Business tips from the Finally Fast team
When you’re knee deep in a recession with no end in sight, a two-year cell phone contract might turn out to be the ultimate burden. Unfortunately, the early termination fee for breaking your service agreement is usually quite expensive. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can try:
Review Your Contract
First, carefully review your cell phone contract and your recent cell phone bills. Are there any increases in costs? If so, they could be grounds for breaking your contract. Be sure to look for any changes in costs for administration and text messaging, not just standard cell phone services. You can also break your contract if there are any changes to the terms of service, so go over your contract with a fine tooth comb. You should have an original, signed copy of your contract for review. If you don’t have one, ask your cell phone provider for a copy. If they can’t send you a signed copy, the provider can only hold you to the contract for a year. Your contract with your cell phone provider may also have unusual loopholes you can exploit. For example, you may be able to break the contract without any termination fee if you join the Military, or the phone in question actually belongs to a minor.
Roam Around
Another strategy is to “roam” and make all your calls in an area where your cell phone provider offers no coverage. Providers have to cover these calls through another company’s network at a cost. If you make a practice of roaming calls for several months, your cell provider will agree to break the contract with you in order to save money.
Complain
The final strategy is to call your provider and try to get out of the cell phone contract due to a problem with their service. For example, you make a complaint about the lack of coverage in the area where you live, or the lack of adequate customer service. All complaints will also have to be filed with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau, so make sure they are valid. You will have to make these complaints multiple times, and often speak to customer service supervisors, as the regular representatives will claim they can’t do anything about your situation besides adjusting your cell phone plan in some way. A change to your cell phone plan might result in an extension to the cell phone contract. Be sure to maintain a polite demeanor during these calls so as not to risk jeopardizing your claim. In addition to calling in your complaints, you will also want to complain via email and letters to your cell phone provider.
Tags: ascentive, Business, business tips, Cell Phones, Contracts, finally fast, finallyfast
