Using a smartphone – II
I recently got a new HTC Desire and want to reflect on what difference it’s made to my past week or two. However, I want to be transparent about the buying process, because that was a rather interesting experience.
I’m a very price sensitive shopper, so did a lot of research (read, big spreadsheet analysing 6 mths phone usage) and decided that Telstra had the best plan for this phone. $49/mth with $400 cap value and 200mb data. Sign up before 1 December and I’d get 500mb, for the life of the plan.
The sales guy makes me feel like we hit it off. He asks me if I have an ABN. ie could I get a business plan? No, sorry.
Later on, after I’d already committed to buying he said, “Tell you what, I’ll put you on the business plan. You’ll get 700mb data and if your wife ever swaps over to Telstra you can get x minutes calls to each other free.”
What would you say?
As I now reflect on it, I had three options:
- Take the money and run. Don’t say anything, except thanks.
- Reject the offer because it seems dodgy. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
- Remind him I don’t have an ABN, but leave it up to him. “It’s your call”.
What would you say?
I went with option 3. “I just want to remind you that I don’t have an ABN.” His response, with a cheeky smile, “I didn’t hear you say that.”
I’ve since regretted not being firmer in rejecting a good offer. In two years time, maybe I’ll use that much data? The majority of my phone use I expect will be for work. What I did was abdicated my responsibility to do the right thing, leaving the decision to the sales guy, so I could blame him if it all blew up.
I didn’t want an iPhone, to be different. I was concerned about the worldliness of a smartphone, to be different. In the end, I was happy to be different for difference’s sake, but not for what I believe. I’m reminded of 1 Peter 2:11-12:
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.