Shop Talk
Free Phone Syndrome????
What is the problem with wireless consumers in the US fixated on the dying trend of Free phones? Now it seems as if it is impossible to find a person out there who understands that handsets cost money. It requires money to make a handset, ship a handset, and on average about $300 a customer to activate a handset... Where do customers think that carriers get their phones? I don't think it is a crime to have purchase technology. When DVD players first came onto the market those of us who worked at Best Buys or Circuit Cities around the nation had to battle with people whining about replacing their existing VHS movies on DVD. Cry me a river you twits. If you want the technology, you may have to pay for it. If you don't think it is worth you pay...
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I can see when color phones were new, but now they are becomming so cheap that carriers are inflating the retail price like they haven't gone down, i mean, if a phone cost $90 I don't think it should be that big a deal to give it to a customer for free. If a flip phone is $107-130 to buy (-shipping) is that tooo expensive to give to a customer for free for a 2 year contract? I can see if they want a 1 year contract and a free phone, but carriers are hiding, even from their own employees that phones are getting cheaper and cheaper, and you know when people ask how much to buy without a contract the figure jumps anywhere from 50 to 100 more than the actual retail price, so it's a lot of deception.
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Sure the cost of handsets has gone down, but does that mean that carriers are required to give away free phones? I think that every carrier (major) in the US has a responsibility to themselves and customers on two fronts. The first, service, the second sales. If a customer wants great service and options from their carrier, they should expect to pay a little. Also, if the service makes you happy why complain when you're expected to put some money towards the equipment. A lot of these people claim that EVERY time they use their phone is a life or death situation, so God forbid they inves something into them. European and Asian retailers don't just give away phones to everyone that walks in the door and they have the coolest phones on the mark...
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And people don't just want a free phone, they want the best for free. They want the RAZR (the black one too) free. I really believe that there should be a free phone, just one, the most basic open faced phone. If you want a flip or anything special like a camera or bluetooth be prepared to shell out some cash! The base model is just because people can't use the service without a handset.
I hate people calling in and saying "Well I can get this phone free from totalphones.com how come I can't get it from your website for free. I hate having to explain to the little money-grubbing whiners how if they order their phone from totalphones.com they will be signing a contract with totalphones.com as well as with our company and will as a res...
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I hate people calling in and saying "Well I can get this phone free from totalphones.com how come I can't get it from your website for free. I hate having to explain to the little money-grubbing whiners how if they order their phone from totalphones.com they will be signing a contract with totalphones.com as well as with our company and will as a res...
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Nickle and diming is the worst thing a customer can do in this industry. I have also found that the customers who float from carrier to carrier in order to receive free phones are the ones using the phrase "loyal customer" most often. It is hard to understand how somebody who paid nothing for their phone, bitched about their activation fee, and is on the most conservative plan could consider themselves to be loyal. To me there are loyal customers and their are cheap customers. And those that come in every year just to "upgrade" to another free phone should just "quitcherbitchin" and buck up. Buy a phone, that way when you come in two days later and ask for the instructons to turn your phone on (for the fifth time) it is worth it for me to ex...
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The WORST thing about the woreless industry is the FREE phone. There is no such thing as free. How long will people be suckers?
And don't get me started on the damn deductible insurance and the refurbished crap they send out...
And don't get me started on the damn deductible insurance and the refurbished crap they send out...
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when you crash your car, do they give u a new one??? no, they fix it (refurbished) you also pay a deductible for that refurbished car you just picked up from the garage... any questions?
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when you crash your car, do they give u a new one??? no
If I total my car in the first year; yes. I get a replacement. If it is after that they pay me the loan vlaue of my vehicle, if it cannot be properly repaired.
, they fix it (refurbished) you also pay a deductible for that refurbished car you just picked up from the garage... any questions?
And if they "fix" it and it still does not work? Yes...my insurance company gives me rental while they investigate the moron who improperly "fixed" it.
I cannot tell you how many "refurbished" phones come to customers which will NOT even get a signal or which will not power up.
Next time you offer an analogy...make it a good one.
My recommendation to customers? Insure expensive un...
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If I total my car in the first year; yes. I get a replacement. If it is after that they pay me the loan vlaue of my vehicle, if it cannot be properly repaired.
, they fix it (refurbished) you also pay a deductible for that refurbished car you just picked up from the garage... any questions?
And if they "fix" it and it still does not work? Yes...my insurance company gives me rental while they investigate the moron who improperly "fixed" it.
I cannot tell you how many "refurbished" phones come to customers which will NOT even get a signal or which will not power up.
Next time you offer an analogy...make it a good one.
My recommendation to customers? Insure expensive un...
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Here's another example (I love my examples.) Just fielded a sup call because this guy... well he was trying to add a line for himself on his girlfriend's account (contacted Care and they told me he had escalated with them and was verbally abusive with them as well because they told him that they needed to speak with girlfriend before releasing information but this time girlfriend is on the line.) He tells me that some Chucklehead "Paul" told him that he could buy the RAZR for 199.95 and then for a new customer setting up a line he would get a credit for $200...so he told me he wanted that phone free and he wanted the nickle credit as well (oh for GOD'S SAKE! It's a friggen NICKLE! Here you want a nickle, I found one on the ground walking ...
