Verizon can charge you $175 if they decide they feel like canceling your cellphone contract before the term is over.
contracts
AT&T Promises To Not Terminate Your Service For Criticizing Them
By 10.2.07
Yesterday we posted about how the AT&T DSL Terms of Service contain a clause that says AT&T can cancel your service if you “damage” their “reputation.” Today, AT&T PR bots reached out to some sites to say they would only do it if you were promoting violence or peddling child porn. Unfortunately, that’s not what’s in writing. What’s in writing is the nebulous “damage” of their “reputation.” So, AT&T subscribers, feel free to criticize away, until they change their mind.
Verizon To Stop Extending Contracts Due To Rate Plan Changes
By 10.1.07
Verizon announced today that they are ending the often complained about practice of extending contracts when customers request rate plan changes.
4 Awesomest AT&T Cellphone Contract Clauses
By 10.1.07
Mouseprint scanned through AT&T’s cellphone contract and found some very interesting clauses and restrictions:
Minnesota Sues Sprint, Customers Would Like To "Give Their CEO A Big Kick Right In The Patootie"
By 9.28.07
Hey, Gary Forsee!
Are Bundled Packages A Threat To Privacy?
By 9.16.07
The L.A. Times read the privacy policies of several bundled service providers and found that they are feverishly monitoring their subscriber’s activities. With the ability to monitor internet, phone, and television preferences, bundled service providers are able to track nearly every aspect of their subscriber’s digital lives. While Google retains personally identifiable for less than two years, some ISPs like Time Warner cling to your data for an astounding fifteen years in order to “comply with tax and accounting requirements.” It gets worse.
There are red flags to be found in each telecom provider’s privacy policy. A close reading of Time Warner’s policy reveals:
Here's An Idea, Crossing Out Objectional Contract Provisions
By 9.12.07
Most consumers don’t realize that corporate contracts aren’t set in Jesus stone, but are negotiable documents. While we’ve heard of doing what the Corporateering site suggests when buying a new car…
3. Change a corporate contract. Corporations typically require individuals to sign long, standardized contracts that often have repugnant clauses, such as a waiver of the right to trial, in the fine print. Next time you are presented with such a contract, read it and cross out the objectionable provisions before you sign. No corporations can force you to sign a contract. Individuals have a right to negotiate that they rarely use.
..we wonder what would happen if you tried to do this the next time you bought a cellphone and plan at a store. At the very least it would be comical to see their heads explode. ADDENDUM: Both parties have to initial the changes to make it legally binding.
Example Home Builder's Contract With Arbitration Clauses
By 9.12.07
This sample contract from Texas shows how many of your rights some builders try to make you throw away as a condition for using their services. It’s all right there in print, sometimes even capitalized, no right to a court or jury trial, evidence is limited, no recovery of attorney’s fees, no class actions are allowed, etc etc.
Introducing The Most Impressive Cell Phone Bill Of The 110th Congress
By 9.8.07
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) recently announced plans to introduce our wet dream of a cellphone bill. The bill realizes our wildest legislative fantasies: a world where cellphone companies stop inventing official-sounding fees and levying harsh ETFs, and instead allow their customers to take unlocked phones to the company with the best reception according to precise coverage maps provided free of charge.
Receipt Check Policies For Costco, Sam's Club, And BJ's
By 9.6.07
In most cases, a receipt check is voluntary, but several wholesale shopping clubs make you agree to them as part of the membership contract.
Opt Out Of E*TRADE's Arbitration Clause
By 8.29.07
Reader Jeff perused the contract for his new E*TRADE account and found not only a big wonkin’ arbitration clause in there, but a successive clause actually giving you a chance to opt out of it and retain your rights to not have disputes moderated in a corporate monkey court beyond the reach of law. [More]
Why You Should Support The Arbitration Fairness Act
By 7.27.07
A glimmer of hope has opened up for consumers concerned about entire industries systemic and wholesale stripping of their right to resolve disputes by trial rather than by arbitration firms whose fancypants are bought and paid for by the corporations they’re umpiring. This ray is The Arbitration Fairness Act, and as introduced in the Senate by Feingold, Russell D. [WI], the part the bill that applies to you says: [More]
Support The Arbitration Fairness Act
By 7.26.07
Let’s end mandatory binding arbitration. Companies force consumers to revoke their right to lawsuit by embedding language in terms of use contracts that say in the event of any dispute, both parties have to go to an arbitration firm, which the company pays for… The Christian Science Monitor found that the top 10 most used arbitration firms only found in favor of consumer 1.6% of the time. Is it any wonder they’re so popular?
9th Circuit Court Says Companies Can't Change Contract Terms Simply By Posting Changes On A Website
By 7.26.07
Parties to a contract have no obligation to check the terms on a periodic basis to learn whether they have been changed by the other side. Indeed, a party can’t unilaterally change the terms of a contract; it must obtain the other party’s consent before doing so….
Make "Materially Adverse Changes" Your Mantra And Cancel Cellphone Service Without Early Termination Fee
By 7.17.07
Russ writes and reminds us how pounding irrefutable legal truth into a customer service rep’s ear is the key to escaping your cellphone contract without early termination fee…
Sprint Drops You Because You Call Customer Service Too Much
By 7.5.07
“Our records indicate that over the past year, we have received frequent calls from you regarding your billing or other general account information. While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs…”
Michael says:
I have called them alot over the past year, but those calls were to have them fix their errors. I’ve always been polite to their employees (whether it be over the phone or in a Sprint store). I’ve never missed a payment and have always paid my bill early. I’ve never asked them for discounts or freebies.
Small Print Can Be Broken
By 7.3.07
The Red Tape Chronicles has an interesting post about “contracts of adhesion,” which come into play in nearly every purchase you make. It’s called the fine print, and as you know, companies use it to get you to do and not do all sorts of things.
Trying And Failing To Cancel US Cellular Over Text Message Rate Increase
By 6.28.07
“Did you hear any success stories from readers who tried to cancel their US Cellular contracts over the 5 cent increase on text messages? I forwarded the notice to my mother (who is usually quite talented at dealing with customer service) and she attempted to cancel three US Cellular contracts held by our family, but was met with a definitive “no” in two different attempts….”
