You?ve been dreaming of that Blackberry? Storm? 9530 for ages. But when you get to the
mobile phone store, the salesman talks you into a Blackberry? Tour? 9630 instead (at almost
one hundred bucks more!)
Are you happy about it?
That depends. Did the salesman upsell you because he realized from proper questioning there
were features you wanted that the Tour had but the Storm didn?t – or did he just upsell you to
make you spend more money?
The fact is, it pays to do your homework on many, many levels, before you buy your next
mobile phone.
The other fact is… the majority of people I surveyed admitted they bought their mobile phones
based on fashion and prestige, rather than functionality.
The other major trend I noticed: most cited camera function as a vital feature. Most admitted
they did not buy the original phone they?d had in mind. All were upsold to a more expensive
handset.
And 60% of them were already regretting their purchase for a variety of reasons. (That?s an
awful lot of unhappy mobile users!)
Rosemary of Telus Mobility says that people “tend to lose or break phones more” when they?re
unhappy with their purchase. (A subconscious wish to be rid of them?)
And sometimes, there?s no option for replacement, if they?re on a tight budget, with a high-end
Smartphone – and they?ve just renewed their mobile plan, which means they don?t qualify for
another hardware discount till the end of the next plan renewal period.
So how do you prevent:
1. Being upsold purely for the salesman?s gain
2. Buying a phone that doesn?t have the features you really wanted
3. Paying far more than you budgeted – or seeing the same phone seriously discounted
somewhere else?
Tips To Help You Stay Happy With Your Mobile Purchase
The first place you might wish to start? Sit down and decide:
* Why you are buying a mobile?
* What you are going to use it for the most?
* What features are absolute essentials?
* What is your budget?
Once you?ve answered these questions – and only then – get online and start researching phone
models.
TIP: Start with your mobile plan company website first. If you purchase a mobile through
their stores, you may be eligible for a discount – besides which, phones purchased at another
company?s stores may not be compatible with your cell phone plan provider?s programming.
Once you?ve narrowed your phone list down to 6 or less phones, it?s time to phone your cell
phone company.
Ask how close you are to your plan renewal date. Tell the Client Care representative that you
are going to seek a new mobile, and ask if there are any offers provisioned for your account.
After all, why pay $149.99 for a Blackberry? at another dealer?s if you can get the exact same
phone through your cell phone plan provider for $0 – merely by renewing your contract for 3
years instead of one?
Here are some more tips to help you narrow your search further:
* Do you like clamshell (hinged flip phone) or sliders? (Smartphones usually come in
slider form.)
* If you want a Smartphone, are you more comfortable with keyboards or touch screens?
* What color do you want – and how important is color and style to you, at the end of the
day?
* What phone plan will you have to take, if you upgrade to a high-end Smartphone? (You
should probably consider an unlimited data plan – at least $40 more per month than
you?re used to paying, but well worth it in functionality, ease of use and savings.)
If your main use is staying in contact by voice, with the occasional text message, and you?re on
a tight budget, consider a lower-end mobile flip phone. Explore other features these don?t have
by all means, just to see what you?re missing. This exercise may make you drool – but it will
also help you fend off those upselling salesmen at the mobile store!
If you seriously want to use your mobile more for computing purposes and as an organizer,
consider a Smartphone or high-end PDA. You?ll thank yourself every time you use it.
TIP: If you?re absolutely sure of the model you want, you can order online or by phone from
your mobile phone plan provider.
Finally, if you really haven?t a clue about the mobile of your dreams or about the features you
want, start out at About.com?s 20 Questions: Reveal Your New Cell Phone page. Clicking on a
multiple choice answer will take you to the next question, narrowing your search down further
and further – and you?ll learn all about those confusing features and factors in a painless and
lightning fast way.
This information was provided by the Folks at http://2gsm.mobi Where you can find tools, tips,
videos and MobiBooks formatted for your Mobile Phones and Kindle.
