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Mama Got a Brand New Toy

I didn't plan to make a huge technology investment this year. But last night, after my 15th phone call regarding school plans today, my Motorola Razr decided to pop a screw, and shut down. (Not that others weren't loosening from my own brain.)

It was the side piece - the one that lets the clamshell feature work. You know, that really difficult part of the phone that lets it open and close. Open and close. Yeah. That broke. And then, well, everything went silent. Couldn't hear anyone. Couldn't hear the phone ring. So I called T-Mobile, the carrier I have been loyal to for 7 years. Seven years.

I figured, I signed up for a two-year contract with them, in exchange for a phone that would work for said two years. Sounds like a fair agreement right? I don't leave, I pay my bill on time, and you make sure my phone can do all those fancy things. Like open and close.

So, T-Mobile felt otherwise. They felt that even though I had just 5 months left on my contract, I should renew again to get a new phone. At a discount. Which is exactly what they told me two years when, oddly, the same thing happened before. (Hmmm.) So that didn't make sense to me. I felt, you lock me into a two-year contract, you even treat me like a child and threaten me with an onerous cancellation fee, you should at least sell me a device that works. Open and close.

Nope. They decided that wasn't the deal. And you know what? Mama decided that it was worth it to pay the onerous fee then to be locked into another deal with this onerous company.

And so I now own a lovely iPhone. Wish I was more a gear head and could love it appropriately enough for The Prince. (He wanted to bring it to bed and play with it. Think on that.) But I'm psyched. Yes, I have a two year contract. But there are rollover minutes, and I can see my email now. And I got to walk away from a company that I didn't like anymore.

Probably the only good thing about a recession that is likely coming? With less money, consumers will make decisions based on what they need -- and how they feel a company treats them. We'll decide with our pocketbooks, so to speak. And that's a powerful tool we Mamas should always remember.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Legislate on mobile charges NOW. These companies are selling snake oil. We are irresponsible weak consumers and need protection.
Listen up our elected politicians. HELP!!!
Manhattan Mama said…
Exactly!!!

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