TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
|  Not impressed with Amazon's efforts here
I tried site out to see how it looks. And while it makes it very easy to compare phones(much better than ISP sites), it does a horrible job on giving info on the providers' wireless plans. You can only start to see plan info after starting the checkout process on a phone purchase. Nowhere at the main web pages can you compare plans(say Verizon vs AT&T). I just don't see this really bringing much value to the consumer. And I love shopping for many things at Amazon. But this service is a dud.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA | Much easier than going to different carrier sites
Works fine for me. I enter my zipcode and it tells me what plans are available in my area and the carriers. Nothing in my cart. |
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elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA
 ·SONIC.NET
·RoadRunner Cable
·Verizon Online DSL
| Global Norm?
I'm not sure why we should follow the rest of the world over a cliff, but I don't see how anyone is prevented from buying a phone at retail today, and shopping for service later.
As for Amazon's foray, it certainly not a competitive offering - as they only sell AT&T and Verizon, skipping the dozen or so prepaid, regional, and MVNO carriers that provide much greater value dependent on usage.
Perhaps if they offered a 25% or more discount on the big-2 carrier's plans (comparable to volume contract) and found a way to nullify half the taxes and fees one finds on a postpaid bill, it would be newsworthy. |
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braclark
join:2006-09-01
Rowley, MA | Contract Extension
Will buying a Verizon phone at Amazon extend my Verizon contract? |
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JasonOD
@comcast.net
| reply to elray
Re: Global Norm?
said by elray  :I'm not sure why we should follow the rest of the world over a cliff, but I don't see how anyone is prevented from buying a phone at retail today, and shopping for service later...... That's not really true, ATT, VZ, Sprint, etc, all decide what phones they want on their network, and what firmware funcions they will allow. So the phone you will buy is branded and will typically operate only on the intended network. In return, consumers here pay less as the carriers subsidize phones on a contract basis.
Other countries where carriers don't have these controls, phones are more expensive in general, and carriers are forced to put up with phones like some of the Sony-Ericsson line where 8 mega-pixel camera phones trounce the carriers networks. None of which are available here. |
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joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null | Not new
Amazon has been selling wireless (at pretty good handset prices, too) since at least 2003. And they used to sell Sprint and T-Mobile...
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PRescott7-2097 |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| reply to aaronwt
Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites
said by aaronwt :Works fine for me. I enter my zipcode and it tells me what plans are available in my area and the carriers. Nothing in my cart. Have a link? Or Screen capture? Because I don't see any plan COSTS until going thru checkout.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to joako
Re: Not new
From the 2nd paragraph of the press release: quote:
“We've taken our eight years’ experience selling cell phones to create a new site that makes a potentially confusing transaction much easier for customers,” said Paul Ryder, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com.
I think this is just a PR announcement of the launch of wireless.amazon.com, a sub-store/3rd level domain specific to wireless. The previous "store" was more or less just like any other product page with a few added features for cellular products. |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to joako
said by joako :Amazon has been selling wireless (at pretty good handset prices, too) since at least 2003. And they used to sell Sprint and T-Mobile... I think they still do.
»www.amazon.com/BlackBerry-Curve-···2&sr=8-4 |
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cameronsfx
join:2009-01-08
Pensacola, FL
·Cox HSI
 ·magicjack.com
·Verizon Wireless B..
·AT&T DSL Service
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Not impressed with Amazon's efforts here
They have a wide audience but people still want to "touch" the phone.
My favorite review of a cellphone:
"It doesn't have all the fancy gizmos but I could make a call in the middle of nowhere on 1 bar. My friends IPhone dropped the moment we headed into the hunting area. He had 300 emails waiting once we hit the highway. Me? That's what computers are for I think. I've dropped it down a flight of stairs, run over it with the truch and it keeps on ticking. Sorta like my Timex. Got two bucks too! Awesome phone for those that don't need a camera or anything fancy." |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to JasonOD
Re: Global Norm?
said by JasonOD :
That's not really true, ATT, VZ, Sprint, etc, all decide what phones they want on their network, and what firmware funcions they will allow. While this is true of Sprint and Verizon, it is not true of AT&T and T-Mobile. You can pay full price for an unlocked GSM phone that works on US GSM bands, pop in a SIM and you are off and running.
Most people in the USA couldn't give 2 rats' rear ends about cell phone exclusivity. They just want service that works. It doesn't matter who provides the service or what equipment is used, just that it works.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to cdru
Re: Not new
Yes, it looks like they are just in the process of migrating things over to the new site. They just started with the biggest players first, AT&T and Verizon. They are simply setting things up in order of subscriber number ranks, which makes sense if everything can't be transitioned almost immediately. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to aaronwt
Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites
said by aaronwt :Works fine for me. I enter my zipcode and it tells me what plans are available in my area and the carriers. Nothing in my cart. I agree with Liam it does NOT show you any plans until you add the phone to your cart. |
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gar187er
Premium Alcoholic
join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE | reply to jmn1207
Re: Not new
yea i was quite curious cause the news post here made it sound like this is something brand new for amazon to do.... |
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voip_user
join:2006-06-14
Middletown, CT
1 edit | reply to joako
I first bought a cell phone from Amazon with a 2 year contract with one of the major cell phone provider in 2004 and believe you could always buy new phones @Amazon
I am not sure what is new here? |
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sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
| reply to pnh102
Re: Global Norm?
What consumers "want" is simplicity. Contracts that "subsidize" phones, rebates applied after the purchase, multiple plans with complex restrictions, etc. all serve to confuse the consumer and obfuscate their ability to buy the cheapest plan that best serves their needs. |
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sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH | reply to JasonOD
While perhaps more expensive, they are technologically more advanced and their monthly plans are significantly cheaper. |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | reply to cameronsfx
Re: Not impressed with Amazon's efforts here
Was that the Nokia 6010 by any chance?  |
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massysett
join:2006-01-04
Silver Spring, MD | Beta
The web site says "Beta". Which I guess means "we can screw up your transaction or lose your money, but it's not our fault because it's beta." No thanks. |
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aaronwt
Premium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to BF69
Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites
said by BF69 :said by aaronwt :Works fine for me. I enter my zipcode and it tells me what plans are available in my area and the carriers. Nothing in my cart. I agree with Liam it does NOT show you any plans until you add the phone to your cart. I clicked on the phone I was looking at and then I picked select this phone. And then it shows the plans available. But If I look at the cart, there is nothing in there. in the cart.
Although If I do it a different way then there is an add to cart buttton, which will have the phone show up in the cart. |
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