4 ms·

When someone is not paying the full price of a phone, how can they expect to do anything with the phone? People don't actually own them.

mokus 14y ago
> People don't actually own them. Of course they do. If I buy a new house or car, I don't have to pay the full price up front, but when I have finished paying for it I absolutely do own it. Subsidized phones are essentially loans. You pay for them over the course of your contract or with early termination fees, and when the contract is over you own them 100%.
- donniezazen 14y ago
  They do allow you to unlock the phone after two years.
  - thedufer 14y ago
    If by "they" you mean "some carriers". They are by no means required to do so, and there's no reason to believe that they will continue to do so.
    - donniezazen 14y ago
      It is absolutely ridiculous to compare a property, if modest would steal your treasures to amount of 200K, with a 500 bucks phone. Nice thing would be if people abandon this culture of getting subsidized phones and then blame carriers for implementing restrictions.
darkarmani 14y ago
> People don't actually own them. I think you need to read up on property law or show me what law I'm ignorant of that says you don't actually own the phone.
- donniezazen 14y ago
  You do use your property for intended purposes on the basis of legal agreement you signed in.
- zanny 14y ago
  The contract you sign with the carrier says you don't own the phone until after the contract period expires. Same reason you can't just make copies of a cd of any band you like and hand them out to your friends, in the eyes of the law you may own a plastic disc but the information stored on it isn't yours to own, it is yours to borrow and use in a restricted set of circumstances the rights holder approves of.
  - darkarmani 14y ago
    > The contract you sign with the carrier says you don't own the phone until after the contract period expires You mean like when you sign a mortgage to buy a new home? Only it isn't true. You own your house even if you default which is why you can rip all of the copper and sell it for money before they foreclose on your home. The contract with the carrier definitely doesn't say they own your phone. It makes no sense for them to say that since they have you for early termination fees.

mokus 14y ago

> People don't actually own them. Of course they do. If I buy a new house or car, I don't have to pay the full price up front, but when I have finished paying for it I absolutely do own it. Subsidized phones are essentially loans. You pay for them over the course of your contract or with early termination fees, and when the contract is over you own them 100%.

donniezazen 14y ago
They do allow you to unlock the phone after two years.
- thedufer 14y ago
  If by "they" you mean "some carriers". They are by no means required to do so, and there's no reason to believe that they will continue to do so.
  - donniezazen 14y ago
    It is absolutely ridiculous to compare a property, if modest would steal your treasures to amount of 200K, with a 500 bucks phone. Nice thing would be if people abandon this culture of getting subsidized phones and then blame carriers for implementing restrictions.

darkarmani 14y ago

> People don't actually own them. I think you need to read up on property law or show me what law I'm ignorant of that says you don't actually own the phone.

donniezazen 14y ago
You do use your property for intended purposes on the basis of legal agreement you signed in.
zanny 14y ago
The contract you sign with the carrier says you don't own the phone until after the contract period expires. Same reason you can't just make copies of a cd of any band you like and hand them out to your friends, in the eyes of the law you may own a plastic disc but the information stored on it isn't yours to own, it is yours to borrow and use in a restricted set of circumstances the rights holder approves of.
- darkarmani 14y ago
  > The contract you sign with the carrier says you don't own the phone until after the contract period expires You mean like when you sign a mortgage to buy a new home? Only it isn't true. You own your house even if you default which is why you can rip all of the copper and sell it for money before they foreclose on your home. The contract with the carrier definitely doesn't say they own your phone. It makes no sense for them to say that since they have you for early termination fees.