JZ>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 
ot
  >everyone needs one) is for the airtime not the phone price.
JZ>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 
uite
  >reasonable to me.  Why would they buy the phone for you to then get 
ervice
  >with someone else, or to just 'look cool' with a cell phone in your 
ocket?
  >If the customer drops service before the 4 mo. the store dosen't get paid 
fo
  >the phone from the carrier, but from you.
Understand what you are saying; but the phone is not "free".  I don't 
buy that the fact that they are handing over a cellular phone worth
hundreds of dollars without taking that cost into consideration 
somewhere in the deposit formula.
Charles
 * 1st 2.00 ~ Some days you're the bug, other days the windshield.
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