my experiences buying the iphone (not happy ones)

[ugahairydawgs]

Shuddup...i just said $649 was expensive for a 4S. Dont get your panties all in a bunch. Just because i said another, newer higher end phone was cheaper dont mean anything.

He also said he has used an Evo the past 14 months so i suggested a better Android. Big deal, either he is interested or he isnt. That isnt your call to make. We all know the iPhone is slow on Sprint.

Apple products are more expensive than the competition.

News at 11

 

[Technarchy]

I don't get it. An agreement for what? You told them you want to buy an unlocked iphone without carrier plan, right? I do sympathize, but why didn't you order an unlocked phone from apple's website?

You can't buy an unlocked Sprint phone is the issue. You can swap phones at will within an existing contract though.

Call Best Buy. I know they sell outright and just activate when you get home.

 

[Phone Junky]

When you go to apple they say they can do it, but then the agreement they make you sign asks you to sign a 2 year agreement.

Bought my Sprint iPhone 4s at an Apple store. Paid full price, no new 2 year agreement. I'm upgrade eligible 9-1-12.

 

[annay49]

Okay in reply. I have to stick with sprint. I'm on a 5 year family plan. I've had samsung phones before, they all break the week after the year warranty. Since Iphones have come to sprint theres very few other choices other then LG, Samsung, and Iphone.

Apple said they can't do the unlocked one since Sprint does use sim cards. Sprint told me that it costs them $655 to buy an iphone and selling it for 649 isnt helping so they don't want to sell it to me since they dont make money.

I'm going to try another sprint store today and see how that goes. Everyone wants to push me into a contract because they make money off of it. I spoke with Apple tech support 5-6 times and Sprint tech support about the same. Even had the guy at the apple store talk with them. Best they came to is sprint saying "we will wave your contract just give us 72 hours to send you an email saying that... now what is your email?" (it's tied to the contract)

It sucks, i have to get a phone and my insurance has to have me pay full price and I need to do it before Monday so this whole oh we'll priority ship you a phone in 5-7 business days isn't working for me. They have them in bunches in the stores, just sell me a phone!

 

[macMD]

While I feel for the OP the problem is the way Apple has the carriers locked into the pricing agreements. Sprint spent BILLIONS of $$$$ to get the iPhone on the network and they won't see a profit on it for years.

While that is no excuse for the run around, it does explain why they are reluctant to sell a phone off contract and lose money. That said my guess is you like Sprint, want to stay with Sprint and want to keep their unlimited data plan(s). If that is true, why not take the discounted price and sign up for a 2 year contract? The reason I ask that is do you really plan on jumping from Sprint in the next two years, if so the iP4S on CDMA (Sprint or Verizon) has a lower resale value than a GSM version since you cannot just pop a SIM card in and go.

Now something I would truly find innovative and I know Apple has the muscle to get it done is for the software based SIM technology and to have the iPhone be capable of being flashed so it could literally work on CDMA or GSM without a hassle.

If you can port your number why can't you port your "world phone" oh yeah that's right we live in the US where the carriers have our elected officials junk in a jar on their desks.

 

[annay49]

@macMD - The reason I can't is because my dad does not want me to. He is the main line and works for HP which just announced 30k lay offs in the next 2 years. In case anything happens having 5 lines at a 350 dollar cancelation fee SUCKS. Besides, the reason I got so much money from my insurance company for this phone is because I'm in a contract and can't renew. I can't screw them over.

To brighten things up. Today I went to a corporate sprint store and it was less busy, they were in a happy mood and didn't turn me away. The guy that sold me my evo and opened all of our lines did it without question, and was happy when I bought a case.

Lesson to be learned, buy your iphones from sprint corporate not apple stores.

 

[Technarchy]

While that is no excuse for the run around, it does explain why they are reluctant to sell a phone off contract and lose money.

Sprint's per unit cost is less than $649 so no they wont lose money a direct sale.

There is actually more risk to Sprint when a phone is purchased subsidized.

 

[Phone Junky]

Lesson to be learned, buy your iphones from sprint corporate not apple stores.

Once again, I bought my Sprint iPhone 4s from an APPLE store and paid full price. Walked out the door with an unopened, unactivated Sprint iPhone 4s with no change to my contract.

 

[annay49]

They say there will be no changes on the contract, but it specifically says 2 year contract and 350 cancelation fee. If you're close to a refresh, they will try and push that to you instead of voiding it. (It's not written on that agreement that they will void whatever you agree to if you have a valid contract)

It was a sprint authorized seller that told me that. Sprint store was just plain rude thats why they did not want to sell the phone to me.