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OMG how can people be so moronic?...wtf are they thinking? they must have dog poo instead of brains 🙄
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Welcome to America! Land of the morons and home of the bitchy selfish consumers!
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I would have sent him the free phones.
At least he would have to pay for shipping if he cancelled in 30 days.
At least he would have to pay for shipping if he cancelled in 30 days.
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I tried to get him to accept the free phone, then he told me he'd 'settle for' the free camera phone we had but only if I waived the overnight shipping fee. Wasn't even possible...so he got pissy about THAT too (nevermind we were willing to send him a very nice phone free of charge. What's funny is he told me he only found out that we even offered the RAZR like 20 minutes prior but apparently in that 20 minutes it became a matter of life and death that he get the RAZR for free.)
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RAZR for free? f*kin dumb people what a steal! nevermind nikoletta just send him a dummy phone or something lmao.. 🤣
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Next time someone says they want a free phone, give them a photocopy picture of the thing.
"There you are Joe Customer. There is your free phone"
"There you are Joe Customer. There is your free phone"
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Better yet, tell them that you've been crusading for years to free Phone, and tell them the story of noble hero Jack Phoneamon, who has been held captive in Soviet Russia for the last 20 years.
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Ahh see I don't watch South park... that would require having a TV that got more than 2 chanels (CBS and FOX)
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yippie nice to know im not the only one who doesnt get any channels on their tv...
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TV? What is TV? OMG has it been that long since I have watched any type of TV? Boy do I need to watch it so I know what is going on in the world around me. LOL 🤣
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Is that what that smell is... I just thought that these customers forgot where the shower was, I mean for chrissakes they require reps to explain their bills, tell them why their service was shut off or suspended because they haven't paid a bill in four months, and need us to get them into their voicemail. Poo for brains is definitely the best theory I have heard.
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Just some perspective on the "cost" associated with free phones, according to Cingular's second quarter earnings, year to date, we have sold $1.7 billion in phones at a cost to Cingular of $2.5 billion ...
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So that is a loss of 800 million... does that seem right? Look how much money the carriers are putting into this. Cheap customers suck.
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it amazes me how many people will come up to me and ask me why they can't get another free phone 3-6 months into their contract b/c they didn't take advantage of their 14 day trial and hate their present phone. Or how many people don't even have a d/l or gov. i.d. And just how stupid consumers are in general!! No wonder there are so many things wrong in this country, it's being run by morons along with the morons who live here
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We have a 30 day trial and people still do that. Nobody understands what an expensive venture the whole thing is no matter how many times you beat it into their head. People tell me I'm lying about the price of the phones and I give them what the carrier pays for it, not the retail price. If people have enough money for a caligula type excess such as cell phones they shouldn't be complaining, thats like someone with an H2, complaining about the price of gas.
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Oh yes. These fools are back. I swear to everything holy these are the same idiots I dealt with last year saying "But I can get it free on the web from Verizon!" Yeah buddy.. Suuuuuuuure you can.
We even had a customer come in with a "printout" of "Verizons website" that showed phones for free. Of course he wouldn't give out the URL, nor was the URL printed on the copies. There were NO VZW logos on his printout. IT didn't even have the header or footer! It was something he cut and pasted and tried to scam us with. Th
We even had a customer come in with a "printout" of "Verizons website" that showed phones for free. Of course he wouldn't give out the URL, nor was the URL printed on the copies. There were NO VZW logos on his printout. IT didn't even have the header or footer! It was something he cut and pasted and tried to scam us with. Th
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but this whole discussion is wiped away when you factor in the fact that almost all companies require you buy the phone for your service from them or they will not activate it. That alone should shift the responsibility onto the carriers about the losses they take for free phones vs the profits they make for service.
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Not all providers do though. T-Mobile and Cingular both use GSM technology which means you can get your phone anywhere as long as the technology is compatable and it will work (I've done it with me T-Mobile phone) just swap out the sim card.
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Just doing some quick calculations, I have been with current carrier for 9 yrs. My total bill would come up to around 27,400.00
At 2% of that amount i spend $125/year/phone.
This carrier spends more than that on advertising per customer, per year.
At least at my level of spending, I have no problem expecting and often insisting on a free phone. I would not expect a Razor or any high end technology phone. I do understand business. But providing me with a free phone, is a sound business decision.
Henry Ford said early in the days of mass production and I am paraphrasing not quoting:
I would give everyone in America a free automobile, if they would just bring it back to me for parts and service.
In most cases I buy OEM accessor...
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At 2% of that amount i spend $125/year/phone.
This carrier spends more than that on advertising per customer, per year.
At least at my level of spending, I have no problem expecting and often insisting on a free phone. I would not expect a Razor or any high end technology phone. I do understand business. But providing me with a free phone, is a sound business decision.
Henry Ford said early in the days of mass production and I am paraphrasing not quoting:
I would give everyone in America a free automobile, if they would just bring it back to me for parts and service.
In most cases I buy OEM accessor...
