Wow, is the cellular phone business cut throat ! It's time for new phones & new contracts on my cell phones. My current carrier (Cingular) won't give me the new phones I want for free (Razors) if I renew my contract but every other carrier out there will if I jump ship & sign with them (I always thought it was easier to keep current customers happy than to get new ones, go figure).
Anyways, Wirefly has a deal going today where I can get the Razors free if I renew my cingular contract for 2 years. All's good with that except that the Cingular representative told me that the way Wirefly & other internet sellers of these phones can make money giving away expensive phones is that when you order from them using your credit card that's a contract whereby if you default in any way with the phone carrier (Cingular in this case) late payments, etc., you are liable for the full retail value of the phone. Anybody ever experience this ? Anybody do business with Wirefly ?

[This message has been edited by red88gt (edited 10-05-2006).]

it's true. They do it all the time. Read the fine print before you sign.

Here's an example:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-RAZR-V3i-Phone-Cingular/dp/B000HARRXQ/sr=1-2/qid=1160080716/ref=sr_1_2/104-3016180-2409523?ie=UTF8&s=wireless

Great deal on a spendy phone but if you are late on one payment they ding your CC for $250 extra dollars.

Do *not* deal with an online wireless phone company. Aside from anything else, they often give you refurb phones, and the deals are just not all that great. Go straight to the wireless carriers, they often have deals that they don't necessarily advertise, and have the flexibility to negotiate a little to score a deal.

I'm going to be quit honest with you it is going to sound very harsh.

I work for Cingular Wireless. The deals you are seeing at online venues that are not Cingular are VERY tempting. You do have the option to take advantage of them and some offer very nice deals. Now to the honesty part. I HATE (this was before I worked for Cingular) how cell phones are sold. Everyone thinking they should get free cell phones. Please don't take this as a dig to you, but most people aren't nearly as good a customer as they think they are. Why is it people expect phones for free. The RAZR retails for $299.99, except the blue one, it is $249.99 and the V3i is $449.99, why do you expect that for free? I checked online, T-mobile isnt giving away free RAZRs and neither is Verizon.

Here is why I hate the way cell phones are sold. You are buying a phone from the carrier, but the carrier didn't make the device. You are not paying them for the phone you are paying them for the service. When you buy internet from your ISP, they don't supply you with a computer. When you buy home phone service they dont give you phones. When you buy groceries they dont give you a refridgerator. It is the most retarted way of selling service I have ever seen. It totally skews the way people view the value of a cell phone.

Also and this is at you specifically. If you account was as good a customer as you think you are, ie a free $300 phone, then you can probably speak with customer relations and discuss those types of discounts.

quote Originally posted by ls3mach: I'm going to be quit honest with you it is going to sound very harsh. I work for Cingular Wireless. The deals you are seeing at online venues that are not Cingular are VERY tempting. You do have the option to take advantage of them and some offer very nice deals. Now to the honesty part. I HATE (this was before I worked for Cingular) how cell phones are sold. Everyone thinking they should get free cell phones. Please don't take this as a dig to you, but most people aren't nearly as good a customer as they think they are. Why is it people expect phones for free. The RAZR retails for $299.99, except the blue one, it is $249.99 and the V3i is $449.99, why do you expect that for free? I checked online, T-mobile isnt giving away free RAZRs and neither is Verizon. Here is why I hate the way cell phones are sold. You are buying a phone from the carrier, but the carrier didn't make the device. You are not paying them for the phone you are paying them for the service. When you buy internet from your ISP, they don't supply you with a computer. When you buy home phone service they dont give you phones. When you buy groceries they dont give you a refridgerator. It is the most retarted way of selling service I have ever seen. It totally skews the way people view the value of a cell phone. Also and this is at you specifically. If you account was as good a customer as you think you are, ie a free $300 phone, then you can probably speak with customer relations and discuss those types of discounts.

I too used to work for cingular. and t mobile.
the reason everyone expects a free phone I think is because all the carriars are pushing them. ever walk thru the mall. those cingular and t mobile boths with the guys saying hey! what kinda phone you got? Hey u want a free phone! cancle ur current service i can save u xxx amount of money and you get THIS phone for free!
its what makes people buy. oh wow i get this "cool" phone for free. its cingular and t mobiles own fault people expect free phones
on another subject i just paid 700 dollars cash for my current phone/service plan 400 was for the phone and 300 was for a deposit on the service. and my first bill is gonna be like 200!