How to Get Out of Your Current Cell Phone Plan
Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:41AM EST
See Comments (322)
Sick of your cell phone carrier's crappy service? Or maybe you've just received a brand-spanking-new smart phone as a gift, but it's from a rival cell phone carrier. Fortunately, getting out of a contract is easier than it used to be. If you signed a two-year contract recently, you might be in luck since carriers such as Cingular and Sprint offer 30-day trial periods in case you have second thoughts, and Verizon offers a pro-rated cancellation fee that increases the longer you have your phone.
But most of us are still screwed, which is where sites such as CellTradeUSA and Resellular.com come in handy. These sites let you put your cell phone and plan up "for sale" to any interested buyers. Charges are typically $15 to $20 to pass a contract on to someone else. Of course, you must have takers for it to work.
It also works the other way around, should you be looking for an inexpensive or temporary phone. All major carriers and time frames are offered (usually within the two-year contract window), and you can search by carrier, phone model, time frame, and the like.
So don't fret: Signing a two-year contract isn't what it used to be.
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307 Posted by debshelal on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse
I had Cellular one which we bought because we live in 2 places.They said there would be no problem! Wrong...We live in ND and travel to AZ to stay 5 months. When we first got here (about 4 yrs ago) the phone did not work. We called and called and talked for 6 weeks. Finally I called my lawyer and asked him if I could break my contract since they broke theirs. My lawyer said that after 6 weeks...certainly they broke their contract. So we went out and got Verizon. No problems with them at all. We have good reception always. SO they called us and said they (Cellular one) and said that we had service then. I told them , no way....I explained what happened and we are still using our Verizon. NO Problem.
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308 Posted by cinderfeller1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:25PM EDT Report Abuse
I keep hearing good things about Verizon. My friends that use Verizon always say they will keep using them. Man, what a difference from NEXTEL. I am surprised in the United States of America where people expect steady improvements on everything, that NEXTEL decided to buy inferior cell phones with inferior antenas!!! And their tech people actually told me this themselves. They told me I could go to Radio shack and see if they might have a booster antena or something like that, but if I altered their phone, they would not warranty it!!. I have 10 more months on my contract, and I have all the time in the world to give them free advertisement!! Don't use NEXTEL
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309 Posted by jeannepanichella on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse
i am with alltel and so far the bigest problem is getting someone to correct the bill when they make an error. i have gotten India. so then went to local office and still no luck. i also know how to shut it off which i guess a lot of people dont know how to do. my time is important and dont want to gab while shopping, especially eting or being with a friend. that is just rude. and although the ear thing is very futureistic. it has to be damaging the ear.
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310 Posted by jmstuey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse
in lieu of post #16 and any other post to that effect, by calling sprint and stating you are moving out of coverage won't guarantee you an etf waiver. i am a sprint supervisor in the account services dept (cancellations) and can tell you the policy of the company is to NOT waive the fees. we don't even waive them if you move out of country. there are options avail to you and if choose to decline those options you will be charged.
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311 Posted by abmcdermott2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:44PM EDT Report Abuse
Is everyone aware that if you attempt get of out a contract with sprint because of bad service or dropped calls or if you are in the military and are deployed overseas, regardless if you are in combat zone or non-combat zone, you are still required to pay $200 pr phone to get out of the contract? I was told this by a Sprint rep recently. FINE WAY TO TREAT OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL.
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312 Posted by jacenlace2028 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:26PM EDT Report Abuse
I have 3 phone lines with cingular THE NEW AT&T..and signed a two year contract..I've had nothing but ----- ty customer service from them. When we got the phones I had to pay like $ 291.00 at the store..then my first cell phone bill was like $300.00 when they were suppose to run right around $116 monthly..when I called they told me it was because they always bill a month in advance. ok..so then my due date was like the 5th of each month, so I was like since Im on the phone with you can I change my due date to the 10th of each month...Sure ma'am not a problem, this will be $ 10 and sum odd change extra on your next months bill becuase we are prorating from the 5th to the 10th and you will charged for those 5 extra days..ok fine. Next month I get my bill its again $390.00 So I call again..and Im like what the heck Because I changed my due date form the 5th to the 10th, it prorated a month and a half...not 5 days..so I paid it. My bill was still up in the $190.00 * remember the $116.00 they sold me when I bought them pff* anyhow so I call and Im like you know my phones dont even WORK WHERE WE LIVE..so how can I get the CHEAPEST plan possible because we rarely use them anymore. The customer service rep was like not a problem ma'am we can drop you down to this many minutes per month, and it will SAVE $20.00 a month..better then a kick in the ass eh? so..I get my next bill still higher then ----- ..oh wait I saved like $7.23 so I call back and Im like WTF..this was suppose to save me money..it saved me $7.23 and I lost 250 minutes a month..so I was like can I switch to a different carrier, can I cancel my lines? Im sick of this ----- . Sure ma'am you can do that for a deactivation fee of $ 150.00 PER PHONE..so yeah 2008 when my contract is up..cingualr can shove their ----- cute little phones and their plans up their ass..I'll buy a GO PhONE ----- ers..ughh
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313 Posted by filolilly on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse
Verizon wireless's early termination fee DECREASES!!!!! IT STARTS AT $175. and every full month you maintain service they take $5. off that fee, SO IT GOES DOWN... $170...$165... $160...$155...and so on. Please get your facts correct before you spread incorrect information about a company.
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314 Posted by spadzensky on Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:26PM EST Report Abuse
everyone is talking about verizon, sprint,etc...no wonder you all have problems use cingular you will never have any problems. I have been with them forever since they were ATT. and now ATT again,,I love the service and would never switch, good luck to you all with the other companies.
