Phone-shopping at the mall

I went with Avi to the mall today to go phone-shopping. It seems that most of my friends are on Orange, so it made sense for me to go to the Orange store and talk to someone there. When I sat down, I first explained to the guy that I prefer a flip phone (ie, one that closes), but it turns out that those are exorbitantly expensive. He managed to interest me in one that, although it doesn’t flip shut (so I wouldn’t be able to end my conversations with a convenient flick of the wrist) makes up for it by being bluetooth-equipped, which is awesome because my computer came with bluetooth pre-installed. What’s also attractive is that, even though the phone in question is itself very expensive – way more expensive than the exact same phone in America – according to the guy at the store the price just dropped NIS 1000. So after this price drop, the phone costs NIS 1404, which is still too much. There are only two ways to pay less. I could buy it abroad, but then it wouldn’t come Hebrew-enabled and I wouldn’t be able to ensure it; or I could trade in a used phone. The first salesman in the Orange store hardly mentioned the idea of trading in a phone, because I’m a new immigrant and don’t have a phone to trade in. But when Avi and I went downstairs to the Orange stand outside Superpharm, the salesman there said I should “just get a phone – any phone – and trade it in,” and that the price would then drop by NIS 360 to NIS 1044.
“But I don’t have a phone to trade in,” I protested, actually protesting not my lack of a phone but his failure to understand that not everyone has a closet of used cell phones.
“Just get one,” he replied, and when I queried “but where??” he responded “anywhere…” making a gesture around the expanse of the mall, suggesting that there are cheap cell phones for the taking, if I’d only open my eyes.
It took me a while to figure out what he was saying, but it appears obvious now. Most people pay for insurance on their phones, and it seems they want me to acquire one through dubious means (eg, reporting it stolen and getting a replacement), which theoretically I could do with the temporary phone I have now, but which of course I won’t because that’s just a bit too dishonest for me. I think I’ll ask on Janglo, instead. The guy said it should cost NIS 100 or less, which means I’d still save NIS 260. This whole thing doesn’t make sense at all, but if that’s the way it is, that’s the way it is.