Is this SMT5600 deal from Amazon for real???

[staats]

This looks like a 2 year commitment for a $39.95/mo contract will get you the phone for a net of $99.00 which is outstanding. Did I miss something? I didn't see a hidden data contract or anything else.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/wireless/B0009LP6O0/accessories/qid=1115833437/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-6039685-9487366

[Sven Johannsen]

Don't see why not. You can find deals for free, after the rebates, if you look for them.

[staats]

Don't see why not. You can find deals for free, after the rebates, if you look for them.

Those seem to invove larger monthly fees and a required data plan as well which is ok if that's what you're going to do anyway.

[ARW]

Are the low prices a means of moving out stock in preparation for the SP5?

[staats]

I wonder about that as well.

I've also thought about a Bluetooth keyboard which makes this device a sort of convertible device for doing email and or limited websurfing while traveling but I think I'd like to do that via WIFI versus a data plan since I won't be doing this on a daily basis. This has me wondering if I should wait since the new phone is close at hand.

I kind of like the idea of something small for phone use and then being able to add a decent sized folding keyboard when more capability is required.

[staats]

After talking with Cingular several times as well as the idiots at Amazon the catch in this deal boils down to this:

You probably won't be able to retain your old number.

Reasons:

Amazon claims that because they issue the phone with a pre-activated number Cingular will have to close the account thus voiding your substantial rebate of $150.00

Cingular says this is untrue and that you keep the same account number. Just the phone number is changed.

I have a friend who did this recently with the same rebate for a Mot Razor and he said it all worked fine. He changed the number at a Cingular store.

People at Cingular as well as myself wondered if this was some sort of gotcha marketing "deal" from Amazon. They get a lot of complaints about this problem. It is specified on Amazon's website but it's buried pretty deep.

I went down to a Cingular store to make the phone number change and because the clerk was an idiot I ended up on the phone with the tech at their switch over center. They were getting ready to burn a new sim so I asked them about the account situation.

What this person told me was even worse. Apparently when they make the phone number switch their system automatically issues a notice to Amazon that the "phone number" has been terminated and that's the source of the entire problem. Since it's less than 60? days you also get an early termination fee.

How much of this is fact or BS I can not say. Perhaps Amazon would make it right after the fact.

The bottom line here is that this is a total pain in the ass and I didn't want to get screwed later.

Amazon - Cingular, time to wake up you morons.

I elected to use the new number as not many people even had my old one.

Bob :evil: :twisted: :!: