StraightTalk: a No Wireless Contract Service from Wal-Mart

The current trend indicates that consumers are turning to pre-paid and other no-contract services in a n effort to find cost-effective solutions. They are favoring these services over the wireless contract services that offer more benefits but come with a heavier price tag. Wal-Mart was among the few to take advantage of this movement and offer its Straight Talk, a no-contract cell phone service.

The Straight Talk a no-contract wireless phone service is available from 3200 Wal-Mart stores nationwide. This prepaid option offers two options: $30 USD a month for 1000 minutes and 1000 texts or $45 USD for unlimited minutes and texts.

Some of the phones included in the Straight Talk line-up include :

• Samsung Finesse
• Samsung R355C
• Samsung R451C
• LG 290C
• LG 100C

This new provider hopes to compete with more established no-wireless contract cell phone services like Boost Mobile and MetroPCS.

Check out this service and other similar offers if you want an alternative to contract cell phones.

Tune in for more mobile phone contract news and updates.

AT&T's Smartphone Plans Overhaul and Wireless Contracts

AT&T has recently announced major changes for its smartphone plans. The carrier has decided to dissolve its unlimited data plan and now offer two-tiered data plan pricing. Since changes in plans allow consumers to terminate their wireless contract without any fees, some consumers are wondering if this will be the case with these new plans.

But before we answer that, here's a brief over view of AT&T's new two-tiered data plans.

DataPlus plan: offers smartphone customers 200 megabytes of data for $15 a month. An additional 200MB of data for $15 until the end of that billing cycle is offered if customers exceed 200MB in a monthly billing cycle.

DataPro plan: 2 gigabytes of data for $25 a month. An additional 1GB of data for $10 will be offered to those who exceed 2GB during a billing cycle.

Now to the important question. Will these new plan allow one to cancel your current mobile phone contract without paying any fees?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Why? Well, these changes do not require existing customers to switch to the new tiered data service plans. Consumers can keep your existing unlimited data plan so no material changes has affected the terms of your contract.

Only a material change such as an increase in charges can allow a consumer to terminate a contract without incurring an early termination fee.

That's it for this post. Stand by for more news and updates on wireless contracts for mobile phones.

Terminating a Wireless Contract to get the iPhone 4G

The release of a new iPhone always triggers a consumer migration from other carriers to AT&T. Consumers find all sorts of ways to abandon their contract just to get Apple's prized smartphone. This years iPhone 4 is expected to be no different. Here are some points that you might want to consider before terminating your mobile phone wireless contract to get the iPhone 4.

First you need to think about the ETF or early termination fee of your carrier.

Verizon too has two tiers of ETFs, $350 for smartphones, and $175 for feature phones.

Sprint's ETF starts at $200 and goes down by $10 every month beginning after the first four months.

T-Mobile ETF is $200.

Then you need to consider one you have terminated you contract. What to do with your old phone. Well, there are plenty of options.

First you can get some of your money back by selling it on Craigslist or eBay.

You can also donate your old handset to charity, or one of the many programs that delivers old or unwanted handsets to members of the military, or people in developing countries. You can also donate it as a cell phone for seniors.

That's it for this post and good luck with ditching your old wireless contract for the new iPhone 4. Tune in to this blog for more on wireless contracts news and updates.

Class Action Suit Against Verizon Wireless Now Allowed

Here's some good news for consumers who have some wireless contract grievances against the nation's largest carrier. Last month, a federal appeals court has ruled that Verizon Wireless customers can resolve disputes over alleged fraudulent cell phone charges on wireless contracts as a class.

The former ruling only allowed consumers to dispute fraudulent cell phone charges on wireless contracts individually through arbitration.

Verizon's wireless contract states that disputes should only be arbitrated individually. However, various consumer advocates say this can unreasonably favor companies since it makes arbitrations, especially small claims, very expensive.

This decision made by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia is more consumer friendly towards those who wish to dispute any wireless contract problems a s a class.

That's it for this wireless contract update on class action suits. Tune in next time for more on the latest happenings in the world of cell phone contracts.