I often read how people sign up for 2 year contracts in the USA where they are locked to a specific carrier (e.g. AT&T, Verizon, Rogers etc.) and phone. This seems odd to me because it doesn't seem as a very liberal system in the otherwise liberal America.
Where I live, you just go the store and buy a phone. Done. You can either pay it right away (which I believe most people do, I did with my Lumia 800) or over the course of 6 months if you don't have the money right now. In the process, you sign up for a subscription that fits your needs and you are good to go. Say you want another carrier; you cancel your subscription and sign up for a new subscription at another carrier.
Why do people in USA bind themselves for 2 whole years? It seems crazy that you lock yourself to a store and are forced to buy whatever they want to throw at you without you being able to go somewhere else. In my head, it sounds like the store has all the power over the customer. Most often you'll see the store being there to suit the customer's needs, not the other way around.
I was also wondering why the carriers receive specific handsets. This means that a phone is different depending on where you buy it. Where I live, a Lumia 920 is a Lumia 920 nomatter where you go.
Where I live, you just go the store and buy a phone. Done. You can either pay it right away (which I believe most people do, I did with my Lumia 800) or over the course of 6 months if you don't have the money right now. In the process, you sign up for a subscription that fits your needs and you are good to go. Say you want another carrier; you cancel your subscription and sign up for a new subscription at another carrier.
Why do people in USA bind themselves for 2 whole years? It seems crazy that you lock yourself to a store and are forced to buy whatever they want to throw at you without you being able to go somewhere else. In my head, it sounds like the store has all the power over the customer. Most often you'll see the store being there to suit the customer's needs, not the other way around.
I was also wondering why the carriers receive specific handsets. This means that a phone is different depending on where you buy it. Where I live, a Lumia 920 is a Lumia 920 nomatter where you go.