Would this make sense?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-2007
Would this make sense?
5
Mon, 01-05-2009 - 4:46pm
I currently have Verizon as my cell carrier, but I often see Tmobile and ATT with better promotions and cheaper rates. With verizon everyone else that has verizon if you call them or they call you it is free, if I were to switch that wouldn't be the case. If I were to leave verizon now, I would have to pay a $175 cancel fee! Not sure if I want to do that. Would you switch to save some money?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 01-05-2009 - 4:58pm

How long until the end of your contract? If you pay $175 to save $25 a month you'd break even paying the $175 if you had 7 months to go. If you had 10 months to go and could switch and save $25/mo, then you'd be 'saving' $250, less the cancellation fee, for a net savings of $75.

That only applies, however, if you can make all of those no-longer-free-and-in-network calls with the lower priced plan. Verizon shows all of your minutes (billed or not) so check out plans w/ the competitors for the number of minutes you use, not the ones you're billed for. If you talk 200 mins out of network and 1200 total, then you'll need at least a 1200 minute plan w/ another company unless you change your talk habits, and some cushion would be a good idea. Once you work out which plan you'd need, then do the math on savings vs. time left on the contract to see which way will save the most.

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Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Mon, 01-05-2009 - 5:22pm

This depends. Do the people you call often have Verizon? If they do and you call them most often and they are "free" calls then its worth keeping verizon for you.


I would wait out your contract. I would call and see if they would match a price or you can "threaten" to leave or switch and see if they offer you a new deal.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Mon, 01-05-2009 - 6:29pm
Probably not...I would just call Verizon and see if I am really using everything that is on my bill. How many minutes do you have versus how many do you use. I used to have 1400 minutes a month and I was consistently not using 700 minutes. So I went down to the lower plan. Do you have text messageing? Do you use it? Do you have media/internet package? Do you use that? They are more than happy to go over your plan and change it to something that works better for you. I was using a media package for an extra 19.99 a month. I cancelled that. I downgraded to the lower text service for only 5 dollars a month. You shouldn't have to switch service providers to get a better deal. The next time your contract is up for renewal, then you can look around for a better rate, although sometimes competitors will pay your cancellation fee.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2005
Tue, 01-06-2009 - 11:28am

My husband and I have a family plan through Verizon. Almost everyone we talk to frequently has Verizon, so we have a plan with only 700 minutes (for the both of us!), and we NEVER come anywhere NEAR using 700 minutes (since Verizon-to-Verizon calls don't count).

It makes it worthwhile to us.

And think about it - most other companies likely reel you in with a great rate for a year, and then that promotion is over for you. Permanently (only good for NEW customers).

We don't have a landline telephone any longer, either. Do you? Something to think about, anyway.


 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Tue, 01-06-2009 - 12:26pm

A few weeks ago, I went to my carrier, US Cellular and re-negotiated a contract.

Norma


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