For those impatient... Don't buy on Ebay!

[skarletknite]

one word of caution on this idea. if you plan on using the $30 tmobile pre-paid plan (which i do), i believe that is for new customers only. so if you buy the phone at tmobile on contract, cancel the contract immediately / pay the ETF, you would no longer be a new customer, would you? so, then the next best price you could get (i believe) is $50 per month. so figuring in an extra $20 per month, the equation changes. i was planning on using tmobile for the HSPA+42 in my area, i am not aware of other prepaid services making that available for $30 per month, if at all.

 

[bilago]

You can still get the 30 dollar plan, however you would have to get a new micro SIM and activate a new phone number.

 

[skarletknite]

right. so you can't port your existing number and still get the $30 / mo plan. not everyone wants to use their GV # as their primary number.

 

[gone down south]

And then you're stuck with a crappy contract for 2 years. The big selling point of the N4 is that you get a powerful phone that can switch carriers for about the price of a locked phone. Why would you go to a locked phone? You might save $100 up front, but over the life of the contract you'll pay $600 or so more.

ETF = Early Termination Fee.
The kicker to this deal is that you pay Tmo $200 up front to get out of the contract, and you walk away free and clear.

 

[bkorver]

I paid full price for the phone, got the 50 dollar prepaid plan that I will forget to renew, and dropped my Straight Talk Sim in straight out of the door and haven't looked back...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[6tr6tr]

ETF = Early Termination Fee.
The kicker to this deal is that you pay Tmo $200 up front to get out of the contract, and you walk away free and clear.

OK, so you're spending an extra $100 to get the phone a few weeks early? I guess if that's worth it to you.

 

[6tr6tr]

Don't think you're understanding the premise of this here... The idea is you cancel the contract and pay the ETF, but you're still coming out ahead of the $499 full price. You can then take the phone and do what you want with it without the contract.

And no, the phone isn't locked. It's 100% unlocked for use on any carrier, even when you buy it from T-Mobile.

OK, so you're not saving anything, you're spending $100 more than Google's price to get the phone a few weeks early. Still not a bad deal.

 

[Andrew Martonik]

OK, so you're not saving anything, you're spending $100 more than Google's price to get the phone a few weeks early. Still not a bad deal.

You're saving over T-Mobile's unsubsidized price. No one said you're saving over Google's.

- - - Updated - - -

one word of caution on this idea. if you plan on using the $30 tmobile pre-paid plan (which i do), i believe that is for new customers only. so if you buy the phone at tmobile on contract, cancel the contract immediately / pay the ETF, you would no longer be a new customer, would you? so, then the next best price you could get (i believe) is $50 per month. so figuring in an extra $20 per month, the equation changes. i was planning on using tmobile for the HSPA+42 in my area, i am not aware of other prepaid services making that available for $30 per month, if at all.

The $30 prepaid plan has no contract associated with it... its prepaid.

In order to buy this at $200 and pay the $200 ETF, you have to sign up with a Classic Plan.

 

[ChromeJob]

Its better for them, and better for the customer. They offer 0% financing with monthly installments for the phone, and for those who choose to use their phone longer than 18 months or bring their own, their monthly bill is cheaper once the phone is paid off. For T-Mobile, they don't need to subsidize phone anymore.

Oh! I'm an idiot. So the new model is they sell you the $350 phone for $199, then charge $20 installments for 24 months (?), so they recoup $679 or so in addition to the services charges. It's a little more transparent than in years past, you don't have a continued, inflated plan price after "paying off" the phone.

I'm in the wrong racket.

one word of caution on this idea. if you plan on using the $30 tmobile pre-paid plan (which i do), i believe that is for new customers only. ...

I believe the rep last night told me you can't have been a customer for 6 months (or was it a year) before rejoining T-Mo. So, correct, you can't buy the phone and a plan, cancel in 2-4 weeks, and turn around and sign up to a new plan.

Reading some of page 2 of this thread,... I dunno if OP meant to troll, but I feel some of the responses are trolling. Unless we've got kids who've never actually had a cell phone contract, or read mom & dad's contracts.....

It's a locked phone!

No it's not.

It is TOO a locked phone!

Not, it's not a locked phone.

... I know you are, but what am I?

ad nauseam

 

[skarletknite]

You're saving over T-Mobile's unsubsidized price. No one said you're saving over Google's.

- - - Updated - - -



The $30 prepaid plan has no contract associated with it... its prepaid.

In order to buy this at $200 and pay the $200 ETF, you have to sign up with a Classic Plan.

i dont think you understand what i am saying. if you buy the phone for 199 you must select a plan (online its a 2yr plan) and have a contract. once you do that, you are no longer a "new activation," which is required to qualify for the $30 per month prepaid plan. your new activation under your name was the classic plan. i've actually gotten different stories from tmobile. online chat tells me that if you pay for the phone w/2yr contract, (they do not sell the nexus 4 online without a 2yr contract), and you pay early termination fee, then the phone is locked for 40 days. here is an excerpt:

Gabriella: You can not use it within 40 days of purchase date with no contract monthly plan.
You: so youre saying i have to wait 40 days after i purchase the phone to use it on no contract monthly plan? i thought the nexus 4 is unlocked. that means i can use it on any HSPA network at any time
Gabriella: No, it is two year contract phone, and it is locked by service provider.
You: are you sure about that?
Gabriella: It can be unlocked after 40 days of purchase.

