Opinions on buying a nib SGS2 on ebay? - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989

I have two questions.
I have been eyeing either this phone or the GN for a while now, and I am about ready to just shut up and grab the SGS2 already.
Looking online, the only thing that should be coming out anytime too soon is the Blaze which I am still assuming is not an upgraded SGS2 (I don't know if people are just paranoid, or ready for another Vibrant 4g situation). So it seems like I won't be kicking myself in a few months about the SGS2 (minus, MAYBE, a GN release).
So long story short.
Question 1: Have I missed evidence on why I should wait 1 or 2 months to grab a new phone?
Question 2: What would be the smartest way to get one?
Short story long again:
Ebay has new in box phones starting at 499 with shipping, but one has no returns and the other has 3 days. Will ebay/paypal protection save me if I find out there are problems with the phone outside those few days?
I hate asking this, but what problems would I want to look for? Unless they develop over time I don't want to know about the screen issues I have heard mentioned vaguely, but others seem to imply it's not a big deal so if I never notice it then it's not hurting me.
I am wanting to use Ebay because it is 100 bucks cheaper than Amazon but Tmobile would only be like 598 or something. Should I stop being so paranoid and just grab it from ebay?
Sorry, I stayed up way too late with my finger over the mouse button and I am now just about ready to start pacing but I am not getting google search results to do anything to calm or warn me yet. Is it worth the 100 bucks to buy it from Ebay instead of straight from Tmobile?
Sorry, I will stop spazzing.

Those people who have unopened boxes of galaxy s 2 are people who are eligible for an upgrade but like their current phone so they decide to make money of their contract. I recently did this.my mom didn't want a new phone so I used her upgrade to buy a new gs2 and sold out on Ebay for $500. These people are legit and Ebay will make sure you don't get scammed.you should just buy it
Question 1: Tmobile is not releasing a new amazing phone for awhile. (unless somehow the galaxy s2 HD comes over). But that is not likely at all.so there is no need to wait.unless you want to wait another year for the galaxy s3. Ice cream sandwich is just around the corner. Right now is the best time to get it.
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Thanks for the response, I am just worried I get it and, say, the speaker phone is messed up and I learn about it a day or two after the return window and then I have trouble getting it fixed instead of just returning it or exchanging it.
I have never had to do that though, so 100 bucks is a lot to KNOW I can.
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Branso07 said:
Those people who have unopened boxes of galaxy s 2 are people who are eligible for an upgrade but like their current phone so they decide to make money of their contract. I recently did this.my mom didn't want a new phone so I used her upgrade to buy a new gs2 and sold out on Ebay for $500. These people are legit and Ebay will make sure you don't get scammed.you should just buy it
Question 1: Tmobile is not releasing a new amazing phone for awhile. (unless somehow the galaxy s2 HD comes over). But that is not likely at all.so there is no need to wait.unless you want to wait another year for the galaxy s3. Ice cream sandwich is just around the corner. Right now is the best time to get it.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
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Seriously? You'd advocate risking getting your phone's IMEI number blacklisted to save $30?
The phones are $529 from t-mobile.
Why risk it for $30??? These "new" phones can be reported as lost then the insurance replaces it and they block the IMEI number and the sucker is out $400-$500.
BTW, Getting a "free" phone on a subsidy plan doesn't make the phone free, you're still paying for it over the 2 year term. With T-mobiles Unlimited Talk,Text, Web for $50 + buying the phone outright, over the 2 years a contract would run, you are paying out $1200+$530 for the phone so $1730. For the equivilant plan with a "free" phone you're paying $80 a month over 24 months so $1920.
So $1920 - $1730 = $190 You pay more for the phone than if you bought the phone with cash. And just looking now, you have to pony up $280 to buy the phone when you "upgrade" then a $50 rebate, so you're paying even more.
Heck, with T-mobile you can ge tthe non subsidized plan for $0 a month, pay $200 down, and finance the phone with T-mobile for $20 a month and come out ahead if you are looking for the least amount up front.
BTW, Ebay buyer protection is only good for 30 days after the sale, on day 31 the seller can report the phone "lost" and have it turned off and get their replacement.

i agree with gallaxxeess
no point saving $30 if you have a high risk of having your IMEI black listed
there's a topic about it in General

