Small step in the right direction!!

miclason · #1 (**permalink**) 12-07-2004, 12:05 PM

I just came back from the cell-phone company. I just delivered a letter announcing that I will not be renewing my contract with them on Jan 8th (you have to let them know 30 days in advance, else the contract renews itself automatically!)....the contract was for 18 months, 300 minutes at $35/month....I am switching to "prepaid" service (cells that use calling cards) and I will try to use no more than $10-$15/month!

terry1156 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-07-2004, 04:57 PM

Great Job! That small step is actually quite large if you can stick to your plan. That adds up to savings of $240 - $300 a year. A very nice switch!

miclason · #3 (**permalink**) 12-08-2004, 07:14 AM

It is still a small step, because on January 8th, I have to go and deliver ANOTHER letter and sign a bunch of papers and turn in the cell phone microchip... and pay for the dec-jan period of the contract...THEN it becomes final!! (I'm counting the days!!!)

DivaJen · #4 (**permalink**) 12-08-2004, 08:44 AM

Sounds like a good step to be taking.

akaivyleaf · #5 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004, 12:12 PM

Not to muddy the water, ooh first, congratulations on the decision. I know you can stick to it, but the mud in the water. I tried the prepaid plan and:
1. I thought I could buy in any set denomination and was informed the smallest denomination was 25.00.
2. The per minute charges on pre-paid were twice as much as on contract, so in essence the talking I could do for 25.00 has now been equated to 12.50, thus provoking me to get another card.
3. The prepaid I went with charged when you dialed a number, whether the recipient answered or not. Not when the voicemail came on, when the dialing was complete.
4. The time expired every 60 days, used or unused.
5. This particular NATIONAL cell service provider treated prepaid customers as second class customers. The Prepaid Customer Service center had a toll number, not a Toll Free one, and calling the toll free number wouldn't connect you to the prepaid side of the house.
6. The range of service was different, the quality of service was different. I could get service in certain areas and not in others. Still can't figure this out. Same phone carrier, same phone number, I'm calling the same people and I'm traveling the same roads but the switch from contract to prepaid affected service.

Now none of these might be your situation but it was too hard for me to adjust from the convenience of contract to a no contract/prepaid solution. Sadly, I went back to a contract but I'm johnny on the spot with every new promotion I see on TV, give it to me!

miclason · #6 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004, 12:38 PM

Thanks for the heads up, Sharon! I am not in the US, so the conditions are a little different...

I must say I have had 8 long months to research this....since my old phone mysteriously "died" after receiving a text message....this was the third time it happened and, to make the mystery even greater, always within 8-6 months before my contracts expired...so twice before I was faced with the option of continuing to pay for the full contract AND for a new cell phone with another company, or just take the convenient step of asking for a new phone and signing a new contract with this company....Also, on all three occasions I found out that other people with the same phone make/model as mine had had problems with their phones within 8-6 months from the expiration of their contracts...(can you see a pattern??!!...this company has already scammed me twice!)...just by luck I had an old phone so I was able to NOT opt for the new phone/contract combo this time....Another thing working against the contract is that you agree to pay a fixed amount per minute, so, even if the company that you have the contract with has a special promotion at lower prices, you can not benefit from it!! (contracts are great for companies, though, as they usually offer you free calls between cell phone numbers in the same contract!)....

Most companies here in El Salvador offer you cards from $5.... the particular company that I am going to switch to offers $2 cards, and the minutes never expire....the other companies have different valid periods depending on which card you buy, so, a $5 one lasts 3 days, a $15 one lasts 12 days and a $20 one lasts only 1 month!!!....Also, this company that I want to switch to charges you "by the second", which means that if you make a 45 second call, you pay for 45 seconds, while others round up to the minute!! (so you pay for a 2minute call even if your call was 1minute 5 secs!... (I just hope I have the restrain to limit my calls!!)

akaivyleaf · #7 (**permalink**) 12-09-2004, 12:51 PM

Wow... how do you like El Salvador? I failed to ask you where you were located so it should work well for you.

As far as changing the terms of my contract everytime I call to get the latest greatest better deal on service, they haven't seemed to have a problem and they manage to send me a revised contract with the new "plan" but with the same expiration date, so they don't give me a new contract, just a revised one. Otherwise, they know I'm inches from leaving them!