new way to get out of your contract... (for an iPhone)

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Hey, not sure if this has been discussed, but I was just reading USA Today, which suggested that because cell phone contracts let you out of your contract if you can find someone else to pay your bills, you could therefore more easily switch to the iPhone (for example). There are even websites that provide the service, which let you post your phone for other people to take responsibility for. You then simply call your carrier, they credit check the person, and then you should be good. Hopefully this helps some of you that want to opt- out. If you needs links, I can post em. Cheers
Money section> March 15> pp. 5B

 

[crees!]

I have another way. Wait till your contract is up Lucky for me might will be up a couple months after it comes out.

 

[yg17]

Switching carriers for the iPhone is just dumb, especially when that carrier is Cingular. Once you realize your iPhone is useless because you don't get a signal anywhere, don't tell me I didn't warn you

 

[Xeem]

Switching carriers for the iPhone is just dumb, especially when that carrier is Cingular. Once you realize your iPhone is useless because you don't get a signal anywhere, don't tell me I didn't warn you

I don't know that he necessarily meant switching carriers with the iPhone; plenty of people would love an iPhone purely as a media player (with no network strings attached) anyway.

 

[chicagdan]

Switching carriers for the iPhone is just dumb, especially when that carrier is Cingular. Once you realize your iPhone is useless because you don't get a signal anywhere, don't tell me I didn't warn you

I so sick of the idiotic catch-all Cingular bashing. Here in Chicago, Cingular is pretty damn good, coverage is pretty much universal and I get a really strong signal everywhere in town. Just because it isn't good where you live, don't assume that's true for everyone.

 

[mac-eroni]

You then simply call your carrier, they credit check the person, and then you should be good. Hopefully this helps some of you that want to opt- out.

That's not a bad idea. Would they have to take over my phone number?

 

[diamond3]

Too me its impossible to say Cingular sucks or verizon etc. That all depends on the area. Where I live, there are areas where cingular gets a better reception, and other areas where verizon or tmobile do. So making a biased judgment that because you don't get good reception in your home town means that know one else can in their respective areas seems pretty ridiculous to me.

 

[zipper1022]

cingular now offers a rebate if your phone is due for "upgrade" i wonder if that will apply for the iphone... if the price will be less if your plan is due for upgrade or if it will be a seperate plan and fee...

also, anyone know about insurance?

 

[chicagdan]

cingular now offers a rebate if your phone is due for "upgrade" i wonder if that will apply for the iphone... if the price will be less if your plan is due for upgrade or if it will be a seperate plan and fee...

also, anyone know about insurance?

There's a lot that we don't know ... I asked Cingular about this and they indicated that the pricing announced by Apple is the full price, non-discounted, no new contract price. You must have a phone for 21 months before you're eligible to get the new contract phone price. But, as I understand it, you can buy the iPhone for the price Apple quoted OR, if you have a family plan, you can add a new phone line and get the phone at the discount price. An extra line costs $10 per month, so that's $240 spread out over 2 years. If the phone discount is equal to or greater than that price, it's worth it to add the extra line and never use it (you can just swap the sim card to your existing line) ... or keep it in case you want to start an affair (ahem, just kidding.)

 

[chatster18]

If the phone discount is equal to or greater than that price, it's worth it to add the extra line and never use it (you can just swap the sim card to your existing line) ... or keep it in case you want to start an affair (ahem, just kidding.)

Good idea...(except the affair part )

 

[princealfie]

Verizon sucks mostly because of the NSA flap. Cingular rocks! I used them for ages.

 

[mattcube64]

I went through all of highschool without a cellphone... waiting for one of two things. Either a cellphone that lets me check my Xbox Live friend's list and text friends while they're playing, or an iPhone.

Luckily, the latter is being releases just a couple weeks after my graduation. It'll make for a nice gift.

 

[chicagdan]

Verizon sucks mostly because of the NSA flap. Cingular rocks! I used them for ages.

Um ... hate to break this to you ... but the SBC/Bell South/AT&T/Cingular family was just as culpable in the NSA flap as Verizon. In fact they (the new AT&T) were extraordinarily bitchy about the issue when I raised it with them. I dumped my landline phone for Vonage as a result ... but was contracted in to Cingular, so I reluctantly stuck with it. Now that the iPhone is coming out, I feel a little better about it, but Alberto Gonzales's resignation would be better.

 

[QuantumLo0p]

Uh, hey, here's another way to get out of a contract. You all probably have heard it before and it's not quite on the table but...

Use a LOT of minutes in a another digital roaming area and your carrier will eventually drop you like a hot potato because you will not be profitable to them any longer.

I have heard this before but didn't think a carrier would actually do it until it happened to a friend. When he went to college in another digital area. He was eventually sent a letter by his carrier telling him he would have to terminate his plan. The unbelievable part is they also wanted him to pay the early termination fee for dropping the plan even though the carrier was the party who was forcing him to quit! Unbelievable!

Needless to say he told them to fu@k off unless they were interested in making an appearance in conciliation court. They quietly went away.

 

[clevin]

Uh, hey, here's another way to get out of a contract. You all probably have heard it before and it's not quite on the table but...

Use a LOT of minutes in a another digital roaming area and your carrier will eventually drop you like a hot potato because you will not be profitable to them any longer.

I have heard this before but didn't think a carrier would actually do it until it happened to a friend. When he went to college in another digital area. He was eventually sent a letter by his carrier telling him he would have to terminate his plan. The unbelievable part is they also wanted him to pay the early termination fee for dropping the plan even though the carrier was the party who was forcing him to quit! Unbelievable!

Needless to say he told them to fu@k off unless they were interested in making an appearance in conciliation court. They quietly went away.

once u pile up >$500 bill and not able to pay it, u will be dropped, but, again

Your credit history is changed, too, see if u care, lol

 

[buymeaniphone]

CellSwapper.com will allow you to drop your plan without having to pay the cancellation fee.

 

[SMM]

I so sick of the idiotic catch-all Cingular bashing. Here in Chicago, Cingular is pretty damn good, coverage is pretty much universal and I get a really strong signal everywhere in town. Just because it isn't good where you live, don't assume that's true for everyone.

He lives in St Louis, the most dangerous city in America. They do not have as much infrastructure there because the crack-heads cut it down to salvage the metal.

 

[yg17]

He lives in St Louis, the most dangerous city in America. They do not have as much infrastructure there because the crack-heads cut it down to salvage the metal.

Nah, I'm in the suburbs where it's nice and safe.


I had no Cingular service at my house until they put up a cell tower literally 2 houses down from me. Which got me 5 bars, but I still had dropped calls and garbled sound quality. I'm a bit further from a T-Mobile tower, but I still get 5 bars, no dropped calls and crystal clear quality.

 

[Metatron]

I have a much better idea for your contract woes. Don't get a contract. Buy a phone out right and get the plan month to month. Then you can always leave whenever you want.

 

[clevin]

I have a much better idea for your contract woes. Don't get a contract. Buy a phone out right and get the plan month to month. Then you can always leave whenever you want.

u might save the cancellation fee, but u don't get discount of the phone, which can be just as expensive as the cancellation fee.