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  1. #31
    Mike T.
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    >
    > Indeed. There's also the problem of people running up and stiffing the
    > dealer
    > on large air time bills, so the issue is even bigger than that. There's
    > just
    > not enough margin in cellular sales.


    As I wrote before, have the handsets programmed to ONLY connect to
    911
    other customers of the same cellular provider (mobile to mobile enabled) AND
    customer service 800 number

    No large airtime bills. -Dave





    See More: Why IS IT...




  2. #32
    John Navas
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on Tue, 6 Dec
    2005 11:31:00 -0500, "Mike T." <[email protected]> wrote:

    >> Indeed. There's also the problem of people running up and stiffing the
    >> dealer
    >> on large air time bills, so the issue is even bigger than that. There's
    >> just
    >> not enough margin in cellular sales.

    >
    >As I wrote before, have the handsets programmed to ONLY connect to
    >911
    >other customers of the same cellular provider (mobile to mobile enabled) AND
    >customer service 800 number


    Not practical.

    --
    Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
    John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>



  3. #33
    TabooLexicon
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    First of all, the premise that even the low-end phones cost providers
    virtually nothing is a farse. Why would any of them charge for half of
    their low end phones at all if they cost nothing? They subsidize the
    price because they know they'll make it up with rate plans and
    features. That means, they paid more for the phone that you are paying
    up front.

    Test driving phones sounds like a great marketing idea. Perhaps
    D-Mobile could do it since the other carriers who have been in the
    business for years on end have no idea how to operate effectively in
    the industry.




  4. #34
    clifto
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    TabooLexicon wrote:
    > First of all, the premise that even the low-end phones cost providers
    > virtually nothing is a farse. Why would any of them charge for half of
    > their low end phones at all if they cost nothing?


    You've GOT to be kidding.

    --
    If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
    my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.



  5. #35
    John Navas
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

    In <[email protected]> on Wed, 07 Dec 2005 22:54:01 -0600,
    clifto <[email protected]> wrote:

    >TabooLexicon wrote:
    >> First of all, the premise that even the low-end phones cost providers
    >> virtually nothing is a farse. Why would any of them charge for half of
    >> their low end phones at all if they cost nothing?

    >
    >You've GOT to be kidding.


    Because ... ?

    --
    Best regards, SEE THE FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS AT
    John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>



  6. #36
    clifto
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    John Navas wrote:
    > clifto <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>TabooLexicon wrote:
    >>> First of all, the premise that even the low-end phones cost providers
    >>> virtually nothing is a farse. Why would any of them charge for half of
    >>> their low end phones at all if they cost nothing?

    >>
    >>You've GOT to be kidding.

    >
    > Because ... ?


    They do it because they CAN. They do it because there's zero competition;
    if you want a phone that works on their network, and you're not one of
    the savvy few who can eBay one, you'll pay whatever they want. They do
    it because all the others still do it, for the same reasons just given.

    When Verizon goes to Motorola and says, "I'll take 10,000 of this one
    and 25,000 of that one and 40,000 of this other one," they are paying
    only a small fraction of the retail price for each unit.

    I see that Cingular *is* giving some low-end phones away (with 2-year
    contract, of course, and possibly a rebate). These phones probably
    cost them less than a ticket to the movies. Wonder if that's to
    entice AT&T TDMA customers?

    --
    If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
    my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.



  7. #37
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    Dave wrote:

    > Again, you should NEVER buy a car from a dealer that insists on having
    > someone accompany you on a test drive. Only the shadiest of car dealers
    > operate that way.


    I was surprised the first time a dealer just handed me the keys and told
    me to take the vehicle out myself. I still wouldn't make any judgment as
    to the dealer's character based on this.



  8. #38
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    Mike T. wrote:
    >> Indeed. There's also the problem of people running up and stiffing the
    >> dealer
    >> on large air time bills, so the issue is even bigger than that. There's
    >> just
    >> not enough margin in cellular sales.

    >
    > As I wrote before, have the handsets programmed to ONLY connect to
    > 911
    > other customers of the same cellular provider (mobile to mobile enabled) AND
    > customer service 800 number
    >
    > No large airtime bills. -Dave


    Actually it's quite easy to do the 911 part of that because unactivated
    handsets will connect just fine. The problem there is that you may be
    roaming onto a non-native network and not know it.

    It wouldn't be difficult for a cellular store to have a few phones that
    they let people take out as loaners in order to test coverage. As you
    said, they could have them set up only to call in-network.



  9. #39
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    TabooLexicon wrote:
    > First of all, the premise that even the low-end phones cost providers
    > virtually nothing is a farse.


    "Virtually nothing" is an exaggeration. The low end phones still cost
    the carrier around $40. This will fall to around $25 in 2006, and $15 in
    2007.

