Where can I buy a cell phone without locking into a plan?

Robt Heemstra: WirelessImports.com They sell unlocked cell phones of all kinds suitable for all carriers. Most carriers won't lock you into a contract if you bring your own equipment to the table.Craigslist.orgEbay.comWirelessimports.comThose are just a few places you can get them.With AT&T you can purchase the phone at the full retail price and get their service with no contract...Show more

Torri Tippey: You can buy a cell phone from most places without a contract if you ask, but when you do so, you pay a much higher price for the phone bc the only way you get the phone with no contract is to pay retail cost. Other options are E-Bay type sites, or the manufacturer of the phone (companies that make the phones-like Motorola, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, etc.Keep in mind, the carriers are in business to sell their network- they don't make phones- they have to buy them from the companies who make them. So, for the carriers, phones are actually a business expense. ! No business sense for them to sell you a discounted phone unless you are going to use it on their network.You can get some good deals on Ebay and other sites, but definitely "buyer beware" if you go that route - keep in mind that most phones today are basically tiny computers with lots of programming and software. Think, for example, how often Microsoft alone updates versions of its various software. The same thing can happen with software in a phone. If the manufacturer has contracts in place with a specific carrier, then when they update the software, they have to let the carrier know, and the carrier, in turn, can either notify you of updates needed, or may update your phone over the air.If you purchase a phone not branded by the company, most of the time you will be able to use the phone to talk, but problems with data capabilities are not uncommon. Some work great with never an issue, but some simply will not have certain compatibilities required to use all functi! ons on a specific network. Or, if manufactured in another cou! ntry, they may not match frequencies (quad-band should not have this problem) and if the manufacturer changes or improves, or corrects something in your phone,'s software, your carrier has no way to know that, so although they will assist you as much as they can, they cannot fully support the device the way they can one branded by the carrier.Also, the buy out of the contract, though expensive if you did end up having to cancel, is still often less than the retail price of the phone.If you really hate the idea of a contract, you might want to go prepaid (AT&T GoPhone, for example, has pick your plan options or pay as you go - cost is higher than postpaid, but no contract, so might be of interest to you.)Hope that helps you make the choice that's best for you!Add'l note- if you do decide to just buy a phone at retail cost, make sure you keep your receipt as proof of price paid. The retailers usually get some sort of commission for setting up contracts, so if they "automati! cally" stick one on your account "by mistake," you'll need this to get it corrected with the carrier....Show more

Delmy Varano: get a go phone and buy phone cards or go to Metro PCS

Johnny Sirko: 2

Heidy Fujikake: by a phone off of ebay or when u shop phones tell them u dont want a plan ull come back when ur ready