I'm going to get the 3G Xoom but return it once the Wifi version comes out. How long are the return periods at Costco and Best Buy? I've heard good things about Costco, but do I have to be a member there to get the good benefits?
Arcadia310 said:
I'm going to get the 3G Xoom but return it once the Wifi version comes out. How long are the return periods at Costco and Best Buy? I've heard good things about Costco, but do I have to be a member there to get the good benefits?
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You have to be a member at costco. They have a 90 return policy, cash, debit or american express only. Bestbuy is 30 days.
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
Arcadia310 said:
I'm going to get the 3G Xoom but return it once the Wifi version comes out. How long are the return periods at Costco and Best Buy? I've heard good things about Costco, but do I have to be a member there to get the good benefits?
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You have to be a member to buy at Costco period. The cheapest membership is $50 a year. They currently have a 90 day return policy on all electrics. Cell phones are limited to 30 days. Best buy will be more money, lower return policy, but you won't have to buy a membership.
Many of you are wrong. Best Buy policy trumps tablets into its shortest return policy of 14 days.
Best Buy said:
Exchange and Return Period
Exchange or return your item anytime from the original purchase date within the timeframe below:
14 days for computers, monitors, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras, iPads, tablets and radar detectors
30 days for all other products
45 days for all products for Reward Zone Program Premier Silver members*
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Costco said:
Merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. The following must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund: televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, iPOD / MP3 players and cellular phones.
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http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Help-To...cy/pcmcat204400050028.c?id=pcmcat204400050028
http://www.costco.com/service/featurepageleftnav.aspx?productno=11204333
As you can see. Costco relies on happy members to survive. They don't advertise much, if at all, and rely on word of mouth. Every Costco member I know has been referred by another member who swears by it. I swear by Costco, I never worry when I buy a high priced piece of electronics from them.
Hmm. I'll have to borrow my dads membership then.
setite said:
Many of you are wrong. Best Buy policy trumps tablets into its shortest return policy of 14 days.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Help-To...cy/pcmcat204400050028.c?id=pcmcat204400050028
http://www.costco.com/service/featurepageleftnav.aspx?productno=11204333
As you can see. Costco relies on happy members to survive. They don't advertise much, if at all, and rely on word of mouth. Every Costco member I know has been referred by another member who swears by it. I swear by Costco, I never worry when I buy a high priced piece of electronics from them.
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Although you are correct cell phones can be returned in 90 days at costco, you will have to pay the ETF. If you return it in 30 days, you will get out of your contract.
bwcorvus said:
Although you are correct cell phones can be returned in 90 days at costco, you will have to pay the ETF. If you return it in 30 days, you will get out of your contract.
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This is true. To avoid the ETF I think you have to adhere to the carriers grace period, which I think is what.. a week?
We are however, talking about a month-to-month device with no ETF. ETF's are only for subsidized devices. I do appreciate you adding that to the discussion though as it is good to consider for normal cellular purchases at Costco.
I am actually glad for this thread because it forced me to verify. I too plan to purchase this device and then return it when the wifi-only version is released. I don't like to do such things, but they really shouldn't release a 3G version first.
setite said:
I am actually glad for this thread because it forced me to verify. I too plan to purchase this device and then return it when the wifi-only version is released. I don't like to do such things, but they really shouldn't release a 3G version first.
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Isn't that return fraud? Buying an item for a short period of time to use knowing you are going to return it?
From wikipedia:
Wardrobing or renting: Purchasing merchandise for short-term use with the intent to return the item
Sirchuk said:
Isn't that return fraud? Buying an item for a short period of time to use knowing you are going to return it?
From wikipedia:
Wardrobing or renting: Purchasing merchandise for short-term use with the intent to return the item
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It may be, but costco has the agreement with its products company. You can return without a reason, so how are they gonna say no? As an employee, i have personal heard people say when ask why they are returning "because you have a newer model". There is nothing we (as costco employees) can do but say ok. Infact we have one person that on Monday ever week comes in and buys 3 books/magazines. Then the following Monday brings them back and buys 3 more. But not to hijack, so back on topic. I personally will buying one on the 24th at costco, just because of the price.
bwcorvus said:
It may be, but costco has the agreement with its products company. You can return without a reason, so how are they gonna say no? As an employee, i have personal heard people say when ask why they are returning "because you have a newer model". There is nothing we (as costco employees) can do but say ok. Infact we have one person that on Monday ever week comes in and buys 3 books/magazines. Then the following Monday brings them back and buys 3 more. But not to hijack, so back on topic. I personally will buying one on the 24th at costco, just because of the price.
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What price do you mean. Unless I missed something, the only difference in price is a 35$ Mail In Rebate that essentially cancels out the 35$ Activation fee.
To Sirchuk. Fraud denotes illegality. The only illegal exploitation of a return policy that I am aware of is the one in which you purchase an item, and swap it out with a broken one and return it and keep the working new one. I am simply utilizing the return policy lawfully, albeit deceitfully. I do not like to do it, on principal, since I LOVE everything about Costco. I once purchased a TV two days before a Black Friday sale because I was assured I could come in and get a refund for the coupon price. I did this to avoid the lines, lovely. I will only return it if the WiFi Only version comes out within 90 days. If this is released like the WiFi Only galaxy tab, then it wont be out in 90 days and I'll be stuck.
To Bwcorvus. The book guy is a jackass. I know returning electronics when something better comes along is bad, but returning books is really bad. With electronics, I don't get to use said device anymore, or if I get a newer model, Costco is still making money. I actually want to work at Costco, but they have the worst careers section on their site. After finally finding the link, I couldn't get a list of job openings, just positions that exist for which I could blindly apply for.
