Has anyone purchased the S3 from Costco? It looks like you can only get it online-not in the store. I'll be updating mt ATT Android smartphone and want to keep my unlimited data plan. It doesn't offer that option online. You have to choose a new data plan. I was just wondering what others had experienced. Best Buy in CA does allow you to keep an existing data plan for online orders. However, they also charge $49 (about 25%) sales tax. They also don't have Costco's great 90 day return policy. I really like buying from Costco when I can.
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Purchased from Costco Online?
- Thread starter artbytes
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- samsung galaxy s3
burtonvdp
Android Enthusiast
They have them in the store although it says online. They had both colors when I was there... The customer service was killer. They swapped out my One X even though it was over the 30 days! I guess the policy is 30 days for a different phone... 31 - 90 days for a phone replacement (Same unit type).
Anyways the other cool thing is I didn't have to pay taxes on the "retail" amount just the actual price which saved some $$ and the accessory pack is a lot nicer then the old ones.
Joshieca
Member
I got mine from Costco...my local Costco only carries the BLUE version and I wanted white, so I had to order from them, they are also selling the RED model but online only.
You should be able to keep your current plan, I have seen people do it in the stores, but you would have to call Costco/Wireless Associates to find out for sure how that works online.
They deal with a third party wireless company out of Washington state (Wireless Associates) and that's where they ship from. My phone took 7 days including weekends to reach me using their "free" shipping (I'm in CA). Once I got it, it wasn't even programmed and I had to bounce back and forth between AT&T and Wireless Associates to get it up and running; took me over an hour.
You save on the $36 activation fee by getting a rebate to your AT&T account in 3 months. You do get a 90 day return but if you don't cancel your service with AT&T in 30 days or Verizon in 14 days you're suck with the service, only allowed to exchange the phone out for a new different one. Might be good if you are on the fence between phones, but Costco DOESN'T sell the iPhone so if you're thinking of the iPhone 5 it wont work. You get a bundle of accessories with it for "free" but frankly they are mostly junk and I really haven't used them.
Overall I have had a good experience with Costco wireless (I have bought 3 phones from them), but just be prepared to wait for the phone and deal with some setup issues on your own. If you know the S3 is what you want and you're able, it would be best to simply go to your local AT&T store and pick up the phone there. The savings and freebies are just not worth the wait for the phone and to deal with the possible headaches.
You should be able to keep your current plan, I have seen people do it in the stores, but you would have to call Costco/Wireless Associates to find out for sure how that works online.
They deal with a third party wireless company out of Washington state (Wireless Associates) and that's where they ship from. My phone took 7 days including weekends to reach me using their "free" shipping (I'm in CA). Once I got it, it wasn't even programmed and I had to bounce back and forth between AT&T and Wireless Associates to get it up and running; took me over an hour.
You save on the $36 activation fee by getting a rebate to your AT&T account in 3 months. You do get a 90 day return but if you don't cancel your service with AT&T in 30 days or Verizon in 14 days you're suck with the service, only allowed to exchange the phone out for a new different one. Might be good if you are on the fence between phones, but Costco DOESN'T sell the iPhone so if you're thinking of the iPhone 5 it wont work. You get a bundle of accessories with it for "free" but frankly they are mostly junk and I really haven't used them.
Overall I have had a good experience with Costco wireless (I have bought 3 phones from them), but just be prepared to wait for the phone and deal with some setup issues on your own. If you know the S3 is what you want and you're able, it would be best to simply go to your local AT&T store and pick up the phone there. The savings and freebies are just not worth the wait for the phone and to deal with the possible headaches.
That's good news. It sounds like it's a lot less hassle to get it in the store than to have to order it online. I'll start looking. Hopefully, they'll have the color that I want in the store.
I got my last phone from Costco - but they had it in the store. If you get a new or renewal contract from ATT, you can only cancel the contract during the first 30 days. After that, you can exchange for another ATT phone (except the iPhone, which they don't carry). That worked well for me last time. I got the Atrix, which was the top phone at the time. I didn't love it, and after 2.5 months had passed, the video stopped recording sound. I took it back and got a Samsung Infuse the day the Infuse came out, and have been MUCH happier with it. I really came to appreciate the 90 day no-hassle exchange.
scooter1942
Android Enthusiast
i got my t-mobile SIII from them online, and it only took 3 days to get here (not including weekends, thats to do with ups, not them, also in california). all i had to do was drop my sim in and get it activated.
burtonvdp
Android Enthusiast
Verify the 90 day different phone thing. There is a lot of changes right now and most carriers are even going to a 14 day return policy. When I went to radioshack to get the One X they told me they were only doing 14 days for all carriers now which I thought was strange.
Just make sure you get someone to tell you that you can swap out for any phone after the 30 days and you should be good. I know they can do it becuase they did it for me but they said thier general policy was now after 30 days it was a replacement phone for the same model. :dontknow:
I stopped into a Costco today to check on policies and emerged with a phone.
Here is what I found out. For AT&T phones, there is a 30 day return option and a 90 day exchange option. After the first 30 days, you have to exchange for another AT&T phone, but it can be any AT&T phone that Costco carries.
They bad the blue phone in stock and have been told that they will get the white phone in soon, as well. The salesman said to just get the blue phone now and exchange it for the white one after they come in.
They also said that with AT&T, you don't have to actually wait for your upgrade date. Just being in the same month as your upgrade date is fine. That's why I have a new blue phone today.
Here is what I found out. For AT&T phones, there is a 30 day return option and a 90 day exchange option. After the first 30 days, you have to exchange for another AT&T phone, but it can be any AT&T phone that Costco carries.
They bad the blue phone in stock and have been told that they will get the white phone in soon, as well. The salesman said to just get the blue phone now and exchange it for the white one after they come in.
They also said that with AT&T, you don't have to actually wait for your upgrade date. Just being in the same month as your upgrade date is fine. That's why I have a new blue phone today.