Verizon & Microsoft Equal Pathetic

[foxbat121]

For smartphone's IIRC, it is $25 extra per month if you sign a contract vs non-contract plans on AT&T (depends on the model, new ones are as high as $30+/mo). For most Americans, they'd rather pay $50 to $100 extra monthly than pay $600 buy the phone off contract. Yeah, as long as we have ppl like that, they will continue to be happy to be ripped off by carriers.

Same goes for those payday loan shops near poor neighborhood. When local government try to outlaw them for ripping ppl off, it is those who got ripped off cry foul to force the govt retract it.

It's a free country. You can do whatever you wish.

 

[Hypnopottamus]

good for you, now, if you were so nice to check out how much it costs to pay for your "free" phone every month, then do some calculations and you will soon find out you are paying twice what it costs full price unlocked, so if instead of foolishly signing contracts you could save 20$ each month plus the 200$ you pay upfront, in 2 years you will have more than enough to buy any proper high end phone you want, not a carrier ****ed phone that's more of their property than yours, but then again, if you could think of this in the first place you'd be in a different situation anyway

btw being unlocked or not is just the tip of the iceberg, having $hit on your phone you don't even know what you really have with a carrier forked firmware just causing bugs and nightmares, blocking updates and features, and in the end having your OEM or Microsoft tell you that you may need to talk with your carrier for your SOFTWARE issues, and then they will tell you to do the same with Microsoft/oem, lol what can be more hilarious

I agree wholeheartedly. I stopped buying my devices through the carrier a few years ago. Best decision EVER. Since I travel fairly often, I can go to different countries and just pop in a local SIM card and no problems. Buying a device through the carrier (especially a brand new model) adds the trouble of trying to get it unlocked. Also, you end up paying MORE on contract for carrier phones on carrier plans than just getting a device factory unlocked and adding a carrier's service. In addition, having a carrier locked device means you probably have carrier firmware. This puts you at the mercy of the carrier for getting updates. Luckily, AT&T has been pretty good, but for how long? Will they provide newer updates to older devices? Getting unlocked, you get updates base on region and/or OEM.

 

[s2mikey]

Anyone who thinks they are not winding up paying more for a phone on contract has not done any research.

​It's less up front to free and then they make back the rest of the price + more (vs outright purchase) over the two year contract...

Yep, that's why we refuse to do contracts and went with WP & Nokia. Loving it. Don't forget too that you get hit with more ticky tack fees and charges when on contract versus monthly plans. You only pay sales tax with no contract plans.m that adds up quickly.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Yep, I'd rather be in jail than have a phone contract. Because at least in jail I can get time off for good behavior.

 

[EspHack]

For smartphone's IIRC, it is $25 extra per month if you sign a contract vs non-contract plans on AT&T (depends on the model, new ones are as high as $30+/mo). For most Americans, they'd rather pay $50 to $100 extra monthly than pay $600 buy the phone off contract. Yeah, as long as we have ppl like that, they will continue to be happy to be ripped off by carriers.

Same goes for those payday loan shops near poor neighborhood. When local government try to outlaw them for ripping ppl off, it is those who got ripped off cry foul to force the govt retract it.

It's a free country. You can do whatever you wish.

well you summed it up even better, nothing we can do for those poor fools, and considering most websites put carriers on the headlines and even promoting people to get into that mess, there is no stopping it anytime soon

 

[HoosierDaddy]

considering most websites put carriers on the headlines and even promoting people to get into that mess, there is no stopping it anytime soon

Most? Really? I thought it was just WC. :wink: