Should I preorder an iPhone 4 just to sell it?

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

You read it. It's going on CL or eBay instantly after I buy it. Wise? Not wise? I know these things go for away more than they're worth even if you buy them full price from AT&T. I see many sites selling them for $800+... but I'm guessing I'll have to open up to shipping internationally as thats where the demand is because they can't get their hands on the iPhone yet.

 

[Gibson486]

do you have AT&T? If not, how do you expect to get them at that price? The are expensive because you usually have to buy them with a plan. Buying them without it is only an option with the non retail market.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

do you have AT&T? If not, how do you expect to get them at that price? The are expensive because you usually have to buy them with a plan. Buying them without it is only an option with the non retail market.

You don't have to buy it with a plan. You can buy it non-contract, but you obviously have to be an AT&T customer (which I am). So T-Mobile customers and any other GSM-based providers cannot get them.

I'm asking this because I KNOW iPhone 3GSes used to sell for way more than $599 (the price you pay for one w/o plan). Like about $700 for the 16gb and $800 for the 32gb. Couple this with the opening day sales, you could probably drive up prices another $100.

 

[deadlyapp]

I think apple has shown that they almost never have problems delivering enough product, its usually only international customers who don't get it released early enough.
ie Ipad.

 

[Syringer]

I believe without a contract it's $599. With a contract it's $199. Cancellation fee is $375 if you do it immediately.

$199 + $375 < $599

 

[CTrain]

I believe without a contract it's $599. With a contract it's $199. Cancellation fee is $375 if you do it immediately.

$199 + $375 < $599

Errr....don't exactly work like that.
How is ATT going to charge you an etf fee if you're within the return policy ??
Its not like you can oopen up a new contract, get the phone and return the next day and say I want to pay the ETF therefore not incurring any monthly charges.
And don't forget about the activation fee.

Before ATT raised the ETF, people were doing this and we were able to see alot of iphones on ebay and CL.
I wonder with the ETF being higher now, will there be less iphone available in the open market ??
I suspect the people that sells them will be the ones with the upgrades that get the iphone 4 to to sell them hence keeping their old phone.

 

[Raduque]

People who pay $900 for something that retails at $500 are stupid.

 

[BigSmooth]

If you are willing to absorb the risk of selling it, it's not a bad idea. As you mentioned, though, you'll only get the best price if you sell it internationally which increases the risk factor by quite a bit.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

People who pay $900 for something that retails at $500 are stupid.

Problem is you can only get it if you're an AT&T customer. Just like the Nexus One sold for 600-700 online easily... I'm talking phone stores..


http://www.plemix.com/

3GS is still $679 there.
N1 is $629

That's a huge reputable phone seller. I bought my Telus Milestone for around $630 or something (GSM version of the Droid). Phones get marked up because they are only deployed in limited markets.

For the phones that are deployed everywhere in the world but not here in the US (I guess it's "limited markets" to us...), they are dirt cheap. Notice the XPERIA X10 going for sub $500. This is a 1ghz Android phone. It should be competing with the N1. The Desire is going for a mere $575, far cheaper than the N1. The list goes on.

So I suppose yeah there's a market, but I'll have to determine whether the risk of going international is worth it.... I'm willing to bet there'll be a market in the US too given that you HAVE to be an AT&T customer, although there aren't many other GSM carriers... and there will most likely be shortage issues in the first few weeks.

My main concern is the MicroSIM. Is AT&T gonna give me a micro sim and deactivate my current SIM? That'll be interesting.

 

[CTrain]

Microsims and regular sims are the same minus the plastic surrounding.
They are already selling tools to trim down regular sim cards and adapters for microsims.

 

[basslover1]

I was under the impression that you'd have to return the phone if you cancel within the 30 day trial period. Since they don't charge you in that 30 days, they don't recoup any of the subsidy.

So, 199 + 38(activation fee) + 75 (first month's bill) + 350 (ETF) = 662.

Even if you do sell it for 700 bucks, is it really worth shelling out over 600 bones just to make 50 bucks? Or less after eBay/paypal fees?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I was under the impression that you'd have to return the phone if you cancel within the 30 day trial period. Since they don't charge you in that 30 days, they don't recoup any of the subsidy.

So, 199 + 38(activation fee) + 75 (first month's bill) + 350 (ETF) = 662.

Even if you do sell it for 700 bucks, is it really worth shelling out over 600 bones just to make 50 bucks? Or less after eBay/paypal fees?

You're right. I will have to decide if it's worth it. You don't have to use the phone do you? Can you not buy a phone as a phone and just a phone? I'm obviously buying non-contract because my upgrade elegibility isn't even up.

Moreover even if I could get a $199 upgrade, I wouldn't have to cancel. I'm fine with slipping the SIM back into my current phone. And you can downgrade the data plan apparently (because I did that when I got my 3GS and gave it away to my parents)

Why do I even have to activate it? Bleh. Do they make me do all this when buying the phone now? What happened to buying a phone as a phone? Like the Nexus One? You decide whether you slip that SIM in or not. I guess I'm just too used to buying unlocked phones so I thought it'd be the same thing if you bought w/o contract.

 

[KeypoX]

I believe without a contract it's $599. With a contract it's $199. Cancellation fee is $375 if you do it immediately.

$199 + $375 < $599

working nothing like that... well i mean it sorta does but they have more penalties than you think

You can't cancel the first month. Some people have had success, most dont. So add about $90 minimum monthly fee after all taxes and costs. Also have to pay connection fees and fees and fees. I think the cost of fees was about 900 for two phones for me. Sold one though and it worked out lol

 

[yh125d]

Do they have a 30 day return for no cost like others?