EDIT: I researched the terms Sirchuk presented. I am seeing that I am the evil consumer from the viewpoint of a retailer. I suppose I am not as good of a person as I thought. Hmmm. I could use an excuse about how evil Best Buy is. They really are though. When I bought an iPad, and was unsatisfied with the device they charged me a restocking fee. I argued at length with them since the return policy did not mention restocking fees on tablets, only computers. They argued that it was a "notebook computer" despite the fact that it's not. It is a new device their policy doesn't cover. They refunded me a month later when they removed their restocking fees altogether.
Either way, as much as I am a conservative, I do have uncontrollable anger at Best Buy. I do however love Costco, because they have never wronged me. If buying something knowing full well that I will likely return it, maybe I should buy from Best Buy who has screwed me and my friends before. Does it count that I plan to keep the device if something better doesn't come along? Should I have to keep a device that is inferior in some way if my purchase is recent? Do I get credit for not returning half-eaten food? I had a salad from costco recently that I hated, but didn't return. I am so conflicted now. Though no matter what I do, I will still sleep fine.
EDIT2: I have one more roundabout possible justification. Capitalism works on the principals of consumers voting with their wallets. Which sends a clearer message. Waiting lord knows how long for a cheaper wifi-only version(the one I actually want), or buying the 3G and returning it for a wifi-only version. My logic is that they need a tangible way to show that consumers like me don't want them to play this carrier codswallop with tablets. They should release wifi-only versions simultaneously, or first. If people like me don't buy the 3G version, then swap it out, how will they figure it out. They don't send surveys. I need them to know that I have the money for the 3G version, but don't want 3G, and furthermore that I won't simply settle for the 3G version.
The ony other thing to point out, if they offered data plans as affordable as they used to.. 20-30$ for unlimited data, I wouldn't be having this discussion. I would simply pay for data every month and happily keep the 3G version. But they are charging a 200$ premium for roughly 50$ in parts and the "priviledge" to pay for 3G and later 4G. Add to that the fact that they offer "month-to-month" data with no contract, but apparently if you dont pay for a month or two, you have to pay 35$ to reactivate. Someone will have to prove a tangible reason for this fee before I will consider it anything but greedy.
setite said:
What price do you mean. Unless I missed something, the only difference in price is a 35$ Mail In Rebate that essentially cancels out the 35$ Activation fee.
To Sirchuk. Fraud denotes illegality. The only illegal exploitation of a return policy that I am aware of is the one in which you purchase an item, and swap it out with a broken one and return it and keep the working new one. I am simply utilizing the return policy lawfully, albeit deceitfully. I do not like to do it, on principal, since I LOVE everything about Costco. I once purchased a TV two days before a Black Friday sale because I was assured I could come in and get a refund for the coupon price. I did this to avoid the lines, lovely. I will only return it if the WiFi Only version comes out within 90 days. If this is released like the WiFi Only galaxy tab, then it wont be out in 90 days and I'll be stuck.
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Rumor says that costco will have the 3G tablet for $100 less than Verizon/BestBuy.
Also to note, nobody has seen the actual rebate form for the $35 back. How much do you want to bet it's going to require service for at least 2 months?
If BestBuy really is only 14 Days, I may have to renew my costco membership.
Edit:
Ugh, yeah, 14 days sucks. If Costco really is $100 less, I'm definitely going to renew my membership. Might do it now just due to the 90 days. I don't anticipate returning it, but I didn't think I would with the Nook Color either. It went back on day 30 of their 30 day return.
setite said:
What price do you mean. Unless I missed something, the only difference in price is a 35$ Mail In Rebate that essentially cancels out the 35$ Activation fee.
To Sirchuk. Fraud denotes illegality. The only illegal exploitation of a return policy that I am aware of is the one in which you purchase an item, and swap it out with a broken one and return it and keep the working new one. I am simply utilizing the return policy lawfully, albeit deceitfully. I do not like to do it, on principal, since I LOVE everything about Costco. I once purchased a TV two days before a Black Friday sale because I was assured I could come in and get a refund for the coupon price. I did this to avoid the lines, lovely. I will only return it if the WiFi Only version comes out within 90 days. If this is released like the WiFi Only galaxy tab, then it wont be out in 90 days and I'll be stuck.
To Bwcorvus. The book guy is a jackass. I know returning electronics when something better comes along is bad, but returning books is really bad. With electronics, I don't get to use said device anymore, or if I get a newer model, Costco is still making money. I actually want to work at Costco, but they have the worst careers section on their site. After finally finding the link, I couldn't get a list of job openings, just positions that exist for which I could blindly apply for.
EDIT: I researched the terms Sirchuk presented. I am seeing that I am the evil consumer from the viewpoint of a retailer. I suppose I am not as good of a person as I thought. Hmmm. I could use an excuse about how evil Best Buy is. They really are though. When I bought an iPad, and was unsatisfied with the device they charged me a restocking fee. I argued at length with them since the return policy did not mention restocking fees on tablets, only computers. They argued that it was a "notebook computer" despite the fact that it's not. It is a new device their policy doesn't cover. They refunded me a month later when they removed their restocking fees altogether.
Either way, as much as I am a conservative, I do have uncontrollable anger at Best Buy. I do however love Costco, because they have never wronged me. If buying something knowing full well that I will likely return it, maybe I should buy from Best Buy who has screwed me and my friends before. Does it count that I plan to keep the device if something better doesn't come along? Should I have to keep a device that is inferior in some way if my purchase is recent? Do I get credit for not returning half-eaten food? I had a salad from costco recently that I hated, but didn't return. I am so conflicted now. Though no matter what I do, I will still sleep fine.
EDIT2: I have one more roundabout possible justification. Capitalism works on the principals of consumers voting with their wallets. Which sends a clearer message. Waiting lord knows how long for a cheaper wifi-only version(the one I actually want), or buying the 3G and returning it for a wifi-only version. My logic is that they need a tangible way to show that consumers like me don't want them to play this carrier codswallop with tablets. They should release wifi-only versions simultaneously, or first. If people like me don't buy the 3G version, then swap it out, how will they figure it out. They don't send surveys. I need them to know that I have the money for the 3G version, but don't want 3G, and furthermore that I won't simply settle for the 3G version.
