On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:55:04 -0500, "RBM" <rbm@noemail.com> wrote:
>
>"TeddeLI" <Spam@nospam.neat> wrote in message
>news:mn.6c9f7d82b2e14038.69402@nospam.neat...
>> RBM explained on 2/13/2008 :
>>> "Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
>>> news:fori1i$q9l$1@aioe.org...
>>>> At 11 Feb 2008 22:12:22 -0500 Bob G wrote:
>>>>> "Imagine if you couldn't switch coffee shops or grocery stores without
>>>>> paying hundreds of dollars in penalties. Preposterous? No - not in the
>>>>> world of cell phones. "
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It wouldn't be preposterous in grocery shopping either, if the store
>>>> gave
>>>> you a couple of hundred bucks in free groceries upfront in return for
>>>> your
>>>> "loyalty."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I found this sad, but true:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22342054/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The saddest part was the number of inaccuracies and exaggerations in the
>>>> article, but that's typical of "journalism" that panders to consumers.
>>>>
>>>> We are willing participants in this little game. We want the latest
>>>> shiny
>>>> object for pennies on the dollar, and we're willing to sell our soul to
>>>> get
>>>> it.
>>>>
>>>> No one is "stuck" in a contract. You can buy yourself out of it by
>>>> paying
>>>> the ETF, which is roughly equivalent to the upfront discount we received
>>>> when we accquired our phone. Fair is fair- if my carrier "gives" me
>>>> $200
>>>> in return for a two-year contract, why should I get to keep it if I
>>>> decide
>>>> to bail out early?
>>>>
>>>> He mentions how carriers will raise rates and unilaterally change the
>>>> contract giving consumers no choice but to accept it, yet in my
>>>> experience
>>>> as a cellular user (and a dealer in the 90's) I've been offered the
>>>> opportunity to walk out of my contract several times because my carrier
>>>> added/raised fees, or changed terms, coverage areas, etc.
>>>> Of course, I can see the author's point- who wants to read a fair and
>>>> balanced article that explains why both the companies and customers
>>>> share
>>>> the blame for contracts when we can read an article telling us how these
>>>> James-Bond-Villianesque companies are "locking us in cellular jail" in
>>>> their quest for world domination.
>>>
>>> While I agree completely with you, I did feel like a hostage in September
>>> when I changed the minutes of my family share from 700 to 1400. I was
>>> unaware that all 5 of my phones would be locked into new two year
>>> contracts.
>>> They're not subsidizing me. Each phone has it's own two year contract,
>>> which
>>> expire at different times, but this plan change superceeds all of them.
>>> One
>>> of the phones was past it's two year contract, and I wanted to
>>> discontinue
>>> it, and was told I'd have to pay the ETF
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>> Are you sure about that? Verizon recently went back to it's old policy
>> where you could change the minutes but not renew the contract. I
>> believe there is a limit on the number of times you can do this
>> though.I did this last April and neither my contract nor my phone
>> upgrade dates were changed in any way.
>>
>> Did you do it by phone or at a store? The sales person might have
>> renewed your contract to receive a commission. I did the change by
>> phone.
>
>I did it online. It was only when I called a few weeks later, to cancel the
>one phone who's contract had expired, that they told me I'd have to pay the
>ETF
>>
>>
>
They used to extend contracts with the following theory:
You negotiated a contract for a certian amount per year for a set time
frame, subject to continueing on a monthly basis after that time. If
you want to change any of the terms of that contract (including the
monthly fee / minutes) they would let you disolve the contract in
return for signing a new one with the new rates included.
this was then changed over a year ago to only make you sign if you had
less than one year to go in the contract ( this was due to introducing
"annual price plans" that would only have a year term with them, so if
you had over a year to go, it would keep the same CED.
As of october, they no longer extend contracts for price plan changes,
up or down.
As to why they put you in a contract if you provide the equipment, you
can elect for a one year contract, but they are basically saying that
if they go through the trouble to setup an account, run a credit check
on you, etc.. they want a certain amount of buisness back for it.
Re: Most Americans are in cell phone jail 
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