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Lesson to be learned. Online and in store prices beware!

ksilva

Nov 22, 2004, 6:40 PM
I thought I had done my homework. I knew the phone I wanted, the plan, the features and I wanted to migrate from AWS. After having failed to migrate online because of numerous errors I decided to go to a Cingular corporate store.

I figured I could get the Nokia 6620 right away and not have to wait. The online price was $249.99 with a two year. I figured add another $50.00 for a one year plan so that it would be $300 minus the $50.00 rebate would make it around $250. Well folks I was seriously mistaken.

I bought the phone during my lunch hour anxious to get back to work but confident I could get a good deal. After all, months earlier I had purchased the Motorola v600 for a little less than $180 with a copy of a AWS webpage that listed...
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JessiCSR

Nov 22, 2004, 8:18 PM
The prices always vary by market and medium.

Sorry dude. 🙄
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thatguy_overthere

Nov 22, 2004, 8:36 PM
Why? Why does the market you are in determine what price you have to pay for a phone from a company that offers service all over the country?

Look at the other guys. Look at T-Mobile. The prices on the web are the same as in the corporate stores. The only difference you usually see is an instant rebate offer online sometimes. But the purchase price before rebate is the same as in the store.

Now I know that I'll get slammed for this, but you should also go look at the indirect dealers at the mall. They usually have much better pricing than the corporate stores, and the corporate web sites too.

I know that there are a quite a few bad dealers out there, but for every bad one you encounter or hear about, there is another that ...
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JessiCSR

Nov 22, 2004, 9:14 PM
Why? Customer concentration, phone availability, tax....whatever.

That's just the way it is. Frankly, i don't give a crap what T-mobile is doing because there's nothing I can do about it. All i can do is tell you how it is here.
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deltasigmatheta

Nov 22, 2004, 9:39 PM
Those things are reasons why Cingular could level the field like he is saying for everyone. One region's demand may be higher than the next but once the field sales forecasted then set the price for everyone. You should give a crap what T-Mobile is doing because they help make up the competion that is pulling from Cingular's Target market. There is really nothing you can do period except work for whoever will give you a job as a CSR. Calm down. 😉
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ksilva

Nov 22, 2004, 10:14 PM
Here is my two cents. The fine print is getting finer and costumers these days are getting fleeced if they blink. My friend was just bummed out after he realized how much he had paid. Frankly there is not much he can do. I let him post his remarks so that he would get some feedback.

Out of curiosity I walked into an ATT store close to where he bought his phone and I kind of got the picture right away. Check this out; the same phone (Nokia 6620) at the ATT store was $199 for a two year. Less than a mile away at a Cingular store it was almost twice the price. Are they not supposed to be the same? When you ask a sales rep what the deal is they avoid the question or just don’t know.

How can you sell a phone at one store at half the pric...
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digitmasher

Nov 23, 2004, 10:51 AM
Just a thought. Perhaps the ATT store is selling their 6620 at such a low cost because they are trying to deplete their inventory.

Those ATT stores that still have phones in their inventory have to sell those phones and ATT rate plans before they can sell cingular phones and rate plans.
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JessiCSR

Nov 23, 2004, 6:07 PM
digitmasher said:
Just a thought. Perhaps the ATT store is selling their 6620 at such a low cost because they are trying to deplete their inventory.

Those ATT stores that still have phones in their inventory have to sell those phones and ATT rate plans before they can sell cingular phones and rate plans.



That's exactly why.
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BluetoOrange22

Nov 23, 2004, 11:25 PM
Exactly why DIgit; Good call Jessi. These bums act like they know how all the internals work after walking in off the sidewalk and talking to 1 rep. Amazing. These are the guys walking in all shabby asking if we're hiring......
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notme

Nov 22, 2004, 10:46 PM
There is nothing you can do about this either.

There is no reason a phone would be a different price for a different location.

Ohhhh, yea... I guess there is... How much can we rip someone off in this part of the country as opposed to another.
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temp

Nov 23, 2004, 8:09 AM
ok i think the thing everyone is missing is that he got a ONE YEAR CONTRACT, the website SPECIFICALLY STATES that the web price is with a 2 year agreement, its a known fact that 1 year pricing is always higher
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ksilva

Nov 23, 2004, 10:35 AM
I’m think he took that into account. Generally speaking 1 year contract pricing is about $50 more than the base two year price. He said costumer service told him the phone was $299.99 for a 1 year plan. So you’re right it is more expensive than the one year $249.99. However if you take of $50 from the $450 he paid to simulate a 1 year price its $400.00 and that still $100 more expensive. Whether that something he should fight for or not is up to him.
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ksilva

Nov 23, 2004, 10:47 AM
Correction I meant to say the 2 year was $249.99 and he said it was $150 more expensive which is true. 299.99 - 449.99 = $150 for 1 year.

The $299.99 is a costumer service quote. Were they got it from I don't know because its not online.
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BluetoOrange22

Nov 23, 2004, 11:21 PM
Listen, Fausto....We are not car salesmen. We dont start high on the price, expecting some big ole fat commmission check on the price of the phone you pay. (If that was the case, I would be BlackBerry or Treo King).

We dont sit there and haggle with you over pricing, especially over web pricing print outs smacked down in front of us. We dont shake in our pants and do anything to not "lose the sale". It doesnt work that way buddy. Threaten cancellation all you want, but if youre in contract, you're the one paying the ETF, not us.

Next time, provide more accurate advice to those that also dont pay attention to the BIG BOLD LETTER PRICING on the little white phone description tags that designate "1 YEAR CONTRACT, 2 YEAR CONTRACT, a...
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jwbass1985

Nov 24, 2004, 1:14 AM
Prices vary by market, and most of the time, if you look, the online store will have "online offer only" typed under the price. In my market, the 6620 is $449.99 w/ 1 yr. and you get a $100 mail-in rebate. with a 2 yr. the phone's only $399.99 w/100 mail-in.
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amumey

Nov 24, 2004, 2:11 AM
It's obvious you don't grasp the concept of sales. Online offers are always directed at new customers. To find what an existing customer is offered, you need to contact customer care, or if your provider offers the web to update your services, you need to read carefully where that is.
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jwbass1985

Nov 24, 2004, 1:04 PM
It's obvious that I do! I've been selling at a store for 2 years! I think I know what I'm doing! I'm not part of telesales or internet sales! so, no! maybe I don't grasp the pricing on the website, but I do know what it says!
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BluetoOrange22

Nov 24, 2004, 2:46 PM
Well you've worked in the store for 2 years, so you must know what "Overhead" is right wiseguy? Salaries, Commissions, Rent, Electricity, Water, Decoration budgets, displays with live, working display phones that are written off as 100% loss, etc etc etc. About 90% of these costs are not incurred with OnLine sales. Think about it and you'll understand.
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