The ony other thing to point out, if they offered data plans as affordable as they used to.. 20-30$ for unlimited data, I wouldn't be having this discussion. I would simply pay for data every month and happily keep the 3G version. But they are charging a 200$ premium for roughly 50$ in parts and the "priviledge" to pay for 3G and later 4G. Add to that the fact that they offer "month-to-month" data with no contract, but apparently if you dont pay for a month or two, you have to pay 35$ to reactivate. Someone will have to prove a tangible reason for this fee before I will consider it anything but greedy.
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As much money as corporations make, the brass at those corps make and the revenue the shareholders get.. well, I find no fault in your logic in how you conduct business.
Anyone that says otherwise is just throwing stones cause they have nothing better to do, or are kicking themselves for not being as sharp a consumer.
Policies exist for us to take advantage of... if Costco thought their policy wasn't good for business it never would have seen light of day.
Sirchuk said:
Rumor says that costco will have the 3G tablet for $100 less than Verizon/BestBuy.
Also to note, nobody has seen the actual rebate form for the $35 back. How much do you want to bet it's going to require service for at least 2 months?
If BestBuy really is only 14 Days, I may have to renew my costco membership.
Edit:
Ugh, yeah, 14 days sucks. If Costco really is $100 less, I'm definitely going to renew my membership. Might do it now just due to the 90 days. I don't anticipate returning it, but I didn't think I would with the Nook Color either. It went back on day 30 of their 30 day return.
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I rarely exploit return policies. Most of the time I am optimistic but simply can't live with a device. I simply couldn't live with the iPad, or the Viewsonic G-Tablet. These devices are too expensive for doubts.
It's small potatoes, but consider paying 100$ for a Costco Executive Membership instead of 50$ for the basic. The Executive membership has a bunch of perks, but most notably is 2% cashback at the end of the year on most purchases. If I recall the only normal exception is gasoline. But if you have a Costco credit card you get 3% on gas. It's not much.. but if you get executive membership.. you'd save 14$ on a 700$ xoom.. or 16$ on a 800$ one.
Gold Star Membership
Gold Star Membership is available to individuals who do not qualify for a Business Membership. Gold Star Membership is $50 per year, and includes one household card per primary membership. See the membership counter at your local Costco warehouse for additional information, or call us at 1-800-774-2678.
Executive Membership
Executive Membership is our highest level of membership. Executive Members receive an annual 2% Reward on most Costco purchases, and extra benefits on member services, such as lower prices on check printing, auto financing and long-distance phone service; larger Costco Cash card amounts for mortgage, real estate and home equity transactions; one-year free roadside assistance for vehicles covered through the Auto Insurance Program; and extra travel benefits.
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Anyone know if Bestbuy pre-order is refundable? I was thinking, I might just put down a deposit just in case I cannot get it at Costco.
harajuka said:
Anyone know if Bestbuy pre-order is refundable? I was thinking, I might just put down a deposit just in case I cannot get it at Costco.
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Don't quote me as I can be forgetful. I am 90% sure that I pre-ordered the EVO at BB then cancelled, got my 50$ back.. and went to radioshack. If memory serves BB handles pre-orders by giving you a gift-card which I was able to refund.
Again don't quote me on this, but I do recall that I was on the list at BB but then I went to RadioShack. I think I did that to get a better number because BB already had like 16 people ahead of me. BB refunded me, but radioshack wouldn't since I ended up getting my EVO on eBay from a Google I/O dev.
Related
ok here goes just bought the phone and got it for $372.00. i checked with t-mobile and google twice. U have to set-up a new line and buy the phone for $179.00 and then cancel with-in 14 days (buyers remorse period). then u keep the phone and pay the new EFT fee of $150.00. the phone comes out to be $372.00 bc those cheap ****s tax you on $529.00 not $179.00. but i have checked with tmobile and google this works i even told them what i was going to do. i am on a family plan but it is in my dads name that is why i am able to setup an account in my name. hope this helps
KROMO50 said:
ok here goes just bought the phone and got it for $372.00. i checked with t-mobile and google twice. U have to set-up a new line and buy the phone for $179.00 and then cancel with-in 14 days (buyers remorse period). then u keep the phone and pay the new EFT fee of $150.00. the phone comes out to be $372.00 bc those cheap ****s tax you on $529.00 not $179.00. but i have checked with tmobile and google this works i even told them what i was going to do. i am on a family plan but it is in my dads name that is why i am able to setup an account in my name. hope this helps
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You sure you don't have to return the phone to T-Mobile? Subsidized phones have to be returned or the ETF has to be paid to the carrier (plus google's $150 equipment recovery fee) if the contract is canceled. Feel free to try it, but I would suspect you get charged for the phone.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=622306
I like how they're "cheap ****s" yet you're the one trying to scam them out of getting the full price of the phone
@seanhassars
Nice! haha
But yeah you won't get the phone for $372. If you could everyone would be doing it. And next time use the search, you'll find plenty more people like yourself.
cymru said:
@seanhassars
Nice! haha
But yeah you won't get the phone for $372. If you could everyone would be doing it. And next time use the search, you'll find plenty more people like yourself.
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Cheap ****s?
Well I just talk to t-mobile once again and they insured me that if i cancel my service within 14 day i will not pay anything. And Google will only charge me the $150 called and made sure of that as well. Also T-mobile noted my account about what is going on. But when i say cheap ****s ha ha i mean you can not upgrade to the phone on a family plan and they are also taxing me on the retail price instead of the purchase price. I will let u guys know what happens
mods should lock this thread...
