I was at my WalMart tonight and noticed that the price for this phone was $218.xx without contract; I checked and it sure was. I don't have Cingular and am not looking to switch over. I just thought those who were on the verge of an expiring account could use this to their advantage for PMs, etc... or it isn't even too bad a deal itself.

eBay price is around $250, but by buying in store, you get doubled warranty if you use a credit card and a indisputable warranty.

BTW, this was Dallas, TX.

Amazing that Motorola comes out with a new version of the RAZR (V2i) and changes the look a little, then comes out with an even newer version (V3xx), and reverts back to the original crap look...

Because some consumers, like myself, do not allow cell or any other companies to "trap" with unnecessary contracts. We don't want ownage by anyone. If a cell company gives superior service, then a user would retain with company. They know service is often subpar and therefore must trap to keep users after the fact of wising up to lousy service and rate hikes.

Why not just sign up for a 2 yr contract get any phone you want for free, and when you get the phone call the customer service and break the contract and pay $200 penalty... hows tht?? So for 200$ you get basically any phone you want.

cid911 said:Why not just sign up for a 2 yr contract get any phone you want for free, and when you get the phone call the customer service and break the contract and pay $200 penalty... hows tht?? So for 200$ you get basically any phone you want.

that's what I've always wondered. In fact, I think the price is $150 to break the contract with cingular. But....all this assumes, too, that you are eligible for an upgrade with your carrier. If you aren't, and you want a new phone, then you need to buy one unbranded and unlocked. Also, there's a lot of cool phones that arent offered by the US carriers, like the Nokia N73, etc. If you want one of those, you have no choice but to get it unlocked and unbranded.

amheck said:thekid72 said:GujuGuy67 said:...eBay price is around $250, but by buying in store, you get doubled warranty if you use a credit card and a indisputable warranty...

What FeeBay are you shopping at? The one I frequent is flooded with brand new RAZRs for $125 and below all day long.
You sure you're looking at the V3xx?

... Are you sure the one at WallyWorld is a RAZR V3xx at that promo price. I bet you didn't think about that when you slapped red all over me, did you?

What's with all the moaning by contract-happy people? $218.00 is a great price for a 3G phone, with expandable memory, stereo Bluetooth, and QVGA display. My local Wally will sell you a phone without contract and $218.00 soubds abour right. Here, they sell LG CU500 and Samsung A707 for the same price. Again, this deal is great for people who do not want a contract.

FrugalFreak said:Because some consumers, like myself, do not allow cell or any other companies to "trap" with unnecessary contracts. We don't want ownage by anyone. If a cell company gives superior service, then a user would retain with company. They know service is often subpar and therefore must trap to keep users after the fact of wising up to lousy service and rate hikes.

I understand the logic behind getting an unlocked phone if you're in a contract. My reply was in response to OP's comment about "those who were on the verge of an expiring account..." . I find that this is one of the few instances that consumers have leverage against cell carriers. For example, I always sign up for 1yr at a time, then when I'm month to month, I wait for a good plan then call the sales dept.(retention dept) and negotiate that plan with the cell phone I want. Sometimes it takes more than a few calls but in the end, it always seems to work. My last 1 yr contract w/Cingular was for $59.99 included 1050 anytime min. w/rollover, 2 lines, free nights and weekends, free m 2 m, and 2 razors for $50 each. The razors would have been free w/2 yr contract which I declined.

Anyway, my point is this: when your contract is about to expire is the best time to negotiate a phone upgrade and/or rate plan. Weigh out the $218 price of the phone which works out to about $20 per month against a possible increase in montly rate. Of course the goal in this case would be to get the phone with a 1yr contract w/o incurring the $20 increase which IMHO is not impossible.

2she said:amheck said:cid911 said:Why not just sign up for a 2 yr contract get any phone you want for free, and when you get the phone call the customer service and break the contract and pay $200 penalty... hows tht?? So for 200$ you get basically any phone you want.

that's what I've always wondered. In fact, I think the price is $150 to break the contract with cingular. But....all this assumes, too, that you are eligible for an upgrade with your carrier. If you aren't, and you want a new phone, then you need to buy one unbranded and unlocked. Also, there's a lot of cool phones that arent offered by the US carriers, like the Nokia N73, etc. If you want one of those, you have no choice but to get it unlocked and unbranded.

I'm pretty much the same way. I'm a Nokia fan, but there aren't many Nokia phones that are offered by US GSM carriers, let alone higher end ones. On another note, I wonder if you're not liable for returning the phone if you breach your contract. I think the cancellation fee is for cancelling the contract, and you get preferential handset pricing because of the contract ... I may be wrong, but it's definitely worth researching. That could be a nice way to get a Nokia 8800 from T-Mobile for much less than anywhere else

You dont have to return the phone.. if they required, you think they will return any money you might have paid for that phone?

Anybody else confirmed this price? WalMart tends to vary prices from store to store. Hot if this is at all stores. I'm stopping on the way home, but just wondered if anybody else got this price.