Survey: Most Chatters Unhappy with Cell Service

Cell phone service blows—or at least, that's what more than half of the respondents said in Consumer Reports' annual survey of subscribers. Surprised? I didn't think so.

The report, due for publication in the January 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, found that "fewer than half" of the 47,000 subscribers surveyed were "completely or very satisfied" with their service—a rating that makes cell service among the "lower-rated" services that Consumer Reports covers. Ouch.

Among the findings:

• Alltel and Verizon Wireless earned kudos for connectivity and coverage, while Sprint got tagged for dropped calls, T-Mobile was dinged for spotty coverage in some cities, and AT&T was called to the carpet for too much static during calls.
• None of the U.S. carriers scored well for customer service; only about 40 percent of respondents gave "very helpful" marks to the top-rated carriers (Alltel, T-Mobile, and Verizon), with Sprint falling to the bottom of the heap with a mere 20 percent "very helpful" rating. (I'll second that; how many times have I called Sprint customer service, only to be told I'm facing a 25-minute wait?)
• One in seven said they wanted to switch carriers but decided to stay put because of the hefty early termination fees. The good news is that all four of the major U.S. carriers have agreed to start pro-rating termination fees; the bad news is that if you signed a contract before the pro-rated policies went into effect (anytime after November 16, 2006 for Verizon Wireless; AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile won't offer pro-rated fees until 2008), you're out of luck.
• 60 percent of respondents who changed their service plans said they were forced to extend their contracts (and others may not even have realize that their contracts were extended, according to the survey). Again, some of the bigger carriers have announced that they'll start letting customers change their plans without contract extensions; however, the report cites several special offers from the carriers that have sneaky contract-extension clauses hidden in the fine print.

Overall, it's a pretty sad picture, although Consumer Reports notes a few developments—including the new pro-rated termination fee policies and Verizon's (sketchy) pledge to allow third-party phones on its network—with guarded optimism.

Satified with your carrier? Want to switch? Want to toss your phone out the window? Sound off!

Related:
Best cell phone deals [Consumer Reports, via Wired News]