The spreading BlackBerry service outage of the last few days has brought two questions to the forefront: Will I be able to get some sort of compensation for the outage? And… People still have BlackBerries?

As of right now, reports SmartMoney, no U.S. service providers have stated whether they will be reimbursing BlackBerry customers for the downtime. That’s likely because the outage is not related to the wireless service, but to BlackBerry Messenger and Internet browsing, both of which are processed by BlackBerry producer Research in Motion’s own network. And there’s nothing in your wireless contract that says your phone will always operate properly.

From SmartMoney:

But the last thing carriers want is a slew of unsatisfied customers. After all, when a phone stops working, users don’t call the phone’s manufacturer, they call the phone company. And while complaining won’t restore service, it could prove fruitful. Phone companies’ customer service reps can award credits and other restitution on a case-by-case basis, says Charles Golvin, an analyst covering wireless communications for Forrester Research.

Until wireless providers say something either way about reimbursements, Golvin suggests that this could be a good time for customers still months away from their next upgrade to talk their wireless provider into allowing an early upgrade.

“The best advice here is, you never get what you don’t ask for,” he says.

Is Your BlackBerry Out? How to Get Paid Back [SmartMoney.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.