2008 Woodie Awards
Need to replace a cell phone? Get creative
Terry Maxon (KRT)
Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: News
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DALLAS _ Ellen Savage dropped her cell phone one time too many. Kevin Brown went swimming with his cell phone, and then its replacement. David Stixroot knocked his phone into a hotel toilet, then dropped the replacement phone into a swimming pool skimmer.
The method of phone death may differ, but all three and many others have faced the same predicament _ how can one replace a broken, lost, stolen or dunked cell phone without going broke?
If you're at or near the end of your contract, the cellular company usually will provide a new one for free or at a subsidized price. That's how Brown, president and chief executive officer of Carrollton, Texas, company IPcelerate, received two new phones. It worked once for Stixroot, a vice president at IPcelerate.
And if your phone is under warranty, you can get a refurbished phone free if you haven't violated the warranty.
But for those of us who don't have that luxury, a replacement phone can be pricey, in most cases $150 or more.
That can force users to be more creative in replacing their cell phone. Here are some suggestions on getting a replacement:
Buy a used phone from a cellular phone dealer.That's what Savage did when she had to replace her Nokia 3390 phone.
"It lasted me two years despite dropping it over and over. I finally dropped it to the point where it wasn't going to work any more," the Dallas restaurant employee said.
She had already renewed her contract with T-Mobile USA, so she didn't qualify for the renewal discounts.
"I thought I was going to have to pay $150 at least on a new phone. I thought it was going to have gadgets that I really wasn't interested in," she said.
But when she visited a local cellular store, the salesman offered her the choice of several used phones. She bypassed the phone that was decorated with images of the Goo Goo Dolls. The Nokia 3390 she bought for $60 does have an iridescent white case and a big black "D" initial on the case, "but it works," Savage said.
The method of phone death may differ, but all three and many others have faced the same predicament _ how can one replace a broken, lost, stolen or dunked cell phone without going broke?
If you're at or near the end of your contract, the cellular company usually will provide a new one for free or at a subsidized price. That's how Brown, president and chief executive officer of Carrollton, Texas, company IPcelerate, received two new phones. It worked once for Stixroot, a vice president at IPcelerate.
And if your phone is under warranty, you can get a refurbished phone free if you haven't violated the warranty.
But for those of us who don't have that luxury, a replacement phone can be pricey, in most cases $150 or more.
That can force users to be more creative in replacing their cell phone. Here are some suggestions on getting a replacement:
Buy a used phone from a cellular phone dealer.That's what Savage did when she had to replace her Nokia 3390 phone.
"It lasted me two years despite dropping it over and over. I finally dropped it to the point where it wasn't going to work any more," the Dallas restaurant employee said.
She had already renewed her contract with T-Mobile USA, so she didn't qualify for the renewal discounts.
"I thought I was going to have to pay $150 at least on a new phone. I thought it was going to have gadgets that I really wasn't interested in," she said.
But when she visited a local cellular store, the salesman offered her the choice of several used phones. She bypassed the phone that was decorated with images of the Goo Goo Dolls. The Nokia 3390 she bought for $60 does have an iridescent white case and a big black "D" initial on the case, "but it works," Savage said.