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The carriers should be required to tell the customer the total price, including the contract. Perhaps then the consumers would know what they are signing up to.

by vegardx 12y ago

The carriers should be required to tell the customer the total price, including the contract. Perhaps then the consumers would know what they are signing up to. And the contract length should be limited, given how volatile and fast moving the market is.

Shivetya 12y ago
Verizon told me the full price of my 6 and how that was broken down based on two different plans I could choose. In the end since I had completed and past the end of my contract on the 4s the 6 was free. Pay 200 to get it and get 200 back for returning the 4s. There are some good deals out there but most people don't look for them or worse ignore them. There are people won't do the 4s or such trade in because "its a hassle". Yeah, they mail you mailer and you send it back in postage paid. Oh, fill out a form on the site to start the process. There are people who don't care what the true price is just as there are people who don't want to know; they aren't the same people
- tbrock 12y ago
  Actually, you aren't aware of the full price of your contract either. The second you get the opportunity to upgrade you should take it and seek to maximize the value of the discount you get. Phone upgrades are like a call option you get every two years but since you had a 4S you let some time slide in between excercing. If you didn't like the 5s the better move would have been to upgrade anyway and immediately sell the phone, possibly saving the money to buy one later or spend it on something else. The longer you wait to upgrade, once you have the ability, the less your upgrade is worth to you as the carrier has already made the discount back (and then some) through your payments. The optimal strategy is to hit it as soon as you get it.
  - sanderjd 12y ago
    This is why I don't like this model. I don't need or want to spend money on a new phone every two years, but if I don't exercise the option, I'm leaving money on the table. I think the optimal strategy is to avoid "buying" the option to begin with, get a cheap unsubsidized plan, get an inexpensive phone, and keep it for three to five years.
wyager 12y ago
The full details of the contract are available right there on the contract. Not sure what more you think it would be reasonable to expect. The length of the contract is usually limited to two years. Do you think we should have laws forbidding contracts of this duration? Why? Both parties are free to reject contracts they think are too long (or too short).
sbuk 12y ago
O2 have started doing this in the UK. It's actually what pushed me into going SIM free... https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/refreshTariffs/apple/iphone-6-64gb-silver https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/refreshTariffs/apple/iphone-6-64gb... https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/simplicity/ https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/simplicity/

by vegardx 12y ago

Shivetya 12y ago

Verizon told me the full price of my 6 and how that was broken down based on two different plans I could choose. In the end since I had completed and past the end of my contract on the 4s the 6 was free. Pay 200 to get it and get 200 back for returning the 4s. There are some good deals out there but most people don't look for them or worse ignore them. There are people won't do the 4s or such trade in because "its a hassle". Yeah, they mail you mailer and you send it back in postage paid. Oh, fill out a form on the site to start the process. There are people who don't care what the true price is just as there are people who don't want to know; they aren't the same people

tbrock 12y ago
Actually, you aren't aware of the full price of your contract either. The second you get the opportunity to upgrade you should take it and seek to maximize the value of the discount you get. Phone upgrades are like a call option you get every two years but since you had a 4S you let some time slide in between excercing. If you didn't like the 5s the better move would have been to upgrade anyway and immediately sell the phone, possibly saving the money to buy one later or spend it on something else. The longer you wait to upgrade, once you have the ability, the less your upgrade is worth to you as the carrier has already made the discount back (and then some) through your payments. The optimal strategy is to hit it as soon as you get it.
- sanderjd 12y ago
  This is why I don't like this model. I don't need or want to spend money on a new phone every two years, but if I don't exercise the option, I'm leaving money on the table. I think the optimal strategy is to avoid "buying" the option to begin with, get a cheap unsubsidized plan, get an inexpensive phone, and keep it for three to five years.

wyager 12y ago

The full details of the contract are available right there on the contract. Not sure what more you think it would be reasonable to expect. The length of the contract is usually limited to two years. Do you think we should have laws forbidding contracts of this duration? Why? Both parties are free to reject contracts they think are too long (or too short).

sbuk 12y ago

O2 have started doing this in the UK. It's actually what pushed me into going SIM free... https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/refreshTariffs/apple/iphone-6-64gb-silver https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/refreshTariffs/apple/iphone-6-64gb... https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/simplicity/ https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/simplicity/