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Where to Shop
You can buy cell phones just about anywhere these days, from 7-Eleven stores to online shops to vending machines at airports. Where will you get the best deals? (Well, certainly not from an airport vending machine...)
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I did some comparison shopping on the Web, at a few local retailers, and over the phone. The best place to start is with an online pricing engine, such as DealTime, Google Product Search, MSN Shopping, Pricegrabber.com (PC World's pricing engine), and Yahoo Shopping; use the engine to check out sellers and estimated prices for the phone models that you're interested in.
For the best deals and the widest selection, online stores generally beat brick-and-mortars and phone-order systems hands down. Sites such as Amazon.com, eBay, and, yes, the carriers' own Web outlets, consistently offered low prices. To get in on the really great bargains, though, you must commit to a service plan (typically for two years), either as a brand-new customer or by renewing an existing contract.
For instance, I found the Samsung BlackJack on Amazon.com for a penny! (At this writing, it costs $175 on AT&T's Web site.) To get Amazon's price, you must sign a two-year AT&T Wireless account with both voice and data plans, at a minimum rate of $80 per month, excluding taxes and other fees. And if you break the contract, Amazon will automatically charge you $250 to cover the cost of the phone.
Also, the carrier must have network coverage in your area: When you place an order, the first thing Amazon (or any other vendor) asks for is your zip code, so you'll know immediately whether you qualify for service.
You can find similar deals on eBay, if you have the time to go through multiple listings. Review a seller's feedback record. If something goes awry, you'll have to convince either your credit card company or the PayPal service to reverse the charge--an inconvenient hassle.
Buying from a carrier provides more peace of mind. You have direct access to customer service and a better guarantee on the equipment if something goes wrong. You can easily walk into a carrier's retail store or call customer service for help from a human being.
