Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Break Free from Expensive Wireless Contract Fees

There is no doubt that people spend a lot of money on mobile phone expenses. They spend a significant amount of money on minutes, mobile phones, plans and fees. No one can also deny that this is a business so carriers are also trying to make a profit through the services they provide to customers.

Many experts have observed that making a phone call has become less expensive. A great example of this trend is the unlimited calling plans that have been launched by wireless carriers. For a hundred bucks a month, a subscriber can make unlimited phone calls!

The trend of less expensive calls also indicate that carriers to market data plans. After all, this the the age of the Internet so it's only logical that data plans would become a good source of income for carriers.

Carriers have also turned to text messaging as a goos source of income. Many text messaging providers have installed a series of increase on text messaging rates in the past few months. Text messaging rates in some wireless plans recently increased from 15 cents to 20 cents.

These changes prompted many consumers to explore the option of canceling their wireless contract without paying any termination fee. Many wireless contracts have a clause that allows the subscriber the option of opting out of a contract if a change in fees have a material effect on your service.

However, caution must be applied with using this option. A consumer should examine the policies of a wireless contract before informing the carrier of this decision. Keep in mind that an early termination fee is charged to customers who choose to switch to a different cell phone carrier before the contract expires. Due to consumer complaints, cell phone providers like AT&T have decided to decrease this penalty as the consumer moves closer the end of his or her contract.

To avoid paying for fees attached to carrier switching, some consumers use third party carriers. These sites usually work by matching prospective buyers with cell phone owners with prospective buyers. The site would require a small fee to allow a consumer to post wireless contract terms. The site will then facilitate the transfer opf contracts between a buyer and an owner.

Consumers who want to settle disputes with their carriers may find success by negotiating near end of their wireless contracts. Carriers may give in to your demands if you express that you are thinking about transferring to another carrier if some fees are not reduced or waived. The stiff competition in the mobile phone industry may work in your favor.

Consumers should also exercise caution when they decided to add a new service or make changes to their wireless plans. Carriers may automatically renew your wireless contract if you make changes to your plan or activate new services. Many wireless contract disputes have originated from contracts being renewd without the knowledge of the consumers.

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