ShopCell.com - Cell Phone Accessories Blog

We are all too familiar with this phenomenon, a better cell phone service deal is available, either a better phone for free or a better price, and the customer wants to terminate their current contract to the better one. However there is the Cellular Service provider penalties that is causing some aggravations. What should be done?

Ask your cellular provider to produce the signed contract.

Ask them to supply a copy and mail it to you. This step was once a great ammunition, however as of today, most retailers send their paperwork to storage facilities or scan them into databases and can usually pull up contracts and receipts fairly easily. So this step might not be a great solution. However trying does not hurt.

If your service is not up to par, say you want out because of the poor service. Then back that up by filing official complaints online with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. One should not follow this step if the service of your cellular provider is good. However most times there is room for a valid complaint, so make sure to get this problem working on your side.

Study your bill for any changes to the Terms of Service.

It happens quite often that providers modify their service plans. This voids the previous contract. So make sure to read the small print on those inserts included with your bill, in most cases it will notify that you have 30 days to cancel your contract with no charge simply because they changed the contract.

As a last resort, cut back to the bare minimum the provider allows and drop any extras, like picture-messaging etc. Depending on the number of months you have left, this could be cheaper than paying the early termination fee, which can often run up to $300 per line. However, at some cellular companies changing your plan, even to reduce it, may extend it for at least another year, so make sure this is not the case with your provider. In all events do the math first to make certain it will actually save you money.

Sometimes it's worth just to pay the early termination fee. Sure, it's an expense in the wallet, however once you pay, your nightmare is over. Following the steps above can be an unpleasant pursuit, and may rob you of hours, days, even weeks. What's your time worth?

ShopCell.com is a cellular phone accessories retailer with over 50,000 accessories. ShopCell.com offers discounted Cell phone holsters, cell phone headsets and much more. All accessories at ShopCell.com are at everday low prices.