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315 Posted by bradyscheib on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse
Also if you are in the military and you transfer you can get out of a plan by telling the carrier you don't get reception at your new house.
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316 Posted by freetobeemeok on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse
I made the mistake of signing a 2 year Sprint contract in 10/06. Every billing cycle since that time has been a nightmare. I have had my phone shut off twice before I even receied a bill! Their Customer Service Department is useless. I am planning on filing a complaint with the Attorney Generals Office. Maybe I can get out of the contract that way. They certainly didn't make me aware of any 30 day "trial" period. If I would have had that I would have stopped srvice a long time ago.
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317 Posted by wlyl3603 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:49PM EDT Report Abuse
i had a two year contract with a carrier i will leave nameless. after about 8 months i got a letter that they would be working on towers and that i may experience a couple weeks of sporadic service. OK, i aced the fcc general radiotelephone test and i understand radio, so i knew that a couple weeks sounded about right. and, it was no real big deal to me. after about a month i contacted my carrier to see when the system would improve. they sent my phone updates on a number of occasions. all to no avail. my coverage got worse by the day until i could only make or receive calls from in front of the public library, the airport and a boat landing a few miles from my home. after about a total of three months of this i called and asked them to terminate service. my service turned off on the specified date. then the real fun began. i received bills as if my service was still in effect. as the bill went up i tried many times to straighten out the matter with billing. i feel that i had not broken my contract as the carrier had not kept up their part of the bargain. after about another year of this nonsense i happened to obtain the email address of the carrier's ceo. you don't actually get the ceo as his email is screened by a team that i can only describe as people that tell him or her that everything is fine and in order, that the sun is shining and "you look great in that tie". i was promised that due to the circumstances the bill would be wrote off. not so. soon i started getting collection agency notices full of threats to report me to the credit scoring agencies. i advised them to go ahead as i don't use credit, i own, or save up till i can buy what i want outright. i am far from rich by the way. i just refuse to pay interest on anything i can buy. ultimately i emailed the office of the ceo one last time with the ad rates to our local paper and my intention to post an ad regarding their handling of this matter and a way to contact me for more information. i can only surmise that sales in the last few weeks of december outweighed the cost of writing off their "losses". it has been about four months since then, but if they think i haven't set aside the $$ for three weeks of adspace they will be proven wrong. wlyl3603
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318 Posted by jmstuey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse
to poster 324......sprint does waive the etf if you are deployed overseas in the military. you have to fax in the copy of ur orders and has to be shown as an overseas ACTIVE zone. if u don't fax in the papers then yes you will be charged to cxl. the other option is the military plan which will hold ur # for up to 2 yrs, but again, have to show deployment papers.
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319 Posted by brupro on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse
I hate the way the Verizon adds another year every time I "blink the wrong way" or whatever. If they think that is an endearing trait, well guess again. As soon as my contract expires, I'm out of here.
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320 Posted by ssyrc399@verizon.net on Tue Nov 3, 2009 3:36AM EST Report Abuse
These days their are several ways to a contract. Online and instores are the fastes way to sign a contract. Notice the word SIGN a contract? Contract not sign, good luck proving it. Always ask for a copy. I will leave you with this. If your like most of americans you made a verbal agreement. The contract must be mailed to you or faxed to sign and sent back to the company to make it binding. Verbal contracts are done in good faith. Sales rep are not attorneys and thus do not fully understand the contracts or the hidden fees. Cowboy cookie might be the sale rep today, I'm sorry he nolonger works for the company or we have no one here by that name. Ask for a copy. 30 days is a normal time limit you should receive to look over a business contract. Opt out if you don't agree.
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321 Posted by damianpl@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse
I was told that there is a flat cancellation fee for Verizon Wireless. After reading this article, boy did I realize how screwed I am getting :-/
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322 Posted by tmt2twt2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:14PM EDT Report Abuse
verizon has the highest dropped calls....they need to change from "can you hear me now " to " can you hear me YET "
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306 Posted by arbyq7 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse
i have nextel and i have dropped calls no service .....and really crappy hearing on my phone which cost 150.00...i upgraded my phone so i could use the other two phones i have for my kids now instead of paying about 75.00 a month its almost 120.00 a month because the boob that upgraded me didnt speak or hear english to well ..thought i was a sprint customer and gave me a sprint deal with free incoming and yes i signed a new contract on what the lady told after a two hour phone call on my cell phone no less......got my bill it was over 500.00 and i had already had two phones...but when i called to find out what happened they said they thought i was a sprint customer not nextel.....so they couldnt help me when i asked to cancel my phone service with them they said sure but now i had to pay a cancelation fee for not one but three phones...i also reminded them since they seemed not to know this that they sprint and nextel merged together to form a company and well they said they are two seperate companies and if you a nextel customer you cant get sprints deals...i beleive this is a blatent bunch of bs.....now im paying of a 500.00 phone bill which i refuse to pay all at once along with serivce every month that drops calls and simply has no service at all....all because the idiot they hired to do the billing and customer service doesnt speak english well.......but hes the rub on this for me wouldnt you think that if you pulled up my information to tell me the best deal to upgrade my phone that they can give me for being such a good customer that my acct number would tell the boob looking at the computer hey this woman is a nextel customer she doesnt qualify for sprint....funny they didnt know what to say to that when i asked......technology is so great isnt it...as long as you understand the english lanuage...i guess....what a crock of crap cell phones are to bad most of us need them to they have us by the short hairs ......thats for sure sad sad sad