Guide to buying a cell phone

eBay has a great condensed guide on how to buy cell phones. In short, they broke it down to 4 steps:

1) Select a cell phone provider and plans

Factors to consider:

• Cellphone compatibility between service providers because you might want to change services later while keeping the phone.
• Pre-paid service or conventional contract
  
• Area of coverage
• Keep your cell phone number or not?

I would add the following:

• family plan coverage
• minutes
• details on Internet access
• fees on texting (mostly if you have teenagers or if you're a teenager)

2) Evaluate cell phone features

• Plan to use outside your local area or not? Mostly for local or nationwide business use. The answer impacts if you get a standard phone or one with a Global System.
• Use of Internet and e-mail?
• Size and weight of the cellphone.
  

3) Find cell phone on eBay (of course)

• Browse the cell phone categories, OR
• Search via keywords

4) Buy with confidence (note eBay's safety precaution)

• "Ask seller a question"
• note seller's feedbacks
• buy through Paypal
• if necessary, there's the Security & Resolution Center

Read eBay's guide in details.

Additional notes on getting deals on cell phones

Before concluding, in step 3, you might be able to save more money from other online resources. Places such as LetsTalk.com and service providers offer some form of rebates whenever you buy a cell phone with a new plan. Such rebates are no different from what you can get from retail locations, i.e. you pay for the phone upfront, activate the service, mail-in the rebate form and get the rebate check later on. In the end, depending on the amount of the rebate, you may be able to get the cellphone for free.

A better online source, because of less hassle, is Amazon.com. They give instant credit for some cellphones so that you don't have to send out for the rebates - your final price is simply $0.01.

Nevertheless, eBay remains as one of the better sources to buy "unlocked" cellphones.

Happy hunting!

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