Cingular cell phone service - Re: "The answer to Radio Shack's rhetorical question on buying cell

Author

Re: "The answer to Radio Shack's rhetorical question on buying cell

Isaiah Beard

2006-06-06, 11:48 pm

SMS wrote:
> See "http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3147"

Hear hear!

The problem with RadioShack is that they limit themselves to just two
post-paid wireless carriers. If they truly made a commitment to offer
at least the top four nationwide, and THEN if they managed to negotiate
contracts with each carriers that brings them ALL in parallel in terms
of what kinds of incentives and kickbacks RadioShack and its employees
get for selling service, then I MIGHT consider RadioShack as a one-stop
shop worth considering. They would of course also have to deal with the
whole most-sales-droids-barely-know-how-to-breathe thing, and actually
make sure they have some semblance of knowledge about what they're
talking about.

But, since this is clearly not going to happen, RadioShack really should
never be considered authoritative on who to pick for wireless service.

I do disagree with the article on one point though. The author suggests
asking to borrow a friend's phone for the day. I seriously doubt a lot
of people would say yes to that. Personally, my phone IS my phone, and
I make and receive jsut about all of my calls on it. So while I have no
problems at all with letting someone make a quick phone call in a pinch,
I would be very wary about parting with my phone for a whole day.

--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

SMS

2006-06-06, 11:48 pm

Isaiah Beard wrote:
> SMS wrote:
>
>
> Hear hear!
>
> The problem with RadioShack is that they limit themselves to just two
> post-paid wireless carriers.

One of the reasons Verizon is doing so well in terms of margins, and
Cingular is doing so poorly, is that Verizon sells a much higher
percentage of their service through their own stores and e-commerce site
(the other big reason is that Verizon's new additions are much more on
the post-paid side than Cingular's. Even though Radio Shack would jump
at the chance to get Verizon back, given their disastrous results with
Cingular, Verizon would be even stingier than ever on the commissions
and kickbacks now that they know that people shop by the carrier, more
than they do by the retailer.

> I do disagree with the article on one point though. The author suggests
> asking to borrow a friend's phone for the day. I seriously doubt a lot
> of people would say yes to that. Personally, my phone IS my phone, and
> I make and receive jsut about all of my calls on it. So while I have no
> problems at all with letting someone make a quick phone call in a pinch,
> I would be very wary about parting with my phone for a whole day.

It's a typical stupid statement by the author. In reality, the real test
of a phone often comes months or years after you sign up for service,
when you're out traveling somewhere. I appreciate Verizon when I'm in
the Sierra's, out on the coast, or in the greenbelt, because the GSM
carriers have much poorer coverage, if any.

When I'm in the urban and suburban parts of the Bay Area, Cingular
coverage is okay, though still not as good as Verizon. I was just in
Pleasanton last weekend, and I always am amused that about two miles
from Cingular's western regional headquarters, on Stoneridge, west of
Santa Rita Road the coverage sucks over at all the new cluster homes
that have been built out there. Maybe the residents don't want to allow
any cell sites, but Verizon works fine out there.

SMS

2006-08-16, 7:33 am

Jo wrote:
> Boo on that.
>
> At the risk of flying completely off the handle, if you're going to buy a
> phone and you're comparison shopping, well, you're on here, you have the
> internet, pull up the carriers' websites and GET THE INFORMATION DIRECTLY.
> The problem with Authorized Agents or Dealer Locations is that they are
> usually poorly informed, poorly trained, don't have the full array of
> equipment, and are 999 times out of a thousand more interested in selling
> you accessories with a big fat margin over one that won't blow your phone to
> bits (literally, I have stories).

Actually, the carrier's own stores often sell the same low quality/high
margin accessories, as opposed to the better quality OEM accessories.

Unless you get these low-end accessories for free (i.e. Costco throws in
a leather case, headset, and car charger for free), then you're better
off getting only the phone at the store, and ordering genuine OEM
accessories on-line. There is a big difference in quality, and you'll
pay less than the stores selling the phone.

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