KROMO50 said:
Well I just talk to t-mobile once again and they insured me that if i cancel my service within 14 day i will not pay anything. And Google will only charge me the $150 called and made sure of that as well. Also T-mobile noted my account about what is going on. But when i say cheap ****s ha ha i mean you can not upgrade to the phone on a family plan and they are also taxing me on the retail price instead of the purchase price. I will let u guys know what happens
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If you said "I plan to get it, then cancel, and then use the phone on my family plan" then that would make sense as they have already been helpful for people who are trying to get these phones on their family plans at less than full price - though I think there are possibly even cheaper ways of doing it that don't involve paying another $150 to Google.
If you said "If I cancel within 14 days will I pay anything?" then they may have said "No" assuming that you would be returning the phone to google which are the standard terms of cancelling under the buyer's remorse clause.
But, did you call T-Mobile and say "I am going to order this phone, then cancel the contract within 14 days and I will *not* be returning the phone to Google"? If so, then they should have told you that they will charge the $200 unless you return the phone.
The entire reason Google dropped the "equipment recovery fee" from $350 to $150 was because of this $200 that T-Mobile collects from you. You can avoid both by returning the phone within 14 days. You can avoid neither by cancelling and keeping the phone, no matter what the time frame is.
Hey flarbear i told tmobile that i am not returning the phone, and they said that they have nothing to do with the phone bc i bought it form Google not them. I mean i have called them 4 times to make sure of this. I don't understand why everyone on this site is getting mad about this if this works it is good for all. also in the term of sale it says to connect the provider to get their termination fee and i am going by that.
I got mine for $330 because I have my own plan and don't live off my parents.
Just saying, what you're planning on doing constitutes fraud. Something that is a rather serious offense, and if found out could lead to much more than that extra ~$140 that you're "saving". Also, as part of buyers remorse, you must return the phone in order to qualify. And even if Tmo isn't selling you the phone directly, a partner is. And since Tmo is the subsidized partner, they're even more willing to charge you extra fees since they make money off the fees and plans, not the phones.
On a different note, if they are truly, without confusion, maliciously deceiving you, then its a whole different ball game.
ps. Your horrific English may have also confused them.
Actually its not fraud. Everything he is doing is totally legal.
It may be against the spirit of the deal google/T-Mobile are offering, but there is absolutely nothing illegal about it. Which part would you say is illegal and which law specifically would relate to it?
It would be fraud if he were buying the phone and saying it was stolen when it wasnt. I would be fraud if he lied to T-Mobile and said that the phone was broken and that's why he is cancelling. In this case he has a right to pay the ETF and terminate early as per the terms of the sale. He is not obligated to disclose why, or even enter into the sale more inclined to keep it than not.
Google charges you a recovery fee if you don't return the phone. That brings you above the price of buying it unsubsidized.
I assume you'll be cancelling your credit card or whatever payment you made with it.
Way to go thief.
google's terms of sale said:
For example, if the full price of the Nexus handheld device without service plan was $529 USD and the price you paid for the Nexus handheld device was $179 USD with a service plan, the Equipment Recovery Fee you pay will be $350 USD in the event you cancel within the first 120 days of carrier service.
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179 + 350 = 529
Then you have t-mobile fees for not returning your device after being "unsatisfied".
tmobile said:
4. Cancellation and Returns. You can cancel your Service without paying an Early Termination Fee if you cancel WITHIN 14 DAYS of activating a new line of Service (30 days if you activate in California; other states may differ "“ ask your sales representative) ("œReturn Period"). You remain responsible to pay for the Service and all charges, fees and taxes incurred through the date of cancellation. To cancel during the Return Period, you must return to the store where you activated (or, if purchased online or by phone, follow the return instructions in the package), and return any Device you acquired at the time of activation. To receive a refund of the purchase price of your Device (less rebates received and shipping costs), you must return it (with original packaging and all contents) within the Return Period in undamaged condition and good working order to the place of purchase. You may be required to pay a restocking fee. If you do not comply with store policy, we may elect not to process your Service cancellation or you may be charged the suggested retail price of the Device, (which may be greater than the price you paid), plus any shipping and handling charges. If you activated your Service through an authorized T-Mobile dealer, the dealer"™s return policy may differ from T-Mobile"™s policies.
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Techinally both t-mobile AND google can come after you for the full price of the phone, meaning 529 x2.
Matter of fact, I encourage you to attemp this little theft, I'd love to see real world repercussions.
KROMO50 said:
Well I just talk to t-mobile once again and they insured me that if i cancel my service within 14 day i will not pay anything. And Google will only charge me the $150 called and made sure of that as well. Also T-mobile noted my account about what is going on. But when i say cheap ****s ha ha i mean you can not upgrade to the phone on a family plan and they are also taxing me on the retail price instead of the purchase price. I will let u guys know what happens
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t mobile nor google has any say so on how much tax they want to charge you
I don't understand why you guys are getting mad and attacking his character when you have a problem with his method. He is trying to test out a potential loophole. That is not illegal or fraud, just trying to beat the system.
we have these things called casinos for such endeavors..
While I find the action morally questionable at best, given the changes in Google's terms of sale for the Nexus One it would probably work. You are entering a contract with a premeditated plan to immediately break it to your benefit. It is at the very least a violation of good faith terms but this may or may not be actionable. Even if it is actionable the chances of either party (T-Mo or Google) bothering is not high.
Prior to the changing of the wording there was little doubt you would pay the full price, but they changed the terms due to the outrage at the "double dipping" return fee.
I have no issue with the OP, I just found it rather ironic considering the thread topic that he was upset google had the audactiy to charge him tax on the full retail price and that they were being cheap. I still don't think this would work considering the whole google "if you change/cancel your plan within 120 days you'll be charged the full price of the phone" deal, but if they've changed the wording I say go for it and be the guinea pig.
muncheese said:
Google charges you a recovery fee if you don't return the phone. That brings you above the price of buying it unsubsidized.
