Capitalist companies can be awfully communist when it comes to our cellphone.
That’s giving them too much credit. I think they want it to be theirs.
Meanwhile Australia is going to fore carriers to disconnect customers with devices that are not guaranteed to support emergency calling over volte. As there are still unsolved problems with detecting that, the providers fall back to only allowing devices they provided themselves.
Just make carrier locking illegal and have customers pay the actual price, now it’s just hidden costs to the consumer.
You’re going off of phone contracts that haven’t been around for a decade. The cost of the phone up front, and has been for a long time.
Then carrier locking should just be plain illegal.
They lock it so you’ll pay for the phone. That’s the only reason.
Should requiring people to pay for things be illegal?You can continue paying at&t for the phone after moving to a different carrier.
How do you think people will steal phones like this?
When did that become possible?
Last I knew is when you cancel your account (which is what moving to another carrier is) they billed you for the remaining balance of the phone.No I mean thats what’s proposed. I’m saying leaving the companies service has nothing to do with a loan they gave you. They are separate things. Its possible they would stop with no interest but I believe they can still make money without interest in some cases.
Ah gotcha. Yeah that’d be cool. I hope it works out. More options is always better.
Your probably right about the interest, or else why would they agree to it.
Wha? The guy I responded to said the customers now pay full price up front. If a device is bought it should be unlocked.
Additionally giving away a phone for a determined time contract means that the company is technically giving you a loan and it should be on your credit record, require the company to do a proper credit check and be allowed to give out loans.
Bottom line, it’s predatory and should not be allowed. Noone is advocating giving 1000 dollar phones for free… it was a strawman you stuck me with… but I don’t want it.
Wha? The guy I responded to said the customers now pay full price up front.
No. I never said that. I said the cost of the phone is upfront. There are no 2 year contracts anymore, and haven’t been for at least a decade. You see the full price of the phone, and decide how much a month you want to spend to pay it off.
If a device is bought it should be unlocked.
I agree with you. And that’s how it works. The question is how long after paying off the phone should it be locked.
Additionally giving away a phone for a determined time contract …
Again, they haven’t offered contracts like that in ten years. But yes you do need to pass a credit check to have a phone financed.
Bottom line, it’s predatory and should not be allowed.
What exactly should not be allowed?
OK so you buy the phone on a payment plan… and credit check. Then once it’s paid off it should be unlocked.
Correct, you’ve got it. That’s how it’s worked for ten+ years.
It isn’t been a hidden cost for a while. Phone companies sell the phones at full price, but consumers want the 2 year 0% APR financing.
I accidentally broke my Sony after drowning it a little too hard. I remember going into a AT&T store at a mall in the us and having this literal conversation.
“Do you have the Pixel 7 Pro?”
“Yes! We do.”
“Does it come carrier unlocked?”
“No…”
“Thanks for your time”
I usually just buy my phone directly from a big box store never from a carrier
I ended up just ordering one from a friend’s amazon account.
Basically, AT&T argues against it saying it’ll force them to innovate and be competitive with other services.
Won’t anyone think of the poor telecom shareholders??
All I see with that statement is, “Please Federal Government, hit me with your breakup hammer.”
It’ll lead to higher prices meaning they’ll charge more lol
https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/contact/phone/q19.htm
Canada:
First, locked phones are a thing of the past. Effective December 1, 2017, service providers will have to offer unlocked devices to their customers.
What are the benefits of having an unlocked device?
An unlocked device can be used on other networks, which means that you will be able to switch providers and keep the same phone. That means more flexibility for you, the consumer.
I want to reiterate this. Even second hand phones. Find the carrier and call them. They legally have to oblige.
I remember trying to do this when this first became law. Bell told me no anyways.
I helped someone with a second hand phone last year and I think it was Bell.
Same! Except it was Koodo. Told me that they were “exempt” from the ruling.
