Related
I just switched to EM+ Family plan and recently came off of EM. I still have until September for my contract that I extended when I got the G1 back in Thanksgiving of 08.
I figured that I'd go to EM+ and use the "Subsidizing" ability to cover the $530 cost. This will not work for the unseen future due to some "duh" moments.
EM+ works this way: If T-Mobile is selling the phone on their site, you can use EM+ to purchase it and subsidize it over a maximum of 20 months. They charge you separate from your bill, and you can choose how much to pay additional each month for the phone. (Not sure if there is a minimum payment per month. I'm guessing you have to at LEAST pay 1/20th of the phone's cost).
This won't work with the N1 because Google has exclusive selling rights for the phone.
So, like a moron, I finally came to the conclusion that there are only two ways to buy the phone, and they are the ways Google has already plain-as-day outlined.
Until there is a new game in town and Google relinquishes their exclusivity and T-Mobile picks up the Nexus One of their own accord, my only option is to buy the phone outright because the EM+ plan is not compatible with the purchasing options on the Nexus One. This is because the nature of EM+ does not make the "extension" option a viable choice due to the non-contractual nature of EM+.
It is also the highest plan possible, and - aside from the $35 fee - possibly the best plan T-Mobile offers because it's packages are cheaper than EM. However, once on it, there is no backing out.
Start saving those pennies, XDA family.
wait so does that mean that i cant buy the n1 unlocked & unsub through google, then go to tmobile and get a EM+ plan?
All we can do is either pay the $530, or $180 if your line is eligible for an upgrade (contract or upgrading to EM in the first place).
TMo always lets you upgrade to EM+ if your line isn't on it, but the $35 upgrade fee applies, and you are still obligated to the contract time you signed up for before switching to EM+. IE, I still have till the end of September for the extension I signed up for at the End of November 2008 when I got my G1, even though my account will switch to EM+ on the 8th of January.
Of course, we could always do the $180 and pay the $350 cancellation fee, but that costs a total of $530 -_-
Blueman101 said:
wait so does that mean that i cant buy the n1 unlocked & unsub through google, then go to tmobile and get a EM+ plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do that. He's talking about upgrading and getting the 180 price instead of the full 530 price.
I have tried to talk Tmobile in waiving the ETF on one of my lines if I buy the N1 and add an aditional line but they won't do that either. Its either 530 or nothing for me. (don't want to pay 110+ dollars a month for two lines)
engagedtosmile said:
You can do that. He's talking about upgrading and getting the 180 price instead of the full 530 price.
I have tried to talk Tmobile in waiving the ETF on one of my lines if I buy the N1 and add an aditional line but they won't do that either. Its either 530 or nothing for me. (don't want to pay 110+ dollars a month for two lines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
*phew* I was worried that my ordering of the n1 was for nothing
-Cheers
errr tmobile
I saved my upgrade for this but their plan totally sucks for the Nexus one.
500 minutes???!!!! for 79$ [email protected]#%@%
I just bought it unlocked im going to just put my sim in it.
Lol, good job. I am in agreement with that.
This stuff is to fin complicated, they should have thought this out more. All this what works what doesnt stuff you know.
I bought my Nexus One for $530 then just went over to T-mobile and changed my G1 plan to an Even More Plus 1000 minute unlimited text/web $69.99 a month. Unlocked phone and no contract, can't beat that. I think they charged me $35 to change plans but I still think that is great deal. Oh, and all the T-mobile employees in the store were going nuts loving my phone since they had never seen it before.
For my 3000 post, I figured I would do something special for those of us fresh into TMOUSA's crappy 2 year contract (and for those thinking about it).
We all drooled and drooled consistently until TMOUSA came out with the HD2. There is a catch though, it is through TMOUSA. Many people have reported crappy service (cell-wise) and flat spots for data coverage (3G areas turning into Edge, turning into GPRS, into no-data). On top of that paying $450 for a device is not exactly appealing either ($199 sounds like a much better deal after all). I have been thinking about it long and hard and I came up with the perfect mathematical solution for getting a cheaper HD2, sticking to TMOUSA cheaper plans (or leave TMOUSA altogether), and not paying for such crappy data plan/coverage. If you are like me, you are surrounded by an accessible Wifi signal about 70-80% of your waking day, so being forced to pay $30 per month is borderline stupid.
