Yes, all cellphone contracts must die
Summary: Not only do I applaud the judicial decision that has led T-Mobile Germany to sell iPhones without a lock to the T-Mobile network- but I wish for all that and more with all cellphone services and plans here in the U.S.
Not only do I applaud the judicial decision that has led T-Mobile Germany to sell iPhones without a lock to the T-Mobile network- but I wish for all that and more with all cellphone services and plans here in the U.S.
Glory be that we live in a world where cell phones are not tethered to carriers by technology and contract.
You should be able to buy your cell phone and then choose any carrier you want. And to switch any time you want as well.
And once you choose your carrier, they should have no right to ask for a deposit, or for you to sign a contract of any length.
Face it, the only real reason for these damn two-year contracts is that the carriers want to tie you down in case their customer or tech "support" fails you and you want to walk.
The point is that carriers need to care about you, the customer, as much if not more than the damn institutional investors they are te trying to please. But since they don't -and they know it- they tie you down by contract and fiat.
That isn't right.
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Talkback
Go prepaid
Not everyone operates their cust service operations like Sprint. ATT and Verizon are fighting for customers.
Both pro-rate your termination fees and allow you to return the product for a full refund within the first few weeks.
Asking for a deposit is not unreasonable--especially for those with a poor credit history.
On Deposits
Which carrier does this?
Why dont you have a cell phone? Some of the pre-paid plans are quite good.
Cingular does this (eom)
You mean AT&T
Prepaid sucks
Not necessarily
It can cost more, depending on your usage patterns but the tradeoff is you have no activation fee and no contract.
They're all prepaid.
Essentially, they're all prepaid phone plans.
True, but in that case you have a contract
ever tried prepaid?
Yes I have
Of course you get a better rate when you sign a contract but the new pre-paid plans arent all bad either.
All the big carriers have pre-paid plans so youre not stuck with Cricket's small coverage area.
you seem to have missed...
Fair enough
Yes, Sprint is doing their best to ruin their reputation and I suspect you'll be one of the many who wont renew.
Note that Verizon and ATT prorate their cancellation fees so it makes it a bit easier to cancel with them.
Prepaid?
prepaid rates are RIDICULOUS! And contain time limits or expirations to the minutes prepaid... Usually 60 days.
The prepaid market flounders because of the prices! That's no accident. They force users to contracts for higher profits... Only the most un-credit worthy cell phone user ops for prepaid, or worse yet, a ghost wandering in the shadows.
Well Tmobile..
RE: Yes, all cellphone contracts must die
Most cell phone companies require a set commitment to offset the subsidy they absorb on heavily discounted handset prices. Do you really think all those free camera phones and cheap Blackberry's really don't cost the cell phone company? They can offer those discounts by locking in a set time period when they know they'll get service plan revenue. You always have the right to terminate your contract, but don't be surprised if the cell phone company uses the early term fee to recoup the discount given to you. Having said that, I think it's only fair to pro-rate the early termination penalty based on how many months of service charges was paid for.
As for deposits, I also think it's fair to make someone with sketchy credit and a record of not paying their bills for some security. Wouldn't you if it was you?
Not true.
In Europe they did not have this problem for at least ten years. You can buy a phone anywhere and choose any carrier. This is competition.
North America simply has less competition therefore we get these long-term / lock-in deals pushed down our throat. Not all is better in North America.
Yes it is true
Where I live, there are 5 service providers. How many more should there be? All offer contract and prepaid plans so nothing is pushed down your throat.
True not all is better here, but its not that bad either.
So it is true
I didn't make a comment on the price issue. You did.
That's what I said
If you dont want to sign a contract you can go to most stores and buy a phone and sign up for prepaid service.