cellphone woes

[mamajoan]

I mentioned in an earlier f-locked post that I've been having cellphone issues. Recently, every time I call someone on my cell, they say that the connection is so static-y they can barely hear me...even though from my end it sounds perfectly clear and I can hear them just fine. Needless to say, this is annoying. I'm pretty sure that it's my phone, not the network, because it happens regardless of where I am or what kind of background noise there is etc.

Anyway, my phone is quite old and has taken a lot of abuse (run through the washer one time...had chocolate melted onto it...etc.) so it's not difficult to justify getting a new one.

I'm irked, however, by the discovery that cellphone companies charge an arm and a leg for a new phone unless you sign a new 2-year contract. I'm currently off contract with T-Mobile and have been with them for many years. The sales guy says that if I sign a new contract, I get the same deal that a brand-new customer would get, i.e., a free phone. He says this in a tone like I should be grateful that T-Mobile is so nice to me! Whereas I actually think they should treat me *better* than a new customer, for being loyal. I mean, what's to stop me from switching providers?

I understand that this is the way they do business. From their perspective a new customer is actually more valuable because they can upsell and all that. It just annoys me though. I feel like brand loyalty is being denigrated or whatever.

In any case, I'm not actually going to switch providers, because I have a super-cheapo plan with T-Mobile that is only $20/month and I'm grandfathered in; they don't offer that plan any more. As far as I can tell, no one offers a plan for less than $30/month any more. It's true that my plan comes with a laughably small number of minutes, but I rarely use extra minutes, and even when I do, my bill is basically never as high as $30, even with the extra cost of extra minutes.

So I guess I might as well sign a new contract, if it'll keep me my rate and get me a nice new phone. The odds of my switching providers before the contract is up are minimal, so why not? I may, however, go with a one-year contract rather than a two-year. That way you still get the phone for cheaper than if you weren't signing a contract at all, albeit more expensive than if you were signing a contract.

So it looks like I'll be getting a new cellphone. I'm probably going to go with the Samsung, since that's what my current phone is and I really like it. whee!

I get this strange mixture of new-toy covetousness and change-averse anxiety. Oo! A new phone, shiny! Yet at the same time, what if I don't like its buttons? or its this or its that? And so forth. Also, I shall be sad to give up the Imperial Death March (aka Darth Vader's theme) as my ring tone. My old phone is so old, it can't even download ringtones; but it allows you to program in your own ringtone by hand, so I programmed in the IDM, note by painstaking note. Hey, whoever said that B.A. in music theory wouldn't come in handy? LOL!!

Comments

[thinking-lotus.livejournal.com]

Oh, I did the same thing about 6 weeks ago. I had rather less angst about it though, since they fawned over me for having been a customer for so long. I got the phone for free, and a big upgrade too, woot! Though of course if I were signing up for the first time, I would have got a free phone too. Though perhaps not as nice a one. And I like my new phone, though the thrill of downloadable ringtones (I'm pretty sure you can download the darth vader one) wore off quickly. The best thing about having a new phone is that it's really easy to input stuff into your phone book and it's WAY easier to text.

[lapenn.livejournal.com]

Have you looked into buying a phone on ebay? I suppose it's worth it to sign a contract if you're sure you'll be on tmobile for two years. But if you'd like the flexibility, you can get pretty decent phones for not too much on ebay these days.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

yeah, I checked ebay, but I don't want a "gently used" phone, and anyway I want to be able to physically see and hold the phone before I choose. I'm really picky about that stuff apparently.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to just sign the contract. I mean, the odds of me deciding to change providers in the next two years are SO small.

[nonethewiser.livejournal.com]

I am infuriated by the current trend to dawn over new customers in anything instead of celebrating long term customers!!!

[ima-omi.livejournal.com]

Awesome, dude. I programmed my last cell phone to play the Michigan fight song. Then I lost the damn phone. Now mine just rings boringly. It's usually turned off anyway. I'm lame.