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Old 03-12-2010, 09:32 PM   #1
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Default Pay full price for a BB, or sign a contract?

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I'm thinking about joining the Blackberry world and am currently weighing the pros and cons of committing to a contract and getting the phone cheap, or paying full price for the phone and going monthly.

In Canada it's either commit to 3 years or pay full price for the phone. The only two real advantages I can think of to buying the phone at full price is that it leaves your upgrade options open at any time, and of course since there is no contract, you don't have to worry about breaking it.

On the other hand, if I stay with the carrier (Telus) for the full 3 years and find I don't need to upgrade during that time, I am essentially throwing the extra money I spent on the phone away. Eg. $300 for the 8530 Curve.

Are there any other advantages to paying full price for the phone over signing a contract?
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Old 03-12-2010, 09:56 PM   #2
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I'd pay full retail and keep my options open, unless the discount was sufficient to make a 3-year contract tolerable. Here in the U.S. we do 2-year contracts. To do 3 years I'd want a $500 device discounted to $100 or less. But that's just me.

The only other advantages are insurance for your device (if you do that. I don't) and being able to ask your carrier for the unlock code for free. Not really a big inducement if you're on a CDMA carrier as they don't lock their devices. They just refuse to activate anybody else's.

Last edited by rambo47; 03-12-2010 at 09:59 PM..
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Old 03-12-2010, 10:06 PM   #3
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Wirelessly posted

I can see both sides. Me, I have no desire to change carriers or drop service altogether, and I tend to use the same device for a long while then hand it down. So contacts are no big deal to me. But that's me.

I guess if I was in a situation where I could be forced to cut expenses suddenly, that would be reason for me to stay out of a contract.
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Old 03-13-2010, 02:05 AM   #4
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Your upgrade options are still open at any time with a contract, you'll just be paying full price for the upgrade instead of the original phone. All you commit to with an agreement is that you'll stick with Telus for the next 3 years and that you'll keep the data option on your account for at least 12 months. Not to mention, Telus will likely offer you early renewal at 2 years, so it seems ridiculous not to go for a subsidized phone. Just make sure they service your area well.
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Old 03-13-2010, 07:36 AM   #5
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I got my BB bold 9700 for FREE with unlimited sms and unlimited internet and 900 mins of free calls to any network at any time for £25 a month on contract.
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:38 AM   #6
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We are lucky in the UK that we would never think of paying for a contract phone and lots of the providers will give us game consoles or TVs etc as free gifts just for taking a contract.

Our members on the other side of the Atlantic are not so lucky and have to pay for contract handsets and upgrades.I've never been able to work out why there is this difference especially when some of the service porivders are the same but it just seems to be the way of things.The other difference i've noticed from US and Canadian members posts is that they get charged extra for tethering whereas here data is data no matter how you use it.
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:43 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by woodyuk View Post
We are lucky in the UK that we would never think of paying for a contract phone and lots of the providers will give us game consoles or TVs etc as free gifts just for taking a contract.

Our members on the other side of the Atlantic are not so lucky and have to pay for contract handsets and upgrades.I've never been able to work out why there is this difference especially when some of the service porivders are the same but it just seems to be the way of things.The other difference i've noticed from US and Canadian members posts is that they get charged extra for tethering whereas here data is data no matter how you use it.

Extra charge for tethering varies. Tmobile US still does not charge for tethering, data is data is data, and I'm still paying less than $20/mo for unlimited. (And I don't want a free game console.)

I would bet the way of things boils down to how the industry is regulated in the various jurisdictions.
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Old 03-13-2010, 09:56 AM   #8
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Not sure what your ETF is up there if you have one at all, but with ours being 375 for having a PDA/Smartphone being in a contract not so pretty. Might be better to pony up cash up front and leave yourself open should anything happen and you want to jump ship on your carrier. Me I don't see me leaving Verizon (unless they take away my 25% discount), but would still be nice not to be in contract.
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:06 AM   #9
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Yes,good point aiharkness I hadn't thought of that.

As a benchmark I pay £25 (about $35) a month for 400 minutes of talk time plus unlimited texts and unlimited data.I don't know how that compares with US prices,it may be that we are given the handsets because our contracts are more expensive.

