Palm Pre $549 retail 47
Coming in from all corners are calls and online discussions with Sprint's sales staff, and it seems that with the release finally pinned down they've actually been given some useful information. Like how much does the Palm Pre cost? We've been told that the Pre will be $199.99 for new contracts (after a $100 mail-in-rebate), but there are a good portion of us who are pining for the Pre and yet are not yet eligible for contract upgrade pricing. That's where the Sprint math comes in:
Retail Price - $549.99
2-year service agreement - $150.00
Instant rebate - $100.00
Mail-in rebate (MIR) - $100.00
Net price - $199.99 (after full upgrade rebate)
Current Sprint customers are eligible for new equipment upgrade discounts (in place of the service agreement discount) of $75 for 12 months and $150 for 22 months. Sprint Premiere customers can get the full $150 after 12 months.
47 Comments
Better then the thousand rumored at bestbuy
So does this mean existing customers with the $75 or $150 upgrade credits doesnt get any of the Rebates? I dont want to pay $400 for the device!!!
Why would this mean that we would not get the Instant and Mail-in Rebate? It says 2 yr contract discount: $200.
Um where does it say 2 yr contract discount 200?
2 year service agreement = 2 year contract
why in the world would you give Sprint your phone for just $50.00 ?? I sold my previous Touch pro for 4 times that amount and my instainct for 3 times that amount, NO way would I give Sprin my phone for those ridiculous amounts
It looks as if you currently have a contracted Sprint phone that you want to "recycle" through their BuyBack program, you will receive a credit on your monthly account. Basically, shaving more off the top of Palm Pre's price. I will be getting $50 for my Samsung Instinct and accessories!
https://secure.sprintbuyback.com/rbb/program_availability.php
That instinct would do better on Craigslist!!!
I'm confused. I'm a Sprint customer, my two year contract ended 2/2008 and I've had my HTC Mogul since 5/2007. Am I eligible for a full $150 upgrade? If so, how much am I going to have to shell out for the Palm Pre?
Yes, dude. Just do the math. If you upgrade you will get the $199 with MIR price.
I believe you still pay $199 even though you are eligible for the $150 upgrade discount.
$300! You will get a $100 back by rebate ..so total is $200. I think!
So if you're buying retail price do you still get the Instant discount and then the Mail In rebate (-200)?
I'm supposedly a Premiere customer, though I've yet to take advantage of the program.
I'm supposed to be eligible for the full $150 discount even though I've had my previous phone for less than 22 months (but more than 12).
I'm hoping I don't run into any snafus when buying the Pre when it comes out.
I just talked to a Sprint Rep and they said that currently contracted Sprint customers that have not me their 1 or 2 yr upgrade eligibility will be paying $549 for the phone. The rebates are packaged with the upgrade/new customer deal.
Damn. Where I am going to find $592 (tax included) by June 6th?!
Get it at Best Buy, pay $200 OTD, cancel the next day, pay the $150 ETF, activate the phone on your prior plan, and you have your phone for $350 instead of $550.
I did it with Touch Pro two months ago.
Check this out:
http://palmgoon.com/palm-pre-celebrity-launch-party-june-5th/
Just chatted with a Sprint rep.
BAD NEWS
The $199 price point is for NEW customers ONLY!
For all us current Sprint customers, well we get the same $100 mail in rebate offer and in addition to that we get our $150 or $75 discount and...THATS IT!
The break down:
NEW Customers w/2 year agreement
MSRP $549
w/2 year contract -$150
Instant savings -$100
Mail in rebate -$100
Total cost $199 (Out the door cost is $299 plus $46 of tax @ 8.25%)
UPGRADE customers
MSRP $549
Upgrade discount -$150
Mail in rebait -$100
Total Cost $299 (Out the door cost is $399 plus $46 of tax @ 8.25%)
I know Sprint is trying to get as much of the market back as they can, but it doesn't make any sense to take the INSTANT SAVINGS away from its loyal customers.
