Hi Everyone,

This is my dilemma. I need to buy a new cell phone for my husband. He dropped it over the weekend and I don't have insurance and we just upgraded through ATT a month ago. So this is a new phone that he broke. I don't want to buy from ATT. This will only extend our contract.

So where do I buy a trustworthy phone that is durable, but inexpensive. I was thinking about ebay, but I don't want to buy a lemon of a phone. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Judi

Just wanted to let everyone know that I bought a phone on ebay. It came today with both chargers & earpiece.. Great deal! I bid $45.00. I didn't need to activate it. It already is. So for anyone in my situation, I would definitely recommend buying a cell phone through ebay. Thanks for all your help!!!!

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"Try to see the glass half-full."

I've purchased phones from eBay and did not have any problems. Just be choosey on who you do business with.

Search for phone that is compatible with your service.
Bid.
If you win...
Take the phone to your cell phone service provider. They will activate your service on the new phone.

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l/ l/ l/
Dont go through life,
GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

We have bought new phones, from cingular/att without extending our contact, you just have to make sure you buy it outright......This might have changed since the switch over.....My phone died about 2 weeks ago, and I'm looking for a phone also.....I think this might be my excuse to indulge myself with iphone.......

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

my only suggestion would be ebay. this is the reason we keep all our crappy phones once we get new ones (when we upgrade and get the new one free). That way, we have exttras to throw our SIM into. If you just renewed thru ATT, you can't get a new phone at a discount anyway because you won't be eligible til your contract is about over.

If you are looking at a pricey phone, here's what my brother did: he has ATT which to add another line is $9.99 a month and then he gets a corp discount of 25% on that so 7.50 a month. When you add a new line of service, you usually get a new phone for free (or a discount on others). It was cheaper for him to get a 2nd line and pay a discounted price for the phone than to buy a new phone outright. He just switched his SIM card once he got home and never used the 2nd line. $180 (total for service) for 2 years of service was cheaper than $400 for a new phone

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

you can buy one outright but you have to pay full price. Example: we just renewed our contract and got our phones for $50 each. If we break them and have to buy them outright, it's like $400 for the phone.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I have seen posts over the last couple of years of people buying the pay as you go phone and putting in their SIM chip from their broken phone and it is suppose to work. I just recently saw one about the GO PHONE. I have never tried it but, it is cetainly worth a try. I would maybe contact your provider or go to Best Buy or another store that sells different phones to see if it will work for you.

You can use an ATT Go Phone and put your ATT SIM in it...we've done it. the phones just aren't that great

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

My son had a habit of breaking his phones (then he decided to get insurance!). But before that, he would go to Wal-Mart and buy one there. Nice phones too. Then he'd take it to the cell phone provider and they'd program it for him.

If you just upgraded then shouldn't there be a manufacturer warranty for a year with the new phone? We are through verizon and I know that we have a year in case of any problems covered. I wish you luck. Regular prices on these phones are simply outrageous.

Nicole

I would take the phone into the AT&T store and see what they say. Since it is new, they may replace it for you. I would not say it was dropped, just that it didn't work (if they asked if it as dropped, I would be truthful, however). We had a Cingular phone replaced one time -- they said they would replace it as long as it was less than a year old and the damage was not deliberate. We no longer have Cingular (switched to Verizon over a year ago), so I don't know if they still have this policy or not. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Sarah......mom to Jason & Devin

Check the GS board...somoene there has a couple for sale!

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TLJ ~ Women United in Spirit

I know someone that went and bought one of those Net10 or one of the other pay by the month phones at Walmart, then put their SIM card into it and used it with no problem.

My cell phone was caught in the sectional and it shattered the screen. There was no way we could afford another, so I asked on Freecycle and someone gave me one! Matt put the SIM card in and viola!

Do you have a Freecycle in your area? You can go to The Freecycle Network for a location near you. Also, Cheapcycle is a popular place to buy a phone, I've seen them for as little as $5.

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Catt
~ Mirror Mirror on the wall, I am my mother - after all! ~

mabear74 - The Iphone is awesome. If you're up for renewal, and don't mind extending your contract I would find a free upgrade first. Then after you get the upgrade, purchase the Iphone. That way you have a backup if you have any problems with the Iphone. You don't have to be up for renewal to get the Iphone as you're buying it outright. I did this last month, as I had read about people having problems with their phones and having to send them in to Apple to be fixed. I figured by doing it this way, if I had to send the phone in, I would have a good back-up!!!

The only downside I've seen to the Iphone is the battery life. If you do much on the internet or use it as an IPOD it drains pretty quickly.



Sorry to sidetrack the thread!

prepaid phones work as long as they are for the same carrier, so if you have AT&T make sure you buy a prepaid for AT&T. If you don't have a SIM card because some don't you just call CS and tell them you need to switch phones (it used to be and IMEI number that is inside the phone-but I dont know if after 3 years this still exists)

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to check Walmart tomorrow. I will check the other board, but I'm a little leary sp? buying a used phone from someone Also, I do not know. Not sure I can do anything through ATT.

Thanks again for the help. I sooooo appreciate this board!!


Judi

__________________
"Try to see the glass half-full."

Thanks for the tip........I told DH I wanted one, and he told me to just go get it......I'm just having issues with spending that much money on myself prior to Christmas, might wait till January.....

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O