Cellphones, Providers, and Plans → Cheap "new" phones through amazon vendors?

Hi again,

I have been looking to get a couple of new phones and switch to PagePlus as a provider.

I found great prices through some of amazon. com's vendors and bought a couple of supposedly new Droid 2's, which arrived today. They are in generic boxes, have no warranty card, but do have a charger, battery, etc.

When I ordered, I specifically asked if the phones had USA warranties. I was told they are new, with "international" warranties. Now I guess these are "grey market" phones I have received. Not happy. The package came with a card saying, "please let us know if you are not completely satisfied-" I will call them ASAP and let them know I'm not... and that I have a hard time believing these phones are brand new.

Has anyone else bought these "grey market" phones and used them with success? Is there any other way to get a good deal on a phone that is new with USA warranty?

Thanks,
Jan

One good thing about using Amazon is they are EXCELLENT in resolving disputes between customers and third party resellers.

That being said, read reputation ratings first THEN decide.

A Droid 2 international version? If it's CDMA that means it's designed for the US market from the get-go, probably has a SIM slot for GSM roaming. Since you're using Page Plus (I have four lines activated with them) you know well they are BYOD, and there's plenty of forums online with help to get the settings where you need them.

Thanks, Boomer- their ratings are perfect on amazon- one of the reasons I went with them. I'm just wondering if this seemingly generic phone is of the same quality as one I would find in a Verizon store- I'm afraid it may not be.

You have to remember one thing, everyone makes a profit, including Verizon on the phones, but Verizon also has to pay a subsidy to carry the phone. The middleman stuff... The subsidies are a bane of the industry, the iphone is a good example of how Apple makes money even if Verizon didn't sell one iphone, but they also were exclusive with one carrier at first.

So it's quite possible to get the same equipment, possibly without locked down, or custom firmware which some carriers do with certain phones. There is a difference between cdma, and gsm too, gsm is for the most part universal, however cdma phones usually can't be used on other providers. These days with all the other piggyback carriers who can use some other providers cdma phones, but that might require flashing the phone with a generic or custom firmware for that provider. Like Cricket can flash some Verizon phones to be used on their service if necessary.

It's also been said by not having a carrier provided phone they might not be able to enforce the mandatory data plans, but that's hit and miss. More than a few people have said that these non-branded phones imei doesn't trigger the mandatory data plans, and you can use them as a normal phone while using wifi at home. Yet if you have a problem with a service the first thing they'll blame is your phone, that's a guarantee even if the problem is entirely on their side, and will only offer to sell you another branded phone they officially support.

There's also the matter of equipment problems with them, you can't exchange them through your provider, and must go through the process on your own with somebody else. Part of the subsidy is that the carrier must act as a warranty agent for selling you the phone, and help with troubleshooting and exchanges during the warranty.

So in the end there are positives on both sides, decide what is important to you. I'm on the side without mandatory data plans, and not buying a contract phone to be constantly paying back a phone subsidy through a carrier like Verizon. Prepaid with a phone I own works well for me, but I know if I have problems with my equipment I'm responsible for replacing the equipment.

I would rather go prepaid with my own phone also. Thanks for the explain of the subsidy stuff... also yes, any waranty issues would have to be resolved with the company the phone was purchased from.
It comes down to... is this Motorola phone built to the same standards as one I would get in a Verizon store?

Unless you get suckered into buying something like a Chinese knockoff, then yes they should be the same quality, but also research the phone if you can, like making sure it's not refurbished. I've worked for a carrier, and getting a refurbished phone can have more problems than your original phone, possibly making you exchange it multiple times. Some phones have a higher failure rate than others, like the original Motorola Razr was not picked up by other carriers as it had a 12% failure rate, 1/8 would fail, and they didn't find this acceptable. They later carried the phone, and it happened, customer service was flooded with upset customers having to exchange their phone, many more than once, and once that one year warranty was over they might have been left with a refurbished pos. Not to all all motos are bad, I have one I've had for almost a decade now, and still works to this day, however I did have to replace the battery.

Thanks again for your response BlitzenZeus and Boomer 86.
I certainly don't want to buy a refurbished phone or Chinese knock-off, but is there a way to tell if the phone is either of these?
The sticker inside the phone says, "Designed and Engineered by Motorola" and "assembled in China." Also the back of the phone has "Motorola Engineering" engraved/ stamped into the plastic.
I will call the Co. I bought them from and see what they say.

^^^ (you know, of course, that a brand-new U.S. iPhone 4S would say essentially the same thing: "Designed and Engineered by Apple in Cupertino, CA -- assembled in China")

^ Yes. However, something that is built for Apple will be constructed to a certain (supposedly high) standard of quality. You know what you are getting. But are all Motorola phones built to the same standard?

DOn't know for sure, but MOTO is no slouch. It's been involved in radio and cell phones far longer than Apple. And now: It's Google!