Comments on: Why Cellphones Should Be Expensive And Not Free.

By: Paige

Paige — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:27:04 +0000

There’s a great organization called Eco-cell (http://www.eco-cell.org/index.asp ) which runs a strict no landfill cell phone recycling program. Approximately 80% of the phones collected will be refurbished and reused by first-time users abroad or by selected local organizations, such as hospital patients for emergency 911 calls. All unusable cell phones and accessories are recycled under strict EPA guidelines by certified recyclers. I was impressed with them when I researched where to recycle my old cell.

By: David

David — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:43:18 +0000

Actually, Tom, I had a Treo for 3.5 years that finally broke and no longer worked. Is that ok with you? And I don’t know a single person who paid $600 for an iPhone.

By: melanie

melanie — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:12:24 +0000

I have to admit that I got a free phone with a 3 years contract. These phones are crap, mine is falling apart. If it wasn’t of that, I would have kept it for at least another year. So it’s not just about wanting new features, there is a reason why these phones are free, they are crap, and nobody would want to pay for that. When my phone won’t be usable anymore, I will buy the iphone.

By: Jennae @ Green Your Decor

Jennae @ Green Your Decor — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:30:46 +0000

You make an excellent point. I have a prepaid phone, and even though my initial phone was fairly inexpensive (around $100), if I ever want to replace it, I will have to pay full retail for it. For those who don’t know, full retail is the actual cost of the phone, not the waaaay discounted rates cell companies charge to those establishing a new contract. Because I don’t have a contract, I’ll have to pay $300-400 if I want a new phone that has any features. That alone means I’ll be keeping my current phone for a loooong time. And recycling it whenever I do decide to get rid of it.