15 of 34

Yes

Write now Article Tools

The question should not be whether cell phone providers can hold customers to long-term service contracts, but if we should have a free market. I believe that we should, therefore, cell phone service providers must be left alone to create these contracts.

Obviously, such contracts are unpopular. Anyone who has owned and canceled a cell phone is well aware of the large cancellation fees that often come with them. This is done by cell phone service providers to discourage people from canceling their service, which allows the companies to gain hefty profits from on-going contract payments.

Enter the free market: if enough people find this condition unpalatable (and enough people do), then some entrepreneur will provide a solution to it, which in this case is cell phone service without a long-term contract. Already there exist several cell service options with this feature, and the number will no doubt grow. Over time, existing cell service companies will have the option of adapting or dying, and most (if not all) will choose to adapt.

So, to reiterate, yes, cell phone service providers should be allowed to hold customers to long-term contracts, and they may then suffer the consequences of such requirements in an environment of open competition. Otherwise, if they are barred from doing so by government (which is what this debate topic question implies), then no one gains as all of us lose a little more freedom.

Learn more about this author, Paul E. Zimmerman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Should cell phone providers be allowed to hold customers to long service contracts??
We want to hear your view. Write now!