[Poll]How do you prefer to buy your phone? - General Questions and Answers

So I have been wondering for a while how we here on XDA like to buy our phones.
I hope to catch most everyone with the following categories. And please leave a comment on why you buy the way you do.
Please help me figure this out!

I always have to buy them outside from my country because immediate availability and better price

I trade my Phones on XDA, good deals lol

Sell my old phone on eBay and buy the new one I want at full retail.
--
Sent from my HTC Supersonic.

I shop around for the best place to cash in my subsidization upgrade. Got my Focus for -$22 on contract!

online
I will look for online stores that can provide me handsets at discounted rates with complete reliability.

got my used T-Mob HD2 on ebay.. not available in my country, so the only possibility is to buy it from there..

I like buying my phones online since I get a better selection to choose from and no dealing with pushy salespersons....
Sent from my Droid using XDA App

I normally buy phones from Craigslist since people in my area don't really seem to know the worth of phones. I got my MyTouch4g the week after it was released for 300. Then I sell the older phones on eBay.

I prefer eBay or something like that. Contracts try to hold you down.lol

I shop for mine online. Best deals hands down.
Sent from my shoe, I mean....Epic shoe... I mean Samsung Epic! http://mobilehighway.blogspot.com/

Prefer prepaid full retail, or second hand.
I won my current phone though Huawei IDEOS for free

Almost always off contract, but I try to buy used or refurbished.

I will buy it on Contract. I can get any phone of my choice at cheaper price and it doesnt matter that after contract gets end I will have to gave my phone back.

Most of the time I pay the upgraded price of the phone. Ie. Whatever it cost with a 2 year extension.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium

Related

[Q] If I can get this off-contract for 200, should I?

I've never had an Android phone, but something tells me the Captivate won't be the phone to have for 2 years.
But is it worth getting for 200 dollars? To mess around with and experiment with? I mean I'd use it as my main phone and all, but it's gotten such bad press, I'm not sure what to think of it. Not to mention the guy I am buying it from is switching to Sprint or Verizon because of a lack of HTC Android Phones on ATT.
So, should I go for it? It is a brand new Galaxy S, or a refurbished one... I don't know actually. It is in a box that was sent to him to replace his bricked Galaxy S from when he canceled an update.
And, is the GPS really that bad? Considering my Touch Pro's GPS is horrible, I don't expect much!
Off contract? Yes.
If I could switch to Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile, I'd be goner than gone.
Go for it. It's a good deal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Yes yes yes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Any chance you will share where you can get this phone for $200 off contract. I paid that for min on contract. I would love to get one for my wife but she has another year before she is eligible for an upgrade.
If you go to at&t's site, login and try to buy this phone without a contract they will charge you over $400.
hehe. i'm just gonna pay the breach of contract and switch to sprint for the evo or the epic. not sure wich, but i'm tossing mine up on craigs list. oh, and overstock.com is advertising them for .01 with new contract...
Paid $120 for mine after I called AT&T and told them that my crenelation is less than $100 or they can sell me the new phone for $120. The never thought twice and overnighted the phone to me for the $120.
I paid 230 for mine the first week it came out. I eventually went to best buy and got 80 bucks from them when they put it on sale
I paid $200 for mine. Totally worth it.
Coming from an x10 user, this phone is really good. Of course there is better, there always is hurting the price that you're getting is really good too.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
I would give a resounding "heck yeah". Get it. If you don't like it, you will most likely be able to sell for a profit.
sent from my Cap using teh XDA app.

HTC Sensation at best buy?

Has anyone heard if and when they will be carrying this phone?
THANKS.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA Premium App
Good question and it appears the answer is yes.
My only issue with Best Buy. Is that I'm a NON-contract customer with T-Mobile USA. And Best Buy always wants to charge an arm + both legs for anyone who wants to buy off contract. They specialize in selling with contract, they don't like us non-contract folks.
I'd love it if they'd price match a non-contract price, even the T-Mobile store's $549. Just because Best Buy has some nice protection and buyback type plans. (Not saying I'd nessisairly use their plans, but nice to have options if you want them.) But for me, they're not an option if they do the Sensation like all their other non-contract phones, that they sell for way over regular retail price. I'm sure their non-contract price for the Sensation will be about $650 . They're already selling the EVO 4G out of contract for $599, while you can get that at Amazon off contract for just $469.99, regular retail price for that one is $499.99
Available on the 15th, according to Best Buy Mobile employees
Found out from a friend, that Best Buy WILL price match T-Mobile's price. Plesant news for me . Now I just need this thing unlocked and rooted so I can buy one .
just walk into a walmart and buy it today...i got mind yesterday
Thanks for that info. As for me I buy at Best Buy because well i have credit there and don't want to open up credit anywhere else.
18 month no interest is not a bad deal for me since i always pay off my purchases within a few months so it works for me.
I really hope they match and have this phone on the June 15.

