Items to add to original post
ls3mach - Great original post! I would like to add a few more items if thats ok.
1. You can get your activation fee waived and a 10% discount on monthly charges if you show proof of membership in any credit union. (Sprint rep told me about this.) It can be ATM card, credit card or monthly statement, etc.
2. Most BB stores are "price matching" RS by offering the $20 gift card at the time of purchase just like RS is doing. You have to ask for it or you wont get it. (read in a forum)
3. If you want to put insurance on the EVO - instead of paying the high fees of the phone company, for expensive smartphones you can put a personal articles rider on your home owners insurance to cover the phone for theft, loss, or even water damage. Really anything that happens to it. It only costs me $30 per year. It covers all costs of replacement even accessories. (personal experience)
4. Use promotional code SAVE50 during purchase and receive a $50 invoice credit with each new-line activation. (from Sprint website - Promotions page) Not sure if it works in stores also but worth a try.
5. Recycle your old phone and get up to $50 back (from Sprint website - Promotions page)
6. If you are a business customer you get a $100 service credit when you transfer your eligible corporate-liable mobile phone number from another carrier to Sprint. Just activate a new line of service with a 2-year agreement, and you?ll get your service credit within 3 invoices. (read about in a forum)
How to get your $100 service credit:
- Transfer your eligible number to Sprint by July 10, 2010.
- Within 72 hours of activating your phone, register your number at sprintportcredit.com.
This all come from multiple sources as you can see. Hope it helps. Every dime saved helps even if we only utilize a few of these. I appreciate everyone sharing what they have read.
By the way, I am new to Sprint. What is the legacy SERO plan?
I am tired of reading all of the same damn questions about buying an Evo.
So here it goes:
If you are a Sprint Premier customer you get an upgrade every 12 months. This qualifies you for NEW customer pricing. It is said that it is $150 off, which is technically correct, but it is actually new customer pricing.
Sprint does mail in rebates. 3rd party resellers typically give them instantly. IE Best Buy and Radio Shack give the full discount at the time of purchase.
You CAN buy from Radio Shack or Best Buy even if you are an existing customer. If you are eligible for a full upgrade you will get new customer pricing.
It is not technically allowed for you to buy a phone with a line that is eligible for the discount and then swap it to another line. If you do this and are sending in a MIR you will get denied. It is much easier to pull this trick off if you buy at a thrid party reseller.
$75 off is the standard discount for people who are 1 year into a 2 year agreement, unless that line is Sprint Premier. If you do a $75 off rebate you get $75 off whatever the retail is and do NOT qualify for the MIR or extra instant discounts.
Best Buy and RadioShack are supposed to activate the phone before you are allowed to leave the store. This really effs you if you are trying to swap another lines phone discount. The way I have gotten around this is to tell them it is for a significant other and you are surprising them. If they activate the phone, your S/O will be without a means of communication, it also ruins your surprise. YMMV
This phone is NOT eligible for the legacy SERO plans. As far as I know you do not qualify for the discounts if you are on one of the legacy SERO plans. In other words the "phone swap trick" will not work if you are wanting to keep the legacy SERO plan.
I think I have hit all the key points. I am new to this forum, but it seems most of the people posting questions are new to this type of thing altogether. I have been doing the upgrade curve since my Treo 600 back in 2003. I know the ins and outs of working Sprint and getting maximum rebates and such. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will try and help. If you see something in error let me know.