Dear <a title="Mtel" href="http://www.mtel.bg/index.php?" target="_blank">MTel</a>,

Today, I had three things on my to-do list. First, have coffee with a friend. Second, buy a smartphone. The iphone 4 if we're going to be specific. Third, make a reservation for my birthday dinner. It turns out I was unable to complete my to-do list today. I made a reservation for my birthday dinner in person at the vegetarian restaurant Sun and Moon in under 10 minutes and that includes picking out the kinds of salads my friends will be greeted with on the table. I also had a lovely coffee in the park with my friend P.

But I was not able to buy a smartphone today and so my life carries on with my simple phone. The phone that I have kindly and fittingly named after <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/04/wild-animal-simple-dog-goes-for-joy.html" target="_blank">Simple Dog</a> one of the stars of the blog Hyperbole and a Half. A phone that cannot take a picture and can just barely text message.

It's not for a lack of trying that I didn't buy a smartphone today.

A month and a half ago, I started doing some research on the matter of <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/04/21/thoughts-buying-a-smartphone-in-bulgaria/" target="_blank">buying a smartphone in Bulgaria and iphone vs android platform</a>. Two weeks ago, I finally decided to buy the iphone 4 and after taking 400 leva a day every other day out of my US bank account so that my bank wouldn't freeze my account/debit card (which they like to do based on activity they find suspect), I finally had enough money to make my purchase.

I marched in Mtel today (the one at Graf Ignativ and Rakovski) ready to buy my new phone. The first thing I proceeded to do was to set off an alarm on less-than-smartphones on display by trying to pick one up and look at it. For the record, it's an awfully loud alarm for such uninteresting telephones and why are the phones out for display if you can't actually hold them and look at them.  Everyone in the store looked at me with disdain from their vantage point in a lengthy line, while the sales clerk ambled over to glare at me and turn off the alarm.

The second thing I got to do was stand in line for 25 minutes before I was finally able to inquire about buying the iphone. Mind you there were only two people in front of me. That was pretty boring. Especially when it's clear that it's not encouraged for you to look at (or touch) the other phones on display while waiting.

When I finally got to the front of the line, I was really happy. I communicated everything that I needed to the sales clerk in Bulgarian. What I wanted. My current phone number. Which color phone I wanted (black). That I was happy to buy a plan. And then I handed over my Bulgarian ID card. The clerk took it and left for a long time.<!--more-->

Then he came back and told me that I cannot buy the iphone because my identification card expires in three months.  Um. Okay. I told him that I will be working at the American College of Sofia next year too and that I really want the iphone. He told me that I had to have the right documents. Awesome. Needless to say, my Bulgarian is not good enough to sweet talk anyone into bending the rules for me. So I left the store crestfallen, without my new smartphone (which I've been looking forward to for a whole month) and with 1200+ leva in my wallet.

On my walk to the metro, I started thinking about how absurd this whole thing is. Sure I understand why as a company you don't want to sell a phone that requires a monthly plan to someone who is traveling but I actually live in Sofia. I have an ID card and a bank account to prove it. But as a foreigner this is what happens: you live one year at a time in the country given the process for work permits and visas.

Yes, this means that I have an expiration date attached to me but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't be able to buy, use and enjoy having a smartphone.

The funny thing is this afternoon I walked into the store with enough cash to be able to buy the phone (at 949 leva) and as it turns out enough cash to also be able to pay for the monthly plan for the entire year (at 25.90 a month for 12 months)--not that I was expecting to do that it just happens when you withdraw leva in increments of 400.  I walked out with exactly the same amount of money I walked in with and you missed out on a big sale today.

I assume your policy has something to do with the idea that you think you're securing yourself against someone who might skip out on their contract. This said, it seems like you could do the same thing with say, my credit card number. Heck you can probably protect yourself better with my credit card number than with the expiration date on my identification card.

I might also remind you that in paying up front 949 leva I am paying twice as much for the actual phone as I would pay in the States. Sure the difference comes out in wash given the fact that a monthly contract in the States is three times as much as it is in Bulgaria. But really, if I was leaving in three months never to return to Bulgaria, I would never be buying a smartphone in Bulgaria. The numbers just don't make sense.

So here we are. You sell smartphones and I want to buy a smartphone. Match made in heaven, <em>right</em>?! Only neither one of us got what we wanted today. We're at an impasse.

At this point, I guess I'll continue to rock my simple phone and my pre-pay plan. And maybe in August when I've got my new identification card and I am back from a month in the States I'll think about buying a smartphone and a plan from you. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll pick up a phone in the States in July, have it unlocked and just go for the data plan instead. And maybe I won't feel the need to stick with Mtel when this happens.

Thanks for nothing.

Carolyn

Oh and while I am on the subject, it's totally lame that your website redesign eliminated English as a language option. Your competitors all have BG/EG options on their websites.