Almost everyone has a cell phone these days. Even my grandmother has one. Today's society has become dependent on them. Our family is no different. Between my job and being a 1 car family, we use ours quite a bit. Actually, one moth last year, I spent over 20 hours on the phone.
Well, Amanda's phone has reached its limit. The poor phone won't hold a charge well, gets horrible reception and makes a funny squawking noise when you talk to her on the phone. Time to get a new phone...Right? Not Amanda. As long as she can sent out SOS messages on her phone she is happy not to spend any money on a new phone. Let me give you an example...
Amanda has been complaining about her phone for several months. I have heard her say "Stupid phone," "this thing isn't working" and "JUNK!" So the other day, we went into an AT&T store to look at phones. I picked out one I think would work well for her while she walked around looking at price tags. Now, I'm not advocating that we get a really expensive phone, but she is opposed to spending ANY money. We walked out of the store empty handed and depressed the poor guy who was thinking he had a sale.
Then, today, I get an email from her telling me her phone isn't working and she needs a new phone. Can you believe that? Just a few days before, I was trying to get her one!
So, tonight I get on the phone with AT&T. The contract her her line is up for renewal and I decided to use this as leverage to get her a good phone. The first rep I talked to ended up hanging up on me because of an alarm that was going off in the building. The second one wanted me to pay the full price for phone and transfered me to a supervisor's voice mail. Knowing that cell phone prices are completely negotiable, I decided to give it one more try. The third rep started by offering me crazy high prices. After threatening to cancel my contract and proving that I have received discounted prices on phones in the past, the rep conceded to give me the price I wanted. The result...after 1.5 hrs on the phone...I got a $229 retail phone for $29 cash.
For all of you who have cell phones, I want you to know that the listed price for cell phones is simply a lie. It is like buying a car. Sticker price is not what you have to pay! If you fight for what you want, maintain a reputable image with the company by paying your bill on time and do your research, anyone can get a reasonable deal on a phone. Make sure the next time you buy a phone, fight the lies and remember CELL PHONE PRICES ARE NEGOTIABLE!
