$200 BestBuy Sprint Phone = $800 over 24m ??!!

[whyst]

Just venting here.

My contract was over Dec 31, so on Jan 1, I saw BestBuy's $200 Samsung Note 5 with 24m contract. As we have three phones, we stagger the device upgrades... This year on this line, next on the next two lines. I took the offer to get a new Note 5, and now, just yesterday I see the $25 Subsidized Phone Charge in my Sprint bill.

It was not told to me when I bought the phone at BestBuy, nor with Sprint when I called to activate the device! Had I known this, I could have bought a phone on ebay for $430!!! Now, I'm committed, over 14 days out of the return period and stuck!

Up to last year, most phones were $200 if you commit for 24 months, but none of this $25 subsidy charge!

Anyone caught with similar experience? I think BestBuys $200 phone advertisement is misleading!

 

[ibcop]

Sounds like you were put on an installment agreement. I'm not sure what Sprint calls it but I do the same thing with Verizon. But I do get a credit of 25 beans since I am over 10gb's of data each month.

 

[angrytentpole]

I bought my note 5 off of ebay for around $550 flat.

$800 is pushing it for a new phone in my opinion, it's also why I don't get anything from retail stores, because on top of the already high price they want to tack on as much as possible (insurance, overpriced accessories etc).

 

[Dave Seabrook]

Even when you commit to 2 years your still paying a subsidy of 25 bucks a month you just don't see it until you switch to the installment plan so you have actually been paying full price all this time go ask any rep any where they will tell you the same thing

 

[whyst]

it is true... like car loans and houses / mortgages... you pay one way or another.
it just leaves a really bad taste in the mouth.
again, had I known this, I'd have gone via eBay... and saved about $300, WITHOUT another two year contract.

actually, yes, 2-3y ago, my cost for 3 lines were $169 and now it is about $130 without the $25 phone subsidy... so it is the same, you are right.

you pay one way or another.

 

[tubbz the bull]

Well sprint has this thing called a forever plann... since ive have a note since the note1 came out every time a note series phone comes out im eligible to get the lhone for taxes and lease the phone for 30 dollars a month and each year i get a 5 dollar credit to that 30 a month. So when i got my note 5 i paid 87 dollars and traded my note 4 in for 300dollars store credit. But the best thing out of the deal since this is my 5th year with the note line my lease plan is only 5 dollars a month and sprint pays the other 25. And if i decided to keep my note 5 all i have to do is pay the 650 off which as of now is 120( really 20 dollars out of my pocket) minus the 25 a month sprint pays if i just keep it for 4 more months it will be paid off. They have similar plans with the iphone, galaxy s line and moto Droid lines

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[flychinook]

Just venting here.

My contract was over Dec 31, so on Jan 1, I saw BestBuy's $200 Samsung Note 5 with 24m contract. As we have three phones, we stagger the device upgrades... This year on this line, next on the next two lines. I took the offer to get a new Note 5, and now, just yesterday I see the $25 Subsidized Phone Charge in my Sprint bill.

It was not told to me when I bought the phone at BestBuy, nor with Sprint when I called to activate the device! Had I known this, I could have bought a phone on ebay for $430!!! Now, I'm committed, over 14 days out of the return period and stuck!

Up to last year, most phones were $200 if you commit for 24 months, but none of this $25 subsidy charge!

Anyone caught with similar experience? I think BestBuys $200 phone advertisement is misleading!

It's a term access fee. Basically, you're on a plan that doesn't include discounted phones, and you purchased a discounted phone. The billing system sees this, and is going to apply a $25 fee monthly for the duration of your contract, to "make back" the device subsidy that isn't built in to the plan. It's a flat-rate fee, doesn't matter if you got a $740 Note 5 for $200, or a $130 Kyocera for 99 cents, the fee is $25 per line. Sadly, I see this a lot with customers who purchase phones at best buy. Maybe they aren't properly trained on the new plans.
So, what to do. A few questions first: Do you still have any of the paperwork from Best Buy? Does it mention the term access charge at all? If their paperwork doesn't mention it, you need to go back to best buy and raise hell. Our (Sprint's) systems won't even allow a discounted phone upgrade on the newer plans for this same exact reason. If Best Buy is selling things without disclosing ALL costs, that's a big problem.

 

[debdroid1a]

Even when you commit to 2 years your still paying a subsidy of 25 bucks a month you just don't see it until you switch to the installment plan so you have actually been paying full price all this time go ask any rep any where they will tell you the same thing

This.
The old plans you didn't see the fee and even after ther phone was "paid off" after the 2 years contact was up, you still paid the fee. There never were any discounted or free phones.

Posted via the *Note 5*

 

[whyst]

thanks for the reply. I purchased the phone online and picked it up. Now looking back, there was a footnote about $25 access fee buried in it!

 

[whyst]

damn, that's quite a deal you've got there!

we've been with Sprint since '02.