When did Cell Phone Stores Become Car Dealers?

[Deleted]

i haven't been to a major networks store since probably 2004 but we decided to switch carriers due to call quality and I couldn't get the order to go through online so we decided to visit our friendly local phone retailer.

Well that was a big friggin mistake...........

We were there for 1.5 hours even though we knew exactly the phones we wanted, in that time we were:

1. Asked 5 times why we wanted to buy the phones outright and didn't want a "plan"

2. Asked 4 times why we didn't want any accessories or insurance

3. Told the salesman and his manager had never seen anyone buy a phone outright

4. Told we had to come back in to get my employers discount applied "I knew that wasn't true and I was right"

5. Told twice the computer system was being "slow" keeping us stuck there for items 1-2.

So why didn't I leave? It is the only carrier with good call quality that I know of at my house and I needed a phone that day cuz my other one shot craps.

After an hour I got pretty hostile to the manager, ripping on all their marked up accessories and dissing their knowledge of the phone. When they finally got it through their thick skulls that we weren't buying any extras the computer magically worked.

When the heck did an in person phone buying experience turn into this?

[Deleted]

I do fall for half that stuff and it still takes forever

[dannylion]

When the car-buying experience reaches that level of annoyance, making it clear that one is willing to walk away often solves the problem.  Maybe that's how we're going to have to deal with the cellphone experience.  If they know the customer is not going to walk away, they'll just keep trying to push the extras and features that increase their commission. 

Basically, they treat customers that way because customers let them.  Sometimes we're so conditioned to be nice and polite in in-person transactions that we fail to remember that as the person spending the money, we should be in control.  The salesweasels are trained to take advantage of our desire to be viewed as "nice" and have a deep well of manipulative tricks to draw from.  They will continue to try to manipulate us unless we make it clear we will not be manipulated. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

When the car-buying experience reaches that level of annoyance, making it clear that one is willing to walk away often solves the problem. Maybe that's how we're going to have to deal with the cellphone experience. If they know the customer is not going to walk away, they'll just keep trying to push the extras and features that increase their commission.


Exactly.  When I bought my car before the last, I told them that they had 15 minutes to make this happen or I was walking.  They came running after me with everything ok'ed after I got into my car and started driving away 20 minutes after he needed 'approval' from his manager.

[Deleted]

They REALLY want you to be on a contract, don't they?  The salesman practically told me it was a bad deal to buy my iPhone outright.  I asked him why they were so intent on contract plans and he said something about wanting to have long-term relationships with their customers.  Yeah, love those "free" upgrades with another 2-year contract.  I also noticed that when Sprint offered their "cut your price in half" deal you had to turn in your old phone and sign a contract.  No,  thanks. 

I'm one generation behind on the iPhone and will use it till it stops working.  It's probably paid for itself since I've had it for 15 months; I've saved the extra cost of a contract with a "free" phone and if I were to sell it today it would have some residual value.

[shanendoah]

I keep thinking the same thing when I hear places up here advertising no down payment and low interest financing for buying phones...

[TheOtherMe]

When my current phone is out of contract in December, all future phones will not have a contract.  I'm done with being under the control of one carrier.

[TheHaitian]

We have gotten all our phones at the Apple Store so never had to deal with that.

And yes you can just walk into Apple and buy the IPhone 6 for $749.00 + ~$50 taxes and they will ask you no questions or make you wait

[cktc]

I like to buy phones online or at electronic stores. The people at the carriers' stores are just pushing corporate agenda.

[MJ2.0]

I bought my last two phones and services online.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 18:24:46 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

We have gotten all our phones at the Apple Store so never had to deal with that.

And yes you can just walk into Apple and buy the IPhone 6 for $749.00 + ~$50 taxes and they will ask you no questions or make you wait

That is how I've done it the past 3 times, this time I was switching carriers and for some reason the number port was getting hung up online/over the phone which necessitated the trip into the lions den.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 19:22:41 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

I've never had to buy a cellphone. In true YM fashion I use my work cell for personal use. 

Approved of course by work. I hate carrying one, I couldn't imagine lugging two around. 

I have my work cell/email forwarded to my personal phone because I got sick of carrying around two. I probably could use the work as my personal but I don't want them to have access to my private texts/email/porn lookup history : )

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 15:11:07 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

They REALLY want you to be on a contract, don't they?  The salesman practically told me it was a bad deal to buy my iPhone outright.  I asked him why they were so intent on contract plans and he said something about wanting to have long-term relationships with their customers.  Yeah, love those "free" upgrades with another 2-year contract.  I also noticed that when Sprint offered their "cut your price in half" deal you had to turn in your old phone and sign a contract.  No,  thanks. 

I'm one generation behind on the iPhone and will use it till it stops working.  It's probably paid for itself since I've had it for 15 months; I've saved the extra cost of a contract with a "free" phone and if I were to sell it today it would have some residual value.

They said the same thing to me! After multiple times getting asked I said do I really need to put together a PowerPoint presentation for you on how it is not a better deal?

