Not Our Month For Phones

There are days in my life where I sometimes wish I were independently wealthy. In all reality, I can't complain. I am truly blessed to have what I do have. 
 
However, my experiences buying used phones leaves much to be desired and I flash back to a day in my mind when the Orthodontists wife came into the cell phone store with a wad of cash, about $2000. 

She purchased the newest phone available with the largest memory, several very blingy cases, car chargers, screen covers, etc. She paid with her wad of cash nearly $1000. 

Her husband came in, gave her a kiss and asked her how it was going. Frankly, we would have loved her old phone without the bling but we were there to hook up an old flip phone I probably purchased at a second hand store for Princess Two who had just returned from a mission and was having health problems and ended up with surgery. We were just happy to have her get a cell phone. 

I have not had the best of luck purchasing smart phones used. I purchased a used droid for Princess Four a few months back only to find VERY intimate pornography on the phone even after I asked the woman I was purchasing it from if she had removed everything off the phone. Click here for a post about that. 

I purchased one for Princess four before that phone and the people swore it worked and I spent two days on with customer service trying to get the stupid thing working. I ended up giving her the phone I purchased for me as we were visiting her at college and I didn't get much visiting in going to the cell store and on the phone and on line with no luck. 
 
When I called the people back to get my money back, they said they had already spent the money but would sell me another phone for another $50. I figured I would lose the original $50 if I didn't take the new deal. Well, the phone hasn't been all that great as the camera is HORRIBLE and blurry on the front. Not sure what happened there but I have to take pictures with the back camera if I want anything clear. 
 
So, $50 and a few months later, Princess Fours phone stops working and gets stuck on the opening droid "eye" until the battery drains. We were on with customer service for hours. We gave her Princess Two's old flip phone but she had no contacts as the phone was too old to hook up online and retrieve numbers. 

I find her an old Samsung online and now we had to get it to her and today she was able to hook it up. Keep your fingers crossed that it will work. 

I read up online that droids have a problem getting stuck on the start up screen so some suggest that you take out the battery. I follow some youtube videos on that only to snap the connection from the battery to the terminal. Guess that wasn't the best idea but the phone wasn't working and we had done all the resets possible with the phone providers. 
 
Then, I purchase Princess Five an iphone 4s today for Christmas as someone said they had a 16 gig for $75. I thought that would be her main Christmas present but wanted to make sure it works so we hook it up only to find out that the wifi doesn't work. Doesn't even show up. 

Two hours on with customer services with no positive results they suggest we upgrade our itunes. I don't want it slowing my computer so she installs it on her laptop and then upgrades the phone which they assured her would fix the problem. NOPE!!!! 

THREE a.m. I am once again inputting her information into the stupid thing and once again, wifi doesn't show up. 

I google search it as I did with the driod only to find out that EVERY 4s has problems with a bad antennae and I could heat the phone up to about melting point with a hair dryer and then stick it in the freezer for a few minutes in hopes that it will start working. OR, I can pull the entire thing apart pulling out part after part to install a new antenna in the phone near the headphone jack. 

I don't want to do either thing and for $75, I would rather have her put in another $75 and get a 5 that doesn't seem to have that problem.

My droid has been freezing lately as well and perhaps we just have a "phone ghost" sending us Halloween pranks. I hope the woman that sold me the iphone will take it back as I had it less than 4 hours and it never worked. She gave it to me with about five minutes of battery on it and no cords. Should have been a sign.... 

On a happy note, Princess Two's iphone 5 has been working great!