Monday, September 27, 2010

AT&T's iPhone Upgrade Policies

The length of a consumer's wireless contract is one of the factors that determine upgrade eligibility to get the new and exciting iPhone 4.

The reduced pricing on the new Apple handset applies to AT&T customers whose contracts have already expired or for current iPhone users. However, the case is different for subscribers using phones other than an iPhone.

Aside from mobile phone contract length, the carrier also takes into account other factors such as spending level and paying his bills on time.

Existing iPhone customers who are eligible for an upgrade between June 7 and the end of this year to get the best pricing for the iPhone 4 with a two-year term commitment. They can purchase the handset for $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 32GB variant. A new two-year mobile phone contract.

Only current iPhone customers can upgrade six months early. All other AT&T subscribers must wait until their existing contracts expire.

These factors pretty much sum up the carrier's policy on upgrading to the new iPhone 4. The length of your wireless contract is very important but other factors will be considered as well. In this instant it pays to be a faithful AT&T subscriber.

That's it for this post. Tune in for more wireless contract news and related articles.

Monday, September 20, 2010

AT&T's Grounds for Terminating your Wireless Agreemeent

Do you know that AT&T can terminate your wireless contract without notice? Well, you should. After all, its part of the company's terms and agreements.

You can terminate your wireless contract with a carrier but you need to pay an early termination fee and other penalties. However, AT&T can also "interrupt or terminate your Services without notice" if they find you guilty of the following violations:
  • for any conduct that we believe violates this Agreement,
  • if you behave in an abusive, derogatory, or similarly unreasonable manner with any of our representatives,
  • if we discover that you are underage,
  • if you fail to make all required payments when due,
  • if we have reasonable cause to believe that your Equipment is being used for an unlawful purpose or in a way that (i) is harmful to, interferes with, or may adversely affect our Services or the network of any other provider, (ii) interferes with the use or enjoyment of Services received by others, (iii) infringes intellectual property rights, (iv) results in the publication of threatening or offensive material, or (v) constitutes spam or other abusive messaging or calling, a security risk, or a violation of privacy,
  • if you provided inaccurate credit information, or
  • we believe your credit has deteriorated and you refuse to pay any requested advance payment or deposit.
I would avoid committing any of these errors if you want to continue your service with AT&T.

That's it for this piece of info on the wireless contracts of mobile hones. Tune in every week for more mobile phone contracts information.

Monday, September 13, 2010

T-Mobile's Early Termination Fee Schedule

T-Mobile has a pro-rated ETF (early termination fee policy) which means that consumers pay depending on the length of time have left on their mobile phone contracts. However, this system can also be confusing since consumers do ot have a fixed penalty for terminating a T-Mobile contract.

So how do you calculate your T-Mobile early termination fee?

The carrier has provided an ETF schedule that allows subscribers to estimate their fees as long as they know their contract start date (which is also listed on their wireless contract):
As listed in these Terms & Conditions, the early termination fee is $200, if termination occurs with more than 180 days remaining on your term; $100, if termination occurs with 91 to 180 days remaining on your term; $50, if termination occurs with 31 to 91 days remaining on your term; and the lesser of $50 or your monthly recurring charges (including any applicable taxes and fees), if termination occurs in the last 30 days of your term.
If you wish to know exact information about the term of contracts and the early termination fee that would apply if you cancel your then you should can call T-Mobile Customer Care.

That's it for this post. Tune in every week for more on mobile phone contracts and wireless contract topics.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Can a Buggy Software Upgrade Free a Customer from a Wireless Contract?

The current trend in mobile phones indicates a transformation from feature phones to smartphones. Consumers are now more able to purchase smartphones while the smart handsets are beginning to offer high-end consumer features. However, this trend also comes with an implication that is related to mobile phone contracts.

Smartphones require software updates that are supposed to keep them up to date with the latest technology, fix bugs and add enhancements. However, new versions of software can be buggy and break things that worked perfectly well with the previous version of software. This can be a problem for smartphone owners since the next software upgrade can take several months before release.

So can a problematic software upgrade free one from a smartphone contract?

Well, it's unlikely. The a buggy software update is not covered by the relevant section of most carrier's terms and conditions. This means that you can terminate your contract but you will be required to pay an early termination fee.

Finding ways to fix the bugs might be a cheaper choice than terminating a contract.

Since most of the ETF offered by carrier are pro-rated there's a chance that you wont pay a high fee as long as you do not have a ot of time left in our contract.

That's it for this week. Tune in for more mobile phone contract news and updates.