[Opti]

Aug 5, 2015 13:39:43 GMT -5 @aj said:

i haven't been to a major networks store since probably 2004 but we decided to switch carriers due to call quality and I couldn't get the order to go through online so we decided to visit our friendly local phone retailer.

Well that was a big friggin mistake...........

We were there for 1.5 hours even though we knew exactly the phones we wanted, in that time we were:

1. Asked 5 times why we wanted to buy the phones outright and didn't want a "plan"

2. Asked 4 times why we didn't want any accessories or insurance

3. Told the salesman and his manager had never seen anyone buy a phone outright

4. Told we had to come back in to get my employers discount applied "I knew that wasn't true and I was right"

5. Told twice the computer system was being "slow" keeping us stuck there for items 1-2.

So why didn't I leave? It is the only carrier with good call quality that I know of at my house and I needed a phone that day cuz my other one shot craps.

After an hour I got pretty hostile to the manager, ripping on all their marked up accessories and dissing their knowledge of the phone. When they finally got it through their thick skulls that we weren't buying any extras the computer magically worked.

When the heck did an in person phone buying experience turn into this?

They work on commission and phone revenues are down.

[Opti]

Aug 5, 2015 18:24:46 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

We have gotten all our phones at the Apple Store so never had to deal with that.

And yes you can just walk into Apple and buy the IPhone 6 for $749.00 + ~$50 taxes and they will ask you no questions or make you wait

   There are no haggle or less haggle places. Just need to train them I think. I have never had a two year contract, but I have paid outright for a phone twice.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 20:15:20 GMT -5 Opti said:

Aug 5, 2015 13:39:43 GMT -5 @aj said:

i haven't been to a major networks store since probably 2004 but we decided to switch carriers due to call quality and I couldn't get the order to go through online so we decided to visit our friendly local phone retailer.

Well that was a big friggin mistake...........

We were there for 1.5 hours even though we knew exactly the phones we wanted, in that time we were:

1. Asked 5 times why we wanted to buy the phones outright and didn't want a "plan"

2. Asked 4 times why we didn't want any accessories or insurance

3. Told the salesman and his manager had never seen anyone buy a phone outright

4. Told we had to come back in to get my employers discount applied "I knew that wasn't true and I was right"

5. Told twice the computer system was being "slow" keeping us stuck there for items 1-2.

So why didn't I leave? It is the only carrier with good call quality that I know of at my house and I needed a phone that day cuz my other one shot craps.

After an hour I got pretty hostile to the manager, ripping on all their marked up accessories and dissing their knowledge of the phone. When they finally got it through their thick skulls that we weren't buying any extras the computer magically worked.

When the heck did an in person phone buying experience turn into this?

They work on commission and phone revenues are down.

Yup, my bro used to work at an electronics store and he told me last night they got insane pressure to push cell phone accessories and insurance. He said each phone sale needed to generate $100 in accessories (freakin wow) and every other sale needed insurance or the employee was in trouble.

[TheOtherMe]

No Apple Store within 3 hours of me.  Next iPhone will probably come from online Apple Store. 

I refused the insurance on the phone I currently have also. 

I used to have a job that paid for my cell phone.  Now I'm happily retired!

[Deleted]

I guess now I know why there are so many cell carrier stores.  It always baffled me, that every mall and shopping center had at least one brick and mortar store devoted to whichever carrier.  I couldn't figure out the revenue model that was supporting the amount of stores and employees.  

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 19:22:41 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

I've never had to buy a cellphone. In true YM fashion I use my work cell for personal use. 

Approved of course by work. I hate carrying one, I couldn't imagine lugging two around. 

Same here, but when I left in May of last year and asked if I could keep the iPhone (it was Gen 4 and Gen 5 was out by that time), they said they'd check with my manager.  The answer came back:  yes, you can keep it for $500.  This and other moves really showed me his true colors in those last weeks.  I bought my own, of course- $50 more for a brand new Gen 5.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 6, 2015 13:24:05 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

No Apple Store within 3 hours of me.  Next iPhone will probably come from online Apple Store. 

I refused the insurance on the phone I currently have also. 

I used to have a job that paid for my cell phone.  Now I'm happily retired!

We ordered our iPhones online, only because the local store wasn't open and we made the decision to purchase around 8 at night.  Thinking back, it probably would have been easier to actually go down to the Apple store the next day and buy them because I had to make sure that I was home so I could sign for the phones when they arrived.

We'll likely use these until they die in a few generations and repeat.

[Deleted]

Verizon just texted me. I can upgrade my purchased phone "free". Uh-huh. Just turn in my current phone and sign a 2-year contract, right??

[TheOtherMe]

I have not decided if I am keeping a smartphone when the contract is up.  If I do, I won't be buying a new phone in December.  I will definitely buy online just because I live in the boonies and getting to an Apple Store isn't worth the hassle. 

If I don't, I will find a dumb phone online and buy it.