The economy can't be THAT bad....

[DaemonSeid]

NEW YORK - Hundreds of people lined up at Verizon Wireless stores on Friday to buy the BlackBerry Storm, the first touch-screen phone from Research In Motion that aims to compete with Apple's iPhone.

More than 200 people had waited at a Verizon store in mid-town Manhattan early in the morning, many of whom were turned away after it ran out of the new phones less than an hour after opening at 8 a.m. The angry customers caused a ruckus and police came to restore order.

Verizon said hundreds of others were in lines outside its stores up and down the U.S. east coast, but added that it had "plenty of phones" and would keep getting more shipments. It declined to give specifics on inventory levels


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27842740/

[preciousjeni]

People are dumb and obsessed with spending. They still have their credit cards and still don't know how they're supposed to be used (i.e. paying off the balance at or before the end of the month). Then again, this is New York and there's a lot of money floating around, so...who knows.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

People are dumb and obsessed with spending. They still have their credit cards and still don't know how they're supposed to be used (i.e. paying off the balance at or before the end of the month). Then again, this is New York and there's a lot of money floating around, so...who knows.

Getting a new phone if you need to renew your contract really isn't that expensive. Also, people will make getting a new phone a priority, especially if they're young and have a lot of disposable income.

Just because someone is spending money now doesn't mean that they're being irresponsible with credit.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Getting a new phone if you need to renew your contract really isn't that expensive. Also, people will make getting a new phone a priority, especially if they're young and have a lot of disposable income.

Just because someone is spending money now doesn't mean that they're being irresponsible with credit.

But "hundreds of others were in lines outside its stores up and down the U.S. east coast"? What in the world? LOL! Our gluttony never ceases to amaze me.

[Langox510x]

I honestly don't see anything wrong with buying the newest hot gadget if you have the money. I mean it would be one thing if you bought this phone, but didn't have enough money to pay for next month’s rent, but I'm sure that’s not the case for most people who waited in line for these.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Getting a new phone if you need to renew your contract really isn't that expensive.

True. The last time I got a new phone, it was free.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

NEW YORK - Hundreds of people lined up at Verizon Wireless stores on Friday to buy the BlackBerry Storm, the first touch-screen phone from Research In Motion that aims to compete with Apple's iPhone.

More than 200 people had waited at a Verizon store in mid-town Manhattan early in the morning, many of whom were turned away after it ran out of the new phones less than an hour after opening at 8 a.m. The angry customers caused a ruckus and police came to restore order.

Verizon said hundreds of others were in lines outside its stores up and down the U.S. east coast, but added that it had "plenty of phones" and would keep getting more shipments. It declined to give specifics on inventory levels


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27842740/

Cell phone junkies are bad with money anyway.

[Scandia]

You said it- if you have the money.

If it is causing you to go into debt, then it IS a problem indeed. And it would be even in the best of economies.

Personally, I have a cell phone that I bought last year that works very well.

[WinniBug]

My husband has a touch-screen phone and that thing annoys the crap out of me.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Scandia

You said it- if you have the money.

If it is causing you to go into debt, then it IS a problem indeed. And it would be even in the best of economies.

Personally, I have a cell phone that I bought last year that works very well.

Just like a friend I talked to on Friday...her s/o didn't get her a gift for her B day (last month) she needed a coat ( he screamed broke) they are debating how to do for Christmas (their relationship is more or less on the outs...see the pattern?) but somehow he managed to get a NEW HTC Sprint phone....heh!

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Getting a new phone if you need to renew your contract really isn't that expensive. Also, people will make getting a new phone a priority, especially if they're young and have a lot of disposable income.

Just because someone is spending money now doesn't mean that they're being irresponsible with credit.

Exactly - I have Verizon and have always gotten a really good deal on new phones at the end of the contract. The last time we renewed, my wife got her Blackberry for free, practically.

[Langox510x]

Honestly a cell phone seems like a pretty good investment. I mean it's something most people use every day. I am a college student and don't even have a land line. I honestly have a crap phone, but I use it enough to maybe want to get something on the crap side. Why are we concerning over a cell phone anyway? I mean so many folks drive the new $50-100 thousand dollar car, or buy the Play station 3 and what not, but I'm hearing no complaints over those luxuries. I mean I don't have a PS3, but if I did I know damn well I'd be using my cell phone more often than the videogame system.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by Scandia

You said it- if you have the money.

If it is causing you to go into debt, then it IS a problem indeed. And it would be even in the best of economies.

Personally, I have a cell phone that I bought last year that works very well.

Yeah, I don't see what the big deal is about cell phones. I still have the same one I bought in 2003 and it works fine. People spend more time on cell phones than they do doing other things. Everytime I look around, I see somone's face buried in his/her cell phone, texting.

[Scandia]

I had my old cell phone from April of 2003 until October of 2007. It was still working- but I wanted a new one that had the picture and text capacity. I recycled my old one.

[KSig RC]

We're really inferring something about people's spending habits from a $200 piece of electronics? Should we do the same with the XBOX, new laptops, or in-car GPS systems? Sure, the economy sucks, but the overwhelming majority of people these phones are aimed at (white-collar professionals, young people without a real 401k to speak of) are basically the least affected in terms of having a loose $200 laying around . . .