Do you have a clue what it would cost to replace your cell phone? When you signed up for service, a discount or rebate probably covered much, if not all, of the cost. Sometimes these amazing packages of technology even come with cash attached. One shopping Web site that lists more than 80 deals recently offered 20 phones with cash back (ranging from $20 to $115), and 21 others were free if you signed a one- or two-year service agreement.
But you're in for a rude awakening if you lose or break your phone (apparently, a common hazard is a high dive from a man's shirt pocket into the toilet). You could be asked to pony up hundreds of dollars for a replacement. Those 41 free to better-than-free phones on the shopping site we visited cost between $130 and $450 without a service contract. What you'll pay depends on how close you are to the end of your contract, what kind of customer you are and, frankly, your skills as a haggler.
"If your credit is good, you've been paying your bills on time and have been using value-added services such as sending pictures or text messaging, your provider isn't going to be too eager to see you go," says John Jackson, an analyst with the Yankee Group's mobile technologies advisory service. If you're within a couple of months of the end of your contract, the carrier might give you the new-customer deal just to keep you on.
However, "if you are in the first month, they don't have the same incentive to cut a deal," warns Allen Nogee, principal analyst in wireless technology for market-research firm In-Stat/MDR. In that case, the carrier has you over a barrel: Without a phone, you can't use the expensive minutes you're buying each month; if you cancel the contract, you'll be hit with a termination fee as high as $150 to $300. If you're happy with your service -- despite the hard-nosed policy on lost or damaged phones -- ask if extending your contract will earn you a break on a new phone.
Porting your number
If you're past the end of your contract, your provider will be more amenable to giving you a deal on a phone if you sign another long-term contract. Or you can shop around, which is easier now that you can take your number with you when you switch providers. Be sure to check with independently owned phone stores that sell more than one carrier's products, says Marc-David Seidel, co-founder of ABTolls, a Web site that compares telephone services. They may be more willing than a carrier's own outlets to haggle over price and accessories or to match a good deal you find on the Web.
What about eBay?
More than 7,500 cell phones were available on eBay when we checked. But "buying a phone on eBay is somewhat perilous," says Jackson, and "you could wind up with an elegant paperweight." For instance, it could be a stolen phone or one from abroad, which carriers won't activate. Or the phone's wireless technology and frequency may not match your carrier's in your area. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to detect problems in advance.
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