Reader Kenneth says he escaped Sprint without paying an ETF because of our post “Escape Sprint ETF-Free Over Administrative Fee Increase.” He sent us the transcript of his chat with Sprint so you can see how he did it.
materially adverse
Tmobile Adds Flimsy Restrictions For ETF-Free Cancelers
By 7.22.08
Tmobile is trying to impose certain new restrictions on people trying to cancel their contract without early termination fee (ETF) over the recent text message rate increase. Based on an email between a reader and Tmobile’s executive customer service team, to qualify for ETF-free cancellation a customer:
How To Cancel T-Mobile Without ETF
By 6.26.08
Want to get out of your T-mobile cellphone contract without paying a $200 early termination fee? Now you can. T-mobile is raising its text message rates August 29th to 20 cents per message. This counts as what is known as a “materially adverse change of contract.” Under standard contract law, if one party changes the terms of the agreement in a way that financially harms the other party, then the contract is void. If the contract is void, so is any stipulation that you be charged a fee for breaking it (especially as technically they broke it first). You will have much better success arguing its a materially adverse change of contract if you are not currently in an unlimited text message plan. You don’t have to wait until August to escape, members of the Slickdeals forums are already reporting success escaping without penalty. Stay tuned to The Consumerist for more information and tips on using this money-saving tactic.
Sprints' New Data Card Download Caps Producing Apoplexy In Customers
By 6.3.08
If Sprint’s goal was to appease their increasingly angry and increasingly departing customer base — adding 5GB per month data caps to their “unlimited” laptop data cards was not the best way to do it. People don’t like getting stuck with useless hardware. It makes them mad.
Reader Escapes Verizon Contract Without ETF, Even Though He Has Text Message Plan
By 1.28.08
Until now, we’ve been telling people trying to escape their cellphone contract without early termination fees based on a raise in text message prices that it’s necessary that they don’t have a text message plan. However, reader Mtman says he used a novel argument to get out of his Verizon plan, even though he did have a text message plan!
Get Out Of AT&T Without ETF Thanks To Text Message Rate Increase
By 1.28.08
AT&T is raising the rates for sending text and picture/video messages to 20 and 30 cents, respectively, giving customers a chance to break free of their contract without early termination fee if they use the now-classic “materially adverse changes to contract” argument. Inside, how to deploy that tactic, as well as the text of the rate change notice.
Another Customer Escapes Verizon Contract For Free
By 1.25.08
Okay so I read the script from last years price hike on messaging rates, to get out of your contract scot-free. I thought I read some where else that they were going up again to 0.20. So I called Verizon and ran the script on them. No one in cancellations had heard about it. I called the general customer service line. Of course the csr didn’t know anything and wanted me to pay the ETF’s. So I went to her supervisor. His name was Aundra (pronounced Andre), employee # 7817 out of the Birmingham office.
Man Escapes Verizon Contract Based On Text Message Rate Raises
By 1.16.08
Wayne writes:
I read one of your post last week concerning Verizon Wireless changing the terms of agreement concerning text messaging and my wife and I immediately contacted them to drop a very unneeded contract. It took two days to cancel, but everything in your post was accurate and made our case a slam dunk. To be fair, Verizon may have dragged it out a bit, but they didn’t fight it and their rep, Becky, called us back three times ( as promised ) to finish the request. A big thanks to The Consumerist!
Cancel Verizon Without Termination Fee Based On New Text Message Rate Increases
By 1.9.08
Verizon customers can escape their contract without paying an early termination fee, thanks to a recent text message rate increase. The cost for people without a bundled message plan went from 15 to 20 cents, and this constitutes what is known as a “materially adverse” change to contract. That means they’re giving you a new contract and you have a new opportunity to say yes or no to it as they want you to pay more than you agreed to in the first place. This post on SlickDeals gives you the play by play you need to cancel without paying termination fee. Print out their post and keep it in front of you when you call. The poster on the forum says that using his techniques, he’s already canceled five people’s accounts for them.
How To Cancel Sprint Without Termination Fee Over New Text Message Rate Change
By 8.16.07
If anyone is looking for a cheap way to escape their Sprint cellphone contract, you can use their raising of the pay-as-you-go text message rates from 15 cents to 20 cents as an excuse. Here’s the step by step procedure to follow…
Cancel U.S. Cellular Over Text Message Rate Change Without Early Termination Fee?
By 6.22.07
US Cellular is changing its pay-as-you-go text message rates from $.15-$.20 July 1st, potentially giving customers a chance to exit contract without early termination fee.
