Cell-phone promotions through Amazon?

January 19, 2005 7:01 AM

Is it possible to take advantage of special cell-phone promotions through Amazon.com when renewing your contract (as an existing member)? [mi]
posted by mhaw to computers & internet (5 comments total)

My contract is due to be renewed with Verizon in the very near future, I'm interested in getting a new phone along with my new contract. Is it possible for me as an existing customer to take part in special promotions, like this one, through amazon to get a deeply discounted phone? Or are these offers exclusively for new customers? Any workarounds?
posted by mhaw at 7:02 AM on January 19, 2005

I've only dealt with AT&T, but what I did was find the phone that I wanted (one that was free after an Amazon and AT&T rebate for new customers), call AT&T customer service, and tell them about the Amazon offer and ask if they would match it. They did right away, and renewed my contract for one year. I would just call Verizon and ask them to match it, and threaten to switch to another company once your contract it up if they refuse. You might also ask to speak to the customer retention department, if they have one -- they often have the power to make better deals than regular customer service.
posted by amarynth at 7:37 AM on January 19, 2005

If you are nearing the end of a two-year contract, you should qualify for the New Every Two promotion. You can get a free phone, or $100 off a more expensive model, through that offer. Although, I've never gotten Verizon to pay me to buy a phone like Amazon sometimes does.

I have found Verizon's customer service willing to accomodate my requests, so calling them and explaing the deal from Amazon may work. I second amarynth's comments.
posted by LouMac at 8:52 AM on January 19, 2005

I tried to do this back when I was a Omnipoint VoiceStream T-Mobile subscriber, since Amazon always has amazing deals on their phones, and was solidly rebuffed. T-Mobile has a specific set of phones that are available as upgrades for certain customers -- always with a significantly less impressive deal -- and at least as of two years ago they wouldn't budge one bit on that. It's probably the biggest reason I left the company... there's nothing like the stark realization that a company would rather sign up new customers than satisfy their current ones to make me pick up and move on.
posted by delfuego at 12:43 PM on January 19, 2005

Oh, and I echo LouMac; I moved on to Verizon, and have been generally happy with their service. If you're at the end of a two-year contract, you'll qualify for the New Every Two deal; if you're near the end of a one-year contract, they will frequently allow you to have any deal any new customer would have if you're willing to sign up for a two-year contract. (And then, if you're at the one-year point of a two-year contract, the same thing will apply again -- you can re-up for two years and take advantage of any deal any new customer would get. At least in my experience...)
posted by delfuego at 12:45 PM on January 19, 2005