gallaxxeess said:
Seriously? You'd advocate risking getting your phone's IMEI number blacklisted to save $30?
The phones are $529 from t-mobile.
Why risk it for $30??? These "new" phones can be reported as lost then the insurance replaces it and they block the IMEI number and the sucker is out $400-$500.
BTW, Getting a "free" phone on a subsidy plan doesn't make the phone free, you're still paying for it over the 2 year term. With T-mobiles Unlimited Talk,Text, Web for $50 + buying the phone outright, over the 2 years a contract would run, you are paying out $1200+$530 for the phone so $1730. For the equivilant plan with a "free" phone you're paying $80 a month over 24 months so $1920.
So $1920 - $1730 = $190 You pay more for the phone than if you bought the phone with cash. And just looking now, you have to pony up $280 to buy the phone when you "upgrade" then a $50 rebate, so you're paying even more.
Heck, with T-mobile you can ge tthe non subsidized plan for $0 a month, pay $200 down, and finance the phone with T-mobile for $20 a month and come out ahead if you are looking for the least amount up front.
BTW, Ebay buyer protection is only good for 30 days after the sale, on day 31 the seller can report the phone "lost" and have it turned off and get their replacement.
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You're assuming it's claimed as insurance fraud... and with taxes it's a 100 dollar difference. I do agree there is a risk though.
Edit: so thinking about that possibility I realized its sort of dumb for me to not just call up T-Mobile and see what they say about these sort if things (knowing they'd rather I give them NY money). I am legitimately thanking you for helping me solidify my paranoia to a point.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium

If you wanna be happy, keep your vibrant and wait a few months. I recommend getting the GN if you have the money because it has a better screen, but if you want you could wait until ICS is offically released and then buy it.
If you have been used to the iphone screen, or any good res LCD screen, youll notice issues with the display on our GS2.

I get the phones for free by price matching at best buy.thus makes them have no mail in rebate and no monthly additional fee.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

Husam2011 said:
If you wanna be happy, keep your vibrant and wait a few months. I recommend getting the GN if you have the money because it has a better screen, but if you want you could wait until ICS is offically released and then buy it.
If you have been used to the iphone screen, or any good res LCD screen, youll notice issues with the display on our GS2.
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I appreciate the opinion, although I am banking on "ignorance is bliss" when it comes to higher res screens. The expandable storage and currently only over seas options of the GN are why I am just going with the SGS2, but with sprint releasing one it is making me wonder if waiting would be smart. I would be happy with whatever I get, but I am pretty sick of my poor old vibrant.
Branso07 said:
I get the phones for free by price matching at best buy.thus makes them have no mail in rebate and no monthly additional fee.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App[/QUOTE
Didn't mean to thanks you, if anyone wonders why, but what do you mean? As much as I hate big corporation and all, I just can't pull myself to do scams or I would "lose" my current phone. Not saying that's what you're doing, but so far that's what it sounds like.
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Similar situation. I just traded some BMW work for a NIB SGS2 off of craigslist. Upgrade phone he didnt want.

Just contacted CS
I asked about what they said and all they could say is "maybe...". They can't/won't verify that I purchased the phone so if the person were to claim it was stolen I would be SOL (I have read about a guy who got the seller in trouble in a similar situation with Sprint, but I don't want to go off something like that).
I guess I just have to re-budget 600 instead of 500.

why not just print the page ur phone is advertised on ? if its ebay the guy would have to setup an account every time he wantes to scam someone
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Pay with paypal. If the seller claims insurance fraud Paypal will get you your money back (may take time while they investigate but they will get it). Ebay is safe to buy from with all the fraud protection especially when you pay with paypal. DON"T DO IT ON CRAIGSLIST!!!
Don't wait for the Blaze, trust me, just get the SGSII or GN.
FYI, T-Mobile doesn't make money off handsets. When will people learn this. They make money off the monthly service. They are a SERVICE company, NOT a phone manufacturer. Go ahead and ask any question you want. In fact, T-Mobile prefer you have your own phone so they don't have to subsidize you!

setzer715 said:
Pay with paypal. If the seller claims insurance fraud Paypal will get you your money back (may take time while they investigate but they will get it). Ebay is safe to buy from with all the fraud protection especially when you pay with paypal. DON"T DO IT ON CRAIGSLIST!!!
Don't wait for the Blaze, trust me, just get the SGSII or GN.
FYI, T-Mobile doesn't make money off handsets. When will people learn this. They make money off the monthly service. They are a SERVICE company, NOT a phone manufacturer. Go ahead and ask any question you want. In fact, T-Mobile prefer you have your own phone so they don't have to subsidize you!
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+1 . EBay is safe if you pay with paypal. Stay away from Craigslist!
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I bought my s2 from craigslist for $550 (white). It came brand new in a box, however headphones were missing. I have bunch of good headphones here and there so i didn't care. But the phone was in original packaging and I got within 3 days. I am happy with my purchase.
The last time i bought my galaxy 4g first series from someone advertising on craigslist, brand new phone but when i brought it home and try to use, the phone mic never worked. I called samsung and they told me to ship it to them and I received my phone back within 5 business days. They fixed it for free and even paid for overnight shipping.
I never had any issue with Samsung or Apple.
You don't wanna know my story with Dell and ATT when I ended up paying almost $2000 for a Dell Streak phone I never received.

Galaxy blaze is coming soon...wait for that
There's a leaked tmo map that shows 3 devices to b released in the next 2 months. One on the 18th 2 more in Feb.
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accordex said:
Galaxy blaze is coming soon...wait for that
There's a leaked tmo map that shows 3 devices to b released in the next 2 months. One on the 18th 2 more in Feb.
Sent from my T959 using XDA App
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I am still pretty sure the blaze will not be an upgrade, probably just a 4" phone...
Any way, doesn't matter, I went to Tmobile and bought myself a new SGS2... having trouble with my new plan though... ugh...