[highlight]Edit: My method is only for brand new devices. A lot of you are suggesting cheaper solutions by buying them off eBay or craiglist, which will come with the added risk of device malfunctions or scams. If you feel adventurous enough to go down these paths... by all means. It usually works out better in the end anyways. But this method ensures a brand new device, that you will get on the spot.[/highlight]
Without Further Ado, I give you the "Scr3w You Very Much, TMOUSA" Method...
Getting HD2 without contract from the store:
$450
Cheapest Unlimited voice only plan from TMO: $49.99 (without contract)
Cost over two years: $49.99 * 24 months = $1199.76
Getting HD2 with contract from the store:
$199
Cheapest Unlimited voice + Data (they will force you into this) plan from TMO: $89.99 (2 year contract)
Cost over two years: $89.99 * 24 months = $2159.76
Cost to get out of the contract (option available only after 15 days from establishing a contract - aka remorse period): $200
Difference in phone price (with and without contract difference):
$450 - $199 = $251
Cost of breaking Contract and Keeping New Phone: $199 + $200 = $399
so we are saving $50 right off the bat (remember that the no contract price is $450, so $450 - $399 = $51)
Plan Cost:
$2159.76 - $1199.76 = $960 savings over two years
Total Savings over 2 years ($960 plan cost savings - $200 early cancellation fee + $50 for savings versus purchasing HD2 @ full price)= $810
You may think "but I still need internet" on the road... simple answer to that too:
Internet package from non contract plan = $25
Internet package from contract plan = $30
Savings over 24 months contract = $120
May not seem like much, but when you add that to the $240 from the unlimited voice plan difference (49.99 w/o contract vs $59.99 w contract), it adds to $360 for the life of the contract, plus you can leave them dry at any point you want...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope this is useful into deciding if you are getting a HD2 but don't want TMOUSA as your carrier or simply don't feel like paying a lot to them.
Good to know for us tmobile users my friend.. i'll stick it as requested.
But there are those of us who actually need more than the basic services.
My business requires me to have unlimited minutes, texts, and e-mail access at all times.
So, over all, T-Mobile is cheaper than At&T or Verizon.
But I do see your point.
$30 a month for 3G internet service does seem a bit too much, when I pay the same amount for 4G (Clear Wireless) at home.
I would much rather opt out of TMOUS 2 year contract and jump ship to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint...
TMOUS has the absolute WORST service...
I guess you forgot the %35 Bing cash back when you shop online and pay full price! $300 with no contract is the best deal
Funkyrocemz said:
I would much rather opt out of TMOUS 2 year contract and jump ship to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint...
TMOUS has the absolute WORST service...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on where you are...they work quite fine in many major areas.
This does make sense. But then again it doesnt. Think about it!
Tmobile sells it on a 2 year contract for $199.
Walmart sells the samething (online) for $99 plus theres many coupons foe $25 off. So thats $75 on a new 2 year contract. Walmart also pays taxes.
Thats $75 vs. $450+ tax.
Now let me get to the point. If you want data+text+500 minutes. Its 59.99 on even more plus. Vs. $79.99 on contract.
So thats $20 more a month.
Heres the catch. If you cancel your contract after 6 months. The fee goes from $200 to $100 per line.
So lets add this up.
Buy the phone for $75. Add ($20 extra a month for 6 months= $120). And then add another $100 for the contract cancellation. Thats a total of $295.
So $295 vs. $450+ tax. Which sounds like a better deal?
After you cancel the contract. Just sign up for even more plus..
As an alternative (I did that personally), buy one get one free from T-Mobile promotion ... and pay $200 + tax for TWO HD2 phones. Activation waived.
So you pay $214 (in FL) for 2 phones.
Then you pay for 2 weeks of cheapest service (around $70) and cancellation fees of $400 for 2 phones
Total loss: $684
And you eBay your 2nd HD2 for $500 (around 450 after all fees)
You get your new shiny HD2 for $234 and you did not even extended your contract yet
Don't Forget HTC has extended the turn in a old phone and get 50.00 on top of that with teh purchase of a HD2, G1, etc... I think till May 19th
recyclerebates.com/htcWebQuote.do;jsessionid=B386A281A1471313D8E724CBA74DD8B4
joshkoss said:
Good to know for us tmobile users my friend.. i'll stick it as requested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot josh!
Always a pleasure hearing from you, my friend!
rickyoon.vegas said:
But there are those of us who actually need more than the basic services.
