 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion Groups General General TopicsGSMBluetoothProviders AlltelATT WirelessCingularFidoNextelSprint PCST-MobileVerizonManufacturers EricssonNokiaMotorolaCountry Specific Australian GroupUK GroupRelated Topics PocketPCPalmMore Topics ... |
Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / T-Mobile / August 2004What's the Logic Behind This?
I understand that they want to recover their costs when they sell me subsidized hardware, but why on Earth does T-Mobile insist on a 12-month contract even when they are not subsidizing your equipment purchase (e.g. if you pay full price for a phone, or if you provide your own)? Cingular has no problem signing me up for a month-to-month contract, and will even sell me an unlocked phone if I pay full retail price for it. But T-Mobile wants to lock me into a long-term deal, even though they have no acquisition costs to recover. What's up with that?  SignatureThe Official AMP Performance Sucks Thread: http://forum.1320stangs.com/index.php?showtopic=5555&st=0 They only require contract if you change to promotional price plan, or get subsidized or break on price... If you dont qualify for discount, you dont get contract requirement.. just pay full freight > I understand that they want to recover their costs when they sell me > subsidized hardware, but why on Earth does T-Mobile insist on a [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > The Official AMP Performance Sucks Thread: > http://forum.1320stangs.com/index.php?showtopic=5555&st=0 >They only require contract if you change to promotional price plan, or get >subsidized or break on price... > >If you dont qualify for discount, you dont get contract requirement.. just >pay full freight That's not what the clerk told me. He said that any new line requires a 12-month commitment. New line is different then simply gettign new handset... You dont have to give up line to get discount... > >They only require contract if you change to promotional price plan, or get > >subsidized or break on price... [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > That's not what the clerk told me. He said that any new line requires > a 12-month commitment. I don't think he has a line to begin with. It doesn't sound like it. > New line is different then simply gettign new handset... > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > That's not what the clerk told me. He said that any new line requires > > a 12-month commitment. >I don't think he has a line to begin with. It doesn't sound like it. Correct. I am signing up for new service. > >I don't think he has a line to begin with. It doesn't sound like it. > > Correct. I am signing up for new service. In that case, the answer is "because they can" and they have to morals. > > >I don't think he has a line to begin with. It doesn't sound like it. > > > > Correct. I am signing up for new service. > > In that case, the answer is "because they can" and they have to morals. Um, that was "no morals." The logic behind it is simple... They discount or give you a phone for free... You agree to stay with the service for one year (or two or more with other carriers) TMobile's primary business is not selling devices... It is generating income by monthly charges, overage charges, pay per event charges... Simply put... The income generated by you staying with TMobile for the year... Sorry for earlier confusion... > I don't think he has a line to begin with. It doesn't sound like it. > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.734 / Virus Database: 488 - Release Date: 8/4/2004 >The logic behind it is simple... > >They discount or give you a phone for free... You seem to have missed the part where I said they are not supplying me with a phone. >You agree to stay with the >service for one year (or two or more with other carriers) Actually, other carriers (e.g. Cingular) are more than happy to sign me up month-to-month as long as they are not providing me with subsidized hardware. T-Mobile is not, and I'm wondering why. Perhaps their service sucks so badly that they know people would bail if they weren't locked in to a long-term contract. Or, as the other poster said, they do it because they can, and because they are greedy. I was hoping to hear a less sinister explanation, but apparently there isn't one. >TMobile's primary business is not selling devices... It is generating income >by monthly charges, overage charges, pay per event charges... Simply put... >The income generated by you staying with TMobile for the year... Cingular is in the same business, yet they somehow manage to be reasonable. As the other poster said... because then choose to... Why does one car dealer offer one thing and another doesnt? Business choice... Soemtimes good sometimes bad, but it is their choice... Doesnt mean they are heartless, doesnt mean they dont want business... Choice based on their plans... If you are so in love with Cingualr, why even bother asking about TMobile? > >The logic behind it is simple... > > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Cingular