179 + 350 = 529
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You should look into this again. Google lowered this fee from the original $350 down to $150. When it was at $350 it was obvious that you would be paying more, but now that they have it at $150 it is no longer so obvious.
I don't get paid until the 2nd. That is when I'll get my Epic. Will the price drop any more than 199.99 you guys think? The trend of the other 2 Galaxies on the other carriers have gone down to 1 cent.
If I buy from Amazon, and it goes down in price within a few days or a week, will Amazon honor a price adjustment? Because if they didn't, can't I just get a refund and then order it again, but just to save the trouble, they will give me a "price adjustment" like any other store, right? Anyone familiar with Amazon return policy? I just want to know, I'll probably research it myself, but its almost certain I'll buy from Amazon, since its the lowest price around.
Also, do they charge the tax? At the Sprint store they charge you the tax of the original price of $500, can I avoid the tax or just be taxed off the 199.99 price? Anyone familiar with purchasing on Amazon please help me with these questions, thanks, and hope all you early birds come on here to notify us of any major issues, etc.
As you can tell, I'm very tight on money, but I can afford the monthly cost of owning the Epic, are there any other ways to save money? One of the 3rd party local Sprint stores told me they can get me 25% off my bill every month for the duration of my contract. How do they do it? Is it a PROMO code they run into the system when I go through them? Is it possible to get this promotion myself through Amazon? Anyone know? Thanks.
Have a good weekend
The price might drop after the release. However since the epic appears to be shipping a few weeks after release I suspect the price won't drop for at least a month or 2. Even if it did, you cannot return and rebuy the phone. This is because if you returned the phone you would need to return it, cancel your sprint contract, and then restart. However there is a 90 day waiting period after canceling before you would be eligible for the new contract phone prices.
As for tax, they don't seem to charge it in many states. However phones may be different. I am not 100% sure on this.
Also I don't know what 25% discount they were refering to for you. Most of those are employer discounts. e.g. teachers get 15% off monthly, sears employees get 25% off, etc. If you are a student you can get 15 or 25% off through studentrate.com and they are still taking phone preorders and though the up front cost isn't amazing, the overall price is $175 for the phone and you get a free car charger or invisible shield I think.
so are you saying if i order thru amazon they won't ship it to me RIGHT AWAY?! Oh gosh, thats a bummer, you're saying I have to wait a few weeks? What about studentrate.com? Are they shipping right away once it hits the 31st??
ben7337 said:
The price might drop after the release. However since the epic appears to be shipping a few weeks after release I suspect the price won't drop for at least a month or 2. Even if it did, you cannot return and rebuy the phone. This is because if you returned the phone you would need to return it, cancel your sprint contract, and then restart. However there is a 90 day waiting period after canceling before you would be eligible for the new contract phone prices.
As for tax, they don't seem to charge it in many states. However phones may be different. I am not 100% sure on this.
Also I don't know what 25% discount they were refering to for you. Most of those are employer discounts. e.g. teachers get 15% off monthly, sears employees get 25% off, etc. If you are a student you can get 15 or 25% off through studentrate.com and they are still taking phone preorders and though the up front cost isn't amazing, the overall price is $175 for the phone and you get a free car charger or invisible shield I think.
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This is false, there is a zero day policy for returning equipt dropping a line and opening up a new line with the same phone I did it about 3 weeks after I got my Evo and got another Evo from a different store since the manager at a Shack wanted to be a douche and not swap out my Evo when it clearly had screen separation issues. I cancelled the whole darn thing and there was nothing he could do about it then got my money back went into a different store and got a new Evo and another line activated at full discount.
ForrelZ said:
This is false, there is a zero day policy for returning equipt dropping a line and opening up a new line with the same phone I did it about 3 weeks after I got my Evo and got another Evo from a different store since the manager at a Shack wanted to be a douche and not swap out my Evo when it clearly had screen separation issues. I cancelled the whole darn thing and there was nothing he could do about it then got my money back went into a different store and got a new Evo and another line activated at full discount.
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That's odd. Entropism I believe, who claims to have been a sprint repair technician and is now a sprint sales consultant said there is a 90 day wait, and the wait it tied to your SSN for when they do a credit check, so if you had a contract with sprint and cancelled it, you'd have to wait 90 days for the full new customer discount. Oh well, the internet is full is misinformation.
ben7337 said:
That's odd. Entropism I believe, who claims to have been a sprint repair technician and is now a sprint sales consultant said there is a 90 day wait, and the wait it tied to your SSN for when they do a credit check, so if you had a contract with sprint and cancelled it, you'd have to wait 90 days for the full new customer discount. Oh well, the internet is full is misinformation.
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Maybe that only applies to people who have been with sprint 30 days or longer. I don't think they would refuse someone who is brand new because they cancelled their initial contract for whatever reason.
Sent from a FRESH EVO using xda app
When I cancelled my Evo in mid-July, I told the Sprint representative handling the cancellation that I was going to wait for the Epic, and specifically asked if the cancellation would be held against me, and he said not at all.
I guess I'll find out for sure on Tuesday!
My guess is that if there is such a rule, it applies to cancellations outside of 30 days while on contract, and perhaps to cancellations off contract as well. In either case, it would appear that the way to get around that is to open the new line first, then cancel the old one. Surely they can't retroactively change the price of the device once you've purchased it, right!
Was just thinking. If Costco has a 90 day return with no restocking fee policy. Why doesn't everyone just go grab one just for a test drive? Sure you risk loss or damage. But if you keep a tight ship you can have one and then take it back when you're satisfied, right?
its a good idea but alot of people dont have 900 bucks sitting around in the bank. but if you do you can buy it and just before the price goes down in 2 months resturn it and buy a new one at a cheaper price or even a different tablet all together
Because there isn't a Costco near everyone. I think it's a regional thing. Besides, don't you have to be a member to shop one? like a Sam's Club or something...