My business requires me to have unlimited minutes, texts, and e-mail access at all times.
So, over all, T-Mobile is cheaper than At&T or Verizon.
But I do see your point.
$30 a month for 3G internet service does seem a bit too much, when I pay the same amount for 4G (Clear Wireless) at home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may think "but I still need internet" on the road... simple answer to that too:
Internet package from non contract plan = $25
Internet package from contract plan = $30
Savings over 24 months contract = $120
May not seem like much, but when you add that to the $240 from the unlimited voice plan difference (49.99 w/o contract vs $59.99 w contract), it adds to $360 for the life of the contract, plus you can leave them dry at any point you want...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internet with the cheaper plans is cheaper ($5 a month cheaper to be more precise)
alefsin said:
I guess you forgot the %35 Bing cash back when you shop online and pay full price! $300 with no contract is the best deal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't as much as I forgot, but rather I had no idea about it (then, again, I have never used Bing)
joefx13 said:
This does make sense. But then again it doesnt. Think about it!
Tmobile sells it on a 2 year contract for $199.
Walmart sells the samething (online) for $99 plus theres many coupons foe $25 off. So thats $75 on a new 2 year contract. Walmart also pays taxes.
Thats $75 vs. $450+ tax.
Now let me get to the point. If you want data+text+500 minutes. Its 59.99 on even more plus. Vs. $79.99 on contract.
So thats $20 more a month.
Heres the catch. If you cancel your contract after 6 months. The fee goes from $200 to $100 per line.
So lets add this up.
Buy the phone for $75. Add ($20 extra a month for 6 months= $120). And then add another $100 for the contract cancellation. Thats a total of $295.
So $295 vs. $450+ tax. Which sounds like a better deal?
After you cancel the contract. Just sign up for even more plus..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! I had no idea Walmart sold these... I bought mine at Best Buy (had a $70 coupon from Rewards)
I was looking at this option and it is done through "Let's Talk"... and they do have their own set of rules (apart from TMOUSA)
$200 LetsTalk instant discount
Purchase select T-Mobile phones online or through our customer service department and receive a $200.00 instant discount when you activate new T-Mobile service on a plan of $59.99 per month or higher and in conjunction with any feature or bundle or any other plan option at least $30.00 per month or greater. This exclusive offer is limited to select online retailers and is not available in any stores. Certain rate plans may not apply. This promotion applies only to individual plans or line 1 to line 2 of a family plan and requires a (2) two-year service agreement.
Offer Qualifications and Restrictions:
Cancellation of this purchase option within the first 61 days of activation will result in a $100 penalty charge.
Customers who add a qualifying feature after their service has been activated by LetsTalk.com are NOT eligible unless the feature is activated by LetsTalk.com directly.
If the customer receives their phone and the qualifying data feature is not active, the customer must contact LetsTalk.com directly to have the feature added in order to avoid a chargeback.
If the customer receives their phone and wishes to add the qualifying feature to take advantage of the offer, the customer must contact LetsTalk.com's Customer Service center and LetsTalk.com must add the qualifying feature through their activation system.
Customers who contact T-Mobile directly to have the qualifying feature added to their accounts post activation will not be eligible for this offer.
The customer may not change the feature activated by LetsTalk.com through T-Mobile's website, call center retail stores or any other T-Mobile agents or representatives and must maintain the same qualifying feature selected at the time of purchase for 61 days in order to avoid a deactivation chargeback.
If the customer wishes to change to a different qualifying feature they must contact LetsTalk.com directly and LetsTalk.com must change the data feature directly otherwise the customer may be liable for a chargeback.
LetsTalk.com imposes this chargeback solely to recoup plan feature commissions deducted by T-Mobile.
Phones Eligible for this Promotion:
Samsung Behold II (T-Mobile), HTC HD2 (T-Mobile)
Qualifying Plan Features for this promotion:
Android Unlimited Web, Android Unlimited Web for Flexpay, myTouch Unlimited Web, myTouch Unlimited Web for Flexpay, BlackBerry Unlimited Web, BlackBerry Unlimited Web for Flexpay, BlackBerry Unlimited Web w/Enterprise Email, BlackBerry Unlimited Web w/Enterprise Email for Flexpay, Sidekick Unlimited Web, Sidekick Unlimited Web for Flexpay, SmartPhone Unlimited Web, SmartPhone Unlimited Web for Flexpay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you are absolutely correct about everything you are saying... There will be various methods for doing this (which result in different savings) based on personal usage of the features of the plan. In my case, (as I explained in the first post) I don't really need internet 24/7 on my device since most of my waking time, I am in areas where wireless is available, so for me this translates into at least saving $30 per month (without accounting the fact that the unlimited voice is $10 cheaper as well), and here is the thing why I posted this. Remember that having internet when you are in a contract is not an option, it is a requirement... there is no way out of it unless you break your contract or pay full price for the phone. I figured this way to be cheaper for my usage type.
