Cell Phone Deals

PROCTECTING YOUR POCKETBOOK THIS MORNING WE ARE FOCUSING ON YOUR CELL PHONE.

WE ARE A MOBILE PHONE NATION... IN FACT MORE AND MORE AMERICANS ARE GIVING UP THEIR TRADITIONAL LAND-LINES AND GOING ONLY WITH A CELL PHONE.

BUT HOW DO YOU GET THE BEST CELL PHONE DEALS AND WHAT ARE THE DO¹S AND DON¹TS WHEN DEALING WITH YOUR CELL PHONE COMPANY.

ALL THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE.

CONSUMER REPORTS SURVEYED MORE THAN 18-THOUSAND MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBERS ABOUT THE CELL-PHONE BUYING EXPERIENCES.

65% OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT ONLINE TENDED TO BE HAPPIER THAN THEN THOSE WHO BOUGHT CELL PHONES AND CELL SERVICE IN THE WALK-IN STORE.   55% PERCENT WERE HAPPY WITH THEIR WALK-IN STORE EXPERIENCE.

THE BIGGEST GAP BETWEEN BUYING AT THE PROVIDERS WEBSITE VERSES BUYING THE PROVIDERS STORE WAS PRICE. 61% WERE COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THEIR CELL PHONE PURCHASE WHEN BUYING ONLINE. THOSE COMPLETELY SATISFIED DROPPED TO 46% WHEN BUYING IN THE STORE.

THE BEST TIME TO UPDRADE YOUR PHONE OR CHANGE YOUR CELL PHONE SERVICE IS AT THE END OF YOUR CONTRACT. SO UNLESS YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WAIT UNTIL YOUR CONTRACT IS UP OR YOU COULD BE PENALIZED.

YOUR CARRIER MIGHT DO ALMOST ANYTHING TO GET YOU TO RE-ENLIST, BUT DON¹T COMMIT TOO QUICKLY. YOU CAN USUALLY STAY WITH YOUR CARRIER ON A MONTH-TO-MONTH BASIS, WITHOUT A CONTRACT, UNTIL YOU FIND WHAT YOU WANT.

NOW REMEMBER IF YOU LIKE YOUR CURRENT CELLPHONE BUT YOU WANT A NEW CELL PHONE SERVICE... THERE¹S A GOOD CHANCE YOUR PHONE WON¹T WORK WITH THE NEW CARRIER.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE POPULAR I-PHONE ONLY WORKS WITH A-T AND-T (WHAT USED TO BE CINGULAR) .

SO IF YOU LIKE THAT PHONE BUT YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH A-T AND-T YOU REALLY DON¹T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO STAY WITH A-T AND-T. OR YOU'LL HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW PHONE THAT WILL WORK WITH YOUR NEW CARRIER.

AND UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE THAN $200 DOLLARS IN EARLY TERMINATION FEES PER PHONE NUMBER (WITH MANY CARRIERS)! YOU MIGHT WANT TO RIDE-OUT YOUR CURRENT CONTRACT.

BUT IF THE COST OF THE PLAN IS THE ISSUE YOU CAN USUALLY SWITCH TO A LESS EXPENSIVE PLAN (WITHIN YOUR CARRIER) WITHOUT A PENALTY. BUT SWITCHING PLANS CAN MEAN EXTENDING YOUR CURRENT CONTRACT.

AND ACCORDNING TO CONSUMER REPORTS IT¹S GENERALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA TO REPLACE A PHONE WHIE YOU¹RE STILL UNDER CONTRACT. THE CARRIER MIGHT NOT BE AS GENEROUS WITH THE DISCOUNTS LIKE THEY WOULD AT THE END OF A CONTRACT.

AND DON¹T FORGET TO LOOK FOR THE PHONE YOU WANT ON EBAY. THERE¹S A GREAT CHANCE YOU WILL GET A GREAT DEAL ON THE PHONE YOU WANT.