Ethical question

Is it wrong to buy a subsidized phone if I know that I am about to move / cancel a contract? Are phones subsidized because the carrier knows they will make their money back on the contract. Are the phones really worth the lower price and maybe the phones that are sold without a contract are higher-priced to lure people into a contract (make sense)?

I currently have a Curve 8310 ('have only had it about 2 mos). I really, really want the 8900 and AT&T now has it. We are moving out of the country in 4 weeks on gov't. orders and the contract would be able to be cancelled with no penalty.

I'd love to go to AT&T, open an addt'l. line for $9.99, buy the 8900 for $199 (after rebate), and go about my day...but I don't want to do anything shady.

Thoughts?

Well your move could get cancelled for some unforseen reason...

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I have my doubts that you can get away with getting the discounted phone and then canceling with no penalty that soon after. I'd check into that no penalty policy.

If you have to ask, don't you already know that this is a little shady?
There is also the legal question of signing up for a contract when you know you will be getting out of it prematurely. It's one thing to be excused from your existing contract. It's an altogether different story to sign up for another contract.
If you feel guilty, it's wrong.

Originally Posted by alleycat0124

If you have to ask, don't you already know that this is a little shady?

If you feel guilty, it's wrong.

Thanks! That is what I thought. I was just hoping that someone would say that it was perfectly OK and that I possibly misunderstood pricing, etc. I can wish ;)

Anyhow, I looked up T-Mobile in Germany and they have the 8900! So I'll just wait till we get there and sign up with them. Or go ahead and buy an unlocked 8900 on eBay.

Thanks again!

Glad I could help.

I also want to mention that you shouldn't count on being able to get out of your contract easily. I don't remember which carrier it was, but when my brother got sent to Afghanistan for nearly 2 years, his carrier was giving him all kinds of crap about canceling his contract. I know he talked to several different levels of management, even faxed in his papers, and they still would not let him out of the contract. He finally just paid the ETF, just to get rid of them.

This is why you agree to an ETF when signing up for a contract.

Originally Posted by lustingxlove

This is why you agree to an ETF when signing up for a contract.

Normally I would agree with you. But when it comes to our military men and women being shipped to locations outside of their carrier's coverage, then exceptions need to be made. There is no reason why the carrier has to be a **** about it, and try to gouge them. In this case, they lost a customer that had been with them for several years.

Originally Posted by NicoleW78

Normally I would agree with you. But when it comes to our military men and women being shipped to locations outside of their carrier's coverage, then exceptions need to be made. There is no reason why the carrier has to be a **** about it, and try to gouge them. In this case, they lost a customer that had been with them for several years.

Yes, I have to agree. When the service member is required to PCS or take an overseas tour, they should be released from their contract as a courtesy.

That being said I told AT&T when I signed up for this last phone that there was a good possibility that we would be leaving the country before my contract was up because my husband, who works for the DOD, was possibly going to be transferred to Germany. Not only did the AT&T rep tell me that all they needed to cancel the contract was a copy of my husband's orders, he also had my husband come in with his ID and now he gets a discount on his line each month! We have had excellent service with AT&T.

I think u would get screwed over somewhere on your plan. weather it be that they won't let u out of contract w/o fees or get u on the phone rebate thing. so, i wouldn't suggest doing this. just wait til u get to germany, like u said. i have tmobile and LOVE them, so just wait. :D

When you cancel your account you carrier will ask for their phones back, most likely.

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