I just bought this white gs2 in the marketplace from another xda member. Bnib as stated, no problems & for around $450
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Related

[Q] Verizon sent me two GNs and charged me $250 for each...

...should I return the other one, or put it on ebay or the marketplace here on XDA?
I guess it was a processing mistake. And they sent me two GNs and charged me with the upgrade price of $250. If I sell my second one, would verizon know? They said that they would refund all charges if I return the phone. I kninda would not mind extra money.
What does XDA think?
Be careful it doesn't screw up upgrade eligibility if you have more then one lime
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
smalltownbird said:
Be careful it doesn't screw up upgrade eligibility if you have more then one lime
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
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This is definately something to consider. You dont want to be stuck with a GN for 4 years!
Just call back and ask youre worried about your future upgrade, and youre going to give a ypunger family member the second Galaxy Nexus for Christmas (this way it atleast seems like you dont want to sell it).
Or, right off the bat, just ask them when youre next upgrade is available. If they say something like 2015, say the Christmas gift story. If not, just say cool, because you got 2 GN at BOSS prices lol.
trade the other for a gsm version. heh heh.
They give 50 off if you have a ECPD doliscount(employee discount ex. USPS etc). I got mine for 150 which was that in addition to the extra 100 off 4g promo they are/were having.
I wouldn't think they could extend your contract four years like that. I am pretty sure the systems wont allow for anything more then 2 years. I would be more worried about getting charged full retail for it... That said I would wait till my bill posted and look it over. If all is well then sell the thing!
Those are some really good suggestions y'all.
I checked online and it says:
Eligible for a discount on 8/16/13 !
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I guess the GN is going to last me through grad school.
I see I was charged 500+ish on my CC for the two card, just like the receipt that I got with the phones.
This does not change anything. I'll call verizon and see if I can give this to my GF or something. She has verizon, but is on her family's plan. I seriously need to convert her away from the i*hone.
Be careful they don't mess up your contract or decide to come back later and charge you full price. I would definitely go into a store and get this straightened out.
I got my price at $249 as well because that's my corporate rate.