is in the same business, yet they somehow manage to be > reasonable. >As the other poster said... because then choose to... > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >If you are so in love with Cingualr, why even bother asking about TMobile? Because T-Mob's unlimited GPRS Internet access is $19.95/month with a voice plan; Cingular's is $79.95/month. ;) Besides, here in SoCal, T-Mobile *is* Cingular (T-Mob uses Cingular's network). ;) Actually, it will shortly BE ALL T-Mobile's network... Cingular has sold all of the network in CA and NV to Tmobile... > >As the other poster said... because then choose to... > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > voice plan; Cingular's is $79.95/month. ;) Besides, here in SoCal, > T-Mobile *is* Cingular (T-Mob uses Cingular's network). ;) > As the other poster said... because then choose to... Personally, I don't think T-Mobile thought about it. They have a procedure for new customers, simple as that. You get a subsidized phone, you get a contract, everybody's happy. Why wouldn't you want a phone? How're you going to use cellular service without a phone? Over here in Germany, the general pattern seems to be a 24 month contract with a subsidized phone, or no phone and a $8 or so discount per month, or no contract and you pay the same rates as somebody who took a subsidized phone. SMS messages are around $0.25 each, and MMS are close to a dollar. ick. >Personally, I don't think T-Mobile thought about it. They have a >procedure for new customers, simple as that. You get a subsidized >phone, you get a contract, everybody's happy. Why wouldn't you want a >phone? How're you going to use cellular service without a phone? "I paid full price for the phone." "I already own an unlocked GSM phone and want to use it." I'm sure there are other reasons why someone might not need or want subsidized hardware. SignatureSloth Kills! http://www.geocities.com/slothkills/ > >Personally, I don't think T-Mobile thought about it. They have a > >procedure for new customers, simple as that. You get a subsidized [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I'm sure there are other reasons why someone might not need or want > subsidized hardware. I think he meant those questions rhetorically as examples of the company not thinking. >That's not what the clerk told me. He said that any new line requires >a 12-month commitment. Why, that's because the clerk gets paid commission based on your signing up for a contract. He can't give you a line without a contract because he wouldn't make a cent. I am fairly sure that if you call Tmobile on their toll free number and activate your owned phone you will be able to do it. The difference? No commissioned sales rep. Sad but true. >>That's not what the clerk told me. He said that any new line requires >>a 12-month commitment. > >Why, that's because the clerk gets paid commission based on your >signing up for a contract. He can't give you a line without a contract >because he wouldn't make a cent. Holy conflicts of interest, Batman! >I am fairly sure that if you call Tmobile on their toll free number >and activate your owned phone you will be able to do it. The >difference? No commissioned sales rep. Sad but true. Sad for T-Mobile. They (or their greedy commissioned sales rep) chased away a customer who was ready to sign up right then and there. Ah, well, I'm sure they neither notice nor care. ;) SignatureSloth Kills! http://www.geocities.com/slothkills/ > Sad for T-Mobile. They (or their greedy commissioned sales rep) chased > away a customer who was ready to sign up right then and there. How dare a "greedy" sales rep want to earn a living. Anyway, there is no option to choose a contract when a sales rep activates a phone. The contract is automatically populated. No way around it. Customer care, on the other hand, who knows what they can and cannot do. > I am fairly sure that if you call Tmobile on their toll free number > and activate your owned phone you will be able to do it. The > difference? No commissioned sales rep. Sad but true. Actually in my experience T-Mo would still require the contract. As others have posted, T-Mo probably either never put any thought into a procedure for those who don't need a subsidy, or assumes that those unwilling to commit are far more likely to churn (otherwise they wouldn't be avoiding a contract) and therefore aren't desireable customers. While it's true Cingular does allow new month-to-month activations without subsidies, that's a very small market compared to the traditional "sign up and get a free phone" activation- I assume T-Mo has their reasons not to exploit the no-contract market. Way back when I was a Cingular dealer, we did a few month-to-month activations- they were mostly contractors on temporary jobs needing just a few months of service in that area. Cingular paid us very little for those activations, but who could blame them since they themselves would make little revenue from them. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.