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What Cell Phone Carriers Don't Tell You
Finding the right cell phone carrier can be quite a challenge; choices seem to be endless between Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and Nextel. All of the carriers have a different promise or a different way that they come to the competition ready to win your business. The real information in terms of cell phone plans, however, tends to be in the fine pring and most customers spend little to no time actually reading it.
There are many ways that cellular phone carriers try to squeeze out some extra money from the fine print in their plan. One such way is through the manipulation of the time quotient. Many people think that they have free evenings and weekends, for example, but the truth is that most people ignore the fine print that designates what defines a "weekend" to the cell phone company as being something completely different and unconventional than what you may be used to. These incentives can be harmful and deceptive, so ensure that you read the fine print before you pick up a new cellular phone from any company.
Cell phone carriers also offer incentives for signing up with them. Cingular, for example, offers great deals on the latest phones, while T-Mobile will give you a free phone when you start using their services. Be wary of these incentives because the fine print may be selling you a bill of goods that you are not interested in. The best way to buy a phone is to buy what you need, as a consumer, and look for deals or extras after you have established a solid base plan.
The contract is the biggest thing that all cell phone carriers sell. They offer you a lower price if you sign a contract for a year and then you are locked into their company regardless of how you are treated. Don't sign a contract. There are many companies that will sign you up without a contract and you won't be locked in if you have to change for whatever reason (you can also get out of paying a fee for switching). You can go on the internet and not only buy a phone, but you can take over existing contracts that will make you obligated to a certain carrier for less than the original contract costs.
The bottom line is that the cell phone business is just that: a business. In order to protect yourself, you will have to approach cell phone buying the same way you approach buying a car. Research the fine print, explore the contracts, examine the best deals on minutes, plans and demand caller-to-caller options. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of because you were unprepared.
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Resources for Cell Phone Numbers
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