Monthly payments on cell phone, Good thing!!!

[97guns]

The speaker and mic on my wife's 5 month old iPhone stopped working so we took it to the Apple Store to get it repaired under warranty, a 12 month warranty.

Yesterday I get an email saying that it's not repairable through warranty because it's been tampered with from an unauthorized repair center, well I know it hasn't been serviced by anyone else but Apple and this is the first time getting a repair

Then I call my service provider and tell them my issue and now I have to wait to get the phone back in my possession, they say that a master reset could solve the issue which I doubt because Apple probably would have tried that. I'm paying $25 a month on it and have a $425 remaining balance and if it can't get resolved I'm stopping payment and moving carriers, don't care too much about any credit hit, my credit has already plummeted to 617

[Snydley]

Even better- buy a nice smartphone off ebay for $30 and sign up for Ting for ~$25 per line. Why people pay 100s of dollars for phones is beyond me.

[rennigade]

Like they care if you move to a different carrier? You're still on the hook for the phone you're renting. You think they'll forgive the $425?

Not that $425 is a big deal..you're a millionaire...you shouldnt have any issues paying that...right??? lulz

[rennigade]

Even better- buy a nice smartphone off ebay for $30 and sign up for Ting for ~$25 per line. Why people pay 100s of dollars for phones is beyond me.

Ting is great if you arent addicted to your smartphone. The screen worshipers you see out and about couldnt handle a plan through ting...unless its the top end one...which would get expensive.

[Petunia 100]

Ting is great if you arent addicted to your smartphone. The screen worshipers you see out and about couldnt handle a plan through ting...unless its the top end one...which would get expensive.

I'm on my smart phone all the time. My monthly Ting bill is right at $45, and I'm paying for two lines.

[corn18]

Not that $425 is a big deal..you're a millionaire...you shouldnt have any issues paying that...right??? lulz

The screen worshipers you see out and about couldnt handle a plan through ting...unless its the top end one...which would get expensive.

This is why this site is getting tedious. Way too many judgmental posts. And I'm one of the worst offenders. I'm going to work hard at contributing and less on judging.

[rennigade]

This is why this site is getting tedious. Way too many judgmental posts. And I'm one of the worst offenders. I'm going to work hard at contributing and less on judging.

Read op's post. What do you expect. He's providing terrible info...his credit score is plummeting with not a care in the world. Its few and far between to see new threads that benefit people.

Do you even know what ting is? You pay by usage. The more you use...the more it costs. How is this being judgmental?

[97guns]

This is why this site is getting tedious. Way too many judgmental posts. And I'm one of the worst offenders. I'm going to work hard at contributing and less on judging.

Ha, this guy never has anything constructive to say when posting in my threads, seems he can only remind me that I'm a millionaire, he's about a post away from going on ignore

[JoeP]

Honoring the warranty has little to do with the phone brand or carrier. This sounds like a mix-up on their end.

People will spend their money on good and services that other will not. This has been going on since before money was invented, and there are lines of business dedicated to serving different crowds. So while I would not spend more than $250 on a cell phone, or buy a new car, my retirement portfolio surely has stock in those companies, so consumption is ok by me (and it should be for you, too).

[97guns]

I've said it before, that as much as I use my cell phone I'm happy to spend $5-$600 on mine, it is THE most used item I own. I'm not extravagant in too many areas but this is an item that I will spend above and beyond on, my mind wasn't dead set until I saw how fast my iPhone was

[Snydley]

I've said it before, that as much as I use my cell phone I'm happy to spend $5-$600 on mine, it is THE most used item I own. I'm not extravagant in too many areas but this is an item that I will spend above and beyond on, my mind wasn't dead set until I saw how fast my iPhone was

I guess I can imagine investing hundreds of dollars in a phone if you don't have or use a laptop/computer. I rarely use the internet on my phone, but when I have it's much more labor intensive/slower and all-around difficult to use than a regular computer with a 13+ inch monitor and a standard sized keyboard.

Also- is the difference between an older model iphone (say an iphone 5, going for ~$90 on ebay right now) and the latest version THAT dramatic that it is worth the difference in price?

Also, for the Ting discussion, here's their rates https://ting.com/rates

[corn18]

Also- is the difference between an older model iphone (say an iphone 5, going for ~$90 on ebay right now) and the latest version THAT dramatic that it is worth the difference in price?

This is a personal choice and as such, there is no RIGHT answer. I see this argued ad nausea about phones, cars, watches, you name it. A Corolla or Civic is all you need for a car. A $25 Timex works just as well if not better than a Rolex. An iPhone 5 for $90 is just as good as an iPhone 7 for $900. It's a personal choice and, as such, there is no WRONG answer.

[disneysteve]

I guess I can imagine investing hundreds of dollars in a phone if you don't have or use a laptop/computer. I rarely use the internet on my phone

Also- is the difference between an older model iphone (say an iphone 5, going for ~$90 on ebay right now) and the latest version THAT dramatic that it is worth the difference in price?

If you don't use your phone much, it makes sense to buy a modest model. If, like many of us, you use your phone extensively, that's entirely different. I have a laptop at work and a desktop at home but I'm on my phone all the time, even at work and home. There are many things that I can only do on my phone. The laptop and desktop also are worthless when I'm not in the house or my office.

Also, keep in mind that phones become obsolete after a few years. My iPhone 5 doesn't stay charged all day like it used to. It also can no longer run the latest versions of many apps and some apps I can't install at all. So as soon as Target has a good sale again, I'll be upgrading to a 7.

[phantom]

Also- is the difference between an older model iphone (say an iphone 5, going for ~$90 on ebay right now) and the latest version THAT dramatic that it is worth the difference in price?

It's definitely a personal choice. But, I upgraded from an iPhone 5 to and iPhone SE a few months ago and found it to be totally worth it. My 5 was really starting to show its age. The battery could only hold a charge for a few hours of use, graphics intensive apps that I enjoyed were sluggish, it didn't have enough storage for all the pictures and podcasts I wanted to keep on it, and it didn't have enough memory to allow me to switch between apps without dropping one from memory. I put up with it for as long as I did because I don't like spending money. But, eventually, I decided that since I could afford $450 for a new phone, there was no good reason not to get one. It was totally worth it, and my only regret is not getting a new phone sooner. Not only did the new phone fix my issues, but it gave me access to some new features I didn't realize I'd use (like Apple Pay and Live Photos).

I don't think getting a new phone every year is worth it. But, it's been almost 5 years since the iPhone 5 came out, which is pretty old for a smartphone. Not everyone needs to get the latest, most expensive model, but I don't think I'd suggest anyone buy an iPhone 5 at this point.

[disneysteve]

I don't think I'd suggest anyone buy an iPhone 5 at this point.

I agree. Buying a 5-year-old computer/phone is not a good idea regardless of the price.

I had an iPhone 3. I upgraded to the 5 when I had no choice. Apple stopped supporting the 3 so apps stopped working. It became a useless device. How long do you think it will be before they stop supporting the 5? It was only about 4 years between the 3 and the 5. We are approaching 5 years for the 5. I think it's fair to assume that it's useful lifespan is pretty limited at this point. As I said, there are already apps that I'm not able to get on the 5.