4 Easy Steps to Choosing the Right Cell Phone Plan
Theres a mind-boggling amount of cell phone plans and services
available these days. Cell phone ads promising bigger, bolder and
better features blare at us every day. The question then becomes, Which
plan is right for me? In this article, Ill give you tips on what to
look for in a plan, what to ask your service provider and how to avoid
common mistakes that new subscribers often make!
First, ask yourself What do I want in a plan? Finding the right
cellular plan is just a matter of deciding what, when, where and how
you plan to use your phone:
- Will you be using it only for emergencies, or to chat with friends or
family often?
- Will you make most of your calls during the day, evening, or on
weekends?
- Will your calls be coming from your local area, or will you phone
while traveling?
- What is your monthly budget for telephone services?
Getting the Most Minutes for your Money
Cell phone plans often come with a pre-allotted set of minutes per
month (which may or may not correspond with an actual minute of time
depending on factors such as where you are when you make the call,
calling a long distance number and so on).
When you use up your minutes, you may be faced with paying an overage
fee or paying a higher amount for the extra minutes. With many plans,
the minutes you dont use do not automatically roll over to the next
month. So if you only used 30 minutes out of your 90 minute monthly
allotment, you dont get to keep the 60 minutes you didnt use that
month. You simply start over at 90 again.
Some other important differences to note in cell phone plans (as versus
traditional telephone service) that youll want to keep in mind when
comparison shopping include:
- You may find that your minutes are used up for both incoming and
outgoing calls
- Calling a toll free number can cost you minutes
- The actual amount of time youve spent on a call is usually rounded
up. So if you spent 3 minutes and 5 seconds on a call, you may find
that 4 minutes have been used.
- The clock starts ticking on your minute usage the minute you press
the Call or Send button, not the moment the other person picks up.
Most cellular service providers have a special phone number or web site
address where you can login to check the number of minutes you have
remaining each month. Keep in mind though, depending on how often the
accounts or web site is updated, the numbers may not always be current.
Long Distance, Dropped Calls and Roaming Oh My!
When choosing a wireless plan, keep in mind where youll be using your
phone most often. Some service providers have nationwide coverage,
while others target a specific home area. If you make or receive a call
outside of this area, youre Roaming, and your minutes may run out
faster or you may face an extra charge. Know the boundaries of your
calling area you could be charged for long distance and roaming on top
of the minutes that are spent during the call!
If you have a set of numbers that you dial frequently (such as friends,
family, doctors and so on), ask the wireless provider if the cell phone
plan youre interested in will work in those locations without accruing
long distance or roaming charges.
What To Ask Your Service Provider
If youve got a handful of good plans youre considering, these questions
may help narrow down the field of choices:
- Can I use my minutes anytime? Can they be used during peak times or
am I charged more during those hours? (peak times usually occur on
weekends). When do peak hours start and end?
- How much extra am I charged if I go over my monthly allotment of
minutes?
- How much will I be charged for long distance and/or roaming? (Some
nationwide carriers do not charge for these services unless you call
out of the country)
- What is your cancellation policy? What happens if I cancel early?
Will I be charged a cancellation fee after my plan has been activated?
- Can I make any changes to my plan (such as increasing or decreasing
the number of minutes) after my service has been activated?
- What other features are included on my plan? (such as voice mail,
caller ID) and if not included, how much would they cost to add to my
service?
Remember, get all of these answers in writing. That way, if you
suddenly find a $100 Early Cancellation charge on your bill, and you
have a written document that states that there is no early cancellation
fee, youll have an easier time of disputing the charge.
If you have several plans youd like to try out, ask the service
provider if there is a grace period where you can cancel your service
without being charged (or being charged only a small amount) if the
service doesnt meet your expectations. Chances are, many wireless
providers will be eager and happy to help you compare plans. Just
remember to read the fine print before you sign!
