Shop Talk
Can I buy a phone elsewhere and you'll set it up for me?
I had one of those calls that makes no sense whatsoever. Starts off with "I got a paper in the mail that says I can add a line." I don't know what advert you get. No one ever even shows them to me until a customer comes in carrying one. Then after we go over the plans, the customer wants to know if they can buy a phone elsewhere and we'll just put a chip in it for them.
I explain it's best if they get a phone from the same carrier. Techinically, they can get an unlocked phone, but the carrier will not program data services onto an unlocked phone. Then they tell me they are going to buy a phone for my carrier but that we are too expensive and they just want to get the chip and have us set up the phone. I told them a new phone without ...
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I explain it's best if they get a phone from the same carrier. Techinically, they can get an unlocked phone, but the carrier will not program data services onto an unlocked phone. Then they tell me they are going to buy a phone for my carrier but that we are too expensive and they just want to get the chip and have us set up the phone. I told them a new phone without ...
(continues)
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Some smaller carriers can "Flash" a phone from another carrier and reinstall the software to work within their network. Has to be same technology (GSM, CDMA, IDEN, etc), but it can be done. Most major carriers will not do this as it voids any insurances because it wasn't an authorized handset. The smaller carriers don't care and are looking to capitalize on customer's the major carriers have discarded and save some money in the process. That's as far as I know, hope it helped you a bit.
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