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Choosing Cell Phone Plans
With all the hoopla in the varying promotions of cell phone companies and their service plans, it would be nice to have some practical advice for the consumer to read when trying to decide which service provider to use. After a lot of research the average customer may still remain in a state of bewilderment. Well, here is that information that so many have been looking for with the desire to come out of the vast nothingness of information we have experienced up to this point. There are a few basics that consumers should know about all cell phone companies.
The first thing to be aware of is the difference between Nationnwide Plans and Local Plans. Looking at the largest service providers, Alltel, Verizon and AT&T (Cingular), the nationwide plans are very comparable. The selling point for the nationwide plans is the coverage area for calling without long-distance charges. The three top service providers all have about the same amount of coverage with AT&T (Cingular) boasting of the fewest dropped calls.
In comparison to national plans, which by the way don't actually cover all the contiguous 48 states, there is the local plan. Most people who get one of these plans state that they never travel or they don't use their cell phone enough to warrant paying more than $30 to $40 a month. But, if you don't read the fine print you will wind up paying much more than the basic monthly service charge. Another thing to consider is if the service is billed a month in advance. This means should you decide to end your service and the timing is not right, you may find yourself bogged down in red tape getting your month in advance fee back for which you were charged but didn't use.
Once you have the rate plans in front of you here are a few things to look for. You should examine the time of the day that "nights and weekends" begin and end, the charge for calling the information numbers, any charges for "detailed billing", the deadly roaming charges and any extra fees for talking to people inside or outside your network. By asking these questions and retrieving the correct information, you should be able to make a wise decision as to which carrier you want to use. Another issue you might want to find out about is whether not they make you sign a contract for a certain amount of time should you want to change your rate plan. Some companies still charge for changing your rate plan in the middle of a contract. However, Alltel allows you to change your rate plan anytime you want to, but you have to be careful about the billing cycle.
Given that all the carriers want your business and know that you have to live on a budget like everybody else, they will work with you in helping you to decide which service plan will feed your needs. However, it is always wise to do your homework. If you go in knowing something about the company, you are more likely to get a better deal. Generally speaking, you can purchase new phones at a greatly reduced price at the beginning of your new contract with your carrier. For example, you can purchase five phones for the price of one if you're signing a new contract with the given carrier. For reasons such as these, people are more apt to shop for a carrier that will benefit them the most and flash the most free goodies in their direction.
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Resources for Cell Phone Numbers
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