A Free Smart Phone?

The Princess has wanted a Smart Phone for a long time. I get that -- I have one, provided by my work and she has really wanted one badly. Through patience and trading phones with each other, we were finally due for an upgrade on her line, and I had decided to get her one for her birthday. Problem was, through a series of screw ups by the in store staff at my provider, the upgrade wasn't showing. I had all the documentation I needed, and the current store employees could see the problem clearly, but only the store manager could make that roll back to grant the upgrade. I'd been working on getting the problem resolved last month, and then got busy and couldn't get back into the store.

Then while paying my bill online yesterday, I saw that my provider was offering free smart phones, (after rebate) with the full upgrade. Time to get the issue resolved. So I went into the store. The manager was at the other store, but I was fortunate enough that the same employees I'd talked to before were there, and they got the manager on the phone and figured out how to do what I needed to do to make it all work out. Technically, I had to go ahead and pay for the phone, which I would have to anyway with the rebate, but they are crediting my bill back for the full amount --- and I got it in writing! I'll be paying the upgrade fee and the sales taxes --- about $40 total.

Getting a Smart Phone meant I also had to add a data plan at an additional $25 per month. Gulp. But okay, I was getting the phone for a net cost of free, so I could work with this. So, I signed up. After we got all the stuff done, the person at the store gave me the total cost of my new plan, after tax. I was a bit stunned at the cost. I pulled out the confirmation from the bill I had paid earlier in the day, and asked him to repeat the number while I looked at my previous cost. It was $2 LESS than what I was paying already --- with the data plan added!!!!

So, for $16 net, ($40 for taxes and fees - $24 annual savings on monthly bill), the Princess has a new smart phone with a data plan. Yes, I had to do another contract, but despite my griping last summer, I really have been happy overall with my provider these last 12 years. So, I guess they've got me for another 2!!!!!