I still want one, but at this rate...who knows.
Jeeze really? That's stupid, I've been putting off upgrading for a long time and they go and pull this crap? Ugghhhh. Sprint may not be getting my money right away.
NO, no no no no. Your rep was wrong, or you're lying. It will be the same price for upgrades AND new customers.
If you've met your upgrade criteria, then you'll be paying $299 out the door and you'll get a $100 mail in rebate.
For those whining about the $549 that haven't met their upgrade requirements: What on earth are you crying about? Why would it be any different than any other phone you've ever owned? Of course the upgrade rules will be the same.
If your contract is ending and you haven't gotten a phone in 22 months it is $200. Sprint is not going to churn old accounts which is very costly and create bad financial reporting statistics by creating an incentive for customers to cancel and re-up.
This is exactly what I found out when I spoke to the dimwit Sprint rep. Why, oh why, do I persist in giving these clowns my money? I sure will upgrade to the pre--when I switch to Verizon in January.
I completely agree with Aaron--why is Sprint so determined to screw its most loyal customers? I have been a Sprint subscriber for 10 years, and have had to put up with pretty lousy coverage until about three or four years ago, when it became competitive with VZ. I bet Sprint's churn rate will be absolutely spectacular in the months ahead, as loyal customers basically tell Sprint to shove off and head to AT&T for iPhones. Or wait for the pre to be sold by VZ.
This wouldn't normally bother me. But the 755p that Sprint sold me is garbage--it freezes, it barely works, the GPS software I bought with it never worked right. I've been using Palm PDAs since the original Pilot, and the 755p is the worst of the lot. The other ones actually ran well.
I also don't understand all the techgeek hype for this phone in the press. What Possible good is this phone if existing Sprint customers have to pay for this thing what a netbook costs? Why couldn't any of these foaming-at-the-mouth fanboys take the time to even once mention that, if you're an existing customer, Sprint will screw you.
Please, don't everyone write in and provide some anecdotal B.S. about how their sprint rep said it was really $199 like for everyone else. If so, or if there are any Sprint-bots lurking here, some definitive statement of "corporate policy" (which their protoliterate sales reps chant like it's holy writ) would be nice. Meanwhile, I won't be getting a pre. Does Palm know that a major customer base is getting ripped off? Do they care?
I've had my Centro for 18 months now. I received the mailing saying I'm a Sprint Premier customer. I just got a quote from Sprint customer service saying I'll have to pay $475 for the Pre.
"Currently, the line # 1175 is eligible for $75.00 rebate on
handset upgrade. In the month of August 01, 2009, line 1175 will be eligible for handset upgrade on online price $199.99. The suggested retail price of Palm Pre is $549.99. If you upgrade the phone on line # 1175, the discounted price will be $549.99-$75.00 = $474.99."
So according to them, if you're not eligible for the entire $150 discount, you're also not getting the extra $200 in rebates.
What I'm trying to figure out is whether the Sprint Premier benefit of a $150 upgrade discount after only 12 months (instead of the usual 22 months) will also trigger the extra $200 in rebates.
Might as well buy retail and avoid the 2 year contract at that point
Yes, premier customers that have the full $150 also get the mail in rebates and other instant rebates.
Any time you're eligible for the full $150 or more, you are eligible for all the mail ins and other discounts.
!!!UPDATE!!!!
All those who have the $150 upgrade will get the Pre at the $199 price point.
Check out
http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre/180233-mail-rebate-truth-uprgading...
for more info
Wow I know I guessed and posted it as anonymous but I nailed it perfectly in the initial topic stating the $199 price tag earlier today, including the extra $100 instant savings.
Also, is there a way to check if you're a premiere member? I think I got a letter in the mail saying I was, but I can't remember.
I think it's worth it to simply add a new line of service, then swap handsets after a couple of months to get your old phone # "back". That's how I got around the upgrade fee last time when I didn't want to wait the entire 18-month period because I was unhappy with the phone I bought just 4 months earlier.
