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Should cell phone providers be allowed to hold customers to long service contracts?

Results so far:

No
77% 722 votes Total: 935 votes
Yes
23% 213 votes

by Leon K

Mobile telephone contracts should definitely be a thing of the past. Mobile telephones have been marketed and pushed to society in a way that would have never been perceived 20 years ago. Although the telecommunications companies assure us that we are not only paying for good mobile service but also for great customer service as well. This is a down-right lie.

Here in Australia the choice of mobile providers is varied to few major corporations and a few more new up and comers. They all wish to lock you into a contract for a telephone and service and if you wish to not partake, then you must buy the phone outright and settle for pre-paid service. The company here in Australia and I am sure have implemented their call cap system across the world would be Vodafone.

The call cap system in theory is the system of the future. You not only have the option of going on a fixed rate on a monthly bill but you also have the option of adding additional monthly payment to a phone, at no interest and to be paid over a time for which that phone is worth at the time. For example, $150 per month would entitle you to $1200 worth of telephone calls and you would pay by choice a $1000 phone in the period of 24 months, if you wish to cancel your telephone service then you must pay the additional money owing for your phone, and I do believe you are able to pay that in due time.

In theory this telephone service is great, you get the security of not having to worry about finishing your call credits at crucial moments and get the opportunity to take advantage of a somewhat honest deal, also you are able to cancel the service without any payout required for early exit. However the catch is in plain sight, the call rates. The call rates that you get charged as opposed to those on a fixed contract are a sufficient amount higher.

You still must be very careful not to exceed your caped rate, and to be honest with a little will power I have achieved just that, I get to use the phone as much as I need to and not pay more than $150 per month, which I think in my situation is a great deal.

Telecom providers however are still ripping the honest consumer to shreds with the exceeding call rates on caps and expensive contracts, and in most cases providing little to no customer service at all. Telecom provides need to get off their back sides and provide a maximum service policy and not a maximum profit policy. Therefore I do believe telecom contracts are a way to get the maximum money from the consumer, and turn over larger profits and only dedicating a small amount of time to improving service.

Everyone should be entitled to a phone service, with minimum rates and much more usage as well as more reception in area's. Even though this seems to be an idea that would benefit the consumer and not the provider than think again, if by any chance they do implement such a plan then they would work to build a better and more dedicated wireless service eliminating the need to underground wiring and expensive hardware. This would also require a lot less technicians on the road which will give the telco a sufficient saving which can then be classed as capital gain.

This is the way of the future and I do believe it can happen is enough people demand it so, and if enough companies can market the concept.

Learn more about this author, Leon K.
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Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Should cell phone providers be allowed to hold customers to long service contracts?

No
  • 1 of 54

    by Leon K

    Mobile telephone contracts should definitely be a thing of the past. Mobile telephones have been marketed and pushed ...read more

  • 2 of 54

    by Barbara Writes

    Should cell phone providers be allowed to hold customers to long service contracts? Cell phone companies should ne...read more

Yes
  • 1 of 31

    by Andrew Spriggs

    Long service contracts?! What a pain! Why would any free person who enjoys liberty and justice and all those good thi...read more

  • 2 of 31

    by Bill Woffington

    Should cell phone companies be allowed to hold customers to long service contracts? That's somewhat akin to asking i...read more

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