I have purchased my last four cell phones onlineEvery time it has been very easy to do, I have received great service, and best of all I saved moneyShopping online in this day and age offers great convenience, lower pricing, and most online retailers (the successful ones at least) have great customer serviceConsumer Reports surveyed several thousand cell phone users, asking them about their cell-phone buying experiences*.
In their survey they found that people who bought their phones online tended to be more satisfied with the purchase process than folks who bought at a storeDon't get me wrong, I don't shop for everything onlineI am the type of shopper that appreciates good personalized service, and for some items, I will usually go to a retail store to shop.
For example, I always purchase my clothing at a "brick and mortar" retailerI like to try clothes and shoes on before I buyChoosing a cell phone and a cellular service provider seems to be a much more complex process than ever before, and can be intimidating to say the leastHere are some helpful tips to help you learn how to buy a cell phone online.
- If your current contract is about to end...
- Hey, this is an ideal time to upgrade your phone and, if need be, change carriersKeep in mind that your carrier will sometimes try to entice you to stay by offering a sweeter dealDon't be too quick to take the bait howeverIn most cases they will allow you to stay on month to month without committing to a one or two year contractIf you haven't been happy with their service for some reason, keep shopping, even if they do offer you some sort of concession or bonus
- If you just want a new phone and your in a contract...
- If you have broken or lost your current phone, and you are still under contract, you will most likely find the best price for a new phone at a third party websiteMost likely your provider will not be as willing to discount a phone for you if he doesn't have to do it to keep you on boardPlans are becoming more confusing in many cases, and phones are more complex and sophisticated than everFeatures like digital cameras and Bluetooth technology are now very common features on even the least expensive phonesMP3 players are also becoming common features on many phonesDecide what features you want on the phone, find out if your carrier has that phone.
- You can save a lot of money if you are willing to wait for the new technology to become a little bit outdated...
- If you are the progressive type when it comes to technology, you may want something with lots of, if not all of the "bells and whistles"If that's true for you, you will probably pay top dollar, as the new models are rarely offered at any kind of discounted priceBut, keep in mind that technology changes very rapidly on these bad boys, and that high tech, high priced phone of yesteryear (last "month" is probably more like it) can probably be snagged for a big price breakIn fact, I prefer to go to a site like letstalk.com or wirefly.com and just search under my provider's list of free upgrades for a contract extensionI can usually find a nice phone with everything I want in terms of features, for freeYou will almost always be able to pick up a nice late model, high tech phone, for free or at worst, half of what it cost when it first came out...last month (ok, so maybe not last month, but you get the ideaThese things are changing and improving really fast)If you are a "touchy feely" type consumer, you may want to go to a local store so you can hold the different models in your hand, feel the size and weight, etc
- Shopping and buying online is becoming more satisfying, and saving people money...
- Again, according to ConsumerReports.org, 65 percent of those surveyed who bought a phone from a website were completely or very satisfied with the experience, compared with 55 percent who bought at the walk-in storeSo, if you go to the store to "hold it in your hand", you may be happier if you go home and get online to make the purchaseBy the way; in the same survey, over 60 percent of the buyers were completely or very satisfied with the price they paid at the provider's website and 46 percent for the provider's storeIf you have broken or lost your current phone, and you are still under contract, you will most likely find the best price for a new phone at a third party websiteMost likely your provider will not be as willing to discount a phone for you if he doesn't have to do it to keep you on board
- Think about the advantages to buying on the internet...
- Don't have to leave home...with the price of gas today, need I say more? Find and research virtually any phone model you are interested in, without having to be dissappointed because they don't have one in stock to show youWhen you buy a phone or plan that offers a rebate, you can access your "rebate form" and "proof of purchase" online at any timeYou just log in to the "rebate center" at the webpage of the vendor you purchased from, enter your order number, and print the documentsThis makes it so easy to comply with all of the rebate mail in requirementsNo longer do you have to give up a $50 rebate because you misplaced one of the appropriate forms.