Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Fri, 17 May 91 11:31:04 EST From: Doctor Math Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Cheap Cellular Phones Message-ID: Organization: TELECOM Digest Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 375, Message 5 of 11 Lines: 28 Perhaps this has been discussed in another thread (I don't recall): Let's say the local stereo store has a "deal" where you get a cellular phone for $49.95 if you agree to a one-year service commitment with some specified carrier. Obviously, to re-program the phone yourself would be breaking the contract. Do they have recourse in this case? Since the phone has been bought and paid for, it is not being rented or leased, so it seems unlikely that they could come and take it from you ... but they could theoretically "blacklist" your ESN. Another example: you buy the phone, they activate it with their carrier, you sign the contract stating that you will keep that carrier for one year. What if they give you an "A" carrier and you independently sign up for a "B" carrier (or vice-versa), and simply don't use the carrier that they gave you? The phone is still activated according to the contract, right? You're still using the carrier of their choice, right? The last time Radio Shack ran this sort of "deal", the fine print in their ad stated that this deal was not available in California and one or two other states where such deals requiring activation have been made illegal. Cute. Also, is a repository of programming instructions being accumulated somewhere in the Archives? If I can get away with one of the above scenarios, I might just get myself a cell phone!