Anyone still got the 25 plan and don't use it?

[LeslieAnn]

Ebay is asking stupid prices. Not sure if they are getting it, but at what they are asking, I would switch to Boost instead.

 

[Eollie]

Ebay is asking stupid prices. Not sure if they are getting it, but at what they are asking, I would switch to Boost instead.

The average selling price is way less than the asking price. I looked at that before I sold my plan.

 

[LeslieAnn]

I figured as much.
I saw one person selling it B.I.N. for $250. Seriously? AT that rate you are looking at just over 2 years to recoup your loss.

Insane.

 

[Eollie]

I figured as much.
I saw one person selling it B.I.N. for $250. Seriously? AT that rate you are looking at just over 2 years to recoup your loss.

Insane.

Yeah and no guarantees VM will honor the plan in a year. I know they have honored things in the past but that was when it was VM not VM/Sprint.

Lastweek there was one posted for 450 BIN and the highest bid was 275. My jaw dropped. However I think it might have been a throwaway price hike account.

 

[LeslieAnn]

Yeah and no guarantees VM will honor the plan in a year. I know they have honored things in the past but that was when it was VM not VM/Sprint.

Lastweek there was one posted for 450 BIN and the highest bid was 275. My jaw dropped. However I think it might have been a throwaway price hike account.

Hard to say, people can be very stupid.
For some people Ebay is literally gambling and just as addictive. I know a guy who used to collect tobacco pipes. He would get into bidding wars where he had to win no matter what, even if it meant paying double. Even when there was another just like it for less listed right next to it. That doesn't even begin to explain how addicted he was to it, he lost his wife and his house, which had doubled in value and was sitting on $120k home equity.

I totally agree though, if it's going to take more than 6 months, it's not worth the risk.
Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it's not worth that much, even Virgin only grandfathered plans for so long. Based on past experience, I suspect we have about 18 months at most before Virgin forces us over to the $35 plan, maybe only 6 or 12. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[ferruco]

thanks a lot for your PM, very helpful, i went ahead and listed on ebay for 100 bucks starting bid with a limit of 150, tried to thank you by PM but i cannot, i just saw a listing asking 350, what? paypal credit will be useful since im planning on getting a phone on ebay one of these days, phones here in europe are so expensive, plans are mad cheap though. 15 euros for unlimited internet and SMS and 5 cents per minute, pretty fair i think

 

[Dannemand]

You have real competition in Europe. Attempts to avoid competing, "aligning" prices etc is illegal, enforced and heavily penalized by EU. Price fixing cartels have been fined billions of Euros.

Lax enforcement of these laws in the US (in the name of being "business friendly", mostly due to lobbying) is the reason we're overpaying in areas like wireless, broadband, insurance, health care and others: Providers are competing only through marketing and branding, while price models are mostly in sync among providers. Nobody wants to compete on price if they can avoid it. From a business perspective it's completely understandable, but it undermines the very pillars of capitalism.

Sorry about the rant. Back on topic...

 

[LeslieAnn]

Ask some Canadians what they pay for cell phones and internet if you think we have it bad.

 

[Dannemand]

Ask some Canadians what they pay for cell phones and internet if you think we have it bad.

Factually, we DO pay dramatically more for wireless and broadband - even compared to European countries with wages and price levels far above the US - and even if Canadians got it worse.

Maybe Canadian laws manage to combine the worst from Europe with the worst from US

Honestly, I have no experience from Canada, so I don't know.

 

[LeslieAnn]

Factually, we DO pay dramatically more for wireless and broadband - even compared to European countries with wages and price levels far above the US - and even if Canadians got it worse.

Maybe Canadian laws manage to combine the worst from Europe with the worst from US

Honestly, I have no experience from Canada, so I don't know.

Their coverage stinks and prices are typically high, depending on where you are, but yes in general, we pay a lot for what we get.

Gas prices balance us out with the E.U., they pay a ton for gas compared to us. Then again, their countries are also tiny.

 

[Dannemand]

Gas prices balance us out with the E.U., they pay a ton for gas compared to us. Then again, their countries are also tiny.

Actually most everyday items and living costs and wages are higher, at least in northern Europe. Gas extremely so because of high taxes.

All the more remarkable that some things (again, examples being wireless, broadband, insurance, health care) cost dramatically less in Europe than here - solely because these industries in USA cleverly manage to avoid real competition, whereas they compete fiercely in Europe.

 

[Eollie]

Actually most everyday items and living costs and wages are higher, at least in northern Europe. Gas extremely so because of high taxes.

All the more remarkable that some things (again, examples being wireless, broadband, insurance, health care) cost dramatically less in Europe than here - solely because these industries in USA cleverly manage to avoid real competition, whereas they compete fiercely in Europe.

I got a friend in Scotland that pays 60 bucks for cable internet and phone service. Comparing costs he was in awe at how much we pay for stuff here.

But like you say the big businesses are in the pocket books of the lawmakers. So we are screwed.