Five Ways to Win the Battle with Cell Phone Companies

By Arlene Whiting

1. Be prepared and know your facts. Explain your situation calmly but firmly. Take notes write down the ref’s name. Make note of any hidden fees or cost that were not revealed to you initially.

2. Never accept “no” as an answer. Especially when it comes to getting fees waived.

3. Put in the time, but be patient. Sometimes success comes in letting a certain amount of time run out. In some call centers once a customer service conversation passes the 10 minute time frame. Managers are automatically alerted. The call center reps don’t want a long drawn-out dispute and it can be cheaper for them to surrender than fight.

4. Write a complaint letter. Some reps are experts at saying “no” don’t give in. Write an effective one page complaint letter. Begin the sentence summarizing your complaints. Include dates and times of the calls you already made to work out the problem. Write down the names of the service reps you spoke to. Conclude your letter by stating that you will complain to government officials if you don’t get satisfaction. Send the letter to company executives. You may find names and addresses at Hoovers.com a business information database. You may need to go to Google for the head of customer relations.

5. If a company ignores every plea then write to your state attorney general's consumer affairs office. You can find the address at: Consumer Action Website (Consumeraction.gov). Also send a copy of the letter to the Better Business Bureau. You can also email your letter to consumer complaint websites, such as RipoffReport.com or consumeraffairs.com

6. Make a business case-Add up how much you’ve given the service provider over time and politely drop the amount into the discussion. Example: “You know I have paid your company $1,500 within the past four years." Let them know if they won’t replace your broken phone, you will just buy another one from someone else. Even if you have to pay the termination fee. In the end a business can’t afford to lose a $1,500 customer over the price of a phone.

Cheap Ways to Break Your Contract

• Find someone who wants to take over your contract. Cellswapper.com and Celltradeusa.com match all owners with prospective buyers.

• Use the price-change loophole. Your cell phone service contract may let you out without a fee if the carrier announces a price change affecting your plan. So if your company sends you a letter about an upcoming fee revision, call the company immediately to try to cancel for free.