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 * Quote from CHARLES HUNTER to GEORGE ERDNER dated 05-19-97.
GE>As long as the customer pays his bills on time and doesn't break his
  >contract, it costs him nothing to leave a credit card imprint as
  >collateral.
CH> I don't have a problem with the practice since it gives notice to
CH> the customer that it is NOT a "free phone".
CH> Charles
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Yes the phone is free.  I does not matter if someone comes in with a phone
of his own already, the carrier does the credit check, the deposit (and not
everyone needs one) is for the airtime not the phone price.
Now as for the practice of getting new customers, the cell carrier is saying
'if you will agree to use our service for a minimum time (here it is 4 mo)
of the one year contract, we will buy the phone for you'.  That seems quite
reasonable to me.  Why would they buy the phone for you to then get service
with someone else, or to just 'look cool' with a cell phone in your pocket?
If the customer drops service before the 4 mo. the store dosen't get paid for
the phone from the carrier, but from you.
 -- SPEED 2.00 #2782:
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