I got my EVO on the 5th, and i have until july 5 where I can return it for 100&#37; refund and waived activation fee, so if ATT has the same thing thinkin about getting an iphone on the 24th, messing around with it for a week or so, and return whichever I prefer (almost undoubtedly returning the iphone though)

 

[KeypoX]

Do they have a 30 day return for no cost like others?

I got my EVO on the 5th, and i have until july 5 where I can return it for 100% refund and waived activation fee, so if ATT has the same thing thinkin about getting an iphone on the 24th, messing around with it for a week or so, and return whichever I prefer (almost undoubtedly returning the iphone though)

No they dont. You will have to still pay the activation fee i believe.

ATT and apple have no reason to offer deals like that. The demand is plenty high.

 

[slightlyhuman]

it's not worth it in your case. my parents are on my account and use unlocked G1s. they are up for two upgrades. i will be purchasing the 4g iphone opening day and reselling on ebay. cancel the data plan a day after. profit.

 

[CTrain]

Do they have a 30 day return for no cost like others?

I got my EVO on the 5th, and i have until july 5 where I can return it for 100% refund and waived activation fee, so if ATT has the same thing thinkin about getting an iphone on the 24th, messing around with it for a week or so, and return whichever I prefer (almost undoubtedly returning the iphone though)

Yeah, they have 30 days but theres alot of fee involved.
-You have to pay for the service up until you return the phone, prorated.
- A $35 restocking fee
- The activation fee(although theres ways of getting that waive when you sign up).
Its not a FREE 30 days like Sprint.

 

[Pulsar]

People who pay $900 for something that retails at $500 are stupid.

Really?

I wonder how many people paid for the $599 phone when I can do the same things with a free phone and a $100 netbook. Should we call them stupid?

Or perhaps it's about supply, demand, and wanting to be on the edge.

I hope you drive a subcompact car too, and not a higher end one.

It's called disposable income.

 

[CTrain]

it's not worth it in your case. my parents are on my account and use unlocked G1s. they are up for two upgrades. i will be purchasing the 4g iphone opening day and reselling on ebay. cancel the data plan a day after. profit.

And how successful are people are doing this with the iphone ??
I heard of people getting the iphone as an upgrade price.
Then put the sim card back into an old non-smartphone and tell the CS that the iphone got damage and need to get rid of the data plan because the non-smartphone can't use the data plan.
Does this still work ??

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

And how successful are people are doing this with the iphone ??
I heard of people getting the iphone as an upgrade price.
Then put the sim card back into an old non-smartphone and tell the CS that the iphone got damage and need to get rid of the data plan because the non-smartphone can't use the data plan.
Does this still work ??

I cancelled my iPhone data plan 8 months later afteR I got my 3GS. I was under the impression you're tied with teh iPhone data plan forever. It's really just if you use the iPhone. I suppose 8 months is less weird than 3 days, but you can just say you're switching back to an old phone. You only need the data plan if you use the iPhone, and from what I read in the contract, the 2 year contract is for voice, and does not require you to have a data plan.

If you are doing it for $199, you can make a mass profit. I'm pretty confident even buying it at $599 you can make a hefty profit. I've seen iPhones go for $1000 the first few days.

If you're doing that and using the iPhone w/o a data plan, I would definitely use unlockit.co.nz or something to disable the APN. Too risky for accidental data. I was OK with my Symbian phone overseas as we're used to having to accept every new connection to data, but I'm wondering how I'll deal with my Android phone soon. I might have to just use my old S60 phone. Android pushes/pulls too much data without me knowing. LOL.

 

[basslover1]

I cancelled my iPhone data plan 8 months later afteR I got my 3GS. I was under the impression you're tied with teh iPhone data plan forever. It's really just if you use the iPhone. I suppose 8 months is less weird than 3 days, but you can just say you're switching back to an old phone. You only need the data plan if you use the iPhone, and from what I read in the contract, the 2 year contract is for voice, and does not require you to have a data plan.

If you are doing it for $199, you can make a mass profit. I'm pretty confident even buying it at $599 you can make a hefty profit. I've seen iPhones go for $1000 the first few days.

If you're doing that and using the iPhone w/o a data plan, I would definitely use unlockit.co.nz or something to disable the APN. Too risky for accidental data. I was OK with my Symbian phone overseas as we're used to having to accept every new connection to data, but I'm wondering how I'll deal with my Android phone soon. I might have to just use my old S60 phone. Android pushes/pulls too much data without me knowing. LOL.

For some reason vanilla Android doesn't allow you to turn of the data connection, but HTC has added this option to Sense. I don't understand why it isn't included normally, not that I need to use it often but I'm glad it's there on my Incredible.

 

[Raduque]

Really?

I wonder how many people paid for the $599 phone when I can do the same things with a free phone and a $100 netbook. Should we call them stupid?

Or perhaps it's about supply, demand, and wanting to be on the edge.

I hope you drive a subcompact car too, and not a higher end one.

It's called disposable income.

I... don't really understand what you're trying to say.

What I'm saying is, it's stupid to pay significantly over retail for anything.

To use your subcompact car example, lets say I paid $5000 (retail price) for the most popular model of it. Somebody else bought one at $10,000 from a reseller. That's $5000 over the retail price. Is that person stupid? Yes, they are.