Monday, November 26, 2007

Some Tips on Ending Your Wireless Contract

Do you want to get out of the clutches of your current two-year contract? Well, you can pay a termination fee to be free of it. But what if you don't have money to pay an early termination fee? I did some research online and found that there are ways that can help you squirm your way out of a wireless carrier contract without paying the termination fee.

Often the best way to get rid of a contract is too opt out of it as soon as possible. You can cancel a wireless contract with some carriers if you just signed up for service. You simply have to call customer service and inform them that you would like to cancel your plan. However, if you have used the service , then you may have to pay a prorated amount. Here is a piece from Verizon Wireless' customer agreement,
You can cancel (if you're a new customer and not assuming another customer's service) WITHIN 30 DAYS of accepting. You'll still be responsible through that date for the new service and any charges associated with it.
One of the thing's you can also do is to find someone who may be interested in purchasing your unwanted contract. You can try looking for a buyer online. Their are websites that specialize in transferring the financial responsibilities of cell contracts from one person to another. It may be possible to transfer the plan over to a recipient without paying the early termination fee as long as the recipient meets the minimum qualifications for the contract.

You could also try to register a change of address with your carrier or move to a different location to worm your way out of your contract. If you call and complain about not getting reception after you transfer to an area your cell carrier doesn't have service then perhaps you will be free from your contract. Your contract maybe null and void if your service provider can’t offer access in a given area. Look at this statement from Alltel's Terms and conditions,
A change in your service address or the location to which any Service is provided to you may constitute, at our sole discretion, termination of the Services or an increase in the prices you must pay for the Services.
It would also be a good idea to turn into news about your carrier's Terms of Service. If your Service Provider may make major changes to you plan, they may automatically void the contract and give you as much as 30 days to cancel it. As stated by Sprint Nextel's Terms and Conditions,
Except as provided below, if a change we make to the Agreement is material and has a material adverse effect on you, you may terminate each line of Service materially affected without incurring an Early Termination Fee only if you: (a) call us within 30 days after the effective date of the change; and (b) specifically advise us that you wish to cancel Services because of a material change to the Agreement that we have made. If you do not cancel Service within 30 days of the change, an Early Termination Fee will apply if you terminate Services before the end of any applicable Term Commitment.
I'm sure there are more ways of canceling a restrictive wireless phone contract and that you can also find them. You can find a lot of good ideas online if you you do your research or asked the people you know. Another good way would be to read the contract you signed more carefully. you may find a section that would help you become free of the contract and become available to sign another that would suit you better.

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