There are many deals out there today that will give you a free cell phone. This is done as an incentive by the marketing campaigns to attract new customers. With all the deals going on, it is rare to see someone paying full price for a phone today.
But does free really mean free? Sometimes it is free after you get the rebate in the mail, and that can take months. You still pay for the phone the day you get it, so you still must cough up the cash, but in the long run, yea, it’s free. This is seen as a hassle to many people so they will then look for a phone with an instant rebate.
But even then, is it really free? Notice how some service providers will slip in that activation fee and that can run between $25 and $50. Then you first statement arrives and there is a long list of other fees. State taxes, local taxes, a fee for the 911 connection and other that you just don’t understand. In the end, it’s not really free at all so all you can do is shop around and at least find the lowest activation fee you can. And mail that rebate, no one will be doing that for you.