The other thing that really shocked me when I read it was that some US providers will automatically stick you with a smartphone surcharge if you connect one to their network,That would never be allowed here and I think that probably just for thenm to interogate the phone to see what type it is would probably breach umpteen of our privacy and data protection laws.
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Last edited by woodyuk; 03-13-2010 at 10:09 AM..
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:08 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oasissux View Post
Your upgrade options are still open at any time with a contract, you'll just be paying full price for the upgrade instead of the original phone. All you commit to with an agreement is that you'll stick with Telus for the next 3 years and that you'll keep the data option on your account for at least 12 months. Not to mention, Telus will likely offer you early renewal at 2 years, so it seems ridiculous not to go for a subsidized phone. Just make sure they service your area well.
Why do people keep saying you need to keep the data on for one year? Where is this misinformation coming from? Part of the three year contract is keeping the data for three years. I often get customers saying they were told it would only be one year, and that is definately incorrect.

I read through the terms and conditions of all carrier websites because it's a part of my job.


And in reference to the poster above (Sydman), Telus does not cap their ECF, so if you cancel in the first month it's 700 bucks plus 200 for data for the three years.
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Last edited by Noodle22; 03-13-2010 at 10:15 AM..
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:27 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rambo47 View Post
I'd pay full retail and keep my options open, unless the discount was sufficient to make a 3-year contract tolerable. Here in the U.S. we do 2-year contracts. To do 3 years I'd want a $500 device discounted to $100 or less. But that's just me.

The only other advantages are insurance for your device (if you do that. I don't) and being able to ask your carrier for the unlock code for free. Not really a big inducement if you're on a CDMA carrier as they don't lock their devices. They just refuse to activate anybody else's.
Well the two BB I am looking at is the 8530, which is $49 under a 3 year and $349 under no contract, and a 9700 which is $149 under a 3 year and $649 under no contract.

You can get insurance through the carrier regardless of a contract or not. $7 a month.
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:35 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oasissux View Post
Your upgrade options are still open at any time with a contract, you'll just be paying full price for the upgrade instead of the original phone. All you commit to with an agreement is that you'll stick with Telus for the next 3 years and that you'll keep the data option on your account for at least 12 months. Not to mention, Telus will likely offer you early renewal at 2 years, so it seems ridiculous not to go for a subsidized phone. Just make sure they service your area well.
Obviously I will be asking, but you are saying that if I needed to cut expenses, after one year they would give me the option to reduce my commitment to a voice-only plan? This brings me to another question in that I believe when you sign a contract it doesn't lock you into a plan, you do have the option to reduce your per-month commitment, just not leave the carrier entirely.
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:36 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jw8725 View Post
I got my BB bold 9700 for FREE with unlimited sms and unlimited internet and 900 mins of free calls to any network at any time for £25 a month on contract.
That's nice to hear, but this is Canada you know.
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:41 AM   #14
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You are signing a 3 year voice AND data commitment, you are expected to keep both for the three years or pay a cancellation fee. You should be able to downgrade as long as you keep a minimum voice and data. Some companies charge you to downgrade though, and I suspect Telus is one of them.

Since they laid off their employees to outsource customer care to the Phillipines, I suspect they need the money lately
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:49 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noodle22 View Post
Why do people keep saying you need to keep the data on for one year? Where is this misinformation coming from? Part of the three year contract is keeping the data for three years. I often get customers saying they were told it would only be one year, and that is definately incorrect.

I read through the terms and conditions of all carrier websites because it's a part of my job.


And in reference to the poster above (Sydman), Telus does not cap their ECF, so if you cancel in the first month it's 700 bucks plus 200 for data for the three years.
I got this from the Telus website which seems to suggest you can drop data after 12 months.

"If you subscribe to a data service with an email feature and cancel that service within the first 12 months of a 36 month contract term, an additional cancellation charge of $100 will apply."
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:51 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noodle22 View Post
You are signing a 3 year voice AND data commitment, you are expected to keep both for the three years or pay a cancellation fee. You should be able to downgrade as long as you keep a minimum voice and data. Some companies charge you to downgrade though, and I suspect Telus is one of them.

Since they laid off their employees to outsource customer care to the Phillipines, I suspect they need the money lately
It looks like they let you change your plan twice in any calendar year. More than that, and it will cost you $10 per change.
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:56 AM   #17
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Could you provide a link to that?

TELUS standard mobility Service Terms | TELUS Mobility

It is not listed there.
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Old 03-13-2010, 11:03 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by woodyuk View Post
Yes,good point aiharkness I hadn't thought of that.

As a benchmark I pay £25 (about $35) a month for 400 minutes of talk time plus unlimited texts and unlimited data.I don't know how that compares with US prices,it may be that we are given the handsets because our contracts are more expensive.

Here the cheapest data plan I can find is $25/mo for 500mb of data per month. Add to that another $25/mo for the voice plan which gives you a paultry 200min.
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Old 03-13-2010, 11:07 AM   #19
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I can't post a link until I have 10 posts.
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Old 03-13-2010, 11:07 AM   #20
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Now I have 10 posts.
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