[durex]

Ive owned numerous cell phones over the years and have always purchased them and my service contracts directly from the cell phone providers (i.e. ATT WS).

It seems everywhere you go now, there are 10 'authorized dealers' to every 1 provider location.. and thats not even including the online providers.

My question is, are there any downsides / upsides to purchasing through an authorized dealer vs directly from the provider? I assume prices / promos would be one advantage, but it just seems a bit more shady purchasing a cell contract via an online site or one of those tiny booths in the malls.

Thanks for the advice!!

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› See More: Purchasing through an 'authorized dealer' vs direct?

[durex]

anyone?

[enothing]

Sometimes authorized dealers may charge you additional fees; but they might also have better prices.

[MotoFan]

Dealers/retailers can give a great deal, but you got to shop around a lot and compare. Online - I would trust only amazon. Their cust service is excellent. But buying online has one problem if the situation arises - that is if your equipment needs to be returned or fixed. Shipping costs and wait times vary.
I have got excellent deals from my local retailer. He is able to reduce more than the providers because he can choose to make less money and give me better price breaks.

[sisterpine]

Why exactly is it that we must buy a phone from our provider or authorized dealer? How can it not be a monopoly/unfair trade issue for us to be required to purchase a phone this way. Just like in the old days AT&T got in trouble for telling us we had to rent/buy their phones to use their land lines! We need to wake up and smell the crooked people! We should be able to purchase the phone we want at the best price we can find regardless of whom our chosen carrier is. The way they are doing it now knocks out any price competition that should be there in a free economy!

[5yearcellguy]

Most people are sorry for going to dealer's. Go to the main store they know what they are doing. Dealer's will do anything including lying to get your buisness. Just wait till you have trouble with your phone and they won't help you. Although they will send you to the direct store to ask for help. And suprise suprise you find out you where sold an obsolite phone, or mabby it was used. I see these things all the time. Dealers are there for one porpose to sell you a phone and forget about you, they don't care how they do it. If it were up to me dealers would be shut down. Sorry for my rant I just have seen to many people screwed over by dealers.

[MotoFan]

My experience with dealers have been the other way. Maybe I was lucky.
One thing about dealers is that if you cancel your service very early, they dont get any commissions. My dealer informed me that he gets commission only after a customer remains on the plan for 6 monhts.

I have also not had problem in choosing my own phone, as long as it is compatible with the network. I chose a the razor V3 for T-mobile although it is not sold or supported by T-mobile and it is available only for cingular. As long it is unlocked and GSM, i can use it on other gsm networks.
Also the provider was good enough to send the update to some part of the software to enable me to use the provider's features - like T-zones. However they cannot change the firmware. This is installed on the phone by the manufacturer and requires high level of skill to change. Maybe some nerds out there in this forum can do it to some extent like customizing the menus etc.

[markansas859]

Most people are sorry for going to dealer's. Go to the main store they know what they are doing. Dealer's will do anything including lying to get your buisness. Just wait till you have trouble with your phone and they won't help you. Although they will send you to the direct store to ask for help. And suprise suprise you find out you where sold an obsolite phone, or mabby it was used. I see these things all the time. Dealers are there for one porpose to sell you a phone and forget about you, they don't care how they do it. If it were up to me dealers would be shut down. Sorry for my rant I just have seen to many people screwed over by dealers.

yeah

I bought my Motorola phone from Wal-Mart, ALLTEL contract.

on the surface, it looks good, 1 year commitment instead of 2.

but bend over and grease yourself for a screwing when you go to wal-Mart to get a phone exchanged.

they just look at you like you are an idiot, accuse you of dropping the phone, then ask what do you want me to do ??

I want you to honor the one year warranty on the phone I bought from you, ALLTEL techs tell me that it sounds like defective phone , based on the dropped calls, inability to receive incoming calls, etc.

sorry, you gotta go to an ALLTEL store to do that

Wal-Mart got my money, but won't again, thats for sure.

[esco]

umm the 1 year warranty that comes with the phone is not through the dealer our the SERVICE PROVIDER is through the manufacturer, thatS why they offer INSURANCE !!