cell phone companies and 2 yr contracts

[Boo Boo]

I think the govt needs to regulate them. especially since they require a 2 year contract but than only say the warranty on the handset is 1 year.

if they force you into a 2 year contract than they need to warranty the device for said contract.

 

[purbeast0]

wut?

who's forcing you into a 2 year contract?

 

[Gibson486]

GO to tmobile. If you do not want them to subsidize the phone, you no longer have a contract and the plan is cheaper.

 

[MotF Bane]

wut?

who's forcing you into a 2 year contract?

This. You are choosing to sign the contract.

 

[dud]

That and the fact that the contracts have "hidden" charges that can really pile up.


Solution = Pay as you go service

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Prepaid ftw. Much cheaper unless you use your phone as a toy.

 

[blackdogdeek]

i'm pretty sure you are only "forced" into a 2 year contract if you want the carrier to subsidize the high cost of a phone with no contract.

 

[BoomerD]

Buy your own phone. There's usually no long-term contract required unless you're wanting a cheap/free phone.

 

[PricklyPete]

for the love of god...keep the fvck'n government out of it.

 

[ravana]

for the love of god...keep the fvck'n government out of it.

Yeah, look how it worked out from the last time around!

 

[Phokus]

for the love of god...keep the fvck'n government out of it.

Hey, dumbasses, thanks to the government, you can port your number around to different carriers. Not all government regulations are bad.

 

[SunnyD]

Modify the contract. Nothing is stopping you from doing so. The only sticking point is getting the company to agree to said modified contract. A dumb agent might simply gloss over your modifications and sign off on it.

 

[dainthomas]

i'm pretty sure you are only "forced" into a 2 year contract if you want the carrier to subsidize the high cost of a phone with no contract.

I want to know why the prices of phones (sans contract) are higher than many laptop computers. I suspect phone manufacturers are required by carriers to jack up the prices so the carrier can "discount" them to lure people in.

 

[TwiceOver]

I want to know why the prices of phones (sans contract) are higher than many laptop computers. I suspect phone manufacturers are required by carriers to jack up the prices so the carrier can "discount" them to lure people in.

Yeah, there's definitely some shady pricing going on.

I went to Straight Talk $30/mo plan. SmartPhone pricing is ridiculous anyway.

 

[Phokus]

I want to know why the prices of phones (sans contract) are higher than many laptop computers. I suspect phone manufacturers are required by carriers to jack up the prices so the carrier can "discount" them to lure people in.

Someone leaked how much it cost to make an iphone... i think it was around 70 to 90 bucks. Yet it costs around $700/$800 unsubsidized

 

[MotF Bane]

Someone leaked how much it cost to make an iphone... i think it was around 70 to 90 bucks. Yet it costs around $700/$800 unsubsidized

Yep, we'll use an unverified leak, and to say nothing of R&D costs, warranty projections, customer support, application development, supply/demand... nope, none of that. D:

 

[Phokus]

Yep, we'll use an unverified leak, and to say nothing of R&D costs, warranty projections, customer support, application development, supply/demand... nope, none of that. D:

Hey... dummy, Apple's profit margin is around 60%

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/02/what-doth-it-profit-an-iphone/

that's incredibly high for what is essentially a miniature computer with cell phone parts. And it's unusually high for most consumer electronics.

 

[Boo Boo]

Yep, we'll use an unverified leak, and to say nothing of R&D costs, warranty projections, customer support, application development, supply/demand... nope, none of that. D:

to bad apple didnt really R&D iphone 4

 

[OCGuy]

Dont sign a contract?

Ill take my low or no-cost phones, thank you very much.

 

[OutHouse]

since they require a 2 year contract

fail

 

[rudder]

if they force you into a 2 year contract than they need to warranty the device for said contract.

I worry that the gun they put to my head when forcing me into a 2 year contract might mistakenly goes off. Thats what needs to be regulated.

 

[blackdogdeek]

also, it's "then"

 

[Deeko]

A) You are not required or forced to sign a contract. If you don't want to deal with the terms of the contract, buy the phone unsubsidized and go month to month.

B) Cell phone contracts ARE regulated by the government - specifically, the government demanded that cell phone early termination fees be tiered. For instance, Verizon knocks off a certain amount every month, whereas T-Mobile goes from $200 to $100 after a year. So if your phone dies after a year and the warranty is void, you can terminate the contract and buy a new phone with less of an ETF

C) If you're really concerned about your phone staying in full working shape over your contract, they will all happily sell you an extended warranty that not only increases the length, but also increases the amount of coverage.

Next?

 

[Deeko]

to bad apple didnt really R&D iphone 4

Well that's an outright lie.

 

[Deeko]

I want to know why the prices of phones (sans contract) are higher than many laptop computers. I suspect phone manufacturers are required by carriers to jack up the prices so the carrier can "discount" them to lure people in.

Making a component smaller is more expensive. To get equivalent speed and storage, laptops cost more than desktops too. And laptops still have room for a fan. Cell phones are very small packages with very limited cooling capabilities that are expected to run at netbook speeds. That is not cheap to attain.