Who Are You Buying That Cell Phone From?

Today, if you were to search Google for the phraseunlocked phones and carrier phones without a service
"Free Cell Phones" you would find 179,000,000 results,plan provides us with options and alternatives. The one
or the phrase "cell phone stores online" bring backstop shopping for any type of phone and plan, whether
42,100,000 results. That would lead a consumer toit be porting your existing number, activating a new line
believe there are countless companies from which toof service, or adding onto existing accounts,make this
buy a cell phone online.site a winner. The checkout is simple and straight
During a trip down pages and pages of search engineforward.
results, you will find brand name companies such as- Navigation is good, the buy flow leaves a lot to be
Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart, and Sams Club alongdesired. Although they do have the ability to view a
with phone manufacturers such as Motorola, LG andnumber of service plans on the same page, they are
Nokia, all with the ability to purchase a phone, with anot well marked and a click on each plan is necessary
service plan, through their own companies website.to view all features of the plan. The same could be
After painstaking research, it turns out that besidessaid about the cell phone selection as well. Amazon
each cellular service provider's website, such asdoes not have a number porting process. The
AT&T, T-mobile or Verizon , there are only 3consumer would need to do most of the "port" work
companies, or resellers, from whom fulfill the majoritywith the new carrier over the phone. This could lead to
of online cell phone purchases.an extra $250 charge if the customer does not follow
These 3 companies are Letstalk.com, and Why buythe exact procedure. The checkout is a simple
through a reseller? :process, and the explanations of required information
1. Better pricesare very informative, especially the "risks of buying a
The example we looked at July 8th, was thephone and plan for someone else". It is confusing as to
BlackBerry® Curve for AT&T wireless.why wirefly has phone offers on the amazon website.
AT&TInphonic-Wirefly.com- Navigation is very good. We are
Pay now price: $299.99able to find phones and rate plans with ease, similar to
Mail in Rebate card: -$100.00letstalk's promotion page, you can select a different
Final sale price: $199.99carrier or different phone from a pop-up window. As
Inphonic / Wireflywith Amazon, the clear ability to effectively compare
Pay now price: $149.99all plans or phones side-by-side is missing They do
Mail in Rebates: -$150.00offer the ability to port your number to a new carrier
Final sale price: $0.00without any involvement between you and your new
Amazoncarrier. There are no bells and whistles here, a straight
Pay now price: $99.98forward "Buy a phone & plan" website.
Mail in Rebates: -$100.00Customer Service & Support
Final sale price: $0.00Inphonic-Wirefly.com-
LetstalkToll-Free Support via Phone:YES
Pay now price: $99.99Email Support:YES
Mail in Rebates: -$150.00Online status tracking:YES
Final sale price: $0.00 plus you get $50 back (afterFAQ Rank Low to high:Medium
rebates)BBB Ranking:Unsatisfactory Record
2. Freedom to ChooseAmazon.com-
The wireless service provider websites do not showToll-Free Support via Phone:NO
you what their competitors have to offer. They showEmail Support:NO
their "specials" or "featured" products with descriptions,Online status tracking:YES
pictures and the associated cost of their phone or plan.FAQ Rank Low to high:Low
In contrast, 2 of the 3 online resellers, and Inphonic giveBBB Ranking:Satisfactory Record
you the ability to choose service plans and cell phonesLetstalk.com-
from the different service providers.It's true that youToll-Free Support via Phone:YES
have to toggle between pages to compare differentEmail Support:YES
provider plans or phones.. The third reseller,Online status tracking:YES
Letstalk.com, gives you the ability to not only chooseFAQ Rank Low to high:High
from different service providers, but compare phonesBBB Ranking:Satisfactory Record
and plans from the different carriers side-by-side. TheyOverall Comments
also offer expert and user reviews.With so many websites offering cell phone service,
3. The Good, Bad and the Uglyyour choice really comes down to which one of the
We have reviewed and purchased a cell phone andthree national resellers do you want to do business
plan from each of the three resellers, some of whichwith? Buying directly from the carrier is always an
were through their partner sites.option, but the price differences and the ability to
Here is how we rate each of the buying experiences:effectively comparison shop your service plan or cell
Website Functionality:phone would be lost. Although all three resellers have
- Navigation is superb, many offers to choose from.their positive areas, it is this editors opinion that Letstalk
The "Rate Plan Finder" and "Phone Finder" functionsprovides the most complete, hassle-free, buying
are the best. We can view all the service plansexperience. The ability to do it all on one site,and have
available from the variety of carriers, and comparethe support of a very accessible customer service
eight plans side-by-side. This is the only site we havedepartment, speaks volumes to the integrity of this
seen, in which a user can add a line to your existingcompany.
family plan or wireless account. The ability to buy