Some of us don't want to abuse costco's generous return policy. They use to have unlimited return policies on electronics and a bunch of people "test drove" everything in the store and now its limited to 90 days.
Inphinitizeit said:
Some of us don't want to abuse costco's generous return policy. They use to have unlimited return policies on electronics and a bunch of people "test drove" everything in the store and now its limited to 90 days.
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What are you saying?
Exactly.
Not everyone has a Costco membership, and as for abusing the return policy, Costco tracks all your purchases and returns...
Anyone can shop at the wireless kiosk as most aren't owned by the store. I say most because some may be but the ones I worked at in Texas were owned by a separate company, all you have to do is tell the person manning the door you're going to the wireless kiosk. This goes for both Sams and Costco...
acedickson said:
Anyone can shop at the wireless kiosk as most aren't owned by the store. I say most because some may be but the ones I worked at in Texas were owned by a separate company, all you have to do is tell the person manning the door you're going to the wireless kiosk. This goes for both Sams and Costco...
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And you still get the 90 day return policy? or does this require the Costco card?
Well, for those of us who knew they were getting one, but needed a way out in case Moto decided to suck, Costco was a no-brainer. Glad I'm a member, but now that I've used it, as I'd figured, it would take all of Moto, XDA, and me (I'm an Android BSP dev by profession) to suck before this great hunk of silicon ended up being a waste of money.
Y'all will have my Xoom when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. I've been waiting for a decent Android tablet (tried the VS G-Tablet- oh, so close ...) for months now.
I am seriously considering this because I am uncertain about the xoom. I want it pretty bad but am arraid it wont meet my expectations. If I am within policy I don't think that can be called abuse. It is an honest action. But i can see how people could use it just to test drive stuff.
Inphinitizeit said:
Some of us don't want to abuse costco's generous return policy. They use to have unlimited return policies on electronics and a bunch of people "test drove" everything in the store and now its limited to 90 days.
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My Costso wireless kiosk manager said the Xoom has a 30 day return policy. I live in Florida, so I'm not sure if it applies to all kiosks or even anything else at the kiosk...
I ordered online from Motorola and they only have 14 days on tablets
costco's website states their own return policy plain as day, as well as on the receipts. 90 days.
Because Costco requires an activation. Got mines scott free from Best Buy, no questions asked.
Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk
Because of two things...
1) You would have to call verizon and cancel after leaving the store
2) I'm not going to purposefully defraud a company, abusing an already generous return policy. This is why stores have gotten worse and worse about returns, people who 'rent' products and then return them. Do you think they just stuff them back in the box and resell them??
DatterBoy said:
Was just thinking. If Costco has a 90 day return with no restocking fee policy. Why doesn't everyone just go grab one just for a test drive? Sure you risk loss or damage. But if you keep a tight ship you can have one and then take it back when you're satisfied, right?
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If I keep something for 30+ days, I feel that I shouldn't force a store to lose money on it by returning it. They sell equipment, they don't rent it. Abusing their return policy will eventually just ruin it for people who actually need to utilize it.
i am a costco member already but I bought mine at bby because I wanted the justin beiber buy back program. I easily spent $1000 that day with warranty and accesories, when xoom 2,comes out I wouldve done the same thing, glad to know bby will buy my xoom back at 50% and don't have to worry about selling it on eBay before xoom2 comes out.
because I know I am going to have a mobile data plan for at least two years, so I might as well buy it subsidized.
Costco's my favorite store, and I've been known to return things according to their incredibly generous return policy. However, while I suppose the policy could be abused if someone tried really hard, I do believe that Costco wants you to return things you're not happy with.
Here's one reason, I think: for everything I've purchased and returned, there are probably 10 things I've purchased that I wouldn't have purchased without such a liberal return policy. Think about that: just the security of knowing I can return something if it doesn't work out has caused me to buy thousands of dollars worth of things I wouldn't have otherwise bought.
The Xoom's a prime example: it's so new that 30 days probably isn't enough to work out all the kinks. So, I'd probably not have purchased it at all if I couldn't wait through the initial rounds of updates to make sure bugs are squashed and things like Flash and SD card support are implemented. Sixty days from now, something else might have come out that I like better and that Costco doesn't sell, and wham--a lost sale for Costco.
Costco also, I'm sure, has worked out better terms with their suppliers, and so they can simply return those items themselves. These sorts of terms are one of the reasons why Costco has a limited selection: not every manufacturer is likely willing to accept their terms.
Oh, and I'll add: how many people, I wonder, buy something like the Xoom just to "try it out," and end up liking and keeping it?
This is exactly how I feel. The idea of abusing the policy is only bad if you intended to return from the start. If you really are using the policy to figure out if you want it with th epossibility of keeping it, you're good to go. I think Costco is basically saying "you're safe when you buy here if you don't want it".
My OP was simply to ask, do a lot of people do such things, or why don't we see it happen more? The policy definitely lends itself to abuse.
Hey everyone
So like a lot of people I was an early adopter of the device and purchased it right away on a new 3 year term for 169.
I was a previous client so i had gone through retention and had recieved an additional 50 on my phone so i only paid about 120.
Today Bell released a new promotion for the phone a 3 year term to sell for 69.
I called up bell right away spoke to customer service and retention. The issue is that according to them this limited discount is for new activations only. which is pretty bs if you ask me but in any case these are the current options without spending hours on the phone with retention and actually getting the discount.
You can return the phone now for "buyers remorse" and resign and get the phone at the reduced priced. the problem is you lose the right to grandfather yourself in with your prior plan. so it means you lose all you had before.
