dealer” - i.e., even though I can buy Cingular-compatible phones elsewhere, no one will sell me one (except as a non-functioning fashion accessory) unless I’m also signing up for new (or possibly renewed/extended) service. Is this really true? I’m ticked that I have to pay $140 for their cheapest phone just because I am already a customer, particularly since I was given the old “no problem” story when I signed up. Anybody else ever had to deal with this?
Sadly enough, that’s the way it is. Cellular phone companies will subsidise a phone sale when you join them on contract, as you are guaranteeing them $X throughout your contract. Once you are signed onto that contract, you’ll pay full rate for anything.
Most contracts will enable you to upgrade your phone at a discount after one year, at a discounted rate (not as discounted as the original phone, but enough for them to turn a profit). This keeps you on your current contract, and guarantees your business for another year.
Possibly this is what the store assistant meant, and possibly they were lying to you to secure your business (there must be a reason it is now an “empty storefront”!)
With nearly all phones now, the software is modified by the manufacturer to “lock” the phone to one network. This stops people buying a phone cheap from Company A, sitting out the contract and taking the cheap phone to Company Q. I’m not guaranteeing anything, but you should be able to purchase a pay-and-go phone (one that is topped up with vouchers) from Cingular and place the Sim Card (the small rectangle-with-a-corner-missing card that’s in the back of your phone) into it. This will allow you to keep on the contract, although it may break the terms – so CHECK!
Other than that, there isn’t much you can do, unless you are entitled to the one year upgrade, again you could check your contract.
- n
This is also true in the UK. The mobile operators offer the handsets free with the contract, but will only upgrade to a limited range of recent models on an annual basis. I would like to upgrade to the latest Nokia from my current handset, but the only way any store will do it is to charge me what they claim is the ‘unsubsidised factory price’, which is around three times the cost of buying the handset complete with a new contract.
I would like to upgrade to the latest Nokia from my current handset, but the only way any store will do it is to charge me what they claim is the ‘unsubsidised factory price’, which is around three times the cost of buying the handset complete with a new contract.
Pretty much the best “everyday-use” Nokia is the 8310 (the small one).
If you take out a new contract, you’ll be paying between £0 and £60.
If you “upgrade”, while staying on contract, you’ll be paying about £100.
The actual cost of the phone is £300.
At least it is where I work (the Link)
- n
I went through this same problem, only more expensively, and with greater suck potential.
I had a one-year contract with my phone company, and a cute little Ericsson which made my world a slightly better place. Then said Ericsson decided to take a swan-dive into a puddle, greedily drank up all the dirty water, and perished on the spot. I spent a week phoneless and stressed only to discover that a) it would cost an arm and a leg to repair, ie more than I had; b) to get another sexy little Ericsson would cost an arm, a leg, and another appendage I’m quite attached to.
I phoned the provider company to find out what they expected me to do, deeply considering going with a competitor but not willing to give up a phone number which was printed on 1200 business cards circulating in my city. What they offered me was this: “We have a really reliable, very functional phone which I can offer you for $25. (I should note here that the repairs came to $175 and replacement to $239, both before taxes). All you have to do is sign for another 2 years and we’ll send you a Nokia 5185 by courier.” OMFG if I had known how horrible those phones were I would have told them where to stick that phone… and considering how easily the battery comes loose, getting it removed would have been something I’d have paid money to listen to after the hell they’ve put me through (this is the first of many, many problems I’ve had with my cell company).
So, for the past year and a half, I’ve been using a fat, ugly, dissonous phone with HOCKEY TAPE holding the battery on because otherwise it mysteriously turns itself off. The reception sucks, and every time I look at the bloody thing or use it I curse my phone company. All of my friends show up with their pretty little 8000-series Nokias, or their beautiful little Ericssons that make my phone look like a mini smoke signal generator, and I just grind me teeth and plot to burn said company’s head office to the ground for being so unpleasantly mercenary…
This should be a Pit thread… then I could really get going… 
Cygnus,
I used to sell phones for Cingular. The line you’ve received is, unfortunately, a crock.
If you can get a phone with the right insides to work on the Cingular network, you can get it activated if you talk to the right person. In the Chicago market, I know a few of those right persons.
E-mail me if you like!
I bought my phone without buying the service at the same time. I walked into Best Buy, looked over their selection, picked a phone, bought it, took it home and only then went to the cellular provider for service. IIRC, Best Buy also sells Cingular phones.
I had the same experience Geobabe had, only with Sprint. Went and bought a different phone from Best Buy, went home, called Sprint, and switched over, with no hassle. Probably gonna do it again soon.
Sprint may even send you a free phone if you call and ask. I dunno about Cingular, but I know of two people that have gotten free stuff out of Sprint (phones, chargers, new plans, free months) just for calling and asking.
Maybe it only works for them though, it has always seemed kind of uncanny to me.
This is why I always have insurance on my phone, but I can tell you this. Go to E-bay find someone selling the same phone that was also on Cingular and then you can get your service transferd to it.
The one I want is the newish semi-transparent-looking one, which I don’t think is the smallest but is a lot more recent. Is that the 8310?
If you do want one, I might be able to sort you out a discount or something, just let me know.
Cheers. I’ll take a look and take it to email if I see the one I was after.
Ah. It was the 8310. Doesn’t say if it has IR, though.
I only have a moment and can’t compose a coherent and inclusive post right now, but many thanks for everyone’s input and responses to my question…this is why I ask the SDMBers! I’ll be back in touch shortly – many thanks for your helpfulness and for taking the time to reply. (You guys are always cool, you know.)
Assuming you mean Infra Red communication, then yeah, it does.
My temporary e-mail addy (for the next 3 months or so) is N638 at AOL dot com