Maybe I will change the title of this thread to "Ways of Getting a Cheaper Device and No Contract" or something like that. I appreciate your input on this
bogdatov said:
As an alternative (I did that personally), buy one get one free from T-Mobile promotion ... and pay $200 + tax for TWO HD2 phones. Activation waived.
So you pay $214 (in FL) for 2 phones.
Then you pay for 2 weeks of cheapest service (around $70) and cancellation fees of $400 for 2 phones
Total loss: $684
And you eBay your 2nd HD2 for $500 (around 450 after all fees)
You get your new shiny HD2 for $234 and you did not even extended your contract yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not bad, but why would someone pay $500 for a device on eBay (assuming shipping is included), when they can buy it brand new, from the store, no contract needed for $450?
alooohaboy said:
Don't Forget HTC has extended the turn in a old phone and get 50.00 on top of that with teh purchase of a HD2, G1, etc... I think till May 19th
recyclerebates.com/htcWebQuote.do;jsessionid=B386A281A1471313D8E724CBA74DD8B4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked it out and in order to do this, you have to have proof of purchase (receipt or UPC box label). I have a 7 year old Wallaby bought in eBay, a 5 year old Blue Angel, 2 0.5 year old Vogues (soon to be 4), soon to have a Tytn, and a Wizard (which I sold, but for the sake of argument, I will throw it in as well).... I cannot use any of these devices for that since I have no way of providing them with proof of purchase (and this happens to be the case for a lot of htc device owners around here).
It is a good resource to have though. Thanks for sharing.
Just spoke to LetsTalk customer support. aka Walmart $99 purchase.
They'll give you the phone for $99 but if you break the contract within 6 months, you'll have to pay $250 disconnect fee to LetsTalk in addition to the $200 charged by T-Mobile.
I went to a Sams Club last week and they had it for $142 + tax. The guy there said I can keep my existing plan (family plan and $25 android data plan).
So my plan is to buy the phone from Sams Club. If I like it, I'll stay on the new 2 yr contract and if I don't I'll break the contract after 30 days and sell it on craigslist (ebay charges a lot of fees).
I've been waiting for a good android phone for a long time (my contract on the G1 got over more than a year ago. But since T-Mobile is not getting any good androind phones, I'll try WM 6.5. Microsoft wins and Google loses. The last WM device I used was an MPX200. I would have bought the Nexus One if they allowed me to add it to my family plan with a discounted rate.
before u go getting phones at contract discount and canceling. you may want to read this http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1634784
basically says tmobile will start blcking IMEI's of phones from canceled contracts. I dont know if its legit but i just bought a HD2 from ebay and now im paranoid anyone heard of this?
Edit seller assured me thats not the case for me but still thats kinda scary.
kcaj32 said:
Just spoke to LetsTalk customer support. aka Walmart $99 purchase.
They'll give you the phone for $99 but if you break the contract within 6 months, you'll have to pay $250 disconnect fee to LetsTalk in addition to the $200 charged by T-Mobile.
I went to a Sams Club last week and they had it for $142 + tax. The guy there said I can keep my existing plan (family plan and $25 android data plan).
So my plan is to buy the phone from Sams Club. If I like it, I'll stay on the new 2 yr contract and if I don't I'll break the contract after 30 days and sell it on craigslist (ebay charges a lot of fees).
I've been waiting for a good android phone for a long time (my contract on the G1 got over more than a year ago. But since T-Mobile is not getting any good androind phones, I'll try WM 6.5. Microsoft wins and Google loses. The last WM device I used was an MPX200. I would have bought the Nexus One if they allowed me to add it to my family plan with a discounted rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true!
But if you plan on keeping the phone for atleast 181 days, then lets talk will remove the fee (plus tmobile will only charge $100 per line). This would be the best decision for someone looking to keep the phone and not sell it anytime soon.
mrbox23 said:
before u go getting phones at contract discount and canceling. you may want to read this http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1634784
basically says tmobile will start blcking IMEI's of phones from canceled contracts. I dont know if its legit but i just bought a HD2 from ebay and now im paranoid anyone heard of this?