    > Why would any of them charge for half of
    > their low end phones at all if they cost nothing?


    That statement is some kind of a joke, right? Since when do carriers set
    their prices based on the cost. Look at Verizon's $30 car chargers!

    The reason for no "trial phones" is that the carrier doesn't want you to
    find out about coverage issues. They know that even if coverage is poor,
    most people won't go through the hassle of returning the phone and
    canceling, in time. Furthermore, most people don't even realize how
    limited coverage is until they travel around a bit.



  10. #40
    Dave
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...



    > Dave wrote:
    >
    >> Again, you should NEVER buy a car from a dealer that insists on having
    >> someone accompany you on a test drive. Only the shadiest of car dealers
    >> operate that way.

    >
    > I was surprised the first time a dealer just handed me the keys and told
    > me to take the vehicle out myself.


    I'm sorry to hear that. That you were surprised, that is. It should have
    been something that you EXPECTED to happen. -Dave






  11. #41
    Dave
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...


    >> As I wrote before, have the handsets programmed to ONLY connect to
    >> 911
    >> other customers of the same cellular provider (mobile to mobile enabled)
    >> AND
    >> customer service 800 number
    >>
    >> No large airtime bills. -Dave

    >
    > Actually it's quite easy to do the 911 part of that because unactivated
    > handsets will connect just fine. The problem there is that you may be
    > roaming onto a non-native network and not know it.
    >
    > It wouldn't be difficult for a cellular store to have a few phones that
    > they let people take out as loaners in order to test coverage. As you
    > said, they could have them set up only to call in-network.
    >


    THANK YOU!!! People are objecting to this idea as if it's such a hardship
    for cellular providers to do this, yet (as I wrote a long time ago), it is a
    lot less risk to the cellular provider than a car dealership handing you the
    keys to a brand new car for a test drive. And while the test drive in the
    car is somewhat redundant (you wouldn't be driving it if you were absolutely
    opposed to buying it), testing the cellular network is NECESSARY. Even if
    you want to sign a cellular contract, you won't know if that's a smart thing
    to do until AFTER you've taken the handset home, to work, etc. So if
    anything, it should be MORE COMMON for cellular providers to loan handsets
    for network testing than it is for car dealers to allow test drives of new
    cars. -Dave






  12. #42
    Dave
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...


    > That statement is some kind of a joke, right? Since when do carriers set
    > their prices based on the cost. Look at Verizon's $30 car chargers!
    >


    . . . that sell at a 100% profit margin on ebay for $.99, and the non-oem
    ones for a penny!!! -Dave






  13. #43
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    Dave wrote:
    >
    >
    >> Dave wrote:
    >>
    >>> Again, you should NEVER buy a car from a dealer that insists on having
    >>> someone accompany you on a test drive. Only the shadiest of car dealers
    >>> operate that way.

    >> I was surprised the first time a dealer just handed me the keys and told
    >> me to take the vehicle out myself.

    >
    > I'm sorry to hear that. That you were surprised, that is. It should have
    > been something that you EXPECTED to happen. -Dave


    I just thought it strange, because they didn't even ask me for a
    driver's license or anything.



  14. #44
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    Dave wrote:
    >
    >>> As I wrote before, have the handsets programmed to ONLY connect to
    >>> 911
    >>> other customers of the same cellular provider (mobile to mobile enabled)
    >>> AND
    >>> customer service 800 number
    >>>
    >>> No large airtime bills. -Dave

    >> Actually it's quite easy to do the 911 part of that because unactivated
    >> handsets will connect just fine. The problem there is that you may be
    >> roaming onto a non-native network and not know it.
    >>
    >> It wouldn't be difficult for a cellular store to have a few phones that
    >> they let people take out as loaners in order to test coverage. As you
    >> said, they could have them set up only to call in-network.
    >>

    >
    > THANK YOU!!! People are objecting to this idea as if it's such a hardship
    > for cellular providers to do this, yet (as I wrote a long time ago), it is a
    > lot less risk to the cellular provider than a car dealership handing you the
    > keys to a brand new car for a test drive.


    Of course the carriers that would object to the trial idea would also
    likely be the ones with the lousy coverage.

    Personally, if I were a carrier that was confident in my coverage, I'd
    have phones from all the competitors to lend out as well, simultaneously.



  15. #45
    SMS
    Guest

    Re: Why IS IT...

    Dave wrote:
    >
    >> That statement is some kind of a joke, right? Since when do carriers set
    >> their prices based on the cost. Look at Verizon's $30 car chargers!
    >>

    >
    > . . . that sell at a 100% profit margin on ebay for $.99, and the non-oem
    > ones for a penny!!! -Dave

    \
    Yeah, with $6-7 shipping.



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