Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TellyRules986]

I have a cell phone contract issue.

I went to Itaewon a few months ago to get a new cell phone. I went to LG and got this smart phone and signed a contract for a certain amount of minutes/text/transfer. I was told that the bill would be 55,000 won a month. I thought it sounded too good to be true, so I asked if there were any extra fees or if I had to pay any money for the phone. The guy told me that it would cost 55,000 won, and nothing more. No fees, nothing (just only if I went over). He said that that the phone was free when I asked him.

After I got the phone, when I told a couple of Korean friends about it they told me that it was too good to be true, and that I would end up paying more, etc. I just reassured them that although the guy asked, I didn't let them dip into my bank account because I wanted to make sure that was the actual bill.

Fast forward to today. It's been about 3 months, and the bill stayed around 75,000ish won each month. I called the customer service people in English.

Basically, they said that I can't change the phone unless I paid 600,000 won. And, they said that I was currently getting a discount for the device about about 25,000 won (monthly). So.... if I change to the cheapest plan, 35,000 won (the taxes would bring it up the same amount), I'll end up paying even more than I do now!

The girl on the phone was basically like, oh well, pay this or pay that. So that guy I bought the phone from is a total scumbag and this chick I was talking to on the phone was extremely aggressive and trying to upsell me and whatnot.

Anyway, I'm not interested in paying for either. So, I'm asking if there's a way to just dump the phone and get some pay-as-you-go simple plan at another company.

Any help would be appreciated.

** Any newbies reading this take note. Beware! **

[wishfullthinkng]

no, there is no way to "dump" the phone. you can have someone else take over your contract if you make to effort to find someone however, but it'd be ridiculous to do so in your situation and pay for a new crappier phone where you'd be paying around the same every month anyway.

nothing in life is free and the guy probably just didn't explain it to you well enough. 55k per month is the base rate plan all of the 3 telco's use here. add an additional 10-15k per month for the price of a smartphone if you choose one and add taxes and voila, 75k a month which is not bad considering some people (myself included) used to pay att 125usd a month in america for basically the same plan and the "privilege" of using one of their iphones.

is an extra 20k a month really going to break your bank? pre-paid is not the way to go, but neither is going to itaewon for much of anything really. if that money is going to put you in a bad place maybe you should look into not having a phone at all and counting the pennies.

if you do find another person to take over your contract you could go buy a cheap flip phone, have almost no minutes, pay 150k for the phone (7.5 months of the additional 20k you are not happy about now) and be all angsty. Or you can just suck it up and realize 75k a month is a great price for your plan, unlimited data and a smartphone that you can sell for money at the end to boot.

[TellyRules986]

It's not necessarily about the amount breaking the bank, but rather a complete ripoff compared to what I actually use. I barely used any of all those minutes and smart features or whatever. Haha, I'm not the kind of person that needs all the latest technology, and I haven't used it.

Last year I used my boss's little flip phone and paid about 45,000 a month and I did just fine. I was just naive this year going into it thinking that this phone was just 10,000 more monthly.

Also, I magically found out today that my contract was for two years, but I'm not staying in Korea past this year (and my visa's for 1 year...). So it looks like I'll end up "dumping" this phone anyway. In a hypothetical situation where I just throw the phone in the trash can, then what would happen?

I just trying to figure out where in the heck I can get ahead in this. I don't see myself ever being able to sell it anyway since apparently it won't be paid for.

[Sticks]

You get someone to take over your contract at the end of the year OR you pay off the remaining price of the phone and take it with you. Considering you got it from LGU+ though I doubt you can use it anywhere other than Korea, their phones don't take SIM cards.

BTW which smartphone did you get? Some of the older models are actually free on contract. Maybe the sales guy was confusing himself.

[TellyRules986]

How do most people get someone else to take over the contract? They didn't tell me that was a possibility.

And what happens if I end up leaving without paying or finding someone on time?

[ssuprnova]

If you're *really* worried about the money then just cut off your internet at home and use your phone instead. If it is indeed a new cell phone you'll be able to tether your computer to it. 30-35K/month saved = difference between your plan in the past and your current plan.

After you're done in Korea just get someone to take over your contract. If your smartphone is decent there will be plenty of people interested.

One thing you shouldn't do, however, is "just throw your phone in the garbage can". You're a bloody adult, act like one.

[TellyRules986]

My question was how most people do it. I don't know anyone that's taken over a contract so that's why I'm asking about the process. Also, when's the best time to have someone do it? Least amount of months left on the contract -- or less used phone?

