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Why Buy Full Price?

iRooney

iRooney

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 14, 2011
441
0
Charleston, SC
Okay, so the iPhone 5 will retail for $649 or $199 on a two year contract. ETF fee is $350. So, correct me if I'm wrong. Couldn't I theoretically walk into a store, activate a new phone and then cancel the whole thing....$350+$199 = $549. You save $100 over buying retail by cancelling service. Why would anyone pay the $649?
 
iRooney said:
Okay, so the iPhone 5 will retail for $649 or $199 on a two year contract. ETF fee is $350. So, correct me if I'm wrong. Couldn't I theoretically walk into a store, activate a new phone and then cancel the whole thing....$350+$199 = $549. You save $100 over buying retail by cancelling service. Why would anyone pay the $649?
Click to expand...

Those on VZW who want to keep unlimited data will have to buy full retail.
 
Yup, I'm forced to pay full price or switch to "share everything" for subsidized pricing. I'm still contemplating....
 
Selling it works too, but there's another catch as well. My family plan is in my wife's name. I can walk into a VZW store, buy the phone for $199 in my name, cancel the account, pay the $350 (so end up spending $549). Take the phone I now own outright and use it on my line on my wife's account. Just saved $100 over people paying full price and keep unlimited data. Now, this is all really just hypothetical. I don't have the cashflow to just throw $550 at a new phone. My upgrade's in December. It's not too far away and by then I'm guessing the backordering issues should be resolved (one can hope).
 
I think AT&T, at least, requires you to pay for 30 days of service before you can pay the ETF and get out of your contract. Still cheaper than buying the phone at full price, though.
 
iRooney said:
Selling it works too, but there's another catch as well. My family plan is in my wife's name. I can walk into a VZW store, buy the phone for $199 in my name, cancel the account, pay the $350 (so end up spending $549). Take the phone I now own outright and use it on my line on my wife's account. Just saved $100 over people paying full price and keep unlimited data. Now, this is all really just hypothetical. I don't have the cashflow to just throw $550 at a new phone. My upgrade's in December. It's not too far away and by then I'm guessing the backordering issues should be resolved (one can hope).
Click to expand...

you forgot your month of service you have to pay
 
Personally I like not being under contract to Verizon. So buying a phone every 2 or 3 years at full price is worth it (my opinion). Plus not having to worry or even think about an ETF makes life easier.
 
mohsy90 said:
Yup, I'm forced to pay full price or switch to "share everything" for subsidized pricing. I'm still contemplating....
Click to expand...

i'm debating too. don't forget about the individual plans you can still get as an existing vzw user though. $30 for 2gb, $50 for 5gb, and $80 for 10gb. since these are tiered you can jailbreak and tether and verizon can't block you since it's ok under the fcc net neutrality ruling a few months back.

so i'm thinking of going to the $50 plan. my plan goes up by $20 (but actually $15.XX after my 22% discount). so it'll be $300 for the 32gb version plus $384 for a total of $684 for me. not great, but still cheaper than full retail. i lose unlimited, but still get 5gb, which i am usually around 3-4gb. more towards 3gb.

----------
lordofthereef said:
Also don't forget the $36 upgrade fee they tack on...
Click to expand...

hmm, if i buy full retail, do i still have to pay this upgrade fee? forgot about that in my calculations
 
AlabamaSlammer said:
Personally I like not being under contract to Verizon. So buying a phone every 2 or 3 years at full price is worth it (my opinion). Plus not having to worry or even think about an ETF makes life easier.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight, you're worried about a contract and an ETF, yet you never leave? And you just pay extra money....because it makes you feel better?

If you want to feel really good, I'll give you my address and you can send me a check. :D
 
mohsy90 said:
Yup, I'm forced to pay full price or switch to "share everything" for subsidized pricing. I'm still contemplating....
Click to expand...

I was talking to a VZ rep today and offered him this thought. IF I pay full price for my iPhone 5 and keep my unlimited data, what stops VZ from removing it on Feb 8th when my contract ends? The phone got very quiet and he finally said "Nothing". Keep that in mind as you are considering this.
 
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tdar said:
I was talking to a VZ rep today and offered him this thought. IF I pay full price for my iPhone 5 and keep my unlimited data, what stops VZ from removing it on Feb 8th when my contract ends? The phone got very quiet and he finally said "Nothing". Keep that in mind as your are considering this.
Click to expand...

i've been out of contract since march and still have unlimited. if they remove it, buy a new iphone 5 again and sell it...
 
tdar said:
I was talking to a VZ rep today and offered him this thought. IF I pay full price for my iPhone 5 and keep my unlimited data, what stops VZ from removing it on Feb 8th when my contract ends? The phone got very quiet and he finally said "Nothing". Keep that in mind as your are considering this.
Click to expand...

That's very true. There is nothing from stopping Verizon from just stopping your service and telling you to come in and pick from one of their plans since the contract between you and Verizon has been fulfilled. Grandfathering is more of a nice thing to do and good for PR and marketing, but they are legally within their right's to just say, nah, no more unlimited data for you.

As for buying the iPhone 5 at full price, do you have to pay the upgrade fee? At AT&T, all you have to do is walk in and tell them you got a new phone and you need a new sim and to update your account. They could care less about the upgrade fee less you they are subsidizing it.

And for those of you who want an iPhone 5 Unlocked full price the day it comes out, you will be out of luck. The Verge via their sources say that the Unlocked full priced phones won't be available right away.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/13/3...not-immediately-available-united-states-price
 
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phillypharm said:
i've been out of contract since march and still have unlimited. if they remove it, buy a new iphone 5 again and sell it...
Click to expand...

Verizon just told my nephew today that he could keep his unlimited data plan as well and if the preorder didn't give the option tonight to keep it then he could wait and come back into the store and purchase it straight from them.:confused:

then again the Verizon rep here where I live basically said not to preorder and just sit outside their store next Friday hoping that I would be able to get one, which I then replied with thanks but no thanks I think I'll sit in my AC in my comfy chair, preorder then promptly go hop in bed. I did my time waiting in lines for the original and 3G, no more.
 
Some of you that are so worried about $100 likely shoiuld not be buying the phone and need to save it for food or a car payment!:eek:
 
sarcosis said:
As for buying the iPhone 5 at full price, do you have to pay the upgrade fee? At AT&T, all you have to do is walk in and tell them you got a new phone and you need a new sim and to update your account. They could care less about the upgrade fee less you they are subsidizing it.


http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/13/3...not-immediately-available-united-states-price
Click to expand...

just did a test buy on verizon for full retail for an iphone 4s and it removes the $30 fee when you do it that way. i'm looking at a difference of about $40 over a two yr course by buying subsidized and getting the 5gb plan. looks like i'll be dropping for full retail. esp w/ nfl sunday ticket on my phone right now, my use will only go up
 
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