I agree to a point. I worked for T-Mobile corporate - no shenanigans. Worked for an “Authorized Retailer” and everything was a hustle. I had “poor performance” among my peers who loved selling a $500 phone for free on upgrade if the customer “upgraded” their other four lines. They routinely confiscated SIM cards from…

I think the unwritten difference here might be “AT&T Authorized Dealer” - maybe no/few corporate stores in Hawaii...? I remember getting an iPhone 4 at the Apple Store in Honolulu in 2011. Avoid dealers. They do this. Corporate, you should be in good hands. Unfortunately, companies try to brand dealers as “Corporate”…

What’s killing it is that on the GDI by Volkswagen, for instance - exhaust sound, sport mode and other actual car features, are controlled by the media interface. You can’t just remove these things anymore and expect your car to be whole.