Cell phone woes?

Pubin · Post by **Pubin** » August 21, 2002, 6:59 am

I have been a voicestream customer for almost 3 years now. Overall I have been satisfied with the service they provide. Well I went to go buy a new phone at the VS store and the rep explained that the display prices are not available to existing customers. This upset me. Before I broght in my crew of icey hot stuntaz to bust a cap in his ass he explained to me, albeit reluctantly, the best way to get a new phone.

Following his advice, I called voicestream under the pretence of canceling my service...this of course gets you directly to a breathing person. I described the new phones, and plans that I had been offered from Cingular Wireless salesman. The fellow on the other end's job is to keep you as a customer, so to secure another 1 year contract he sent me the brand new teeny-weenie nokia that I wanted, and gave me a price plan that is intended to pacify disgruntled customers.

All I wanted was a phone, and I was willing to buy it. Now I am getting a free new phone, more minutes than i could possibly use, no roaming or long distance within the US, and a reduced monthly cost.

If you are sick of your phone, or another company is offering a nicer one for new customers, I recommend trying to quit your current provider. Apparently the business is incredibly competitive, and they don't mind greasing up unsatisfied customers PRIOR to penetration(monthly payments) in order to secure their business.

Edit: Post was originally entitled "how to get rid of crabs", but then i realized it didn't fit the text.

Kguku · Post by **Kguku** » August 21, 2002, 9:13 am

You could just try asking them for a new phone. You want to upgrade and you've been a customer for so many years already, and would like to get a new phone.

Tell them the phone you are looking to get, and they'll tell you to hang on, and then go pull out the pricing for existing customers. You'll find that, at times, you'll actually get a better price than what you see for new customers.

This is what I did when I wanted to upgrade my phone. They have stipulations that your contract has to be extended etc etc, but if it's a company you know you're not planning on leaving, then it's not a big issue.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 21, 2002, 10:33 am

you can also buy your phone at Circuit City or Best Buy and just pop out the sim card and put it in the new one, will save you some bucks. But i think Pubes is on to the real way to save money. i think i want a new phone now

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » August 21, 2002, 10:40 am

bah cell phones. I hate being on the regular phone as it is. We only have cell phones for when we drive. Don't want to have a CB. We get some shitty weather and it is a good idea to carry one but I rarely use it.

Pubin · Post by **Pubin** » August 21, 2002, 11:54 am

Kguku wrote:You could just try asking them for a new phone. You want to upgrade and you've been a customer for so many years already, and would like to get a new phone.

Yeah, i tried callling their phone upgrade service, but the rep said the best they could do was 25.00 off retail. That offer was available for those who had the same phone for 9 months. I'm coming up on 36 months. (49.00/month x36) I figured i would get a better deal the way the Voicestream clerk recommended.

I'm happy, and will remain a paying customer. Everyone got what they wanted...I just got more

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » August 21, 2002, 2:36 pm

This works for credit cards too if you think your rate is too high. Everytime I've called and asked to cancel they wanted to know why. I said my rate was too high and they lowered it. Although one time the customer service person said "Ok your card has been cancelled. Good bye!" Which wasn't a big loss since I had too many cards anyway.

Waran · Post by **Waran** » August 22, 2002, 1:47 am

Voronwë wrote:you can also buy your phone at Circuit City or Best Buy and just pop out the sim card and put it in the new one, will save you some bucks...*snip*

Unfortunately that doesn't always work.

I know for a fact that the price of the phone at both Circuit and Best Buy include only new activations. So you would have to sign up then and there for a new contract with a new provider (i.e. AT&T, Sprint). You'd be SOL if you wanted to keep your old service with the new phone. The retailers get paid from the wireless companies for signing up fresh meat to new contracts

Some places that sell cellular (i.e. Ultimate Electronics and Best Buy) will suggest you get a Replacement plan, which is MUCH easier than dealing with the cellular company. They're relatively affordable and usually have a clause in there that if your phone breaks down or is behind in technology to the phones out there now, they will give you however much you paid for your current phone, for a brand new phone at no additional cost. I've done that with my Sprint phone and have gone through about 5 different cell phones. It's well worth the $20-$30 bucks to replace a phone that I would normally have to spend $150+ per pop each time I wanted a new phone.

But anyway, I can't tell you how many horror stories I've heard from friends that have VoiceStream, glad to hear you didn't have one

Truant · Post by **Truant** » August 22, 2002, 12:15 pm

I mentioned this in another cell phone thread, but I guess it bears repeating since noone caught it?

Get the replacement plan (phone insurance) ...before you start bitching, it will pay for itself.

'Accidentally' drop your phone. Check to see if it still works. If yes, Repeat step 2. Possibly try dropping it multiple stories.

Call your phone provider, tell them your phone has broken. Voila, new phone. AND...if your phone is out of date, you get a new model.

2 birds, one stone.

Ain't that a bitch.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 22, 2002, 12:22 pm

waran, last october i walked into Circuit City, bought a new Nokia phone, did not give any information to them regarding my subscription plan, walked out, threw in the sim card, and tossed the old phone away. maybe things have changed in the last year, but i had no issues with re-upping on my contract or anything.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » August 22, 2002, 1:06 pm

My replacement plan has paid for itself a hundred times over. 2 legit losses (damn drunken frolics in Ybor) and one not-so-legit breakage (the phone angered me so I snapped it in two) and they kept me in phones.

Skunki · Post by **Skunki** » August 22, 2002, 1:39 pm

Voro, you prolly paid full price for the phone at best buy yes? think they were talking about hot to get a free new phone, not just paying full retial price for one and swaping the chip. oh well maybe i read wrong heheh

btw some competitors or over seas phones that use the smart chip lock out the serial number of competiters phones, not usually what happens but i have seen it done.

I used to sell cell phones for Pacific Bell which is now Cingular. That business is the most fucked up business i have ever worked in.

Typically the only way to get a new phone for free once you are already a customer is to either cancel your old contract(which you cannot do until your orginal contract runs out and it is also ILLEGAL for a phone service to suggest for you to do this thats why they dont tell ya

) and start new service which means losing the old phone number etc, and agreeing to a new contract.

Or i would recommend like the others in this thread did to buy the insurance on the phone. THe only catch is if you lose your phone or whatever to get a replacement phone, OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of times you will get the same phone you have even if its not manufactured anymore becuase they keep what is called a B phone stock(refurbished old phones that stores keep so they dont have to give you a brand new phone hehe)

good thing to know(at least at cingulur) is that 99% of replacement phones for insurance are refurbished(not brand new).

So basically if you dont want to go through all the bullshit that is going into a cell phone store, call your customer service and tell them you want out to go to a competitors business, they will transfer you to the dept that handles contract cancels and be OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS more felxible in taking care of your issues/needs.

there is a ton more i could go into detail here but i would end up writing a book(looks li already did hehe)

VeeshanVault

Cell phone woes?

Cell phone woes?

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