Wirefly sells a variety of phones over the Internet at discounted rates.
Wirefly is the name of a cellular phone retailer that sells products over the Internet. Based out of Virginia, the company claims to have been the number one online retailer of cellular phones in the United States since 2003.
History
Wirefly has been operating online since at least 2003, though it does not offer a complete history about its inception. Since 2007 the company has been privately owned by Simplexity L.L.C., whose corporate headquarters are in Reston, Virginia. The "technology and operations center" is in Largo, Maryland.
Function
Wirefly is an "authorized agent" for most cellular phone carriers in the United States. One question asked constantly about Wirefly is how it can sell phones at rates lower than most other retailers. According to Wirefly's website, it is able to sell cheaply because it doesn't make money off the handset sales themselves. Instead, Wirefly helps cellular companies "keep customers" by locking them into contracts longer than those they might normally have opted for. For this customer retention, Wirefly is compensated by the cellular providers once the customer successfully reaches the end of the contract.
Considerations
As with all Internet-based businesses, all claims made by Wirefly should be considered critically. Because the company is privately held, it is not required to release regular financial statements. Before buying a cell phone through Wirefly, do your research. Read as many reviews as possible and remember that part of Wirefly's business model involves getting you to commit to sign up for a service contract with a wireless company (AT&T, Verison, and so on).
Tags: cellular phone, over Internet, United States