Best place to buy phones off contract??

Is there any one place that consistently has great deals on phones, that don't require a new contract or a contract extension?? Or is everywhere, online and off, pretty much a rip off?
Nu
Sent from PG06100 (Evo Shift 4G) & XDA App
I think that really depends on what you consider a "rip off." One way or another, someone is paying for the phone, whether it's you, or your carrier via subsidies. Judging by the sale history on ebay for most off contract phones, people both buying and selling feel these are fair prices to pay.

[Q] Coming over from Sprint Epic 4G

Bottom line is I'll be joing the T-mo family, and I'm coming over because of cost.
I'm going to be picking up a Used/New Sidekick 4G off of craigslist. I'm looking at spending between 150-200. I need the Keyboard and the Touchslide is out of my cost range. I'm going on the family value plan for 99.89 for two lines. Any suggestions on this phone or anyother with a keyboard. What pitfalls could i get into with buying one off craigslist, can these phones be blacklisted like sprint(I.E. bad ESN), I know they take sim cards. Any other tips
Thx
With Tmobile, I'm pretty sure that popping in your sim card before you buy will tell you whether the esn is clean. I have always used keyboard phones, and for my taste, i'd say the other option besides the SK would be the G2... I think the SK4G has a better keyboard, but I prefer the G2 in just about every other way, the main one being the awesome development by XDA members and Cyanogen etc. that has and is being done for the device. That phone has been out for almost a year, but I am tempted to buy a new one and keep using that sucker. Lol. But I like the SK too, I think it's a great little phone, and the guys here have done some really good stuff with it.
Good luck with your switch!
I just bought my daughter a brand new SK4G for $149.00 at the local T-Mobile store at the Mall. It was an upgrade for an AT&T "pursuit" she had running on T-Mobile. Just a "heads up" for you in case you wanted to check new from a dealer than "Craig's flea market".
My bad, I am on a "classic plan". If you are a heavy texter, no better keyboard IMHO.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
Tmobile will price match so go online and you can probably find someone giving it away free with a new contract then just show them the website. That's what I did and I used amazon wireless to show them, walked out of the store with a free sidekick
xmeatizmurderx said:
Tmobile will price match so go online and you can probably find someone giving it away free with a new contract then just show them the website. That's what I did and I used amazon wireless to show them, walked out of the store with a free sidekick
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They told me on the Value Plan I have to pay retail for the phone, and I don't even qualify for the rebates, however different rep's have told me different things on the rebates.

Best place to get new phone?

I'm up for a phone upgrade with Verizon and am wanting to get a Razr M for it's superior specs over my Droid 2 and the fact the Razr M isn't the size of a 5 subject notebook like so many of the new phones seem to be now.
That said I know I can get it from Verizon, but have noticed Best Buy and Radio Shack both have the phone. I've heard bad stories about Best Buy screwing up peoples contracts or accounts and haven't heard good or bad about Radio Shack.
Also right now the Razr M is free AFTER rebate from Verizon if I visit their store while I believe Best Buy and Radio Shack both are free out the door.
What are your thoughts? Is there another, better, place I should go and renew?
Costco. Hands down. Free accessory bundle with every phone, USUALLY cheapest price in town and a 90 exchange period. No brainer.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Amazon.com
I got a very reasonable price from ebay because the legal backing from PayPal. PayPal will back the buyer in the event of a misleading advertisement. You still need to be careful and do your research, but ebay has my vote.
Depends on which manufacturer
Costco is good. Amazon maybe?
If you are willing to do it online then checkout wirefly or amazon wireless
If you want it in person then give best buy a try. The reason you hear so many horror stories is because they are the most popular non carrier store to get phones. They get it right more often then they get credit for. you don't have to worry about that rebate crap and they can set it all up if your not too tech savy. Plus occasionally they run promotions where people who upgrade through them get a $50 prepaid visa debit card
I worked at a Verizon store, trust me. I've had to deal with plenty of ****ed up accounts another vzw retailer screw up.
Sent From My Samsung Hercules
I usually buy from people outside and then activate it o.o
or craiglist probably
xdomri said:
I usually buy from people outside and then activate it o.o
or craiglist probably
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Click to collapse
eBay
My suggestion is eBay or flipcart.:thumbup:
Try it out..
................................................................................................
I made some good deals on ebay as well as "ebay Kleinanzeigen"

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