HOW TO REPLACE A LOST OR STOLEN PHONE… FRUGALLY

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I LOST MY PHONE AND IT HURT

 

Worst of all, I didn’t have insurance.

 

I lost all my contacts, passwords, apps, personal information notes; basically, a big part of my digital existence which also included all my blog notes and social media feeds.

 

I literally wanted to knock my head into the wall.

 

I had an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S6 phone  and my contract would have ended as of December of this year.

 

That meant I was contract bound to pay $24/month to own the phone which was originally at least $584 + tax if I had paid up front.

 

 

Now it’s gone.

 

I was getting myself ready for sticker shock and major pain which would have derailed our current month’s budget.

 

After I got over the frustration and self-anger, I set out to research the most cost-effective way to replace my lost phone.

 

I scoured AT&T forums and other blogs and sadly didn’t find any acceptable result, at least not for what I was looking for.

 

I DECIDED TO TAKE A CHANCE AND HERE’S WHAT I DID

 

•  I immediately called AT&T and had my number suspended and the phone registered as stolen, they immediately sent a kill signal so whoever swiped it wouldn’t be able to activate the device.

 

• I went to BestBuy and spoke to an AT&T rep. He politely told me he couldn’t do anything for me since I still was a few months off from an eligibility upgrade and even then I had to surrender the phone, which I no longer had.

 

• I wandered over to the pre-paid phone aisle, passing all the gorgeously laid out phones, which were more than eye candy and temptation to an electronic geek like me. I had to hold it together and walk on nonetheless, proceeding with the mission.

 

• After at least half hour of pouring over the different AT&T go phones (this is what they call the pre-paid version) that lined the shelves, I decided to buy the Samsung Galaxy Express which was $76 after tax.  After which I was told I still had to call in or go online to have the number activated, and then buy minutes for the phone in order for it to work, which was an extra $30 on top of that.

 

• I skipped activating the Go Phone and called AT&T support instead for activation; I was expecting to get connected to the offshore folks since it was Sunday, and was bracing for a rough time. But to my surprise and joy, I got connected to an enthusiastic agent named Jessica from Tennessee.   We first made small talk and got right down to business, she was very sympathetic and was sincerely eager to help me out any way she could.

 

• I very politely asked if I can “port over” my current number onto the Go Phone’s SIM. Normally they would decline since this is still considered a contract phone and the replacement phone is not an “unlocked” device.
  • For a brief description of what “porting” means, head over to the FCC page for more details.

 

• Happily, Jessica our enthusiastic agent agreed and totally hooked me up. She asked for the IMEI and ICCID numbers, and after a few minutes, and turning the phone off then on, I finally had my number working on a new phone, and I was all set.

 

Total cost, $76.11 and one hour on the phone. And I didn’t have to spend extra on buying the pre-paid minutes since I skipped activating the Go phone altogether, I simply transferred my existing number to the device.

 

A very inexpensive alternative considering the first option I was given at BestBuy was to pay off my current balance on the lost phone’s installment plan costing $200 and then buying the replacement phone on installment at $28/month for 30 months. Yikes.

 

Kudos to AT&T customer support for having on shore reps like Jessica who actually “get” us as customers, and are totally driven by customer satisfaction.

 

TAKEAWAY

 

Sometimes things don’t go the way we plan and setbacks like this certainly dampen our spirits, especially when we’re on a debt free journey.

 

But having a positive attitude in spite of this and “politely” asking for help, we will be pleasantly surprised how positive responses from strangers go a long way to boosting our morale and getting us back into a positive frame of mind.

 

 

Do you have a similar situation and had a similar issue and result? How were you able to handle? Do you have other tips for us? Please do share by commenting below or sending us a line at thedebtfreejourney@gmail.com

 

Peace and Blessings to you All.