The Hidden Cost of Your ‘Free’ Phone

Andrew Yang Podcast

Humanity Forward Productions

Society & Culture

4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Andrew Yang sits down with Lauren Benton of Back Market USA, to discuss the hidden costs of “free” phone upgrades, how telecom giants keep Americans trapped in expensive device cycles, and why the right-to-repair movement is key to a sustainable tech future. Watch the full episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question for Andrew? Drop it in the comments section below or send us a text or voice memo to [email protected]! ---- Follow Andrew Yang: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check Out Back Market: Website ---- Get 50% off Factor at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Factor Meals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get an extra 3 months free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Express VPN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get 20% off + 2 free pillows at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Helix Sleep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Use code: helixpartner20 Get $30 off your first two (2) orders at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wonder ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| Use code: ANDREW104 ---- Subscribe to the Andrew Yang Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Sean has had some good ideas over the years.
0:05.0	But using Canva was a really good one.
0:08.0	Sean designed some social posts to promote his friend's car boot sale.
0:13.0	They looked good.
0:15.0	Really, really good.
0:17.0	Next thing he knows, someone came and bought the lot, including the car.
0:24.5	Now Sean doesn't know how he's going to get home.
0:28.0	Thanks, Canva.
0:30.6	This week on the Andrew Yang podcast.
0:34.2	The telco sells 70% of the devices that they sell.
0:37.1	They actually just go through the big major three players.
0:40.3	They rely on these guys as their acquisition channels for these customers.
0:44.3	And those three-year life cycles, that device payment plan that you have,
0:47.3	is how they force that upgrade so that they can come out every year and tell you
0:51.3	it's the latest, greatest, bestest phone to text your mom on,
0:55.1	and too many Americans fall for it.
1:05.8	It is my pleasure to welcome to the podcast, one of my favorite people in business, and you will see why.
1:12.2	The GM of Backmarket USA, Lauren Benton. Welcome, Lauren. Thank you very much, Andrew. It's wonderful to be
1:18.1	here with you. Full disclosure, Backmarket and Noble mobile are teaming up to try and free you from
1:24.4	Big Wireless, and we'll talk a lot about that. But you have, for people watching
1:29.7	this, you have a sweatshirt on that says, fix me. Fix me. Fix me. Yeah, and you don't seem like you
1:35.2	need fixing. So what? You know what? I think everybody needs a little bit of something and I can't
	...

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