The trash can thing was simply a hypothetical which I have already stated. No need to *actually* worry about any trash cans or a trashed smartphone.

I did the internet thing before with a blackberry at home a couple of years ago. Unless the technology is a lot better now/here, it was pretty impractical with the internet signal dropping constantly. I always had to remove and replace the battery.

Yes, fyi, I do need to save money, since It'll be rough when I get back home and I'll be heading back to school.

[some waygug-in]

When I was i Korea 2 years ago, I had internet at home for 30,000w / mon

and a cheap cell phone with prepaid cards.

Depending on how much I used the phone it averaged about 10,000w/ mon.

The phone itself was the cheapest Motorola model made that I got for about
120,000w.

I don't know why anyone in their right mind would sign a contract for phone service in Korea.

But since it's a done deal, I guess you're stuck with it.

at 75,000w/month, after ten months or so it will be cheaper to pay the 600,000 and end the contract, but then you have to get another phone I suppose.

[Ramen]

you can cancel any service agreement in korea within 3 months without incurring any penalty.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I bought my phone outright from a friend who had had hers for a few months and wanted the newest model that came out. I signed up for the 55k per month plan, and still end up paying about 68k a month, and I'm NOT paying for my phone in monthly installments. They're taxes or fees or whatever. They are annoying, but I expected to have to pay some extra fees. I'm sorry you were screwed over.

[TellyRules986]

I went into another location today and had my boss talk to him. Apparently the guy that works there said that it is possible for me to switch to cheaper plans without them charging extra. So, it looks like that's my best bet for now and I'd just have to see what the next bill is. I'm just sick of dealing with all these people and their constant lying. But, if it is 20,000 cheaper like he says (I obviously don't trust any of these snakes at this point) then I'll just keep the phone and try to pass over the contract when I leave. If I'm not able to, then oh well.

I do think this post can be pretty useful for anyone looking for a cell phone. I would have done it differently, by just getting a cheapo used phone because I barely talk on the phone and use all of those features. If you want a contract, I would take a Korean friend with you to read the documentation and explain those "deals" straight up. Or, just take any contracts home and show it to someone so that they explain it to you. Remember that I went in and asked all of the "right" questions. I was just lied to about almost everything -- because guess what? They know I can't read that contract.

Keep in mind that just getting/calling a rep that speaks English doesn't solve anything since they don't have your best interests in mind and will withhold relevant information the same way any Korean-speaking rep would. The girl I talked to was more interested in arguing with me and trying to aggressively bully me into paying the most money possible, all the while NOT telling me what my options were, even though I specifically asked her several times. Such a nightmare.

Lesson learned I guess

[isisaredead]

no offence, OP, but i don't feel sorry for you at all.

you went out to get a smartphone, of all things, got lost in translation, and yet still managed to get a fantastic deal - all at an extra W20,000 a month more than you expected.

THEN you have the audacity to call the service reps "liars" because you didn't have the common sense to take a korean with you when you went to buy a phone. you didn't understand them completely - that is not a lie on anyone's part.

on top of that, you call some poor girl a "bully" because she "didn't tell you your options". what, exactly, did you think your options were?

you're yet another classic example why many korean companies don't like doing business with foreign residents. thanks for that, buddy. while i can understand (and have experienced) being screwed by a korean company FOR LEGITIMATE REASONS, i really don't see a lot of foreigners making it easy for themselves, either.

for the record, i paid W40,000 for my current phone, and pre-pay W10,000 a month for calls and sms. i hope you enjoy your smartphone.

[TellyRules986]

I'm not asking anyone to feel sorry for me. And obviously I know I made mistakes and I said that already.

I said that a couple of people lied because what they told me contradicted the truth. By definition, those are called lies. They did not simply exaggerate or "stretch the truth" so to speak. It's not that they were "lost in translation." Both sales people spoke flawless English, and I asked easy, clean-cut questions. The difference is that in my country, sales people are not allowed to lie about prices, contracts, etc. and if they do, they're supposed to be held accountable. Obviously here that's not the case.

They lied because they knew they could get me on it -- and they work for their commissions. I made mistakes, but that doesn't automatically mean that the sales people were telling me the truth. If you're that concerned, the sales girl also lied because I've been informed about other available options that I can choose from by other people, while she repeatedly told me that there was nothing I could do, when it fact there is... she just didn't want me to know.

That said, I'm happy for you that your cell phone plan was cheap for you. I'm not sure where you were going with that, but good things happen to me as well. We all win some and lose some sometimes.

[cert43]

If you're a foreinger; you can't get a cell phone contract, so this inconsisent part of the story is a lie.

[isisaredead]