Birthday GiftI had to buy a birthday gift, the person that I was buying a gift for needed a new cell phone, so I figured Id buy one. I know what provider that person use, so I started researching phones. I was only looking to spend a certain amount, maybe $150-$200 so a simple flip phone with a few cool features or one of those LG texting phones was about all I was looking for. So I picked one out.

The phone I picked out was $99 bucks with a new contract. I knew that since it wasn’t a new contract  I would have to pay the retail price. I then head over to the retail price and it is a whopping $399.

I thought this was ridiculous. The phone was about a 2 or 3 year old phone and was in no way worth $399 anymore, so I decided to call the company. (The company was sprint btw.  I had the same problem with Alltel also). I told them I wanted to buy a phone for someone that has service through them as a gift and the conversation kept going to the same question being asked by the customer service rep.

Do you want to get a new contract or add this to an existing contract?

Even after I tell them the person already has a contract and the phone would be for them as a gift, they still asked that question. Then I reworded what I was asking them. I asked if they had any type of gift system in place so that I could buy a phone as a gift for someone from you. And they said no. So then I asked that since I was buying the phone from someone that already has a contract, can I buy that phone at the discount price. They asked me for the person’s phone number and I told them. They looked at that persons account and told me that they were eligible for a phone upgrade which would allow them to buy the phone at the discounted price.

On a side note, all I had to do is randomly call sprint with someone’s cell phone number and they can tell me that information? Does that seem a bit odd?

Well then I said, ok the person is eligible, and the phone is being purchased for them, will be activated on their account, why cant it be sold to you using the discounted price, or at least rebate the extra cost to me once the phone is activated…Guess what he said?

Do you want to get a new contract or add this to an existing contract?

Ive never tried to buy a phone for someone before, but now that I have, I realized how messed up it is that you really cant buy a phone for someone as a gift with most of the companies in the US, which makes no sense to me. Why should it be so hard to gift someone a phone?