FREE Palm Centro ! (After $50 Mail-In Rebate)

So why does an existing A T & T customer forced to pay $50? It should be free for me with a 2 year contract. (my current contract has expired) I could go to Sprint and get it free but I like the coverage by the A T & T system better than Sprint which I had previously. Plus it is a GSM which I can use in Asia on business trips - they unlocked my 650 for this purpose. I would also like to wait for the black version due out this month???

Bruce - why carriers insist on rewarding new customers to the detriment of existing ones continues to be a mystery to me as well... The Black version will definitely also become available for free when released later by AT&T.

Cheers, A.

Any inside info on when a GSM Centro might be available in Canada? (my wife is waiting...)

The rebate clearly states you have to sign up for a $39.99 or more voice plan AND a data plan of $40 or more to get the $50 (in the form of a debit card.)

Since you can't sign up for a data plan when ordering this phone, clearly you are not going to be able to get the $50 card and the whole premise of a "free" Centro is not correct.

SluggoSixtyFive - as I mentioned in my post, you can activate your wireless Voice Plan ($39.99 or higher) via this website while a Data Plan (or similar qualifying service for the rebate) should be added after activation directly via the AT&T customer service team.

The qualifying services for the rebate include:
- "PDA Personal Plan" ($30); or
- a $40 or higher PDA data rate plan ["PDA Personal Bundle" ($50) which includes Unlimited data usage for PDAs and Smartphones, plus unlimited messaging or "PDA Personal with tethering" ($60) which includes 5 GB data usage for PDAs and Smartphones, with tethering]

The entire $50 rebate program is managed by AT&T. The rebate form is provided once your wireless service has been activated and not at the time of purchase here.

Therefore, while you must ultimately add a Data Plan (something which over 80% of Centro owners do automatically) in order to claim your extra $50 AT&T rebate there is nonetheless no need to get it at the time of purchase here.

Finally, please note that the cost of the Centro without the rebate here is $50.00 less (only $49.99) compared to $99.99 if purchased directly from AT&T.

I hope this helps to clarify the matter.

Cheers, A.

The (US) carriers have always favored new subscribers, with higher commissions going to reps/vendors for new lines than for renewing existing ones. That's starting to change (because so many people have phones and many of those who don't are less likely). While I don't know if the commissions have been adjusted, I know that the carriers are emphasizing renewals more.

I think part of it is the carriers taking it for granted that once someone signs up, "of course" they'll stay. Things like number portability, prorated termination fees and sometimes sheer frustration on the part of some customers are cutting into that, though.

Well, I was cursing when the Centro came out because that was exactly what I wanted when I bought my 680 a little over a year ago. Because of an encounter with some juice (and I can't even blame my toddler), I'm in the market for a new PDA phone now.

I'm glad to see I can get a Centro for $50, but having been an ATT/Cingular/ATT customer for the last 8 years, I'm with Bruce - peeved that they don't offer the same deals to long-time customers.

Having played with a friend's Sprint Centro, I know I'm going to miss the Treo's keyboard, but the smaller form factor and the better camera will more than make up for that. Andrew, do you know what is different between the ATT and Sprint Centro's? The Seido rubberized hard case I want apparently fits the Sprint Centro but not the ATT? Can I hope that Seido will come up with an ATT version?

I have been with cingular/at&t wireless for the past 7 years, every time my contract expired and it came time to upgrade cingular would waive the $18 per line fee in order to keep me on as a customer, AT&T laughed and said there is no way they are doing that so I am taking my phone number and going to verizon, AT&T is ruining the service, I canceled their uverse tv and got directv because of the fiacso and my phone is now through cox, forget AT&T.

I like a blackberry .Because they are good to use to talk to people the phone

This may be a silly question, but do you HAVE to have the data package to use the Centro? I have and use my palm faithfully to keep up with everything from appointments to my checkbook. I don't use it much for e-mail or the web, unless I am in a WiFi hotspot. But I hate having to add New contacts to both cell phone and palm contact list. I'm hoping the Centro will serve a two in one purpose for me, but I don't really want the expense of the data package.