Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Finding the Best Buy Cell Phone Online Company For Your Needs

By Brian Garvin

Once again, the cell phone phenomenon has made the cell phone market more confusing for the average person. With the constant upgrading of Blackberries or Palm PREs, even an average slide phone, flip phone and "pay as you go phone" can seem obsolete.

When you start searching the Internet, it is easy to see the outrageous price tags that are placed on "almost new" and "refurbished" phones. These terms are nothing more than a nice way to say, "used". And with all of the different options out there, how do you know which company you should go with?

The important thing to consider before you buy cell phone online is whether you already have a contract with one of the companies like AT&T or Verizon, for example. These companies offer all kinds of "free" phones, netbook and other gadgets when you upgrade and sign up for a new two-year contract. If that is something you are thinking about, then you may be better off to see the options that are offered through the particular company you plan to use.

Many people don't realize that you don't just buy a refurbished Blackberry or Palm, turn it on and start surfing around. You have to have the monthly service that is required and it can exceed $60 per month. If you buy cell phone online items, you should mainly consider them for replacement units, which would be cheaper than replacing an un-insured cell phone, in most cases. It might be fine to buy cell phone online replacements, if you already have a plan and it will be compatible with your carrier.

If you think you might want additional capabilities, such as going from a normal cell phone to a Blackberry or wireless broadband, you need to be aware that you are going to need to have a carrier for the additional service, which is different from normal cell phone service. It is difficult to find a pay as you go plan for a Blackberry, in other words, so you can't buy cell phone online units that you don't have the appropriate plan for and expect to get service without committing to a contract.

Think about a few things before making your purchase for a Palm or Blackberry online. Many service providers will offer you a free or reduced cost, brand new PDA, because of their promotional opportunities. This means that you might find yourself paying more if you shop online and outside of your service provider. If you are just looking for cell phone online replacements unit that can act as a spare, that is a different story.

When you do decide to purchase something online, whether it is a PDA or a flip-phone, make sure that you are making your transaction through a secure vendor such as Google or PayPal. These vendors offer you security and warranties that will protect you while shopping online. Just do not purchase anything until you are absolutely sure that the phone you are looking at is going to be compatible with the plan you are on or the plan that you are looking to get.

Make sure that you are really researching all of your different options and keep an eye out for the various promotional opportunities out there. You just never know when you can find a better deal and save yourself a lot of money. Look to the carriers for promotional offers on new phones and when looking for cheap, used, replacement parts or phones, online may be the way to go. - 16890

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