Sprint launches early upgrade promo

In an industry where customer churn can be likened to the fearsome troll under the bridge, Sprint has launched a program designed to keep its favored subscribers around for another two years. While not everyone is eligible -- those who've upgraded less than eight months ago, corporate outfits and those in collections need not inquire -- the program lets customers buy their way out of their current commitment and become eligible for a new, subsidized handset. The promotion begins February 12th and is set to run through the 14th of April, where the amount you pay correlates to the time since your last upgrade. So if you're currently pining for the Epic 4G Touch or the iPhone 4S, just give your local Sprint store a call this Sunday. They just may be able to hook you up.
Source:http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/sprint-launches-early-upgrade-promo/
Nice C/P skills -_-
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It's more like they want to get rid of Wimax phones and other inventory it seems like. It's a ripoff, hardly worth the price. Ebay is cheaper
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Cleaning house getting ready for LTE
My OG Epic (Now NS4G) line is due for an upgrade in 5 months...may be perfect timing for once
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IMO opinion this is more of a contract buyout to get new user pricing than it is an early upgrade promo like the Sprint Premier Gold program was.
It makes 0 sense to pay $55 to buy out for early upgrade if you're like 1-4 months out.
cds0699 said:
It makes 0 sense to pay $55 to buy out for early upgrade if you're like 1-4 months out.
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Keep in mind though, that we live in a world where people will happily spend well in excess of $55 to "upgrade" from something like a IPhone 4 to a 4s. Sometimes, "sense" takes a back seat to a desire to be instantaneously satisfied... lol
CoppertoneSPF15 said:
Keep in mind though, that we live in a world where people will happily spend well in excess of $55 to "upgrade" from something like a IPhone 4 to a 4s. Sometimes, "sense" takes a back seat to a desire to be instantaneously satisfied... lol
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I have to agree, people at my store will pay a lot to get their upgrade now to get the phone they want now. I think a lot of it comes from people who buy cheap phones and just can't take having them anymore and will do anything to get out of that phone.
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newalker91 said:
This actually isn't a promotion. It's just a last resort offering by Retention as of right now. You pay on average $10/month remaining on your contract with an average maximum of 6 months to move your upgrade up. We've been doing it for months for customers in my stores, but it's never really been publicly advertised.
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Are you working for a corporate store or a preferred retailer? I'm a preferred retailer and would love to know how you go about doing it, and compare that to the way we do it at our store. Shoot me a PM, love to compare notes!
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JasonK75 said:
Are you working for a corporate store or a preferred retailer? I'm a preferred retailer and would love to know how you go about doing it, and compare that to the way we do it at our store. Shoot me a PM, love to compare notes!
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can i be included in this? i only have a way for 2 weeks early... preferred retailer
My wife is only 2 months away from an upgrade; if she waits, she still pays 36 dollars "activation fee", or, if she does it tomorrow, its the same 36 dollars, so, if you are a month or 2 away, it doesn't cost you a dime more to do it now..
yes, i am sure its to clean out the existing inventory before the "new" network is in full swing..
WOOT, 3000 POSTS!!
I work at a preferred dealer as well, just tell your customers to call customer care and see if they can do an early upgrade. If that doesn't work have them be transferred to retentions and say someone they know was able to buy out their remaining contract and get an early upgrade. That easy. I have my upgrade still, saving it for the GSIII because I'm not stupid like some people.
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ccline84 said:
I work at a preferred dealer as well, just tell your customers to call customer care and see if they can do an early upgrade. If that doesn't work have them be transferred to retentions and say someone they know was able to buy out their remaining contract and get an early upgrade. That easy. I have my upgrade still, saving it for the GSIII because I'm not stupid like some people.
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i have an airave for that
Ok I called Sprint customer care today inquiring about the upgrade. My girl's line is due for upgrade in October and I am tired of her complaining about her Evo3d restarting all the time. So I called to see if I can get that upgrade for an Iphone for her. I was told that the new promo is only for people who's upgrade is in April or earlier and are also having phone issues. I think I'm going to call a corporate store tomorrow. Any advice or am I wasting my time? The Engadget article said if you upgraded within the last 8 months your or not eligible. I didn't upgrade this line within the last 8 months.
To upgrade or not to upgrade....
I saw this on Friday and wandered into a Sprint store on Sunday. The fella at the desk told me this was all legit and that I would need to call customer service because he could not do anything from the store (he said to ask for the "retentions" department).
I've been suffering with a Hero for the last 18 months. Loved the phone when I first got it, but it didn't take long to realize that it was not powerful enough to keep me happy. My wife is on her third Moment because everything about that phone just doesn't seem to work. I was hoping to hold out for an LTE phone but it appears those won't be dropping until late summer, and I'm not sure if we can hold out that long.
On the Sprint website, I get a message that I am eligible for $150 off a new phone on April 1 (remnants of the Premiere Program). From what I read, I'll have to pay $36 to upgrade in April or I can pay $55 now.
So my question(s) to all you Sprint people out there, am I reading all this correctly? Will I still qualify for the $150 off the new phone? Am I absolutely crazy for not waiting for LTE? Should I take the SGS2E4GT (Galaxy S 2) or hold out for the Nexus?
Thanks for the input.
dabigoh said:
I saw this on Friday and wandered into a Sprint store on Sunday. The fella at the desk told me this was all legit and that I would need to call customer service because he could not do anything from the store (he said to ask for the "retentions" department).
I've been suffering with a Hero for the last 18 months. Loved the phone when I first got it, but it didn't take long to realize that it was not powerful enough to keep me happy. My wife is on her third Moment because everything about that phone just doesn't seem to work. I was hoping to hold out for an LTE phone but it appears those won't be dropping until late summer, and I'm not sure if we can hold out that long.
On the Sprint website, I get a message that I am eligible for $150 off a new phone on April 1 (remnants of the Premiere Program). From what I read, I'll have to pay $36 to upgrade in April or I can pay $55 now.
So my question(s) to all you Sprint people out there, am I reading all this correctly? Will I still qualify for the $150 off the new phone? Am I absolutely crazy for not waiting for LTE? Should I take the SGS2E4GT (Galaxy S 2) or hold out for the Nexus?
Thanks for the input.
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I would buy a used phone off Craig's list or something now and hold onto you upgrade for an LTE device. You can get an E4GT for around $300 and EVO 3D for much less or an Nexus 4G for even less then that.
That is what I would do because once the GN drops you know you will want it or whatever cool LTE phone comes out soon after that...
The way I read this is that they are just pro-rating your ETF (the way they all should do anyway).
In theory, it works like this:
A high end handset costs ~$600 but in exchange for signing a 2-year contract, the cell phone carrier will subsidize $400 of the cost and roll the cost of that "loan" into the cost of your monthly service. You get a new phone without as large an initial outlay of cash and they gain a steady source of income for at least the next 2 years.
In theory you should be able to bring your own phone and get service at a lower cost off-contract because you aren't paying off a subsidy but since the top 3 providers don't offer this, there is not really any benefit to not taking the subsidy. You are already paying the same monthly rate so other than not being locked into a service contract, you gain nothing financially from not taking the $400 subsidy.
Along with this, in theory, your ETF should drop by 1/24th every month as you are basically paying off the subsidy one month at a time over two years. Once again, it doesn't quite work that way. At least this is an attempt to let people pay off the remaining subsidy before signing a new contract and taking a new one.
I would prefer to just pay $600 for my phone and then pay $17 less per month (approx 1/24 of $400) with no contract but since the US market seems accustomed to cheaper subsidized handsets on contract I don't know it would ever take off much. The contracts, handset exclusives, and lack of porting options have made it so the carriers have little incentive to compete on price or plan options..but that's another topic for another day.
Well I got mine it was 40 bucks but.my Gf needs a new phone had so, iPhone 4s and she can have my day 2week old epic touch 4g
Update: I got my upgrade and the fee was added to my bill and my upgrade is now waiting. Pretty cool. I have another upgrade in August so I will se what they have then.
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I have a upgrade in October, but I'm debating to hold off for the s3 which could be a long way off or get the epic touch. I have a 3d right now but the white epic touch looks sexy.
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[POLL] Upgrade to S3 now or wait for S4?