 

[ChromeJob]

Gabriella: You can not use it within 40 days of purchase date with no contract monthly plan.
You: so youre saying i have to wait 40 days after i purchase the phone to use it on no contract monthly plan? i thought the nexus 4 is unlocked. that means i can use it on any HSPA network at any time
Gabriella: No, it is two year contract phone, and it is locked by service provider.
You: are you sure about that?
Gabriella: It can be unlocked after 40 days of purchase.

Boy what a confused set of jumbled facts. T-mobile will SIM unlock your phone after ... something like 90 days on contract (yeah, I'm no fount of certified facts either) ... they cheerfully gave me an unlock code for my (subsidized) Amaze after 4 months on contract, which impressed me.

What Gabriella should've been telling you is that if you cancel your contract and pay the ETF, you cannot sign up again with T-Mobile for ... some number of months.[1] Perhaps it's different with the prepaid, but I doubt it.

What many N4 buyers are doing is signing up with Simple Mobile or Straight Talk, which are MVNO carriers on T-Mo's and AT&T's networks, and not concerned with your billing arrangements with T-Mobile.

Now,... if you cancel the contract, and/or don't pay your fees, T-Mobile may blacklist the IMEI of the phone. That's not "locking" or "unlocking," that's a different can o' worms entirely.

This thread is giving me a headache. I think I'll go relax on XDA for a while....

[1] I don't know anyone who's tried this anyway. Perhaps they'd yield.

 

[moosc]

Where is this $20 coming from? I see I pay $199 for the phone do contract for like any other carrier. Really have no need to bounce around so tmo is fine. So for most folks we end up a head with a cheaper price phone.

Oh! I'm an idiot. So the new model is they sell you the $350 phone for $199, then charge $20 installments for 24 months (?), so they recoup $679 or so in addition to the services charges. It's a little more transparent than in years past, you don't have a continued, inflated plan price after "paying off" the phone.

I'm in the wrong racket.


I believe the rep last night told me you can't have been a customer for 6 months (or was it a year) before rejoining T-Mo. So, correct, you can't buy the phone and a plan, cancel in 2-4 weeks, and turn around and sign up to a new plan.

Reading some of page 2 of this thread,... I dunno if OP meant to troll, but I feel some of the responses are trolling. Unless we've got kids who've never actually had a cell phone contract, or read mom & dad's contracts.....

ad nauseam

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk 2

 

[Rbower]

I can't believe what people are willing to pay on Ebay. Its no wonder people scalp when they can make 250+ on each phone.

 

[ChromeJob]

Don't worry about it. Online sales listing shows OUT OF STOCK.

[Edit]

I'm sorry, it's 20 payments of $15 dollars with a two-year agreement for a Value Plan. Or $199 and a two-year agreement for a Classic Plan. T-Mobile getting its own 16GB Nexus 4 for $199 on contract | Android Central

But last night Alex at the local T-Mo store told me my plan was reclassified "Bridge to Value" because Classic Plans are on the way, as Heidi Klum says on Project Runway, "Out!"

 

[eric0668]

Nexus 4 From Ebay

Is it safe to buy a new one, NIB, from ebay. It is a lot more, but I have someone helping me

Price aside, my only worry would be DOA, right? In which case, (I only buy from people who take returns) I just send it back

Any other problem after that would be handled by Asurion that I pay for with T-Mobile. I knew this from the past, but I called them If something happens they fix if they can or replace the phone if available or replace with comparable one

Is the biggest negative that they don't have the Nexus 4 in their inventory?

 

[mathelm]

Re: Nexus 4 From Ebay

I don't know how good an idea it would be to over pay for one on ebay (check your local craigslist). But as far as DOA or anything like that, you're still protected via paypal regardless of weather they accept returns or not...

 

[Rbower]

Re: Nexus 4 From Ebay

I don't think it's worth it, im thinking as soon as the orders start being fulfilled by Google the prices may go down some. I would feel silly paying 650 for something I could wait a couple weeks for and get around 400.

 

[eric0668]

I heard 15 installments

 

[Amir47]

Re: Nexus 4 From Ebay

I don't think it's worth it, im thinking as soon as the orders start being fulfilled by Google the prices may go down some. I would feel silly paying 650 for something I could wait a couple weeks for and get around 400.

400-450 on CL

 

[Rbower]

Re: Nexus 4 From Ebay

He specifically says ebay though... CL only counts if you can actually get one. I don't see any local to me and I doubt any CL sellers would be willing to ship. I can find a 2009 Civic for 2250 on CL too but if its a scam it's not really worth citing.