So I want a cute new phone. A flip phone, with a camera! And internet access! Yeah! The future! 2004!!!
I have the cash, I know what phone I want, so I went down to the cingular store to buy it, right?
But then! I was told that I couldn’t buy this new phone because I “signed” a “two-year contract” when I got my crappy Nokia waaaaaaay back in January 2003, and they REFUSED to let me “renegotiate” the contract so that I could hand them some money in exchange for goods and services.
The guy even called the “customer service” line to ask for an exception for me, which was denied because, get this, my bills aren’t at least $70 a month! Oh excuse me for not being RICH! BITCH!
So basically, they would not accept my legal tender for a product which they will sell to almost anyone else.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FREE COUNTRY
They might MAYBE let me buy a new phone in October. Oh! Thank you, cingular! You are too kind to such a poor mouse like me! Thank you! Bless you!
greed
Sprint did the same thing to me years ago. Since their service didn’t work at my home or work, I dropped them like a hot potato.
Often these phones have a retail price if you don’t buy it with a contract. If it’s not too much more, you could just pay that out of pocket…
Cingular
There are at least two cingular “shops” at the mall I go to (not that far apart, either) and they are different franchises. Now maybe its because the phone I got originally was the “free phone” when you sign up, but I had NO problem upgrading to a better (Motorola V60), as long as I extended my contract another two years. So walk down the mall, and maybe check out the “competition” of another cingular store.
See? Those fuckin’ cellular companies and their contracts. Did they even offer you an ‘early-termination fee’?
Try Sprint. I used to have a phone with them that didn’t require a contract, it was just month-by-month. And I’m sure they have the camera phones.
Or try the Virgin phones like the one I have now where you just buy cards and pay as you go. They get great reception, good all over the place, and I’ve found it’s way, way cheaper than paying by month.