Tired Of Your Old Cell Phone? When Can You Get Another?

So you have a contract with your cell phone service provider and you still have that old freebie phone that you got when you signed up for the plan. You have seen daily advertisements for all these new and exciting phones out there that have come out and you want to know when and how you can upgrade from that old used cell phone to something a little better. The problem here is that there are so many restrictions with service providers that you can simply walk into a store and exchange your old phone for a new one. What should you do?

First of all I would suggest that you check with your provider’s customer service department to see if there is a set timeframe that they want you to wait before they will allow you to upgrade your phone at a discounted rate. Don’t be fooled by retailers, you can always purchase a new phone for your current account. However, if there is a set timeline before you can buy a newer phone (typically eighteen months into the contract) you will be stuck paying the full retail price of the phone. This would be the price that a non-contracted person would pay for the phone without any service plan. On a phone that would cost about $50 with a new contract, that same phone would retail for about $200 without a new contract or without waiting till the time you are allowed to upgrade.

If you are too far from that allowable upgrade time, I would consider finding a refurbished cell phone dealer either locally or online. This is the most common way that people choose to upgrade their phones. Your phone typically has a SIM card in it that contains the data needed to link your phone to your service provider. This card can usually be exchanged between most models of phones that are supported by your cell phone provider. For example, if you were a Tmobile customer, then your SIM card would fit in any other used Tmobile phone they support.  You will need to give your current phone to the dealer to trade in (or keep it and get no credit on a new phone) and pay them a discounted price for the used cell phone that you want to upgrade to. Simply replace you SIM card in the new phone and you are ready to go!

If neither of these options sounds fair to you, I could suggest one other alternative. Before  you decide to renew your provider service beyond your current contract, take a look at the latest plans and features being offered by your provider and their competitors. The industry is so desperate for customers that companies are starting to bottom each other out with plan rates hitting all time lows. If you’re paying near $100 a month for you voice plan, do some research and see if you could benefit from changing plans or providers at the end of your current plan. In some cases it may be worth paying the cancellation fee on one provider for the savings available from another.

About the Author

Scott Bradshaw writes articles that focus on Cell Phones, cellular apps, and mobile services. He encourages people to save money with refurbished cell phones and avoid signing contract extensions by purchasing used Tmobile phones.

Consider No-Contract Cell Phone