bait and switch is alive and well

[Vdubchaos]

Not just alive and well, it's thriving MORE THAN EVER!

Heck government and colleges are doing it now!

As for her friend, I don't help people that can't help themselves.

 

[tortillasoup]

Not necessarily. Often times the contract is much cheaper than buying new, especially if you know how to negotiate with them.

In my case, I bought my iPhone outright, but then proceeded to sign onto a 2-year contract for a Nexus 5. The 2-year contract deal was a great price for all services I need, but I would have gotten no significant discount, or maybe $5 a month discount for bringing my own phone but off contract - or $120 over two years. So, I signed the contract, got an account credit in addition to that (which ironically was more than $120), got the phone for free, and then I promptly sold the Nexus 5 to a 3rd party for a couple of hundred bucks.

See this is how I know you don't know what you're talking about. There is no savings with contract, ever. End of story. Go ahead, post a copy of your monthly bill, and I can pinpoint exactly where you're paying for that phone. Now if you got your Nexus 5 prior to Feb 2014, you would be correct. However, anybody who takes a 2 year contract after approx Feb 2014 with any of the carriers (Verizon was the last to change), you're paying for the phone with your monthly bill.

 

[sphenodont]

Don't take this the wrong way...I'm not hitting on your wife. But smart, educated, and sticks up for herself are very attractive traits in a broad.

"I don't know how many times I've told those boys: Never call chicks broads."

 

[Phanuel]

See this is how I know you don't know what you're talking about. There is no savings with contract, ever. End of story. Go ahead, post a copy of your monthly bill, and I can pinpoint exactly where you're paying for that phone. Now if you got your Nexus 5 prior to Feb 2014, you would be correct. However, anybody who takes a 2 year contract after approx Feb 2014 with any of the carriers (Verizon was the last to change), you're paying for the phone with your monthly bill.

I sign a 2 year contract with AT&T because of my grandfathered unlimited data plan. My rate doesn't drop once the contract expires (and my contract usually expires before a I buy a new phone in 25-28 months). They're subsidizing my phone but it's not something I can chose to pre-pay and have my bill reduced.

Explain to me how I'm "doing it wrong"?

 

[tortillasoup]

I sign a 2 year contract with AT&T because of my grandfathered unlimited data plan. My rate doesn't drop once the contract expires (and my contract usually expires before a I buy a new phone in 25-28 months). They're subsidizing my phone but it's not something I can chose to pre-pay and have my bill reduced.

Explain to me how I'm "doing it wrong"?

Alright, so you're on an ancient phone plan. Now anecdotally I've read that people who sign up for a new 2 year contract (i.e. get a new phone) lose their unlimited data plan anyway so I'm unsure about that part... With all of that said, how many phones/devices do you have, how much do you pay per month and how much data do you use?

I had an unlimited data plan as well but what I found was that due to the way my plan was structured and how many features I was omitting, changing to the Mobile Share Value plan actually saved me a bunch of money even if I lost "unlimited" data on one of the devices. To give you an idea of how much better it is now for us, I was paying like $260 a month for 4 lines with a lot of them having only a few GB of data, had no text messaging, and 1400 minutes. Now I pay $200 a month, unlimited calling, unlimited texts, 15GB of data with roll over and that's sufficient.

If I wanted to, I possibly could take advantage of a double data promo that gives me 30GB of data for the price of 15GB. For me to get back to $260 a month, I could get a 40GB data plan bringing the costs of the plan to $250 a month. I just was not using 40GB of data in that month or any month due to AT&T usually figuring out with that much usage that you're likely tethering. So with 40GB of data, I'm guaranteed normal network access and I don't have to worry about AT&T detecting my phone and putting me on a more expensive "smart phone" data plan. That was a big concern with me in the past as I was on a "dumb phone" data plan but now, thankfully smartphones and dumb phones cost exactly the same to have on the plan which is the only thing that makes sense. It's ok that AT&T doesn't subsidize my phone anymore because I don't want them to since I rarely upgrade my handset. In the 10 years I've had AT&T service, I've upgraded my handset only once and I didn't even bother to buy a phone from AT&T that second time.

 

[Blackjack200]

The "broad"? Piss off you sexist asshole.

I see the practice of taking single women is OK with you. All's fair, buyer beware.
We do know dealers, especially used car dealers that are the exact opposite. I could send anyone to the dealer I have in mind and know they would be taken care of.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Did she read the paperwork? Nope. CHECK
Did she have to buy the car? Nope. CHECK

This.

