4 ms·

Over in Japan (only experience I have of contract-cellphone-ownership) it is spelled out very clearly when you start a 2-year cellphone contract with a 0-yen up

by darren_ 13y ago

Over in Japan (only experience I have of contract-cellphone-ownership) it is spelled out very clearly when you start a 2-year cellphone contract with a 0-yen upfront phone that you're actually buying the handset over a period of 24 months and the cost is x yen per month (and this is broken out in your bill). Do they not do this in the US?

jusben1369 13y ago
Heck no! That would spoil the fun.
alanctgardner2 13y ago
Nope! The best part is, if you bring your own phone (or hold onto one longer than 2 years) - no savings! You get to subsidize someone else's phone (or bonus). Frankly, this is something I wish the CRTC would sort out.
rprospero 13y ago
Imagine that you're heading out to a restaurant for dinner and getting a nice plate of nachos. However, at the start of your meal, you pull out a big bag of tortilla chips. You then tell the waiter that you've brought your own chips and don't want to use the restaurant's chips. I've known a couple of friendly restaurant owners who would agree to something like this (e.g. for allergies), but not one of them would have given a discount for it. The meal comes with chips, even if you don't want them or eat them. You're going to pay for their chips, even if you bring your own. Most of the US phone carriers have the same attitude towards phones. Your cellular contract comes with a phone. If you want to bring your own phone, that's fine, but the price is going to be the same whether you use their phone or your own. Thankfully, some of the smaller carriers are moving away from this attitude, but bringing your own phone can still be a major pain. After all, the only thing better for a salesman's commission than selling you an expensive contract in exchange for a phone is selling you that same contract and not giving you a phone.
silentOpen 13y ago
No. In the US, you continue to pay your original contract fee (including overpriced handset payment) even after the contract expires. The handset cost is not broken out. After 2 years, the telco expects you to re-up a new 2 year contract and get a new phone. Consumer mobile telecom in the US is fundamentally broken.

by darren_ 13y ago

jusben1369 13y ago

Heck no! That would spoil the fun.

alanctgardner2 13y ago

Nope! The best part is, if you bring your own phone (or hold onto one longer than 2 years) - no savings! You get to subsidize someone else's phone (or bonus). Frankly, this is something I wish the CRTC would sort out.

rprospero 13y ago

Imagine that you're heading out to a restaurant for dinner and getting a nice plate of nachos. However, at the start of your meal, you pull out a big bag of tortilla chips. You then tell the waiter that you've brought your own chips and don't want to use the restaurant's chips. I've known a couple of friendly restaurant owners who would agree to something like this (e.g. for allergies), but not one of them would have given a discount for it. The meal comes with chips, even if you don't want them or eat them. You're going to pay for their chips, even if you bring your own. Most of the US phone carriers have the same attitude towards phones. Your cellular contract comes with a phone. If you want to bring your own phone, that's fine, but the price is going to be the same whether you use their phone or your own. Thankfully, some of the smaller carriers are moving away from this attitude, but bringing your own phone can still be a major pain. After all, the only thing better for a salesman's commission than selling you an expensive contract in exchange for a phone is selling you that same contract and not giving you a phone.

silentOpen 13y ago

No. In the US, you continue to pay your original contract fee (including overpriced handset payment) even after the contract expires. The handset cost is not broken out. After 2 years, the telco expects you to re-up a new 2 year contract and get a new phone. Consumer mobile telecom in the US is fundamentally broken.