In my case i went through retention and recieved quite a few reductions and changes. if i went back for the discounted new price, id be signing a new contract and new terms.
Basically if youre new to bell it works fine to go and do this. if youre a previous customer it may not be in your best interest to try to save the 100. obviously its aggravating but its the price we pay to be the first!
Other than that you can probably sit and complain and speak to a supervisor to get the additional 100 which in all honesty i did not have the patience to do considering i spent 4 hours total on the phone wit them the day of to get the phone!
I'm guessing that Bell's massive marketing efforts didn't convince enough people to buy it at $169.99.
It'd be nice if the off contract price got reduced to $499. I bet you a lot of people that bought it for $599 would go and return their phone to buy it back at the reduce price, lol.
I bought my Atrix on release day. I called customer service and in less than 15 minutes had my account credited the $100 difference. It was easier than I thought.
Sent from my Atrix using Tapatalk.
Good to know about the price redeuction. Anyone selling on Kijiji will also have to reduce their sell price. Might be a good time to buy one off contract through a Kijiji seller. Oh and don't worry, I have bought and sold enough phones on Kijiji so I know a "Like New" or "BNIB" box scenario all too well. If it's not factory sealed, don't touch it. And if the box is open, then the offer gets reduced.
Price is again 169.95
Do you think a sale will happen any time soon again?!!!
yeah its back up to $169 at bell and best buy.
Guess it was a short promotion.
Glad I got mine for 0$ on the last day.
So last night, I decided to go to an AT&T store to buy an LTE Note 8.0 only to find that the first three of the corporate stores I called didn't have any in stock. Finally, the fourth store I called had two left. So I went over there fully expecting to pay the full unlocked $499 price. To me, it didn't make sense to lock myself in for two years when I'd only save $100 over full retail.
When I walked in, though, I was helped by the store manager. He gets the tablet for me and then goes to look up my account info so he could convert my plan to a MobileShare. He saw that I bought a Galaxy S4 about 40 days ago and, much to my surprise, offered me the smartphone bundle promotion, which meant I could get the tablet on contract for $199. I knew about the promotion but just assumed I wouldn't qualify since I bought the phone before the Note 8.0 even launched.
Needless to say, saving $300 over full retail WAS enough to get me to go contract. There's great customer service and then there's the service I received last night. The manager totally didn't have to do that for me but offered without me even asking. :good:
Awesome! Gratz to hear about your saving. Att never did me wrong, even when they rep accidentally took away my unlimited data, I just call customer service and they just me back on unlimited data.
I had a similar experience. I purchased an S4 but the Note 8 available when I purchased it. When it was to be released by AT&T my AT&T Sales person called me to let me know it would be available on the morrow and they had 5 in the store and further that even though I had purchased my S4 16 days previous AT&T would give me the promo bundle price of $199.00. That is stellar service in my opinion.
Bruce
cataloochee said:
I had a similar experience. I purchased an S4 but the Note 8 available when I purchased it. When it was to be released by AT&T my AT&T Sales person called me to let me know it would be available on the morrow and they had 5 in the store and further that even though I had purchased my S4 16 days previous AT&T would give me the promo bundle price of $199.00. That is stellar service in my opinion.
Bruce
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lol. Dealers do this all the time. They get people into promotions (most which they can find a way to make happen so long as its not too far outside the box).
The dealer did not do it to be helpful, which is the sad thing. Dealers, including managers, make more commission off contracts than they do off devices. So he would have made more commission still with that contract than having you spend money on devices. They do this because the company makes more money having you pay the monthly service cost than by having you buy a full cost phone or tablet.
In essence, it takes a company 18-24 months to make back the subsidized cost of a device. That means that 199 bucks you paid, you will pay back the missing 300 bucks on the plan after typically 18 months. Then they get 6 months of profit. So you do actually pay for the device for full cost anyways.,,,and they just extended out how long between upgrades and by the time you get around to actually being eligible for upgrade they may be extending it out further. The current discussions in the industry are talking about 3 year contracts and 2+ year upgrades.
What you have to consider is the lifetime cost of service and the device. They want you to buy a tablet. It makes you pay for their service, instead of just tethering your phone to the tablet. Tethering is cheaper, not contracts, and you wind up paying A LOT LESS even if you pay full cost for the device.
Truth is that ATT customers typically pay close to 1-2K more than many of the carriers that charge full cost for a device. Basically that 300 bucks you saved cost you at least a grand more in the end, and the manager who was "helping" you basically just weasled you into a contract where you will pay more for a separate plan for the tablet instead of just using cheaper tethering options (considering you still share data regardless) and he just got a good commission out of you.
Sad but true. You just got suckered.
How do I know? Nearly 7 years working in the wireless industry. Some of that time with AT&T and a great deal of that time with retail agents and retail policy.
I'm not trying to be a downer, but I hate AT&T dealers. After working for them for so long, Ive come to find that just about every single dealer if about as underhanded as a used car salesman trying to sell you a lemon and convince you its a ferrari. I used to see the dealers in my home town and my normal reaction to them is equivalent to the thought of "you sick bastard."
I do not know how many "deals" a dealer has done that I have had to fix, but typically even if their promises are kept they still use you and screw you over.
Ive even heard dealer chatter. How they talk about customers and think of customers as no more than a mark to be scammed so they can get their next commission. Ive seen more respect for their "victims" from the criminals on "to catch a predator."
phoenixbennu said:
lol. Dealers do this all the time. They get people into promotions (most which they can find a way to make happen so long as its not too far outside the box).
The dealer did not do it to be helpful, which is the sad thing. Dealers, including managers, make more commission off contracts than they do off devices. So he would have made more commission still with that contract than having you spend money on devices. They do this because the company makes more money having you pay the monthly service cost than by having you buy a full cost phone or tablet.
