Cell phone contracts.

[CaramonLS]

Rogers is going to call me tommorrow to "discuss and review" my cell phone account - aka try to get me to extend my contract as it is up with them in a couple months time.

I don't use my cell that often and as it stand my cell bill is around ~40$ a month.

So the question I have now, is what should I negoitate for as far as hardware, plans, contracts go? How much will they give you in free stuff and/or discounts, if pressed to keep your business. I'm kinda happy right now with my Razor, but if anyone has any suggestions on something better, feel free to offer suggestions.

[NSFL]

If you do decide to renew and they want you to pay the upgrade or admin fee, say no. Just absolutely refuse to pay it and it'll get waived. I'm telling everyone this. I think those fees are possibly the most ridiculous fees there are. I can't believe I would have to pay a fee to keep paying what I'm paying.

And have a look at their website, see if there are any phones you like. Ask them how much they'd give it to you, and see if you can get it for free. I pretty much went about my renewal by saying I wouldn't bother with a renewal if I had to pay for a new phone and so he just gave me the phone. But the phone that I wanted was pretty cheap to begin with. Just 30 bucks.

Edit: I just want to make sure I mention that I was already finished my contract and they'd been trying for a while to get me to renew. So I don't know how much that would impact it.

[HOOT]

How many minutes do you use monthly?
Do you use the unlimited nights and weekends?
Do you text msg?
Do you need Call display or voicemail?

What exactly do you need in a plan...

[Rathji]

If you find a plan someone else offers that is better than what you have, your provider will jump through hoops to offer you the same price range to keep you. I got $40 a month cut off my Bell plan like that: I get Call Display, Evenings and Weekends ( extended calling hours) and Bell to Bell calling, all for no additional charge because I showed them a Rogers plan that would do the same thing for me. They also cut me a big deal on a new phone.

Part of it was that I was willing to pay out my contract and I still would have saved money by switching to rogers. You show them this and they will kiss your butt untill they get you to stay. Since you will soon have no contract, it will be far easier for you to pressure them.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by HOOT

How many minutes do you use monthly?
Do you use the unlimited nights and weekends?
Do you text msg?
Do you need Call display or voicemail?

What exactly do you need in a plan...

150-200
No, but used to.
Yes.
Yes.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I'm kinda happy right now with my Razor

Then why go on a new contract? You have a pretty new, fully featured phone that in your own words doesn't appear to be lacking. Why tie yourself down? Just go month to month. That way if let's say in 6 months the iPhone or something like that comes available, you can then sign up for a new contract.

As I often state I refuse to sign another telecommunications contract ever again. They really have most of us convinced that we "need" to be on a contract; when really the only party that gets the big gain is the big company.

[CRXguy]

Fido:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=376936

Rogers:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111887

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by ken0042

As I often state I refuse to sign another telecommunications contract ever again. They really have most of us convinced that we "need" to be on a contract; when really the only party that gets the big gain is the big company.

But is it possible to change your current plan without signing a new contract? I haven't been on a contract in a couple years now, but my plan is garbage. It's a family plan with 100 shared minutes between 3 phones, 100 day time minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, evenings start at 9pm. I've phoned Rogers and I can get a much better plan for less money than I am paying right now. Is there a way to change to my plan without signing a contract or am I hooped? This question isn't necessarily directed at you ken, but it reminded me that I needed a new plan.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Burninator

But is it possible to change your current plan without signing a new contract? I haven't been on a contract in a couple years now, but my plan is garbage. It's a family plan with 100 shared minutes between 3 phones, 100 day time minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, evenings start at 9pm. I've phoned Rogers and I can get a much better plan for less money than I am paying right now. Is there a way to change to my plan without signing a contract or am I hooped? This question isn't necessarily directed at you ken, but it reminded me that I needed a new plan.

If you call and talk to your provider and tell them that you can save X # of dollars from switching to Rogers on a similar plan, they will probably fall all over themselves in order to give you a better deal. See my previous post in this thread for more info

[Cheese]

my contract ran out 3 years ago LOL....why tie yourself down if you have what you want now?

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Burninator

But is it possible to change your current plan without signing a new contract? I haven't been on a contract in a couple years now, but my plan is garbage. It's a family plan with 100 shared minutes between 3 phones, 100 day time minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, evenings start at 9pm. I've phoned Rogers and I can get a much better plan for less money than I am paying right now. Is there a way to change to my plan without signing a contract or am I hooped? This question isn't necessarily directed at you ken, but it reminded me that I needed a new plan.

Yep. Just call them and tell them you want to change your plan. I think if you've been with them for a year or 6 months they'll do it without extending your contract. Just make sure you check with them and tell them you don't want to extend and get the CSR to confirm it.

If you want the extra discounts, THEN you probably need to agree to another contract. Rate plans are on their website.

Their offer was "unlimited incoming calls" for the life of my contract, starting now (contract up in May) for me to extend my contract for 3 years. I told them to no thanks and that I had no desire to sign another contract with them, and to find me an iphone if they wanted to get me to consider signing another contract.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Cheese

my contract ran out 3 years ago LOL....why tie yourself down if you have what you want now?

For extra discounts.

Obviously what I want is a free cellphone, no monthly bill and unlimited whatever the hell I want . I'd love a Free PDA with unlimited browsing/emails for ~40$ a month, but that isn't about to happen.

But to be quite honest, anything to stick to to "big cell phone" is what I really desire. Even if it doesn't help me in any way, shape or form, and if it screws over Rogers/Telus, it makes me happy.