My Cell Phone Died, !#$%^&!

[chatolandia]

OK I'm desperate!
My cell phone died about 3 hours ago! It's a Motorola RAZR v3 that I got last year. And guess what? The warranty expired 10 days ago!! I have a phone insurance with my company T-Mobile, but now it turns out I have to pay $70 to get a new cell phone from them!
I can sign a 2 year contract with them and get a free one, but what happens if my cell phone dies within a year? Like this one did!!
So I'm looking at Amazon for new cell phones (with discounts of course) and there's a lot of variety. I have not being paying attention at whats coming because getting a new cell phone was not on my priority list. I just lost my job, so I do not want to spend too much money right now.

To add insult to injury, I'm leaving next Monday to visit my family so I have to get something fast!
I am willing to sign for a year contract, but longer than that, I feel its a waste considering the fact that most cell phones are not built to last and I may have to move next year, if I find a good job outside my area!

So do any of you know what cell phones are out there that are good? I would like a flip phone, with some good features, but not a PDA, I cannot afford that now!

I have a friend who is a cell phone guru, but he's out of town! And I need to order something tomorrow!

[shahmask]

any t-mobile phone, including t-mobile to go phones, will work with your sim card. also, you can buy an unlocked gsm phone and it'll work also.

go to target and pick up a nokia 6030 prepaid(to go phone), u know, the basic phone, for 40 dollars if you don't want to sign a contract.

if the contract isn't the matter, but whether your phone will die and what to do after that....you usually get another discount in about 6 months at tmobile. if you hurry, you might be able to get a razr for 50 dollars without a mail in rebate. also, you might be able to get a samsung t629 slider phone with mp3 player for 50 dollars.

the beautiful nokia 6133 has been 99.99 lately. and i think the dash is 150. that's what i have, the dash. it's a pda phone running windows mobile 5 smartphone.

[chatolandia]

Well I'm lucky! I found my old Sonny Ericsson Cell. The battery is not great, but I will last me until I figure out this whole mess.

I'll miss my razr. Maybe I'll hold a funeral tomorrow

Thanks for the info though, maybe I'll visit Targee tomorrow. I have to buy something for my niece anyways. She thinks Santa also stopped here for her!

[Bidude711]

T-mobile sucks at giving its OWN customers a good deal on upgrades of cell phones. I've been with them for 2 and 1/2 years and I get the same deals that any new customer would get. WTF?? There's no way in hell I'm gonna sign another 2 year contract with them for a new phone at regular prices that normal people would pay.

I say, you should switch to Sprint and get the Fusic phone by LG. It's only 29.99 after mail in rebate. Also, no activation fee. Offer ends Dec. 31, 2006. But you'll have to pay the cancellation fee with T-Mobile if you're contracts not up yet.

[Adidasluvr]

Most companies will honour the warranty for another month or two after its official end - contact the manufacturer directly.

[chatolandia]

I was with Sprint and switched to T-Mobile because they had the worst customer retention offers!
Now It may be time to move to back Sprint.
I think cell phone companies like new customers better than older customers.

[provenlogic]

2 year contracts are not that unusal with cell phone companies. Think about it, have you ever really switched cell phone companies? Maybe you have, but i haven't, i've been with Cingular since before it was even called Cingular, but Bellsouth Mobility . Most every cell phone company will let you get the "with contract" discount price on a new phone after 1.5 years of the 2 year contract is up. And you can always close out a contract early for a fee.

If i were you i'd go to your T-Mobile store and see what they have for your price range. New RAZR's are pretty cheap now (with a contract). And like i said, a 2 year contract isn't that much of a big deal, it just means you have to stay with T-Mobile for 2 years, not keep the same phone for 2 years. You can switch phones any time you like, you just can't get another "with contract" discount price for 2 years (really 1.5 with most companies).

[DiverDude]

haha. my razr has been broken for over a month. my best friend severed the wires in the hinge to the screen opening it (wtf), so now I have to keep a paper with it w/ all my phone numbers on it. It's also permanently on vibrate and for some reason, a few of my friends STILL send me text messages.

I absolutely hated my razr and I hate TMobile. They usually have nice looking guys that work in the stores though.

Good luck on your phone issues and be glad you still have the internet!!

[beachbone]

Once they have you as a customer, they dont want to know anything about you its all one big con job.

[Missec]

I have to say a Go phone, I use Cingular. it cost me $25.00 for 3 months of service with mobile to mobile free. I only talk to people that has cingular. Unless its an emergency.

[Bidude711]

I have to say a Go phone, I use Cingular. it cost me $25.00 for 3 months of service with mobile to mobile free. I only talk to people that has cingular. Unless its an emergency.

I wouldn't be able to survive just talking to Cingular people. I don't know how can you do it. All your friends must have Cingular. I have like 80+ people in my phonebook, I think only 10 have cingular.

[provenlogic]

haha. my razr has been broken for over a month. my best friend severed the wires in the hinge to the screen opening it (wtf), so now I have to keep a paper with it w/ all my phone numbers on it. It's also permanently on vibrate and for some reason, a few of my friends STILL send me text messages.

I absolutely hated my razr and I hate TMobile. They usually have nice looking guys that work in the stores though.

Good luck on your phone issues and be glad you still have the internet!!

Why don't you just get it fixed??? Or *gasp* get a new phone? Cingular is all over town, mall of La, sherewood, o'neal, drusila, coursey, jefferson, bluebonnet, cortana, florida, everywhere! I know T-Mobile has just as many locations.

[chatolandia]

I think I'll stick to my old phone until the job/moving situation clears. If I can stay where I'm at I'll probably go back to sprint or get a go-phone.

[raiden]

why do you even trsut motorola, their phones r shite!
useless razr v3 aint even that good.
Stick yo samsung mate you will benefit out of it.

[provenlogic]

motorola is one of the best cell phone manufacturers out there. I had the same RAZR for over 2 years, and loved it to death. I only got rid of it because i got a new PDA smart phone for christmas. You may not like Moto, but the facts stand for themselves, they make some of the best phones available.

[chatolandia]

Well I guess I got my Xmas miracle
My friend, who convince me to go to T-Mobile from Sprint 2 years ago, called the company complaining and they told him the same story. They also told him to send and e-mail to the CEO of the company to see what he would say.
I thought that it was a load of crap!
But we got this answer:

To Whom It May Concern:

T-Mobile USA, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) is writing on behalf of Mr. Dotson regarding your handset cocnerns.

In an effort to amicably resolve this matter, T-Mobile agreed to send Mr. XXXXX a Motorola Razr (V3) at no cost, and without a contract extension. If Mr. XXXX would like to accept this offer, he may respond with the shipping address he would like the handset sent to.

Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Very truly yours,

T-MOBILE USA, INC.

So I got my cell phone!
Man, and I wanted money for my Xmas miracle!
Or sex!!!

[Twisly]

my condolences...

[Mako247]

one other thing you may try is asking if you can get an employee discount
many different employee groups, both private industry and state, fed and county employees are eligible but they dont advertise them so remember to ask for it

(for example, my employee discount gets an additional $50 off telephones, 15% off monthly service and 25% off accessories from cingular.)

[sheep]

I guess it doesn't matter now, but many dead cell phones can be made to work again. Remove the sim card and battery. Wait a minute then re-install battery and sim card. It's called a hard re-boot.