I'm Gonna Be Stuck With My Wing

[landbeforetimelover]

I couldn't believe it when I went into Tmobile today and just tried to get a phone that wouldn't fall apart after 2 weeks and they REQUIRE that you sign up for a data plan for all decent phones (AKA smartphones)!  We have two lines, so that's an extra $60 a month they want to steal from us!  The last thing I need is internet on my phone....especially for that price!  You can get a good home internet connection for half that cost!  I decided to try to go with another company, but they all do that now.  F****** B*****s!  It's not like they have enough money already.  My only option is to pay $500 per phone in order to avoid the required data plan!  

I have been looking at other options and they are appealing.  One option I have is to just get their regular free crap phone then buy a "smartphone" off eBay and call them up, claiming that my new phone won't work.  They'll totally unlock the sim and I'll be able to use it without a data plan.  That could save me a few hundred bucks at least.  But I still don't want to spend tons of money on phones!  But I want to be able to do more than call someone on my phone.  I really want a phone with Windows Mobile like I have.  I guess I'll just stick with my Wing (which is now like 3 or 4 years old).  I've already had to take the sucker apart and fix it a couple of times....and it was a $600 phone!  I can't imagine going with some of those shit phones they have out there.  They wouldn't last a week with me.

It just really pisses me off that these companies are trying to screw their customers even more.  They've already got more money than they could ever spend.  Cell phone prices are absolutely asinine.  Now they want to tack an extra $60/month fee onto that for a service that I will NEVER use?!  I don't think so!  I'd rather have a f****** landline (God forbid) then be used and abused like this!

[Kor]

I recall someone on a podcast being upset about having to pay for a data plan and deciding to keep his old phone also.  The companies will continue to do this until the majority of people decide they are not going to take this and switch to alternatives, regular line phones, or other alternatives.  As long as companies can get away with it and folks will pay them they will do what they can to try to get as much money from people as they can.

[Petrie.]

I'll keep my Samsung Alias (first generation) until it dies or I can't get a battery for it.  Like you, if I do any upgrades, you get slapped with a data plan for $30 a month.  You can cancel before the first month is up but they still got extra money out of you for something you won't use.  Maybe I'll go tracfone again.  I'd rather the mobile phone than a landline just because I can use the phone anywhere, not so much with a landline.

[DarkWolf91]

I hate phone plans too, they're such a freaking headache, and the only thing I ever use my cellphone for is business calls.
So I went pay-as-you-go. My phone cost me 15 euro, I've had it for a month and it's only cost me an extra 2.50 in actual calls. I'm quite happy with that

I'm not surprised they get away with what they do, though. Pretty much everyone else here went for the best iPhone and most expensive plan that they had- it's like people have no idea how to manage money.

[landbeforetimelover]

You can cancel before the first month is up but they still got extra money out of you for something you won't use.

Damn Petrie.  Who are you with?  Because I want in.  Tmobile won't allow me to cancel without paying a $200 fee PER LINE because I'll be "breaking the contract."  I'd gladly just be screwed out of $60 ($30 per line), but they want to screw me out of $60/month for 24 months (a total of $1,440)!  It would be cheaper to drive over to the person's house to talk to them!

[Petrie.]

Verizon.  Customer service said you could do that.  No idea if it actually works (or if this rep has no clue how the contracts work) but with 5 phones on the family plan, $150.00 is money we'd rather not to have to pony up in the first place.