Edit seller assured me thats not the case for me but still thats kinda scary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess this would apply more to being careful about buying the phone from 3rd party (places like ebay, craiglist, etc)
joefx13 said:
This is true!
But if you plan on keeping the phone for atleast 181 days, then lets talk will remove the fee (plus tmobile will only charge $100 per line). This would be the best decision for someone looking to keep the phone and not sell it anytime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke to T-Mobile too. Their policy for canceling 2 years contract is:
If you have more than 180 days from the end of the contract, you pay $200.
If you have more than 90 days but less than 180 before contract ends, its $50, and less than 90 days for contract to end, you pay $25.
But yes, I agree that someone who plans on keeping the phone for 2 years, its a good deal.
i currently got an upgrade on my line for the mytouch 4g. i don't know if i should return it and buy the phone instead. being stuck two years with the data plans kinda scares me. i was on even more plus before when i had my nexus one and it felt better to know i can cancel my data plan whenever.
one of the reason i signed a contract was because i'm in a family plan with my parents. since they've already signed a two years contract, i have to wait for another two years before i can be on my own.
so i'm thinking, which one is better for me? even tho i wasn't on a contract before, i still have to wait two years for my parents contract to expired. so it basically the same thing without the data plan add on. (except they added another 5 to my account now. the data plan was only 25 dollars before. now it's 30.)
should i return the phone and just buy it outright? but i don't think tmobile sells insurance if you just buy the phone tho. it kinda risky knowing that it could break down any second.
thanks in advance.
tigerin said:
i currently got an upgrade on my line for the mytouch 4g. i don't know if i should return it and buy the phone instead. being stuck two years with the data plans kinda scares me. i was on even more plus before when i had my nexus one and it felt better to know i can cancel my data plan whenever.
one of the reason i signed a contract was because i'm in a family plan with my parents. since they've already signed a two years contract, i have to wait for another two years before i can be on my own.
so i'm thinking, which one is better for me? even tho i wasn't on a contract before, i still have to wait two years for my parents contract to expired. so it basically the same thing without the data plan add on. (except they added another 5 to my account now. the data plan was only 25 dollars before. now it's 30.)
should i return the phone and just buy it outright? but i don't think tmobile sells insurance if you just buy the phone tho. it kinda risky knowing that it could break down any second.
thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmo does offer insurance. As for your plan, you could try calling and talking with customer retention and tell them you are ONLY thinking of returning it. They might offer you a deal where you return it and get one from them directly (got mine for $99, and the plan for $20).
If you got that deal and canceled down the road , you would still be better off than simply buying the phone full price now ($99 plus cancellation charge is less).
Good luck
thanks! i've just called them and the lady there was willing to put my data plan back down to 25 dollars and offered one month free of data. she seem nice and helpful, so i don't want to give her a hard time and push more.
I bought mine off contract. They give you 20 months to pay @ 0% interest.
So, if you pay the $199 + tax on the full price that is approx. $250...
I paid $450 + tax ... approx. $500
The subsidized plan that I am on would be $79/month, but I am paying only $59 with no contract... a difference of $20 a month.
My monthly phone payment is about $25/month..... buying outright is cheaper than contract pricing for the full 2 year term:
Subsidized price after 2 years = $199 price + $50 tax on full purchase price +$480 (24 x $20 more for subsidized plan) = $729 + ongoing $20 month more after 2 years that is not paying for anything... just gravy for the carrier.
Full purchase price = $450 + $50 = $500. cancel anytime. sell phone. walk away.
In addition, I also got them to give me a $90 credit on my account... basically getting the sales tax back and activation fee refunded... AND they don't start billing for the phone until 2011.
**This is of course if you stay with the same phone and plan for 2 years and you don't change your plan once your contract is up.
I bought it straight up also, no contract
Same hers. Straight up
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
straight up, i think i may return it though and buy it straight up from costco for 399.99 unless tmobile price matchs
PolishDude said:
straight up, i think i may return it though and buy it straight up from costco for 399.99 unless tmobile price matchs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not yet eligible for an ugrade and Costco would not sell it to me straight up..
rosie said:
I'm not yet eligible for an ugrade and Costco would not sell it to me straight up..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure they will, jsut say you want to buy it with a even more plus plan...they will open the plan for you...as soon as you leave the store, call tmobile and cancel the plan.... easy
I've bought both my G2 and MT4G from tmobile straight up. Both are on installment plans. Sold the G2, and now debating about the MT4G. I like the fact that we can pay ~$20 a month for the phone rather than $500 out right. The only time I feel I wished I had a plan with equipment discounts is when they do BOGO, other than that, I like the cheaper monthly rates.