I am due for an upgrade with Sprint. I am currently on the Evo 4g. There seems to be some good holiday deals on the S3 right now. I was thinking about jumping on one of these. However, after doing some reading it looks like the S4 may not be too far around the corner. Any thoughts on waiting it out or even waiting for the first of the year for some of the new HTC line? I know waiting with a subsidized carrier like Sprint means you're basically losing money, so I'm trying to decide the best course of action.
I would say just get the s3 its an amazing phone I'm running cm10 on it right now and its super fast stable and the battery life is amazing! The s4 most likely won't be out until next summer if you want a major upgrade I would say wait for the galaxy note3 or the nexus5!
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I got mine on black friday so it was impossible to turn down. I had the evo, but it just wasn't cutting it. Rooted and everything stripped out of it, I still couldn't have facebook, google music, google maps, and skype installed at the same time because of storage issues. I really like the s3, and if you can get a good deal on it, you might as well. My gf still has the evo, and she's now eyeing my s3. If you want to wait for the s4, you might as well wait for the s5 or s6, or whatever... My philosophy with tech has always been, what will benefit me the most now, because if you always have in the back of your head that you plan to upgrade, you never will. Do it now, or do it never lol
I'm currently leaning toward the upgrade, but I may have just been dealt a blow. I checked with Amazon and they said I'm not eligible for the $50 price because I'm a current customer (despite that I'm up for a two year contract extension). Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is this true?
[Q]uestions go in Q&A
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ctasich said:
I'm currently leaning toward the upgrade, but I may have just been dealt a blow. I checked with Amazon and they said I'm not eligible for the $50 price because I'm a current customer (despite that I'm up for a two year contract extension). Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is this true?
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That doesn't make sense. Could you print out price from Amazon and go to best buy for price match?
I could see if they still had premier upgrades after first year but you have fulfilled your 2 year obligation to sprint. You're a free agent now.
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daryllh said:
That doesn't make sense. Could you print out price from Amazon and go to best buy for price match?
I could see if they still had premier upgrades after first year but you have fulfilled your 2 year obligation to sprint. You're a free agent now.
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That's what I figured as well. I haven't really found any information on the internet about people upgrading after a 2-year contract either. Has anyone successfully done so through Amazon or any other retailer? Perhaps I was mistaken when I thought the discounted price applied to me?
Also, will it matter that I am on a SERO plan? Don't want to lose that guy!
ctasich said:
That's what I figured as well. I haven't really found any information on the internet about people upgrading after a 2-year contract either. Has anyone successfully done so through Amazon or any other retailer? Perhaps I was mistaken when I thought the discounted price applied to me?
Also, will it matter that I am on a SERO plan? Don't want to lose that guy!
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Best buy is supposed to be having a sale on the Galaxy S3 this Sunday....it'll be $50 in store.
Got mine for $30 through Amazon about 3 weeks ago. But I was a new sprint customer.
ctasich said:
I am due for an upgrade with Sprint. I am currently on the Evo 4g. There seems to be some good holiday deals on the S3 right now. I was thinking about jumping on one of these. However, after doing some reading it looks like the S4 may not be too far around the corner. Any thoughts on waiting it out or even waiting for the first of the year for some of the new HTC line? I know waiting with a subsidized carrier like Sprint means you're basically losing money, so I'm trying to decide the best course of action.
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Easy call, if you see an outstanding deal on the S3 ($50 or under) then snag one. If a deal doesn't come your way then hold off. I'm on the SGS3 right now and it is a pretty amazing device. I was able to get it for $50 through Sprint on the Black Friday stuff, my wife's SGS3 on the other hand we shelled out $250 for, and we just wish we had waited the extra couple of months *Grin*.. Of course if you are like some and Money isn't an issue Get Both !
Just got mines Today at Best Buy for $49.99. One day sale!!!
Got mine black friday, price matched from sams at walmart. Got a $100 gifrcard too. Freakin sweet! Id say get this phone, its gonna be one people still want a year from now. Promise.
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Get it!!! You won't regret it.
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I also had the original Evo 4G for two years wating on the SIII to come out.
At this point, you might as well wait for the SIV to use your upgrade option. Shop around for deals on SIII online and you might just be able to snag both phones.
It is an amazing phone though. I can say with confidence that i'll keep it until I get a good deal on a SIV, after the first few months after the launch date.
Well after talking with Sprint Employee Account (I'm on a SERO-P plan), they offered me $75 off my bill for the next two months to effectively make the S3 $50. I went ahead and took the plunge! I should have the phone tomorrow.
ctasich said:
I'm currently leaning toward the upgrade, but I may have just been dealt a blow. I checked with Amazon and they said I'm not eligible for the $50 price because I'm a current customer (despite that I'm up for a two year contract extension). Does anyone else have any experience with this? Is this true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your still a current customer
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I think you made the right choice! You will be really happy with this phone. I rooted mine the first day I had it
I will not buy it because its size.. Im comfortable with my S2
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Just get the s3. Still a strong selling phone. Stay away from HTC. They tend to stop updates to there phones after they have been out for a short time. I don't think the note3 will be out anytime soon since the note2 just came out. S4 won't be out until sometime next year probably.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
I decided to go ahead and take the plunge for the S3. I was eligible for the early upgrade and I had the Buy Back program from Best Buy. If I waited for the "next" phone I would have lost the Buy Back. Turned out the S3 was $99 and the Buy Back gave me $130 on my old Epic 4G, so I made out pretty well. Got the phone and had some left over cash to use on a case.

