Fuck the Middle Man

 Last weekend I dropped my phone and the screen cracked.

No big deal, it's happened before. I have either gone back to Metro and picked up another one at a discount or I had the screen replaced. In fact I had the screen replace once already on the very same phone I dropped over the weekend.

This time I decided to go to a Metro store to pick up an upgrade. I picked out a phone that would have been $99 plus the activation fee. The counter person said it would be $165.

WTF!

I asked why he was charging $65 for an activation fee. "It's what they're charging," he replied.

"No, I'm good," I replied and walked right out the store.

I couldn't believe he was charging me $65 to activate a new phone. I decided to go to another Metro store nearby. I picked out the same phone and asked how much it would be. The kid at the counter said $205. WTF! The price just went up $40? Again I said, "No I'm good," and walked right  out. I know from the past that they charge only about $25 for the activation fee.

At the end of the day, MetroPCS stores are simply retail stores that sell T-Mobile phones and services. They're just the middle man to me.

Next, I decided to go to another small cell phone store nearby. It resells a different provider's service. The store is also just the middle man for another cell phone service provider. I walked into the store and informed the guy that I wanted to get a cell phone. I showed him my broken phone.

"The cheapest we have right now, phone and service included is $250," he said.

WTF!

Is he stupid! I guess he didn't know that just the night before I had already purchased a new phone and monthly service (phone number and activation included) for the grand total of $81 !!! I really did. Because I wanted a second phone.

"I can get this screen fixed for $80," I said to him, and walked out the store.

I immediately went to the shop that had replaced the broken screen on my phone two years ago. I showed the man my broken screen and said that I needed it fixed again. "It will be $70," he said.

Wow, $10 dollars less than two years ago. Sweeeeet!

So now, at the end of the day, I will have the broken screen fixed for $70. I also have a second phone, number, and service for $81. The grand sum for two perfectly functioning phones, numbers, and service is $151. That is less than the $165 the first MetroPCS store quoted me, and less than the $205 the second MetroPCS store quoted me, and less than the $250 the third, mom and pop shop quoted me.

Fuck the Middle Man!!!