The problem with this perspective is it absolves salesmen and companies from any culpability in their business dealings. While "buyer beware" is good advice, it shouldn't be the ONLY thing standing between the consumer and business. For the individual, relying on market forces for redress is ludicrous.

 

[skyking]

taking advantage? I guess "getting taken" means the same to me.

 

[theeedude]

Always negotiate over email with the internet managers. They are usually much better to deal with than on the floor salesmen, because they know you are a more sophisticated customer who has a lot of easily available alternatives with no commitment.
Buy a car optioned so that you can get it at multiple local dealers. Start with searching online sites (carsdirect is a good one) and get their quotes. Then contact multiple dealers and ask them to beat those, which they should be able to, since these services buy through dealers, and take a cut. Then go back and forth until dealers tell you "I can't beat this price, go ahead and buy it at the other guy." Then prod them some more as to why they can't give you as good of a deal as the other guy, what's wrong with their dealership, etc, so you know they are sincere about not caring if you go to another dealer. Once you go through this, then you should have a pretty good offer. But it doesn't hurt to offer another dealer less and see if they bite. They may accept a lower "final" offer than they would agree to if they know you are going to shop it around (which you can still do afterwards).

 

[skyking]

Always negotiate over email with the internet managers. They are usually much better to deal with than on the floor salesmen, because they know you are a more sophisticated customer who has a lot of easily available alternatives with no commitment.
Buy a car optioned so that you can get it at multiple local dealers. Start with searching online sites (carsdirect is a good one) and get their quotes. Then contact multiple dealers and ask them to beat those, which they should be able to, since these services buy through dealers, and take a cut. Then go back and forth until dealers tell you "I can't beat this price, go ahead and buy it at the other guy." Then prod them some more as to why they can't give you as good of a deal as the other guy, what's wrong with their dealership, etc, so you know they are sincere about not caring if you go to another dealer. Once you go through this, then you should have a pretty good offer. But it doesn't hurt to offer another dealer less and see if they bite. They may accept a lower "final" offer than they would agree to if they know you are going to shop it around (which you can still do afterwards).

Almost exactly what my wife did with the 05 Pilot.
She already had a quote from this dealer and he offered to beat anybody's offer by 1K on the upcoming weekend, in a radio ad. My wife calls him and says, "hi, we were in last week, remember me?"
He did.
"we just heard the ad, you are honoring our quote minus 1k?"
What color do you want?

 

[highland145]

Too bad our over priced education system doesn't teach youts about $$, finances, big purchases. And that's coming from a guy charging 35%.

 

[turtile]

I had the same BS when I purchased my last car.

First dealership claimed that they can't budge on the sticker price because it's a Toyota. I told him that's not true and if he's not willing to negotiate, I'll leave. A closer comes out and says that if I accept to buy the car now, he'll give 1000 off. No, again - told him I can get it cheaper and the let me walk right out.

2nd dealer gives me a price $2600 off sticker. Of course, when I go to buy it, the car I wanted was sold and only a special trim the dealership was added (wasn't in the inventory before) so that was the end of them.

Third dealer agrees to $2700 off the sticker. I only needed $6000 financed. So when they gave me the total cost, they only gave me the monthly payment without without seeing what they were charging me. I had to force them to show it before I agreed (legal?) and they added in some 100,000 mile warranted... Of course I went through everything and made the deal without getting ripped!

 

[skyking]

we went for the extended warranty on the Pilot, but it was one you could get back if you did not use it. THAT took a while, getting the check from them 6 years later. We went up and it took about an hour of d!cking around. Clearly they did not want to part with that money.

 

[Zenmervolt]

We are not privy to what transpired between Honda America and that dealer, but the response was certainly swift.

Probably something similar to what transpired between my insurance company (State Farm) and the body shop that returned my car to me with unrepaired structural damage.

All I know is that the chain's regional VP called me the next day, set up a time for me to drop the car off at their "premium" shop in the high-rent neighborhood (Bellevue, WA), and that when I got the car back (in less than a week) it was immaculate.

Yes, I'm out my deductible until State Farm's subrogation team gets my money back from the insurance company of the driver who rear-ended me, but it was definitely worth it to have the insurance company on my side.

ZV

 

[theeedude]

Get corporate involved if you don't get what you want from a dealer. You may be pleasantly surprised. We got a free extended warranty from Subaru corporate as a good will gesture because dealer took too long (several trips) to acknowledge and fix a rattle in our Outback.