So you paid $80 for the iPhone?
I personally did not.
I bought 2 numbers from bestbuy for $10 each.
I paid $120 and bought 2 SE2020 from other carrier.
Once i got those SEs, then i ported out from other carrier to Metro and got 2 Iphone 12 minis(1 month after release) but had to pay $112 for each when done.
I then gave 1 to my sister - she is using till today unlocked.
My personal 12 mini 1 month later went to Bestbuy - i signed up with t-mobile and paid $70 - traded 12 mini for 13 mini. Asked tmobile to unlock it and sold on facebook cause needed money (broke student at the time).
Basically got 13 mini the day of release for $252 and flipped for $720.
Currently i own iphone 11 128gb that i bought from cricket for $205 (phone $50+$180(3 month of service)-$25 refer friend credit).
Did that not affect your credit score if you stopped paying and kept the iPhone? Only asking because this would never work in the UK and you would be blacklisted so would find it very difficult to get accepted for a loan etc in the future
Yeah I don't get the "quit paying" part. Don't they recoup the cost of the phone if you drop the plan?
(Not that I plan to go to these lengths personally...)
The next answer, let me group your messages in quote because the answer would be relevant to both.
Yes, the blacklisting and credit score dropping is a thing if you sign-up for
postpaid service, which is quite popular in US. Postpaid is when the carrier checks your score and decides to extend you a cell service on a goodwill - you first use calls and 5g for 30 days and then you pay it later within another 20 days.
So you are always use first and pay later. The same applies to phones: you usually get it for "free" or cheap because they give you your discount over the 36 month and you also signed loan contract when buying it.
Metro is all
Prepaid. Meaning that i first pay my next 30 day service upfront today and then have that service until next payday. If i decide that i do not want to continue, then I am free to walk away - they will just suspend my number and I will lose it after 2 month with no payment.
It doesn't affect credit, because i owe them nothing and they owe me nothing because i prepay for my service. Should i decide not to pay then they will provide no service.
There is no recoup part because that is how the small print reads and the promo designed. For 1 person leaving them with a cheap phone there will be 999 that are left stuck with them for the next 10 years.
As part of the deal, you get the phone for free because you move your number from other carrier which is a legwork and stress for some. They pay to get you as a client and this is a discount that they willing to live with because they sign-up people for $65 plan if you opt for discounted phone. You can lower it next month, but then again how many people would bother changing their account settings to switch to $30 plan. And besides, unlimited is $60-$80 around everywhere anyway.
