Good day everyone.
As the topic implies i just bought the 299.99 mpx200 for 249.99 + tax which was 18.12 for a total of 268.11. There was a instant rebate of 50 dollars which brought the 299.99 price down to 249.99 price. Let me tell you how my day went.
I have read these boards for the past two days absorbing everyone's experiences with purchasing this phone from best buy or amazon.com. My main idea was to buy it from amazon since best buy had that whole activation issue. I figured I would go to best buy and try one of the methods that was explained in a post on these boards about reading the fine print in the AT&T brochures. So I walk in this afternoon to check it out and ask some question and see if there is any way around the 150 fee if you just purchased the phone.
I walk in and get all the AT&T brochures they have then I go sit in one of the office chairs and start reading every section on them. After about one brochure and ten minutes later I found two important parts. One was the "easy" method AT&T spams you with buying a phone. Pick a phone then a plan and then activate it, it couldn't be simplier in their eyes. The section that has the activation part says:
"3. Activate your service
Just visit any AT&T Wireless Store, an Authorized Dealer, or call 1 8667 REACHOUT."
The other important detail was
"After the first 30 days of service , an early cancellation fee of $175 applies."
So the idea of walking in and getting the service and canceling ten minutes with out penalty is good if you are cool with 36 bucks on activation. I go up to one of the people at the phone booth and I start right out with
"I want the mpx200 phone but don't want the AT&T service with it since it's crap in this area and the area I currently reside in."
The lady who happens to be best buys cingular rep says
"that won't be possible unless you want to the pay the 150.00 fee."
I go "What if it's a gift for someone and they have to pick the plan?"
she says "well then you will have to bring them in and have them sign up for it"
so I go "but in this AT&T brochure it says I can activate it here, at a wireless store, or buy calling this 866 number"
and she goes "you have to activate it with us if you don't want to pay the 150 fee"
So I go, "alright thanks i will look around more and come back later."
So I go home and sit for about 6 hours, and decide to head back after reading about the post that had some revelations about if you cancel the plan do you have to give the phone back and one person said nothing on the contract or the paperwork says you have to return the phone.
So on that hunch I go back to best buy at around 9 pm and surprise surprise new shift! So I go up to a guy and I straight out said
" want to see the contract to the AT&T plan if i wanted to purchase the mpx200."
He tells me "sorry sir there are no more contracts, let me check to see what we can do."
The rep for AT&T is never at the best buy I went to. So the guy after checking with two other people said, we can sell you the phone and you can activate it at home. So i was like "alright that works." I also made up a story how i was a software developer for microsoft smartphone os 2002 and that I needed to test it on the phone with other services and was going to use tmo on it to beta test it. Social engineering never hurts.
So he checks me on the machine and gives me a reciept and i pay 268.11. It also comes with a $50 rebate which you do need to have a 2 year agreement with AT&T and have it active more then 30 days so the no luck on getting that $50 rebate.
Chance favors the prepared mind, with that said make sure the following conditions are optimal when purchasing a mpx200:
1. There are no more paper service contracts at the best buy/compusa retailer you are at.
2. The AT&T rep is not there
3. Go in and straight out say you want to see the contact and read it to see if you cancel the service IF you have to give the phone back.
4. Work some charm from you or a female who is good at that on one of the employees not familer with AT&T's plans/policies. You can do this buy calling up in advance and asking them technical questions about motorola phones and plans, if they says "uhhhh" more times then a 2nd grader in a spelling bee with the word "couch" get their name and go in and ask to deal with them ;D.
I will come with with some more ideas later tonight/tomarrow. Now I have to port my nextel phone number to my tmobile account, and insert my tmo unlimited internet + 300 minute voice plan sim chip into my mpx200, get it unlocked and I am good to go with 268.11 + 15-17 dollars for the unlock total of 283.11
Good luck and happy buying.
Main Menu
Nov 29 2003, 05:23 AM
Keep the money for a rainy day if you might have to cancel it and pay 175 though LOL.