I still think a good price on the phone ($99-149) and plan from retention is the best (unless you have one of those vintage $4.99 plans that some are still using on N1's).
As long as you are using the phone and plan going forward, you are ahead (assuming your data plan would be either lower than your current plan or not much more). If you want to eBay it - then you would have the cancellation charge. Combined with a good phone price, you are still ahead.
And if you were going to stay with the TMo data plan anyway - you would be way ahead.
I had even considered getting TMo to unlock the MT4G (I always do), and keeping my N1 and selling it on eBay.
With it rooted, am now probably looking at eBaying the N1 and keeping this.
So I have been thinking. What would I be willing to pay for a phone off contract? Well. Bought my Vibrant for off contract, and it took a nice piece out of my wallet.
So my question is for you guys, Would you be willing to pay for a phone off contract for the right price? What would that price be?
Please leave comments on what you think.
I realize this is a very general question but I'm turning to my fellow Vibrant owners first.
Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?
No data plan. The only reason I bought it off contract
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
emonero said:
Question to you or anybody that bought it off contract...Do you guys have a data plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought 2 Vibrants off contract when T-Mo had some crazy Bing cash back - like 25% or something. I do have a data plan with both.
Now, we use Even More Plus, so between the two of us we're saving something like $40/month over the rates on an equivalent Even More plan. That quickly adds up to make buying off-contract a better option if you can get phones for even slightly below MSRP, and it's an absolute no brainer for a phone enthusiast who likes to switch often and trade on Ebay or Craigslist.
I'm very disappointed that EM+ seems to be going away. It's one of the reasons I switched to T-Mobile and IMO is about the best value in mobile.
Even more plus, bought off contract with payment plan (reimbursed through work though).
All of my phones eventually become my wife's phones when I choose to upgrade.
contract is a gimmick and you eventually pay full price for phone. What do you think that extra $20 or so month goes to
my no contract Even More 500TTW is $60 on contract its $80 no thanks
To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Last fathers day I wanted to cash in on the 2 free phone deal, and being an existing tmobile member for the last 5 years I was not eligible, so I called them anyways and said I have been with tmobile for the last 5 years and want to cash in on this fathers day deal, long story short........got transfered to the loyalty department and they gave me 2 free phones of my choice with the signing off a 2 year contract when my current contract is up at my same no contract rate........here is the greatest part, I can choose any phone whenever I want. so haveing the G1 for so long I said screw it I'll take a Vibrant, now I still have 1 more free phone left to get, my girl likes my vibrant, so I was thinking of handing this one to her and grabbing the Nexus S, but we will see.
Anyways the moral of the story, call and talk to someone, be calm, and ask lots of questions, they are nice at tmobile and they will bend over backwards to keep you as a customer.
Edit: I should also say that I got my G1 for $20 + $50 mail in rebate, so I ended up getting paid $30 and signed a 1 year contract at my current grandfathered rate.......just call and talk to t-mobile
a400meter said:
To quickly crunch some numbers...
On contact the phone cost roughly $200 and an additional $20 a month over the EM+ plan. Over the 24 month contract that equals a $680 phone.
From my perspective anything under that price is worth it. Not to mention out of contract allows for mobile flexibility should you need it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).
If you do the calculations, off contract is cheaper in the long term.
Not by much considerimg it's over a 2 yeat period. Mosy people don't care.
Thr upfront cost for an unlocked phone is simply too high for most.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
For me, going off-contract was good. It saved me $20 (plus tax) a month on phone charges, and, since I am planning on keeping this phone for a while, it's more than paid for. For me, having a contract and "subsidized" phones means being locked in to the carrier, and ending up paying full price (or more) for the phone on the installment plan.
On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.
Haha i got it free from t-mobile somehow i forgot it has something to do with trading in crappy phones.
Two year contract got me a vibrant for free not on an upgrade ;p
The day this phone came out!!
nero beta
badaphooko01 said:
On contract here. I don't think I could shell out $400+ for a phone just to be an early adopter.