[Q] T-mobile noob needs buying advice for GN2 -- pay full price?

Howdy,
Noob here, looking to get a Note 2, but need a little advice to make sure I'm not overlooking something.
Background:
I currently have a Galaxy S II that is way too sluggish and frustrating (was my first smart phone, purchased a year ago).
I’m with T-mobile on their “value plan” and have about a year left on my contract. I’ve been with them for over 10 years.
Options:
Is my only option to pretty much pay for a Note 2 at full price ($650)? I cannot find any deals online for a SGH-T889. The guy at the T-mobile store said it wouldn't even make a difference if my contract was up or not -- price for the phone would be the same. Wow.
Any ideas?
I suppose I could try to call their customer retention line but I feel like they are not going to do much for me, since I’m pretty powerless – being locked into a contract with a year left. I really don’t want to leave T-mobile anyway.
The only other thing I can think of...: It sounds like there is probably going to be a rebate sale on Valentines day, but there are no details out yet – just grand speculation that there's going to be a big sale. Does anyone know if to qualify for one of their rebates, you typically have to be out of contract? I'm guessing "yes".
I also looked on craigslist and eBay for used Note 2s, but apparently people think they are made out of gold – barely discounted. For the price they are asking I’d just rather purchase new.
Thanks for the help.
-Nate
first of all, you ask in the wrong section because this is General section...your question should be in T-Mobile Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting Section
"The guy at the T-mobile store said it wouldn't even make a difference if my contract was up or not -- price for the phone would be the same." i think this isnt right because as a value plan customer you have the right to upgrade your phone anytime and when your 22 months is up you will receive discount to upgrade your phone with lowest price.
i get my note 2 for only $180 with renew 2 years contract at a retail store. you should try to check the price around those retail stores.
Thanks man.
You get a deep discount at the end of your contract and you are on a "value" plan? Or are you on a "classic" plan?
Regardless, if I don't want to wait that long, I'm pretty much stuck paying full price, right?
PS -- Sorry if this was the incorrect area; feel free to move post
Value plan you pay full price with money up front then $20 payments a month after.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
I ran into the same thing. On the value plan, you pay retail, but in payments. So you would probably have 200-300 down and 20/mo if you have the available credit on your account. You can upgrade anytime, price is always the same. I am on prepaid ($30/mo 5GB is hard to beat if you don't want lots of minutes). I did the math and figured that I would break even paying out of pocket full price in less than a year. That's worth it to me to save up for a while. At the end of the day, it's up to you. I'm loving the Note2, excellent device. Even better if TMO really does drop LTE as fast as they plan to.
They are just trying to boost there sales rate for personal promotions thats why I hate tmobile sales man they always try to push you into something ur not sure about well just look into it buddy
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Even with the payment plan, you essentially just pay full price for the phone. There's another option though. You could try going through craigslist or ebay if you trust them. You would save a little plus tax but the down side is that they could report the phone as missing. But in my experience of buying phones off craigslist, or never happened to me. You just have to find a reliable seller. I bought my t mobile note 2 off CL around 2 weeks ago for $400 brand new in box. The seal was still on the box and I tried my sim to make sure it worked and it did. If you go through ebay, you would have buyer protection though ebay, so if anything goes wrong you could dispute with ebay. Buying from ebay would also allow you to buy insurance for your phone through a third party. Square trade is a good company to get the insurance from.
natesi,
The Tmobile rep was right, you are going to more or less pay full regardless of the timing of your purchase. You are on the "Value" plan, pure and simple, its a service only plan and its bare bone. Other plans allows you to get a discount (subsidized priced) phone, but the trade off is higher plan prices.
dandn0ten said:
i think this isnt right because as a value plan customer you have the right to upgrade your phone anytime and when your 22 months is up you will receive discount to upgrade your phone with lowest price.
i get my note 2 for only $180 with renew 2 years contract at a retail store. you should try to check the price around those retail stores.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not correct. Phones are not subsidized on Value Plans. On a Classic Plan, yes. Value Plans require you pay full price for the phone - half down, and $20 a month.
I got a quick question im on tmobile sold my tmobile s3 I haf first got on contract with tmobile and now I got a note 2 just a few weeks ago used but like new I had callef tmobile about my payments and they seen my sim was registered as a note 2 the rep on the phone said by the way u have a great phone the note 2 is awesome well the bottom line is the phone is absolutely clean esn and imei since im using I with tmobile 4g $70 wanted to know if tmobile would let me get the unlock code for my note or do I have to wait a few months ive been with them since august of 2012
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Look on wirefly. Com and amazon, they always have deals popping up for the GNote2. Use the islickdeals app to help ur search.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using XDA Premium HD app