In essence, it takes a company 18-24 months to make back the subsidized cost of a device. That means that 199 bucks you paid, you will pay back the missing 300 bucks on the plan after typically 18 months. Then they get 6 months of profit. So you do actually pay for the device for full cost anyways.,,,and they just extended out how long between upgrades and by the time you get around to actually being eligible for upgrade they may be extending it out further. The current discussions in the industry are talking about 3 year contracts and 2+ year upgrades.
What you have to consider is the lifetime cost of service and the device. They want you to buy a tablet. It makes you pay for their service, instead of just tethering your phone to the tablet. Tethering is cheaper, not contracts, and you wind up paying A LOT LESS even if you pay full cost for the device.
Truth is that ATT customers typically pay close to 1-2K more than many of the carriers that charge full cost for a device. Basically that 300 bucks you saved cost you at least a grand more in the end, and the manager who was "helping" you basically just weasled you into a contract where you will pay more for a separate plan for the tablet instead of just using cheaper tethering options (considering you still share data regardless) and he just got a good commission out of you.
Sad but true. You just got suckered.
How do I know? Nearly 7 years working in the wireless industry. Some of that time with AT&T and a great deal of that time with retail agents and retail policy.
I'm not trying to be a downer, but I hate AT&T dealers. After working for them for so long, Ive come to find that just about every single dealer if about as underhanded as a used car salesman trying to sell you a lemon and convince you its a ferrari. I used to see the dealers in my home town and my normal reaction to them is equivalent to the thought of "you sick bastard."
I do not know how many "deals" a dealer has done that I have had to fix, but typically even if their promises are kept they still use you and screw you over.
Ive even heard dealer chatter. How they talk about customers and think of customers as no more than a mark to be scammed so they can get their next commission. Ive seen more respect for their "victims" from the criminals on "to catch a predator."
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While your statements are true they are not necessarily accurate. The only way a person would have been "suckered" is if he didn't know what you describe. But almost all consumers realize that there is no free lunch and that the choice of purchasing outright or monthly result in the full price of the device being paid. The only difference is when payment accrues and how much the final cost will be. No different than purchasing a vehicle or a home.
In addition, the accuracy of your claim of being suckered depends on whether the purchaser bought because of the lower initial price or because he wanted the device in any case. In my case I had already decided to purchase the Note 8 from AT&T and only awaited the availability of the Note 8 at AT&T as I wanted the LTE data option. Thus, my only decision was whether to pay full price or add a two year contract to my account. Since I would have to have a data plan from AT&T to use the LTE feature in any case I needed to have an additional phone line. So I was able to get the regular discounted price or pay full price plus the new line costs (these I would pay no matter how I purchased the device and would last as long as I wanted to use the device). With the additional bundle price I decided to purchase at $199 instead of $399. Of course I realize I will pay full price over the next 24 months including the premium for purchasing by installment. But I knew that, considered it, and choose to do it. Thus, I made a considered decision and was not "suckered".
And clearly the sales staff is trying to sell devices and services that bring them the greatest commission. That's what they do for a living. The consumer knows that too. Maybe the real "suckers" are those sales people that think that they are being really "sharp".
Bruce
cataloochee said:
While your statements are true they are not necessarily accurate. The only way a person would have been "suckered" is if he didn't know what you describe. But almost all consumers realize that there is no free lunch and that the choice of purchasing outright or monthly result in the full price of the device being paid. The only difference is when payment accrues and how much the final cost will be. No different than purchasing a vehicle or a home.
In addition, the accuracy of your claim of being suckered depends on whether the purchaser bought because of the lower initial price or because he wanted the device in any case. In my case I had already decided to purchase the Note 8 from AT&T and only awaited the availability of the Note 8 at AT&T as I wanted the LTE data option. Thus, my only decision was whether to pay full price or add a two year contract to my account. Since I would have to have a data plan from AT&T to use the LTE feature in any case I needed to have an additional phone line. So I was able to get the regular discounted price or pay full price plus the new line costs (these I would pay no matter how I purchased the device and would last as long as I wanted to use the device). With the additional bundle price I decided to purchase at $199 instead of $399. Of course I realize I will pay full price over the next 24 months including the premium for purchasing by installment. But I knew that, considered it, and choose to do it. Thus, I made a considered decision and was not "suckered".
And clearly the sales staff is trying to sell devices and services that bring them the greatest commission. That's what they do for a living. The consumer knows that too. Maybe the real "suckers" are those sales people that think that they are being really "sharp".
Bruce
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Same here. I don't feel suckered. I walked into the AT&T store fully planning on paying $499 full retail for the tablet. The contract price was $399 and it wasn't worth it to me to lock myself in for 2 years purely to save $100 off retail. However, when I was offered $199 for the tablet, now we're talking about saving $300 over retail up front and that WAS worth it to me as far as locking myself in for two years. I was able to put the $300 toward something else and I love having an LTE tablet. Win-win. It's only being "suckered" if you're led to believe one thing and something different actually happens. I knew what I was getting into.
oldblue910 said:
Same here. I don't feel suckered. I walked into the AT&T store fully planning on paying $499 full retail for the tablet. The contract price was $399 and it wasn't worth it to me to lock myself in for 2 years purely to save $100 off retail. However, when I was offered $199 for the tablet, now we're talking about saving $300 over retail up front and that WAS worth it to me as far as locking myself in for two years. I was able to put the $300 toward something else and I love having an LTE tablet. Win-win. It's only being "suckered" if you're led to believe one thing and something different actually happens. I knew what I was getting into.
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"You can lead them to the water but you can't make them drink" Of course you know they will, because they're thirsty!!
Nice that's great that they took care of you.. In reality I think you came out on top because if they switched you to mobile share you are only payin $10 a month for that line being locked in for the next 2 years would be $240 so by being in contract you actually get the device for $60 less than full retail.. Great stuff had a similar experience and that's what pushed me over the edge to get it