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story category Amazon Starts Selling Wireless Plans, Phones
Interesting 'also ran,' or beginning of something bigger?
03:24PM Friday Jul 10 2009 by Karl Bode
tags: business · wireless
Amazon this morning announced the launch of Amazon Wireless, a store that offers consumers wireless voice and data service from AT&T and Verizon, with T-Mobile and Sprint coming to the store soon. While not an entirely new idea, Amazon's market presence obviously makes this a more substantive animal -- and starts shifting the U.S. wireless market further towards the global norm of buying your phone before you buy your service.The new store offers more than 130 phones, and one nice thing is that it streamlines the rebate process -- giving you rebates you'd normally wait for -- instantaneously.

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Forums » Amazon Starts Selling Wireless Plans, Phones
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
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join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
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·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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cameronsfx

join:2009-01-08
Pensacola, FL
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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."
iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO

Re: Not impressed with Amazon's efforts here

Was that the Nokia 6010 by any chance?

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.

GOLFnSUN
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Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites

said by aaronwt See Profile :

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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BF69

join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

said by aaronwt See Profile :

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.

aaronwt
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Woodbridge, VA
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Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites

said by BF69 See Profile :

said by aaronwt See Profile :

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.

GOLFnSUN
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3 edits

Re: Much easier than going to different carrier sites

said by aaronwt See Profile :

said by BF69 See Profile :

said by aaronwt See Profile :

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.
OK, I see what is happening.

I accessed the new main wireless web page thru »wireless.amazon.com (which they are now advertising) and not thru the old way off of the main Amazon web page »www.amazon.com/s/?%255Fencoding=···e=301187

If I went thru the 2nd link above, it works as you describe. Strange that Amazon is providing 2 entirely different ways to access cell phones & plans.
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elray

join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA
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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.

JasonOD

@comcast.net

Re: Global Norm?

said by elray See Profile :

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.

pnh102
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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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sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

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.
sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
While perhaps more expensive, they are technologically more advanced and their monthly plans are significantly cheaper.

tiger72
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Re: Global Norm?

said by sonicmerlin See Profile :

While perhaps more expensive, they are technologically more advanced and their monthly plans are significantly cheaper.
In exchange for cheaper monthly plans, they provide far less minutes... Or segregate calls to landlines and mobile phones... Or have varying rates depending on which mobile network the other caller is on... Or lack ubiquitous Mobile 2 mobile... or lack plans like MyFaves or Friends and Family... Or have EVEN LOWER data caps.

I used to envy the euro market for their lower prices and better quality phones, but when you actually do the math - we're getting a better value here.
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braclark

join:2006-09-01
Rowley, MA

Contract Extension

Will buying a Verizon phone at Amazon extend my Verizon contract?

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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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

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.

jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS

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.

jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
·Verizon FIOS

said by joako See Profile :

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

gar187er
Premium Alcoholic

join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE

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....
voip_user

join:2006-06-14
Middletown, CT

1 edit
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?
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.

AbBaZaBbA
Premium
join:2002-07-10
Wildomar, CA

.

for most states there's no sales tax.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

Fine print

Are there contracts, ETF's?
why should one go through amazon instead of the actual carrier?
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gar187er
Premium Alcoholic

join:2006-06-24
Dover, DE

Re: Fine print

no mail in rebates...free phones, some with cash back!
Forums » Amazon Starts Selling Wireless Plans, Phones


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