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Cell Phones - Pagers and Cellphone Service

Free Cell Phones

by Helen Glenn Court

The last time I looked seriously at an offer for free cell phones, I dismissed it. That was a month ago. I am older and wiser now. I dismissed the idea because the contract on my existing wireless phone won't expire for eight months. What I'd gain by getting a free telephone identical to the one I have now (and like very much), I'd lose in penalty for leaving my existing provider.

I suddenly recall that I bought this phone at half price, the standing offer if I extended my contract another year. This is the sticky wicket of the retail wireless market. If you want a good price, you can have it, but you'll pay for it. If you choose to switch providers, that's fine, it's a free country, but you can't take your phone with you. This, I believe, is part of what is behind offers for free cell phones.

It's fair enough to say that the offer of a free anything is an enticement. A business is in business to do business, and ideally make a profit, not to give things away. In the publishing world (my profession) such offers are known as premiums. "We will give you a clock if you will look at our newsletter and think about subscribing." Such offers are made only to those who might be seriously interested in the end product. The end product behind free cell phones is wireless telephone service. This is the marketplace and this is how it functions.

Looking Hard at Offers for Free Cell Phones

There's no question that it's in your best interest to shop the wireless provider market once a year. Companies change, rates change, your needs change, technology changes, and you should keep abreast of all this. Having heeded one offer and taken an hour to comparison shop, I'm now prepared to check out offers for free phones when my contract expires in seven months. The time might be good for a change.

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