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Buy $99 subsidized iphone 5s than pay ETF?

I love when people say "Just $9.99" like it falls off of a tree.....


Sure OP may get away with saving a bit of money today but clearly he fails to add up the $9.99 over time.....

Not to mention if he buys the iPhone 5S for $450 today from AT&T by somehow tricking them....how much does he plan to make off of the device on CL or eBay?

Probably $0 or close to it lol realistically because what he's essentially going to end up doing is just wasting time and wasting the line when he can use that to get his next iPhone and actually use it....

but what ever floats your boat....one thing I want to say is just multiply that $9.99 by the # of months and see what you are really paying for that iPhone....
 
The board members of carriers aren't retarded. You won't get away with it.

In essence, most contracts have a line where you MUST return the phone if you cancel service in under 60 (or 90) days. If you do not, you are charged the full retail price of the phone AND the ETF. In the case of buying it from a third party (Best Buy, etc) they often have an EXTRA fee on top of all of this.

Once you've waited the 60-90 days, you've already had to pay for a couple of months of service, which suddenly makes you not come out ahead. In fact, even if you cancel right away and somehow get out of paying the full retail price, you're STILL charged the activation / setup fees and one full month of service, which you'd be lucky to break even on.

No, you're not outsmarting a panel of people whose jobs are literally to make the company money.
 
maflynn said:
But they're not swindling you. You willingly enter a contact with them and agree to their terms. Don't like those terms, don't sign the contract

Here's the webster definition and the carriers are doing of this.
Click to expand...

Yep. Dead on. Hidden fees, non-existing rebates, and false data usage are all totally on the up and up. :rolleyes:
 
c0LdFire said:
The board members of carriers aren't retarded. You won't get away with it.

In essence, most contracts have a line where you MUST return the phone if you cancel service in under 60 (or 90) days. If you do not, you are charged the full retail price of the phone AND the ETF. In the case of buying it from a third party (Best Buy, etc) they often have an EXTRA fee on top of all of this.

Once you've waited the 60-90 days, you've already had to pay for a couple of months of service, which suddenly makes you not come out ahead. In fact, even if you cancel right away and somehow get out of paying the full retail price, you're STILL charged the activation / setup fees and one full month of service, which you'd be lucky to break even on.

No, you're not outsmarting a panel of people whose jobs are literally to make the company money.
Click to expand...

Please post a source to back up your claim that if cancel within 60 days you have to return the device.
 
Can I ask...how much do you expect to net on this grand scheme?

Seems like an awful lot of time, paperwork, driving to stores, waiting in lines, selling phones, etc.
 
jdag said:
Can I ask...how much do you expect to net on this grand scheme?

Seems like an awful lot of time, paperwork, driving to stores, waiting in lines, selling phones, etc.
Click to expand...

Actually my last year flip took less than 30 minutes. Got refurb Note 2 for free on contract. No taxes on subsidized free phones in Florida. Added new line. Got activation fee waived. Posted on Craigslist for $500. Sold it within minutes on Craigslist. Met guy at Costco later that Saturday since I got shopping anyways on Saturdays.

Easy sell. Total time less than 45 minutes. Canceled line after on month. Total cost $11 for pro rated 32 days. Paid the $315 ETF (plus $40 in ETF bogus taxes I think). So about $370 was my cost basis.

Net $130 profit. Less than 1 hour of work. That paid for my costco trip.

You look for deals like this to make an easy flip.

Honestly. I really do it for fun. Just a game to me just because I can.
 
Applejuiced said:
Wow, racking in tons of money I see.
Others prefer to work and focus their efforts and energy to something that's actually worth it.
Click to expand...

$130 for an hour of time isn't exactly a ton of effort or energy, and I'd imagine OP works and such as well.

I'm sure you'd stick your nose up at free money if it were offered though - clearly you're more than superior to others and have no inadequacy issues that force you to imply that $130 is chump change. :rolleyes:
 
Saint.Icon said:
$130 for an hour of time isn't exactly a ton of effort or energy, and I'd imagine OP works and such as well.

I'm sure you'd stick your nose up at free money if it were offered though - clearly you're more than superior to others and have no inadequacy issues that force you to imply that $130 is chump change. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's way more involved than one hour and all this back and forth for around $100 if that after taxes, fees, surcharges, calling customer support multiple times, trying to sell it online and dealing with tons of low ballers and more waste of time and other bs is not worth it to me.
I can make that easily in a legit way with much less hassle.
But if your grand scheme is to do all this for barely $100 then go for it.
More power to you, others got more important things to work on.
 
Applejuiced said:
It's way more involved than one hour and all this back and forth for around $100 if that after taxes, fees, surcharges, calling customer support multiple times, trying to sell it online and dealing with tons of low ballers and more waste of time and other bs is not worth it to me.
I can make that easily in a legit way with much less hassle.
But if your grand scheme is to do all this for barely $100 then go for it.
More power to you, others got more important things to work on.
Click to expand...

Ultimately the OP decides if it's worth it. Not others. I buy phones on CL and resell on weekends. Sometimes I drive 15 to 20 miles to buy a phone. My friends say it's not worth the hassle. On a good weekend I may net 300 for two to three hours of my time. Its well worth it to me.
 
If you sign up with att you can pay for the etc by selling unlocks since you get 5 per years.
 
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