|
TOTA Mobile/Wireless/Celluar/VOIP Thread (pg. 46)
|
View this Thread in Original format
| rabbitjoker |
Cellphone Contracts: Hard to Get off the Hook
Man fakes death to escape phone contract
By Kim Hart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 18, 2007; A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...1702365_pf.html
Fed up with dropped calls and a string of defective cellphones, Corey Taylor said he became irate when he learned he'd have to pay $175 to get out of his long-term contract with Verizon Wireless. So he resorted to a rather extreme measure. He faked his own death.
After reading on a blog that wireless companies would cancel the contracts of deceased customers, "I thought, 'What have I got to lose, besides a cellphone I despise?' " Taylor said. The Chicago consultant fashioned a fake death certificate and had a friend fax it to Verizon Wireless, his carrier. He thought he was in the clear -- until the company caught on.
"In the end, I forked over the money," Taylor said. "But I bet I sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cellphone that doesn't work." |
|
|
| Jem_hadar |
So glad I'm not in a contract. Don't ever want to be (if I can avoid it).
Prepaid now w/ Rogers... gonna switch to an insanely good plan w/ Solo... that... wait for it... is MONTHLY! No long term contract.
Solo is the only company I've seen so far which offers a really fantastic plan for a reasonable price WITHOUT a darn 3 year contract...
I'm fond of Rogers Mega Incoming plans... but they are only available w/ a 3 year contract. Solo has the same basic plan, but all are available on a monthly, 1 year, 2 year or 3 year term.
Wonderful. :)
I love that I'm switching over to Solo, and if i don't like my service or reception or *anything* about it, I can simply go back to Rogers, NO COST.
I'm not paying activation fees w/ Solo (for the month of Aug they are all waived), I'm not paying cancellation fees for leaving Rogers as I'm prepaid, and since I wont be in a contract w/ Solo, I can again leave them for my old Rogers prepaid service w/o taking a hit either.
And, to top if off, the Solo phone I'm getting is on special for 50$ (even w/o a contact)... and it much better than my current one... which I do love as well anyways (I'm not a person that needs a fancy *NEW* phone at all, I'm very content w/ one that just works, even if its a 2006 model). Its win-win all around for me. Exciting. hahah |
|
|
| smuncky |
i need some help and advise from you guys concerning fido.
i'm coming up to the end of my 2 year contract with fido. i signed up with studentphones and have this plan.
100 daytime minutes
unlimited incoming
1000 evening and weekends
total 25$ + 911 + SAF
=32.45
but now my mom needs a cell phone as well now because of a new job. she will need A LOT of minutes, voicemail and caller display.
what kind of plan would be best for 2 people? would a family/couples plan be the best or would 2 seperate accounts be best (one for me and one for her)? i also have some fido dollars, could i use those to purchase a new phone? what other tips/haggling tricks can u reccomend that i can use to my advantage now that i'm close to my contract date? |
|
|
| tvmann |
Smuncky, here is some Fido info that might help. Like most companies they do not like to lose customers:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/...light=fido+plan
My Fido 2 year contract (same one as yours) expired and I have not yet tried to get a new deal. I don't want to get roped into another 2 or 3 years just yet because I need to check out the other service providers (thinking Blackberry, or iPhone if it ever gets here).
Fido has phoned me a few times though, trying to get me signed up on another contract (they pretend it is a call to check on customer satisfaction or something). They don't offer many freebies as an incentive. If I called to cancel, their offer would be much better. |
|
|
| smuncky |
| quote: | Originally posted by tvmann
Smuncky, here is some Fido info that might help. Like most companies they do not like to lose customers:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/...light=fido+plan
My Fido 2 year contract (same one as yours) expired and I have not yet tried to get a new deal. I don't want to get roped into another 2 or 3 years just yet because I need to check out the other service providers (thinking Blackberry, or iPhone if it ever gets here).
Fido has phoned me a few times though, trying to get me signed up on another contract (they pretend it is a call to check on customer satisfaction or something). They don't offer many freebies as an incentive. If I called to cancel, their offer would be much better. |
yeh i've read over most of that thread.
the way i was thinking is can i sign up for anohter plan (for my mom, i was thinking the urban package) and then call in a couple weeks later when its closer to my conctract expiration date and try to get a better deal for my plan. is that possible? |
|
|
| tvmann |
They would probably let you just roll over to a new plan as the old one is almost done. "Couples" plans look OK.
You definitely have bargaining power as an established contract user. But to get the most power from that you have to threaten to terminate, a bit dicey and probably you don't really want to do that. Neither do I, but I am a little annoyed at them as they hit me with another late charge. :whip:
That "System Access Fee" (SAF) of $6.95 apparently is total profit to them, it does not go to the government for licensing, some people have been able to get it dropped when renewing.
If you go for 2 new users on 1 or 2 plans try to get some freebies like caller ID, voicemail, evenings start at 5 pm instead of 7, ask for dropping of the SAF and see what they will do. |
|
|
| monishb |
| i pay close to nothing compared to you guys :wtf: |
|
|
| Jem_hadar |
| quote: | Originally posted by monishb
i pay close to nothing compared to you guys :wtf: |
yes but what services and features are you entitled to each month for your next to nothing?
i right now pay $22 ALL IN... that includes tax and 911 access fee. i dont have a system access fee. 1cent a min evenings and weekends 8pm-8am, 30cent a min daytime, call display, message centre, call waiting
but im rogers prepaid, so i cant get an unlimited txt plan for 10$ a month... so that sucks. so though i pay little a month, for my features im restricted to about 120 txt a month if i dont wanna hafta top up early and pay more than just my 20$ a month. |
|
|
| monishb |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jem_hadar
yes but what services and features are you entitled to each month for your next to nothing?
i right now pay $22 ALL IN... that includes tax and 911 access fee. i dont have a system access fee. 1cent a min evenings and weekends 8pm-8am, 30cent a min daytime, call display, message centre, call waiting
but im rogers prepaid, so i cant get an unlimited txt plan for 10$ a month... so that sucks. so though i pay little a month, for my features im restricted to about 120 txt a month if i dont wanna hafta top up early and pay more than just my 20$ a month. |
actually i pay nothing, since i work with telus, unlimited anytime anywhere, no bill :D |
|
|
| Cosmic Fur |
| hahahahahah owned. |
|
|
| me@t k@tie |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cosmic Fur
hahahahahah phowned. |
Kekekekeke |
|
|
| Silky Johnson |
I've been trying to send picture messages for a while now, but kept getting an error when setting up my account.
So I called customer service and tried to fix it.
Well the rep on the phone (this is how awesome they are) told me that I've been paying for browser service all this time (I had no idea, just goes to show how important it is to check the details of the bill), and that for the same price I could get MORE services.
So yeah, for the same amount of money I was paying before for call display/message center/call waiting/browser, I now get all those services, plus 200 messages of any kind (text, pic, vid) a month.
Yay!
I'm with Bell, btw. I've never found them to be anything but very helpful, and I've never had an issue with their service. |
|
|
|
|