I pay $120 a month for the 700 min family plan which includes my Vibrant with data, 400 texts, insurance, 2 extra lines with 400 texts each and [email protected] home. I also get a %15 discount through my work. There is no other carrier that would come close too that price. I will always buy on contract and keep my grandfathered plan.
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Sprint would be cheaper. They have just as good discounts as tmo, better for us, but unfortunately no service..
Oh, and unlimited texts, too.
Important on a droid... No push notifications for most (this) phone for fb/twitter.
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N8ter said:
Well US phones typically have their bands locked down (or are missing bands). Mobile flexibility probably would amtter to someone who has i.e. a Nokia N8 with a pentaband radio - but a Vibrant doesn't have that.
Going on Contract is cheaper. If you ever want to switch carriers you can just ETF the contract. It goes down every month you're on the contract.
That way you don't have to come up with so much up front for the phone.
Also, you get rebates on contract phones that sometimes aren't available if you buy the phone off-contract (i.e. Web Deals, etc.).
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The vibrant actually does have 3g bands for at&t, even though what you say about missing bands is usually true.
Regarding price, if you have a data plan, em+ saves at least $20/month versus contract pricing, so for contract to be cheaper you'd need to either save $480 on a phone, (or less, if you convince tmo to give you phones more frequently).
Now I only paid $300 for our vibrants after rebates, so it was clearly cheaper in our case.
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I really want to get the Note 4 but the price is too high for me at the moment, the current price is $299.99 pretty much everywhere. Best Buy has been dropping it to $249.99 but I still find it a bit high. I'm with AT&T and they usually are slow with deals. How long do you think the wait will be for a set price of $249.99? Not that I want to pay that, but I'd expect some store to go to $199.99 for at least a few days. It's not that I don't have the money to pay for the phone, it's just that I don't want to pay that much for it.
I'll be keeping my phone for 2 years, so I want to buy it at a reasonable price for me not to feel bad of when I purchased it... I bought the Galaxy S3 two years ago and about a month later the S4 was announced and the S3 price was dropped and I could have gotten the S4.
Any input?
299.99$ and you're still complaining? It's two and a half times cheaper than in Europe!!!
$299.99 for a 2 year contract, I think you're talking about the phone unlocked.
That's right. But in your OP there's no single word about contract.
youre going to spend $1400 over the life of the contract for the phone and youre cribbing about $50 ? really ?
Just buy it for $900 like the rest of us and save yourself $500.
zurkx said:
youre going to spend $1400 over the life of the contract for the phone and youre cribbing about $50 ? really ?
Just buy it for $900 like the rest of us and save yourself $500.
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What?
bat0nas said:
That's right. But in your OP there's no single word about contract.
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Then again, there is no way I'd find an unlocked phone for $299.99...
Not a hard one, but you're out of country so you might of not known about the options.
you do understamd they charge a huge markup on the contract phone price, right ?
Your $200 note is actually $1400 or more on a 2 year contract or $900 unlocked today.
lol
I bought one 2 days ago on kijiji for 460$ Canadian use for 1 day, reason i got it so low is i managed to convince the guy that root voids the warranty and so i got it at that price with no contract
CrazyMav said:
Not a hard one, but you're out of country so you might of not known about the options.
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You are out of country. Not me
zurkx said:
you do understamd they charge a huge markup on the contract phone price, right ?
Your $200 note is actually $1400 or more on a 2 year contract or $900 unlocked today.
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What are you talking about.
I pay the $299.99 and taxes and that's it. Not hard to figure out. When I got my S3 I only spent the $199.99 plus tax and that was it. I didn't spend more on it...
what about the extra you pay every month during the 2 year contract ?
CrazyMav said:
What are you talking about.
I pay the $299.99 and taxes and that's it. Not hard to figure out. When I got my S3 I only spent the $199.99 plus tax and that was it. I didn't spend more on it...
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He's talking about the price of your contracted plan per month compared to what other providers might have. Let's assume you are paying $80 for your service....while same service can be had for $50 elsewhere... you are paying $30 more a month x 24 = $720 + the $300 you spend initially + tax.
It's theoretical... no one knows what you're paying monthly on contract.
I was paying $250 for 6 lines on AT&T... that was my contract price... I could upgrade all 6 lines on contract and get phones etc.
