Cell Phone Contract Tips
33426
Science and Technology > Telephony
May 28, 2007
robertoms2003
Cell Phone Contract Tips
Cell phones are increasingly used in the modern world. They are no longer a luxury, but are considered a need. They can send and receive e-mail, get information on news, entertainment, make a call home while traveling and contact the police or the ambulance during an emergency. The radio, telephone and computer technology fused together to make the cell phone technology. Nevertheless, with the advancing technology, marketing became much tougher, and cell phone operators devised numerous clauses in their contracts to ensure that their competitors do not erode their customer base. Thus the cell phone contract was born. A cell phone contract is an agreement between the buyer and the wireless cell phone service provider. Usually it is of 1 or 2 years of duration, during which a consumer is legally bound to remain with the wireless service provider. Certain operators give a trial period to their consumers. After the trial period of 14 or 30 days is over, when the contract is entered upon and the phone is bought, the penalty for breaking the contract can range from $150 to $600, depending on where the phone was bought. Before the contract finishes, if a new phone is to be bought, then some companies give a customer loyalty discount, which in effect extends the contract. This may prove to be expensive when compared to buying a new phone with a good discount. Thus, you may be locked in to a single operator, without your knowing it, if you do not read and understand the terms of the cell phone contract. If one is not satisfied with the service provided by the cell phone service provider, then one can come out of the contract, without paying a termination fee, if someone else is willing to go through the contract for the remaining period. Finding someone willing to undertake this may be difficult. Numerous websites have come up which help you in finding someone to transfer your contract to, however cell phone service providers do not endorse such websites as they only connect the buyer and the seller, doing nothing with the actual transfer. Thus once you find a buyer for your cell phone contract, you have to contact your cell phone service provider to complete the transfer. This may take quite some time, as your provider will do a credit check on the buyer and if the creditworthiness is not found sufficient for the contract, the transfer will not take place. In case the transfer does take place, then you have the option of keeping the same number that you originally had. Usually, it has been seen that with transfers, you may have to supply the cell phone also as a free incentive to the buyer. High-end cell phones offered free along with the transfer usually get buyers within a couple of days. Cell phone service providers generally give a trial period before enforcing the contract term, which may be of 1-year or 2-year duration. Almost all providers give at least 14 to 30 days of trail period. A 1-year cell phone contract has a shorter commitment period, which may prove to be beneficial if the phone needs repairs, or is lost. In addition, since the period is short, one may avail of new discounts that come up. After the term of 1-year ends, the phone can be kept without any contract and no penalty is charged for quitting. However, in a 1-year contract, the activation fee and/or the phone may not be cheap. Certain discounts and promotional offers cannot be availed of as in a 2-year period. In a 2-year cell phone contract, the activation fee and/or the phone may not be expensive. Huge discounts on the phone may be availed. Special promotions may be availed. However, since the phone is kept for a longer duration, more money may be spent on repairing, insuring, or replacing. The opportunity to buy a new phone reduces, and thus may not be eligible to switch cell phone service providers. Expensive phones may also opt for phone replacement insurance plans. However, due to the costs of such plans, few subscribe to these plans. Pre-Paid or No Contract cell phones are not available with all cell phone service providers. They are attractive as they require no commitment, the credit history is unimportant, and there is no penalty for quitting. However, call charges may be more expensive, and no promotional discounts etc., may be availed of. It is always advisable to read and fully understand the terms of the cell phone provider as stated in the contract form, including the fine print, before signing the cell phone contract.
This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/celular.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br send email to robertoms2003
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br send email to robertoms2003
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
This article explains about GPS cell phone tracking service, as an important aid in locating cell phone users in emergency situations. Also it talks about user's privacy issues and how about the law is dealing with it.
Category:
This article explains the many types of perfume fragrances and it is a useful guide for someone trying to pick the right kind of perfume to suit his lifestyle.
Category:
This article talks about notebook battery saving practices, which might provide extra battery power. Also it talks about standby and hibernation battery saving modes.
Category:
This article briefly describes the history and types of notebooks. Also it talks about notebook features based upon one's personal or professional use.
Category:
This article describes the brief history of cell phone, and how it became one of the most popular consumer electronic products of all times.
Category:
This article talks about the main features of iPod Shuffle. Features like internal memory, battery life, iPod sizes and USB port are covered as well.
Category:
This article briefly explains how a perfume is made. Also it describes the classifications of perfumes and how the intensity and longevity of perfume is determined.
Category:
This article talks about a brief history of the notebook, and features and advantages that makes this item one the most desired computer products.
Category:
This article describes important features one might look for while purchasing an mp3 mp4 player. It also talks about the mp4 video file format capability.
Category:
Get to know some major synthetic diamond companies, and what kind of product return, exchange, ring resizing and warranty you might expect from them.
Category:
Get to know some of the healing properties of perfume. Also learn how colors may be associated with one's lifestyle.
Category:
This article describes the features one might be looking for while making a notebook purchase. The different sizes of notebooks, as well as mobile connectivity and multimedia capability are explained as well.
Category:
This article explains the features of mp3 players which will help one to make the best of this next purchase. Internal memory size, battery life, connectivity to pc and other features are explained as well.
Category:
This article talks about the history and benefits of digital cameras. Other features such as storage media and power are covered as well.
Category:
Get to know some of the advantages of digital cameras, and which features you might look for while shopping for one.
Category:
This article talks about safety issues of cell phone use when driving. Also it talks about the effectiveness of the hands free kits. Studies show that responses are 50% slower than normal when using a mobile phone.
Category:
Get to know some of the advantages of storing data using a pen drive. Fast, lightweight, compact and rewritable, pen drive soon became the standard for mobile storage device.
Category:
This article describes the importance of cell phones in our everyday lives and the etiquettes one should follow in different occasions.
Category:
This article describes digital camera by explaining its main feature, such as mega pixel resolution, optical and digital zoom and pc connectivity. It is a good guide for those trying to understand what to look for in a digital camera.
Category:
This article describes the many iPods generations, with storage capacity, type of connections, release date and special features.
Category:
Other links at Science and Technology > Telephony
Over the years, communications has drastically evolved with the help of computer electronics. Communicating across the world has been fairly easy for anybody who is familiar with computers and for most of them it's for free.
Category:
This article gives information on SIM card cellular phones and the possibility of using one in the USA.
Category:
We are all different, therefore you probably require a completely different cell phone from a number of your friends. There are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine the particular cell phone that would best suit your needs.
Category:
The internet has made the mobile market huge, and no more so than downloading ringtones. Here's an introduction to that market.
Category:
The cell phone industry has grown into a larger than life industry. It has contributed a staggering $92 billion to the US coffers. That constitutes an uncontrollable mega monster in anyones book.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68214
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