Im on a classic plan and was 18 months into my contract and they ended up giving me the note 2 for 200 w/ 1 free month back in October. They call it an early upgrade program
Ops sorry guys that was my mistake I was confusing between value plan and classic plan and as i checked my status im on classic plan so thats why I got the phone for cheap price xP
sent from t889 running jedix8
if you can wait a few months to see what the gs4 and gn3 are about may be a good idea?
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the feed back -- it helped a lot!!! Seriously.
I went into the T-mobile store (again) and asked about the upcoming Valentines Day sale. The sales associate said that to get the rebates you don’t normally have to be out of contract – you just have to *extend* (renew) your contract.
I’m not sure if he is correct or not, but I HOPE so.
Last year, they were giving a couple hundred off phones (with rebates), so although it will be really painful to wait longer, I think I will hold off until I find out what kind of deals they are going to have on the Valentines Day sale.
Unless, that is, I can find a good deal on one sooner. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
PS -- the "Captcha" on this site is hard!!!
FIREONHIGH said:
if you can wait a few months to see what the gs4 and gn3 are about may be a good idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... I was thinking about that...
The GS4 is expected in the US around the end of April/May, right?
And the GN3? I was thinking around Sept - Dec release, although I just saw these articles, stating possibly at the end of February (???). That seems insanely soon though, for a phone that just got released not too long ago. Or maybe not?
I'd show you the links I'm referring to, but I'm being blocked from doing so because I don't have 10 posts yet (lame).
The other thing is, the Note 3 will supposedly have a 6.3 inch screen?! Doesn't that seem a tad on the too-large side?
How credible do you think a February-ish release date is for the Note 3, and how soon before it goes on sale in the US, you think?
natesi said:
Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the feed back -- it helped a lot!!! Seriously.
I went into the T-mobile store (again) and asked about the upcoming Valentines Day sale. The sales associate said that to get the rebates you don’t normally have to be out of contract – you just have to *extend* (renew) your contract.
I’m not sure if he is correct or not, but I HOPE so.
Last year, they were giving a couple hundred off phones (with rebates), so although it will be really painful to wait longer, I think I will hold off until I find out what kind of deals they are going to have on the Valentines Day sale.
Unless, that is, I can find a good deal on one sooner. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
PS -- the "Captcha" on this site is hard!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He was correct. Any of the T-Mobile sales are for existing and new customers. If you're on value, you can just buy it on EIP (payments) and still qualify for the rebate regardless of contract tenure. I'd put my money on $0 down after rebate being the sale for V-Day.
hmmm.... I just saw a Samsung Galaxy "next big thing" Super Bowl ad/video on youtube.
What could they possibly be announcing besides the Note 3, if that is suppose to ship before the S4?
natesi said:
hmmm.... I just saw a Samsung Galaxy "next big thing" Super Bowl ad/video on youtube.
What could they possibly be announcing besides the Note 3, if that is suppose to ship before the S4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would the GN3 ship before the GN4? the GN2 is not even 6 months out yet. The GN3 is approaching a year. My guess is this rumor is actually caused by the note 8.0 which will likely be made official at MWC.
---------- Post added at 04:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 PM ----------
Classick206 said:
He was correct. Any of the T-Mobile sales are for existing and new customers. If you're on value, you can just buy it on EIP (payments) and still qualify for the rebate regardless of contract tenure. I'd put my money on $0 down after rebate being the sale for V-Day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy do I hope that's true. I passed on the Christmas Sale because it was only $100 down and not $0 down. I'm holding out hope that the V-Day sale goes down to $0. If not though, they will surely at least match the Christmas sale with $100 down. I think I'll pull the trigger at that point. There will likely be another sale for the Value Plan only transition, but I don't know if I can wait that long.
Info for you
Poke_N_PDA said:
Why would the GN3 ship before the GN4? the GN2 is not even 6 months out yet. The GN3 is approaching a year. My guess is this rumor is actually caused by the note 8.0 which will likely be made official at MWC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I know it is weird that the Note 3 would come out so soon -- I'm just going by what I read in a few articles yesterday.
LIke I said, I cannot post links yet -- not my fault -- I don't have a high enough post count.
Here's how you can find some articles that talks about the possible unvailing later this month:
Google "Note 3 release date"
Click on the first news article from PC Tablet "Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date Could be at Mobile World Congress 2013!"
Then maybe the fourth result down by Trusted Reviews, "Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumours point to 6.3-inch octa-core handset"
And others...
Google customizes search results so your ordering may be different than mine, but you should be able to find those articles with the info I have specified.
It's all speculation of course.
But what would Samsung Mobile be running an expensive Super Bowl ad for, with major celebrities??? What could be that big -- seriously? The SIII is too old to be pushing so hard. What else could it be?
I guess we'll find out on Sunday.
But man, it is taking every ounce of strength I have to not go buy a Note 2 right now.

