[Jonny1500]

According to the Blackberry Venice rumor the device will be coming to AT&T, why does Blackberry keep entering into exclusive agreements with the company when AT&T refuses to display the phones in their retail stores?

Shouldn't the contract the sign with AT&T have some language indicating it's given shelf space; how do they expect people to buy the thing if they don't even know it exists? A consumer literally has to demand a Blackberry phone from a AT&T store since it not only has to be specially ordered but the representative will either actively or passively try to sell you something else first.

My question is why does Blackberry keep partnering with AT&T? The answer appears to be that they are completely incompetent, but I really don't want to believe that anyone who has attained a position of power within a company can truly be that dumb (not to mention the people advising them).
Does any have any insight into why Blackberry keeps making deals with AT&T?

[Bla1ze]

Who said its an exclusive agreement? Aside from that, it's still just a rumor anyway. A logical one but... still a rumor. As for why, well... AT&T is one of the top three carriers. They're still not so friendly with VZW since the Storm days and they're only now repairing the relationship with T-Mobile... who does that leave? AT&T. Plus, you know.... AT&T was the first carrier in the US to ever offer BlackBerry, there's still love there. You also have to remember that AT&T stores aren't all corporate owned and well, some are shotty in regard to what corp. offices want reflected and what is actually reflected.

[TgeekB]

The AT&T store I go to has never given me problems with purchasing a Blackberry. It may not get equal shelf space with the Galaxy S6 (why should it?) but they sell them and that's all that counts.

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[kbz1960]

Maybe AT&T is the only one that will carry them?

[Bonsaibo]

Maybe AT&T is the only one that will carry them?

Let's hope not. Lots of other user's on the other 3 carriers. You want to sell devices, you put them on all carriers.

[BBUniq01]

I have Tmobile and even during the break up I have never had a Tmobile rep diss my Blackberrys. They have always been respectful when I come in and also over the phone. I did go to a Verizon store to check the Z30 out when it was first released and the AT&T store to look at a Passport (did not have them displayed). The reps were more helpful at Verizon than AT&T. My husband has AT&T and my many dealings with them has steered me away from the company, period. Poor customer service.

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[bap3221]

If it was the iphone and everyone wanted it, it would work. But when 85% of the population doesn't know it still exists and BlackBerry doesn't advertise, you need to put it on every carrier possible...

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[Chuck Finley69]

It may be the only way that AT&T would agree to a deal and Verizon hasn't committed to BlackBerry since Z30. Look how poorly that went for BlackBerry. Plus AT&T (T-Mobile also) networks also support unlocked version. If your carrier won't support your hardware then find a new carrier. Regardless, BlackBerry can't force their phones on any carrier.

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[ChainPunch]

AT&T is willing to purchase Blackberry phones, it just that simple. I would be still on US Cellular if they offered blackberry 10 phones, but US Cellular has dropped blackberry and no longer offer any blackberry phones.

[ChainPunch]

Often times you have sales people giving customers their opinion and that is what hurts blackberry the most. Sales people should help the customer pick out the best phone for them and not feel like they have put down a certain phone in the process. When I went into a AT&T store to get a new sim for my classic and the sales person was shocked that I had a blackberry. I cut them short and basically said just get me a new sim for my phone and nothing more. I have may have came off as kinda of rude, but I did not come into the store to debate my phone choice with someone with opinion is does not matter.

[dbmalloy]

What seems to be missed here is BB is essentially a dead brand in the consumer market... few phones sold in relation to other major sellers.... ATT has a huge corporate presence as compared to verizon and sprint... as BB had effectively left the consumer market and is putting it's efforts into Enterprise it would make sense to be exclusive on certain models... If you look the Passport... as much as some consumers like it.. it was designed for the corporate market.... If the fabled Android addition happens you may see BB brand become less tarnished and the bleed through to the consumer market more evident... but time to face facts... quit looking at BB from a consumer stand point.. when you do the deals Chen has made in the past year make sense...

[co4nd]

According to the Blackberry Venice rumor the device will be coming to AT&T, why does Blackberry keep entering into exclusive agreements with the company when AT&T refuses to display the phones in their retail stores?

Shouldn't the contract the sign with AT&T have some language indicating it's given shelf space; how do they expect people to buy the thing if they don't even know it exists? A consumer literally has to demand a Blackberry phone from a AT&T store since it not only has to be specially ordered but the representative will either actively or passively try to sell you something else first.

My question is why does Blackberry keep partnering with AT&T? The answer appears to be that they are completely incompetent, but I really don't want to believe that anyone who has attained a position of power within a company can truly be that dumb (not to mention the people advising them).
Does any have any insight into why Blackberry keeps making deals with AT&T?

Two things, many large enterprise customers use AT&T. Second most AT&T stores are franchises, and don't always sell the full line up. I don't know if it's changed but in the past if you wanted to get an iPhone you used to have to only go to a corporate owned store. I've been an AT&T for a long time (since my curve 8300) but I never go to AT&T stores, I either deal directly with AT&T via phone or deal directly the device manufacturer (buy all my iPhones from the Apple Store).

[Cozz4ever]

According to the Blackberry Venice rumor the device will be coming to AT&T, why does Blackberry keep entering into exclusive agreements with the company when AT&T refuses to display the phones in their retail stores?

Shouldn't the contract the sign with AT&T have some language indicating it's given shelf space; how do they expect people to buy the thing if they don't even know it exists? A consumer literally has to demand a Blackberry phone from a AT&T store since it not only has to be specially ordered but the representative will either actively or passively try to sell you something else first.

My question is why does Blackberry keep partnering with AT&T? The answer appears to be that they are completely incompetent, but I really don't want to believe that anyone who has attained a position of power within a company can truly be that dumb (not to mention the people advising them).
Does any have any insight into why Blackberry keeps making deals with AT&T?