My monthly bill only went up about $15 after taxes and I got a massive discount on my spiffy new phone (which I now want to ditch for the Pre, he he!). Then when the contract went out on the older phone I just canceled the line and sold the phone to someone else for cheap.
I just looked at the upgrades for my account on Sprint.com. My 0 mos. price for the Treo Pro is $549.00 and my 12 mos. price is $199. Is it safe to assume I can get the Pre for $199? I wanted the Touch Pro when it came out but my upgrade price when it came out was $399 and I never upgraded my Touch. I've been with Nextel/Sprint for 9 years and I'll be pretty disappointed if I can't get the Pre for $199!
a few small questions:
Can I just buy the phone, no contract?
I intent to use it overseas, is it possible?
can it be unlocked/unblocked by any means?
Thanks for your help
The Sprint version is CDMA, so you cannot use it overseas.
:^/ The article above made it pretty clear that the $549.00 price is without contract. So, it seems that you can buy them that way.
Most other countries do not use CDMA, though I suppose there might be one or two. Don't count on it.
It should be possible to unlock the Pr? for use with another carrier, just as it has been possible with every other phone from Palm, or Sprint.
"It should be possible to unlock the Pr? for use with another carrier, just as it has been possible with every other phone from Palm, or Sprint."
LOL. NO. Not the Sprint version. Verizon won't activate it. Outside the US most CDMA, which is very rare anyway, is on other frequencies even if using the same technology.
I'm a blackberry customer with T-mobile but like to keep up with Sprint Pre news also and have been lurking awhile. When the 8900 my ugrade price was alot more than the new contract price. It seems that all carriers care more about new customers than current ones. Add a line if it will get you a huge distount. You will just end up paying back the difference in monthly service increases more or less.
I'll not leave TMO for anything right now, but hope nothing but the best for both Sprint and the Pre, you loyal customers deserve something incredible.
Yeah, I totally did the add a line thing last time around.
I think it's worth it, personally. In the end you pay about the same, except you just pay it out in a slight monthly price increase so it acts effectively like a no-interest loan, he he.
You could just wait a couple of months and do an ESN swap to move the new phone to your old number.
It's little different to me than transferring credit card balances to keep getting the best rates.
If your Sprint contract has expired (or is about to expire)and you therefore think you deserve the New Subscriber price, I suggest you call them and make the case, as I did yesterday ;-)
Question on the MIR: Is it a rebate check to me or is it applied as a credit to the service on the monthly bill? My bills are paid by my employer but the cost for the device is not, so if the rebate takes the form of a service credit the Pre will cost me $300 instead of the $200 post-rebate.
I am still very confused. So many different answers. My line currently only has a $75 discount. does this mean the phone will be $549.99-$75= 474.99??? or 549.99-75-100 MIR= 374.99??? please hep thanks.
I have the same question, If I qualify for the $75 discount, do I still get the $100 MIR? I'm extending my contract 2 years! What would my purchase price be?
someone please answer this question. Im in the exact same boat!
out of contract but you bought a phone last year and are only at $75? Then the most likely cost will be $275.
$550
- 75
- 100
- 100
========
$275
TO answer those questions about the $75 off.....
if the device is...
$550
-75 off
===
$475 will be the price for those people who only qualify for 75 dollars off the retail price of the phone.
the rebate check comes in the form of a CHECK it is written out to whomever fills out the name on the form and is mailed to whatever address you put on the rebate form also..
Thanks.
so i have a phone that ive had since march of 2008 and i was wondering how much the total cost would be if i wanted to purchase the palm pre without waiting another year to get the 150$ off????
it doesnt make sense .. for a new customer they are offering 350$ straight discount ..and for an exisiting customer they are offering the same and also capturing the eligble upgrade..after this much of highdrama and much awating still we are 300$ distance to get that phone on hands.... being with sprint sucks and it becomes even worse ...