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Limopete is describing the exact mis-understanding that most people have about the wireless industry. There are two sides to the wireless coin. Your monthly payment to your carrier is for the SERVICE you are receiving. You are already getting something for the amount of money you spend every month, what entitles you to free equipment? The euipment is a GOOD and it comes at a cost to both customers and retailers. It is ludicrous for wireless customers to be under the impression that just because they have service they DESERVE a free phone. You are not paying anything to your carrier that justifies a reduced price. If you are paying a lot of money monthly to your carrier it is for a service you are receiving, it does not get put into a fund th...
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I'm a bit confused at your math, specificially the $125/year/phone.
You've spent $27,400 in 9 years.
You've spent $3,044.44 per year on average.
You've spent $253.70 per month on average.
How many lines do you have? If you have 4 that comes to $63.43 per month, which isn't nearly enough to justify getting an exception to a carriers phone policy. I have seen people who average $100 per line per month, get the full discounted upgrades up to a year before most people.
You've spent $27,400 in 9 years.
You've spent $3,044.44 per year on average.
You've spent $253.70 per month on average.
How many lines do you have? If you have 4 that comes to $63.43 per month, which isn't nearly enough to justify getting an exception to a carriers phone policy. I have seen people who average $100 per line per month, get the full discounted upgrades up to a year before most people.
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I just had a worse one. Blue to Orange migration back in April, who purchased the phone from a different store. The new phone was on a two year, with water damage, and another 17 months to go before upgrade eligibility. No insurance.
He couldn't understand that he hadn't fulfilled his contractual obligation, and therefore couldn't get a new discount. I pay $90 a month and buy my phones at full price, but we're still selfish.
He couldn't understand that he hadn't fulfilled his contractual obligation, and therefore couldn't get a new discount. I pay $90 a month and buy my phones at full price, but we're still selfish.
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u should have pulled up the verizon site in the store to shut him up. But then he would have said it was a fake site that cingular made lol
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I agree in general but I don't necessarily think a mobile phone is an excess. For me it's a necessity, but I don't have a land-line phone (and I have good credit) so my mobile phone is my only phone... I'd be lost without it because it's not just my phone, it's also my calculator, my phone-book, my calender (with all my appointments in it) to-do list, and my alarm clock (nevermind having a bedside clock, I just plug my phone in on the stand next to my bed every night.) I also work for the local College part time and my boss has to get in touch with me.
I know people who it isn't an excess for, like my dad, who uses his phone to do his job (he's a consultant for a liquidation company) and it's his brain about the same way my phone is min...
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I know people who it isn't an excess for, like my dad, who uses his phone to do his job (he's a consultant for a liquidation company) and it's his brain about the same way my phone is min...
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Nikoletta said:
but I don't have a land-line phone (and I have good credit) so my mobile phone is my only phone...
a lady with good credit? wanna be my sugarmama? hehehe
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the cheapest phone we have wholesale(what the company pays) is about 180.00. They already knocked it down to 19.99(initial hit of 160.00) Now to drag those "special searchin" people into the store, they run a weekend special for free on that phone.
Now if you add the total cost to activate a customer you get up to about 396.00 in the hole on that cust right there. And thats per line, not group. If you sign up 1,000,000 people that quarter, you basically gave away 396 million dollars.
Now talk to me about artifically inflating the retail price.
Every company needs to cover costs on the phone or product they sell. Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Sears, the list goes on.. if you don't cover your costs, you won't be in busines...
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Now if you add the total cost to activate a customer you get up to about 396.00 in the hole on that cust right there. And thats per line, not group. If you sign up 1,000,000 people that quarter, you basically gave away 396 million dollars.
Now talk to me about artifically inflating the retail price.
Every company needs to cover costs on the phone or product they sell. Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Sears, the list goes on.. if you don't cover your costs, you won't be in busines...
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I've read several posts and the one point everyone's trying to make is one word: VALUE. The reason prices are jacked up is because carriers and manufacturers throw this word in the consumer's face on a daily basis. In fact, value is how "Corporate America" makes money. They establish a product's "value" to the consumer, set the retail price based on the "value", and then put the price tag on the box, ready for the consumer to spend their money.
I'm sure everyone has read the Wal-Mart posts and this probably isn't the right forum to start that argument, but Wal-mart is a perfect example of using "value" to make money. Carriers and manufacturers do the same. Overall, things should be different but that's how our economic system works.
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I'm sure everyone has read the Wal-Mart posts and this probably isn't the right forum to start that argument, but Wal-mart is a perfect example of using "value" to make money. Carriers and manufacturers do the same. Overall, things should be different but that's how our economic system works.
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I agree, I think 😉 , if I'm clear on what you mean. It's been a price war between carriers because sometimes it really is hard to tell different carriers apart (no matter what they say, a difference of 100 minutes a month isn't that big a thing.) and so carriers offer free phones to try and get people to sign up for service but in doing so they de-value the phone that they are offering, and by extension all the phones they offer because people begin to expect a phone for free. This is, I think, one of the reasons that churn is so high in the wireless industry because companies are constantly trying to pull users over from other providers but then set their own trap when they offer a free phone for signing up.
Sometimes people just...
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Sometimes people just...
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