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On Your Side: Cell Phone Contracts
posted 5:19 pm Thu January 31, 2008 -
Anchor:
BAD SERVICE, DROPPED CALLS, AND PAYING MORE THAN YOU WERE LED TO BELIEVE.
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TONIGHT... 7 ON YOUR SIDE REVEALS HOW IT CAN BE DONE.
HERE'S ROSS MCLAUGHLIN... ROSS? Ross McLaughlin:
Story:
FROM THE MINUTE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR. IT BEGINS.
FROM THE SALES PITCH
"69.99 Thursday."
TO THE SALES RECEIPT...
CAN TAKE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. NOT MUCH TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO.
Fred Lockard/Wireless Customer: "The place is unbelievably busy he says don't worry I'll take care it."
PRESSURE.
Fred Lockard/Wireless Customer: "How on earth could I put a pen to paper since it was nothing like the guy was telling me."
AND THAT'S WHY WE PUT IT TO THE TEST. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER WE SIGNED THE RECEIPT AND THEN THEY TOLD US ABOUT AN ACTIVATION FEE.
Salesman: "There will be a 36 dollar activation."
FEE THAT WOULD SHOW UP ON A FUTURE BILL.
Salesman: Done by the government or the FCC
Shawn: "The government requires that?"
WE CHECKED. THERE'S NO SUCH REQUIREMENT. WHICH GOT US THINKING ABOUT FRED. HE BELIEVES HE WAS MISLED INTO A SIGNING A DEAL AT ANOTHER STORE. HE JUST WANTED TO ADD A LINE TO A FAMILY PLAN. BUT GOT A WHOLE NEW CONTRACT.
Fred Lockard/Wireless Customer: "What, what 2 year contract. All I wanted was a phone."
HE MADE THE MISTAKE OF SIGNING SOMETHING WITHOUT READING IT. AND WHEN HE CANCELLED HE WAS STUCK HAVING TO PAY 425 DOLLARS. WHY? 175 DOLLAR TERMINATION FEE WITH AT&T AND A 250 DOLLAR EQUIPMENT FROM WIRELESS JUNGLE.
Shawn: "Thank you."
JUST BECAUSE YOU SIGN THE DEAL AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE STUCK. ALL MAJOR CELL PHONE COMPANIES SERVING THE WASHINGTON AREA GIVE YOU 30 DAYS TO GET OUT WITHOUT A PENALTY. GIVING YOU TIME TO READ YOUR CONTRACT, TEST YOUR SERVICE, AND TO GO OVER YOUR MONTHLY BILL. BUT FRED LET IT GO TOO LONG..
Ross: "You want out of this right?"
Fred Lockard/Wireless Customer: "That would be great to at least get the penalties back."
THERE ARE WAYS. YOU CAN TRADE YOUR CONTRACT ON CELLTRADEUSA AND CELLSWAPPER.COM FOR A 20 DOLLAR FEE. AND WE'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT VERIZON IS NOW REDUCING IT'S TERMINATION FEE BASED ON LONG YOU'VE HAD THE SERVICE. 5 DOLLARS CREDIT PER MONTH. THE OTHER CARRIERS PLAN TO DO THE SAME. OR IF YOU'RE STILL STUCK ..WORK WITH YOUR CARRIER. WE EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED TO FRED. WIRELESS JUNGLE AND AT&T LISTENED. HE'S NOW OFF THE HOOK.
Fred Lockard: "The penalties are gone."
Ross: "Feel better."
Fred Lockard: "Yeah that was way cool, feel a lot better thanks to you guys."
Ross McLaughlin:
For more information:
Consumer Reports: Best Cell Phone Deals
www.trac.org
www.celltradeusa.com
www.cellswapper.com
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