Posted on 08/15/2006 10:52:57 AM PDT by Frwy
I searched on the title and found nothing even similar.
Here is something worth knowing if you have a mobile phone ....Have you ever wondered why phone companies don't seem interested in trying to prevent the theft of mobile phones? If you have ever lost, or had one stolen, and if you are on a plan, you still have to pay the plan approximately up to 24 months, and you have to buy another handset and enter into another contract. This is more revenue for the phone company.
There is a simple way of making lost or stolen mobiles useless to thieves and the phone companies know about it, but keep it quiet.
To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following on your phone: star-hash-zero-six-hash (* # 0 6 #) and a fifteen digit code will appear on the screen. This is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it safe.
Should your mobile phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset, so even if the thief changes the sim card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.
If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones. You may want to send this to as many people with mobiles as possible.
No charge for directory assistance. Phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 - information calls when they don't have to. When you need to use the 411/information option, simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-373-3411 without incurring a charge.
This works on all cell phones.
There isn't a nationwide number for this.
For cell phones it depends on the company.
For wireline it depends on the company and the region.
FreeRepublic has the funniest people. Thanks for the laugh.
I just recently got a "pay as you go" cell phone from Walmart after getting advice from Freepers. I got it home, took it out of the box, stored away my receipt and threw away the box. A week later, almost to the hour, it died. Just died.
I called the company and they said exchange it at Walmart. Walmart said they wouldn't exchange it without the box!!!
Well, no one had told me I had to have the box to exchange it and I kept saying so and saying so till finally I guess they got tired of me, because they finally figured out a way to exchange it. I got the new one home, called Virgin and they assigned my number to the new one and I was fine. But this time, I kept the receipt and the box!
You should have bought a thousand of them, just for fun.
Heh...I obviously don't have the funding that "some" people have...it took me nearly dying of heatstroke in my non-air conditioned car when I got lost on the way to a friend's house to convince me it was financially worth it to get one!
This phone cost me $30 and I top up my account automatically $15 every 90 days or when my account reaches $5, whichever comes first. I only use it for emergencies or short convenience calls. I don't chat on it.
I didn't know how those plans work. It seems like a really sensible way to go for someone needing the cell phone only for situations you describe.
I use my mobile phone mostly for work and have upgraded quite a few phones over the years. I've usually given my old phone to someone that can use it for emergency only calls. Not "in service" phones are capable of making 911 calls and I think there are some charity agencies taking old cell phones to distribute to shut ins and needy folks.
I've run in to this type of problem before and have a solution that has never failed me. I simply tell the clerk that they can have the box and packing materials the replacement unit comes in since I don't need them.
I see it as $5 a month insurance.
My husband is looking for another job and that is why I haven't gotten him one...he may get one with the new job. We'll see.
Apparently the box has a code on it that corresponds with the phone. They ended up using the code on the inside of my phone to make the exchange. I checked the new phone and compared it with the new box and the code is exactly the same. Why they gave me such grief is beyond me.
"You can achieve the same result by checking the serial number printed on the back of the phone"
Yep, it's there. But it's not as sexy as punching in a code to view it.
Er.... I think I'd want a new phone.
She good lookin?
Very fishy if you ask me......
Usually the problem is that the retailer gets dinged when they return defective merchandise that's missing things (batteries, accessories, manual, etc). That's why I offer to only exchange what's broken. The clerk is just happy to not have to make sure everything is there.
I tried to do that and got stuck by an aids contaminated needle, then on my way to the ER I flashed my headlights at someone who turned out to be a gang member undergoing an initiation, and woke up in a bathtub of ice missing my kidneys.
Up someone's butt? Yikes, I would've had them put the phone in double wrapped plastic, then taken a hammer to it.
Consider reporting seller to local police?
He was up north, my sister gave the cell phone company his name and addy. He did refund her, though....
Seems like a crappy way to raise revenues. The phone companies could still profit, and add this additional protection as a free service - i.e. record your serial number and if your phone is ever stolen, block it forever. This would end the the theft of phones (though I suppose maybe they could be used in other countries or on other providers) but the cellco's could still make money on lost phone replacement.
It is true that the cellco's subsidize the price of the phone, so making you sign a contract is realistic.
I have Cingular, and their phones are crap. I buy the phone I want and just use their sim card in it. And I don't like Motorolla phones at all - crappy user interface and even worse database of names. I like phones that can store 1 name and 5 numbers, email, address etc. You need a good PDA phone for that and Cingular only offers crap PDAs.
sorry for the rant.
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