I switched to T-mobile and pay $120 a month. The savings was substantial and not every line need a smartphone or an upgrade. I can get new phones on installment and pay $0 down. and still cost would be less than AT&T.
It's different for everyone. You might have a cheap grandfathered plan..who knows.
n19htmare said:
He's talking about the price of your contracted plan per month compared to what other providers might have. Let's assume you are paying $80 for your service....while same service can be had for $50 elsewhere... you are paying $30 more a month x 24 = $720 + the $300 you spend initially + tax.
It's theoretical... no one knows what you're paying monthly on contract.
I was paying $250 for 6 lines on AT&T... that was my contract price... I could upgrade all 6 lines on contract and get phones etc.
I switched to T-mobile and pay $120 a month. The savings was substantial and not every line need a smartphone or an upgrade. I can get new phones on installment and pay $0 down. and still cost would be less than AT&T.
It's different for everyone. You might have a cheap grandfathered plan..who knows.
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He mentioned a "huge markup" on the phone. That was what I read and he said. Of course we have to pay for our service, for me, I am in a family plan with no actual contract for our service.
I was simply wondering about the price of a 2 year contract on the Note 4, I figured the $299.99 price would be more than a hint that I am interested in contract prices.
Now I have no choice though. Just this morning I was in the restroom and as soon as I was about to do #1, I got a notification and picked up my phone and dropped it in the bowl, luckily it was "clean" water but now I have no sound on my phone, can't watch Youtube videos, can't use the camera and there is a red light that literally doesn't go away, even if the phone is off... Trying the rice method but don't think it'll work.
Note 4 here I come I guess.
do you seriously think youre going to get a $900 phone for $300 without getting into a plan with substantial markup over 2 years ?
they are going to loan you the $600 at 50% interest for 2 years. then youre going to pay for the voice/data/network access on top of that.
zurkx said:
do you seriously think youre going to get a $900 phone for $300 without getting into a plan with substantial markup over 2 years ?
they are going to loan you the $600 at 50% interest for 2 years. then youre going to pay for the voice/data/network access on top of that.
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I'm done. I don't believe you understand how it works here or you might not get what I am saying.
I found out that Best Buy has a price adjustment policy so I'll take advantage of that, I'll be getting it next week and hopefully the price drops for a day or so, if not, oh well.
$299.99 plus tax, that's it, for the phone.
its simple arithmetic. they arent going to sell you a $900 phone for $300.
you pay every month for the cost of the phone with markup and you pay for the plan on top of that. not sure what else is there to understand. at&t is a business like any other carrier. they arent in it for charity. just because they bake it into other places on your bill like access charges doesnt mean the phone only costs $300.
I guess it'll work just like it does here. You simply pay the cost of the phone (£0.00 in the UK), then you pay the rest with your monthly payment to the carrier (The actual minutes /texts /data are irrelevant as they have to provide them and 99% of companies offer unlimited everything now anyway barring data).
No
zurkx said:
its simple arithmetic. they arent going to sell you a $900 phone for $300.
you pay every month for the cost of the phone with markup and you pay for the plan on top of that. not sure what else is there to understand. at&t is a business like any other carrier. they arent in it for charity. just because they bake it into other places on your bill like access charges doesnt mean the phone only costs $300.
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In the US, regardless of whether your phone is unlocked or on contract, the amount you pay for a phone/text/data plan is the same.
Plans have just been recently introduced (AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, etc) where you owe nothing up front for the device and pay extra on your monthly payment to pay for the phone, but you wind up paying more in the long run than you would have if you'd just shelled out the cash up front for a 2-year plan.
Cell phones are subsidized here if you lock into a 2-year mobile contract and pay anywhere from $50-$400 up front depending on the phone.
OP, along with me, just cares about when the expected price drop will be. Was anyone around or paying attention when, approximately, the Note 3 dropped in price for those in contract? Instead of talking about how awesome off-contract is or correcting the poor fella, a proper response would be, "Yeah, man, I recall after the Mobile World Congress last year, the Note 3 dropped to $200 on-contract." Or, "The Note 3 is still $300, give it up, it will never go down."
I'm an unhappy AT&T S5 (grandfathered "unlimited" data plan) owner and am going off-contract once this one is up. My girlfriend wants the Note 4 and her grandma pays her cell phone bill so all we care about is the up-front cost. She is eligible to get a new phone in a month and we'd like to plan around that. Many of you fine folks are ridiculously resourceful and your prior experience can help us plan around that.