Earlier this year, I went to my local T-Mobile store and purchased a Sidekick, a unique cell phone and PDA that is pretty slick looking. T-Mobile has a 14-day trial period, so I took advantage of it, not really sure if I would want to keep it. Plus, I had already decided that I would be returning this phone as I found I could get it cheaper on Amazon.com. The phone retails for $350, but you can get it for $60 after rebates on Amazon.
I have been using Sprint for several years and have four phones in use for my business. My primary line is a Sprint PCS vision phone, with the built-in camera and color screen. But I really wanted something that would give me easy web access anywhere. The Sidekick was able to do this, albeit somewhat slow. But the best part is the keyboard built into the unit. It sure beats attempting to input data on a standard telephone alphanumeric keypad!
At the end of my two-week trial, I returned the phone, uncertain that I would want to buy this unit in the future. Several of my friends had recently purchased a PCS Handspring Treo and I was quite impressed. The downside? Pricey.
And so I waited. And waited. And waited a bit more, all the while pondering the best way to get the wireless web access I so deperately desired.
Fast-forward to last week. I could wait no longer and decided to bite the bullet. I shopped at Amazon and saw the Sidekick, but I compared the plan they were offering with one I found at LetsTalk.com. I was able to find a plan more suited to my tastes and I purchased the phone. It arrived yesterday and now has a full charge. It is set to activate today, so I am in gear to test it out. I signed a one-year contract and ended up paying $100 for the phone and accessories after rebates.
As I was making this purchase, I realized there was one other stumbling block to overcome. My current phone was still under contract until July 2005. Breaking contract would mean an additional fee of $100 or more. However, the other three phones in use are not under any contract at all. I knew I had the upper hand as I called Sprint.
When the nice lady answered the phone, I explained my situation to her. I told her that I wanted to cancel my contract, port my number to T-Mobile, and not be charged a cancellation fee. I told her that I would make them a deal. In exchange for releasing me from my contract, I would sign a new one-year contract for the three remaining phones. She put me on hold and connected me with a supervisor, who found my proposal agreeable.
To make things better, it appears that the Sanyo 8100 which I have been using is selling for an average of $130 on ebay. I will be boxing up this item and putting it up for auction next week. I will actually end up making money on this upgrade.
I will update you in a few weeks on my experience with my Sidekick. I sure hope it does the trick. If not, its only a one-year contract.
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
