• Neato
    cake
    link
    English
    203 months ago

    I can’t believe people still do that. You aren’t saving money and you’re locked in 2 years. I guess if that’s that only kind of financing you can get.

    • @Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      33 months ago

      I guess if that’s that only kind of financing you can get.

      That’s exactly what it is. Look up the statistics on how many people can’t afford an unexpected $500 bill. Most people simply don’t have the money to pay out of pocket for what smartphones actually cost, so they’re stuck with exploitation, or nothing.

      • @shortwavesurfer@monero.town
        link
        fedilink
        English
        33 months ago

        As somebody who’s been purchasing my phones directly from the OEM at full price since 2016, I see this as being crazy. It’s made me realize for certain that I don’t need the absolute newest thing, and so I always go with mid-range devices. I feel like people who buy their devices outright don’t buy mini iPhones LOL. If they do, they hold on to them longer, treat them better, or buy them used. So some other fool takes the hit of depreciation.

      • Neato
        cake
        link
        English
        23 months ago

        Seems odd because you can get fully functioning smartphones for like $200.

      • BraveSirZaphod
        link
        fedilink
        43 months ago

        If the phone costs $500, they simply increase your monthly bill by $500 / 24 months = $20 a month.

        It’s a bit more complicated than this, and they’ll likely have some interest built in as well, but functionally, it’s no different than being given a loan to buy the phone and then paying the loan off over the two years. That’s why carriers often require a credit check before doing this.