Possible Galaxy S4 for $579.99 (no contract)

Ive been looking around for the best price before I bought the phone and I came upon costco's website, they list the retail price as $579.99 which is the lowest Ive come across. However theres a slight problem. They wont let you order it at that price, they want you to go with the $199 contract deal.
However, you may be able to price match this through best buy or another store once they get the phones in stock..
Funny - I saw that when I ordered it with contract extensive for $200. Maybe call Costco and raise a stink.
It could partially be due to them not having them yet but no excuse
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
They don't sell phones off contract. Trust me, I've tried.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
jonathan3579 said:
They don't sell phones off contract. Trust me, I've tried.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you search these forums there is a thread from 2 years ago and a costco manager says that it can be done but they almost always refuse because they make commission on the contract. Heres the thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1044213&page=2 the users name is iceshark.
Anyways if that route doesnt work for you, then like I said you can try getting another store to price match costco.
so expensive now
Its preorder and not outright buy. They are also asking for a 2 year contract (which I believe they need to update their site).
htc one and galaxy s4
its so expensive, i preferred using HTC One i watched google hangout by mashable, i like the design of HTC
Katherine Reyes said:
its so expensive, i preferred using HTC One i watched google hangout by mashable, i like the design of HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then get the HTC and don't troll here.
Sent from my SGH-T999
Unfortunately those costco wireless stores are managed by another company and could care less about loyalty to costco or pleasing their members. Yes I said "pleasing their members", you are free to LOL.
T-Mobile store is $629
Stopped in at the T-Mobile store near me today, mentioned I am prepaid and asked how much for the S4. He thought the S4 was $649, then looked it up and current price is $629 for the S4. He said they were told they would get the S4 no later than the 15th. They just got a demo S4 in this morning and I got to play around with it a bit. I was sure put off by the mock-up version of the S4 I saw at BestBuy. The real deal is much nicer in person. Anyway, he didn't give me any grief for wanting to buy prepaid and said they would switch my ginormous SIM from the mytouch out for me for free. They already received TONS of accessories for it (mostly cases). He said 3 out of the last 4 days he has been getting in S4 accessories.
I know this is an S4 thread, but since many are still trying to decide between S4 and One, the One is $579. And this weekend only you can get it for $100 off of that (via HTC rebate). Only (BIG) problem is they have no idea when they are going to get One stock in.
Hopefully this was useful info to someone.:good:
im confused? you can get the phone from Tmobile for 150 down and then pay 20 bucks on your bill for 24 months with no contract extension (you do have to promise to pay the phone off, so i guess thats the same). i know yo uend up paying 650 for it, but isnt that easier on your wallet? especially if you are a current customer or someone who cant drop 600 bucks on a new phone?
Midnight_Rider said:
im confused? you can get the phone from Tmobile for 150 down and then pay 20 bucks on your bill for 24 months with no contract extension (you do have to promise to pay the phone off, so i guess thats the same). i know yo uend up paying 650 for it, but isnt that easier on your wallet? especially if you are a current customer or someone who cant drop 600 bucks on a new phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can only do that if on the value plan or due for upgrade. I already tried :/ I'm on classic and there's a fee for switching to the value plan so just easier to buy it for Me at least
Sent from my Jedi injected Hercules playing Mind Tricks
style154 said:
You can only do that if on the value plan or due for upgrade. I already tried :/ I'm on classic and there's a fee for switching to the value plan so just easier to buy it for Me at least
Sent from my Jedi injected Hercules playing Mind Tricks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im still on the classic 1000 family talk plan, pay 30 bucks for 4.5gb of data and 20 bucks for unlimited texts, just got a new iphone 5 and S4 and paid no migration fee and my plan and services are all the same as before. although i have 5 lines and i think maybe one of them was up for an upgrade...maybe 2 so i guess thats why
Does anyone think best buy would match this price??? They have heard so over priced at $730!!
Sent from my Jedi injected Hercules playing Mind Tricks
It looks cheap. You save $ 100. Very good price!
I'd wait a month or two if you can. There's gouging going on in the market because of the stock availability. Plus, first run devices (I learned this on my last few phones) almost always have some hardware issues in large quantities - waiting allows for the hardware revisions to fix these. Amazon hasn't gotten theirs yet, to my knowledge.
Not to mention once the HTC One is available widely, the two will force each other down. The fact HTC is doing a $100 MIR to bring theirs down to $479, shows that the Galaxy S4 is going to have to drop quickly to compete.
Food for thought.

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