Isn't this how the iPhone started? CDMA based lines are at the end of the road with vzw switching over soon. I feel there's a certain gain working with att over some other carriers. I just don't know what it is.

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[prplhze2000]

BlackBerry burned Verizon twice and burned them badly. Verizon won't be doing them any favors. It's AT&T or bust.

AT&T stores have always given me good service on my BlackBerry. No jokes, no sneers. They even call the day after I buy one to make sure my phone works well.

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[Jonny1500]

The AT&T store I go to has never given me problems with purchasing a Blackberry. It may not get equal shelf space with the Galaxy S6 (why should it?) but they sell them and that's all that counts.

Posted via CB10

Does it get any shelf space at all?
What I meant by passively trying to sell another phone is by making comments like "I haven't sold one of those in 2 years" or even "why would you want that?"

[TgeekB]

Does it get any shelf space at all?
What I meant by passively trying to sell another phone is by making comments like "I haven't sold one of those in 2 years" or even "why would you want that?"

They are on the wall mixed with other phones. When I went to get a sim for my Classic (before they had it), the guy said "is that the new Blackberry? Can I see it?" he played with it for a while and said they'd be getting it soon, which they did. They never try to push me to buy a particular phone.

As far as being on display, you display what is popular and what sells. Every store does that. Marketing 101.

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[Jonny1500]

The Passport is just such a great phone, and anyone who has one can attest to the fact that strangers in the street take notice and ask about them. I believe there is a larger demand for a physical keyboard than manufactures realize.
That being said, I truly believe that if they had the Passport next to iPhone and Samsung handsets that they would sell multiple times the numbers Passports that they currently do.
How hard would it be to negotiate a provision to their agreement with AT&T that a certain percentage of corporate stores display the handset for even just 30 days (as I believe so strongly that if they just displayed the thing it would sell). It's just one phone, is shelf space at such a premium that this wouldn't be feasible?
BTW the Passport is currently only $99 on AT&T's website.

[nbaliga]

CDMA is on it's way out, so until VZW switches to VoLTE, they're probably trying to stick to GSM devices. Now that they're still making up with TMO, AT&T is probably there just by default.

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[TgeekB]

The Passport is just such a great phone, and anyone who has one can attest to the fact that strangers in the street take notice and ask about them. I believe there is a larger demand for a physical keyboard than manufactures realize.
That being said, I truly believe that if they had the Passport next to iPhone and Samsung handsets that they would sell multiple times the numbers Passports that they currently do.
How hard would it be to negotiate a provision to their agreement with AT&T that a certain percentage of corporate stores display the handset for even just 30 days (as I believe so strongly that if they just displayed the thing it would sell). It's just one phone, is shelf space at such a premium that this wouldn't be feasible?
BTW the Passport is currently only $99 on AT&T's website.

Yes, shelf space is at a premium. Just like the ends of isles in the grocery store. You pay a high price for that space. Does Blackberry think they would sell so many more that it would pay off in the end? Apparently not.

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[OTCHRussell]

The Passport is just such a great phone, and anyone who has one can attest to the fact that strangers in the street take notice and ask about them. I believe there is a larger demand for a physical keyboard than manufactures realize.
That being said, I truly believe that if they had the Passport next to iPhone and Samsung handsets that they would sell multiple times the numbers Passports that they currently do.
How hard would it be to negotiate a provision to their agreement with AT&T that a certain percentage of corporate stores display the handset for even just 30 days (as I believe so strongly that if they just displayed the thing it would sell). It's just one phone, is shelf space at such a premium that this wouldn't be feasible?
BTW the Passport is currently only $99 on AT&T's website.

Sadly, a couple months ago I saw a Passport in an AT&T store in FL. I really wanted to play with it, but the salesman said it was broken and wouldn't turn on!!!
They did have a working Classic, and I was pretty impressed!!

9000 > Q10 > Z10 >Z30>

[sloanb]

In my experience all official retail stores have BlackBerry devices on display. The authorized dealers are the ones that have a choice and tend to never have them on display or worse even available for purchase.

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[anon(153966)]

Whatever device BlackBerry make, I just want the option to buy it from BlackBerry directly. Period...

[GadgetTravel]

According to the Blackberry Venice rumor the device will be coming to AT&T, why does Blackberry keep entering into exclusive agreements with the company when AT&T refuses to display the phones in their retail stores?

Shouldn't the contract the sign with AT&T have some language indicating it's given shelf space; how do they expect people to buy the thing if they don't even know it exists? A consumer literally has to demand a Blackberry phone from a AT&T store since it not only has to be specially ordered but the representative will either actively or passively try to sell you something else first.

My question is why does Blackberry keep partnering with AT&T? The answer appears to be that they are completely incompetent, but I really don't want to believe that anyone who has attained a position of power within a company can truly be that dumb (not to mention the people advising them).
Does any have any insight into why Blackberry keeps making deals with AT&T?

Because they are a really big carrier??

[GadgetTravel]

It may be the only way that AT&T would agree to a deal and Verizon hasn't committed to BlackBerry since Z30. Look how poorly that went for BlackBerry. Plus AT&T (T-Mobile also) networks also support unlocked version. If your carrier won't support your hardware then find a new carrier. Regardless, BlackBerry can't force their phones on any carrier.

Posted via CB10

Verizon has the Classic. I think the only things that they haven't carried recently are the Passport and Q5.

[bb10adopter111]

People like my wife and I who are longtime BlackBerry users and AT&T customers. Even when AT&T was the exclusive iPhone carrier, they supported BlackBerry as well as anyone in the US.

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