"Wireless Scams"
June 23rd 2008 18:25
Cellular phones are now the top communication gadgets in the world, but are cellular phone providers taking advantage of consumers?
Well of course they are just as every other company has with their service and/or product. Cellular phone providers are very sly about their tactics. It is a simple procedure.
*You pick the phone and plan
*You sign a contract agreement (usually 2 year contract)
This contract promises continued service or in the company's case--continued payments
Most companies offer insurance in case of a damaged or lost/stolen phone and you pay a price per month per phone with the acknowledgement that once a claim is filed and a deductible is paid that your phone will be replaced with the same phone or a comparable phone.
Sounds simple and fair? Well it's not. What happens when you file the claim and your claim is denied??? That's right, you are denied a cell phone and you've already went without an operable phone for a couple days. Then after several attempts to contact management via email and phone, you are told that you will not be honored a phone for which you have had insured for over a year. You are then given choices which are to either extend your contract and receive a new phone or buy a refurbished phone (depending on availability at the store nearest you) for $70-$150 or cancel your contract for $175 or more.
These are all the underlyings of many wireless providers and to top it off, they ask that you return your broken phone or trade it in for a $10-$20 credit. This is done so that they can refurbish your old phone and resell it. So are we purchasing phones or renting them?
Well of course they are just as every other company has with their service and/or product. Cellular phone providers are very sly about their tactics. It is a simple procedure.
*You pick the phone and plan
*You sign a contract agreement (usually 2 year contract)
This contract promises continued service or in the company's case--continued payments
Most companies offer insurance in case of a damaged or lost/stolen phone and you pay a price per month per phone with the acknowledgement that once a claim is filed and a deductible is paid that your phone will be replaced with the same phone or a comparable phone.
Sounds simple and fair? Well it's not. What happens when you file the claim and your claim is denied??? That's right, you are denied a cell phone and you've already went without an operable phone for a couple days. Then after several attempts to contact management via email and phone, you are told that you will not be honored a phone for which you have had insured for over a year. You are then given choices which are to either extend your contract and receive a new phone or buy a refurbished phone (depending on availability at the store nearest you) for $70-$150 or cancel your contract for $175 or more.
These are all the underlyings of many wireless providers and to top it off, they ask that you return your broken phone or trade it in for a $10-$20 credit. This is done so that they can refurbish your old phone and resell it. So are we purchasing phones or renting them?
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