Shopping Services

Talk is cheap the saying goes. But cell phone service can cost big dough, If you ask the right questions, And take smart suggestions, You can talk cheaper than you know.

There’s a mind-boggling amount of cell phone plans and services available these days. Cell phone ads promising bigger, bolder and better features blare at us every day. The question then becomes, “Which plan is right for me?”

I’ll give you tips on what to look for in a plan, what to ask your service provider and how to avoid common mistakes that new subscribers often make!

I. First, ask yourself “What do I want in a plan?”

Finding the right cellular plan is just a matter of deciding what, when, where and how you plan to use your phone:

- Will you be using it only for emergencies, or to chat with friends or family often?

- Will you make most of your calls during the day, evening, or on weekends?

- Will your calls be coming from your local area, or will you phone while traveling?

- What is your monthly budget for telephone services?

II. Getting the Most Minutes for your Money

Cell phone plans often come with a pre-allotted set of minutes each month. This may or may not match with a “minute” of time. It all depends on factors such as where you are when you make the call, calling a long-distance number and so on. When you use up your minutes, you face paying an overage fee or paying a higher amount for the extra minutes. With many plans, the minutes you don’t use do not automatically roll over to the next month. So if you only used 30 minutes out of your 90-minute monthly allotment, you don’t get to keep the 60 minutes you didn’t use that month. You simply start over at 90 again.

Some other important differences to note in cell phone plans (as versus traditional telephone service) that you’ll want to keep in mind when comparison shopping include:

- You may find your minutes used up for both incoming and outgoing calls

- Calling a toll-free number can cost you minutes

- The amount of time you’ve spent on a call rounds up. So if you spent 3 minutes and 5 seconds on a call, you may find you’ve used 4 minutes.

- The clock starts ticking on your minutes used when you press the “Call” or “Send” button, not the moment the other person picks up.

Most cellular service providers have a special phone number or web site address where you can login to check the number of minutes you have remaining each month. Keep in mind though, depending on how often the accounts or web site updates, the numbers may not always be current.

Long -Distance, Dropped Calls and Roaming – Oh My!

When choosing a wireless plan, keep in mind where you’ll be using your phone most often.

Some service providers have nationwide coverage, while others target a specific “home area”. If you make or receive a call outside this area, you’re “Roaming”, and your minutes may run out faster or you may face an extra charge. Know the boundaries of your calling area – or you could pay for long-distance and roaming on top of the minutes spent during the call! Do you have a set of numbers that you dial often (such as friends, family, doctors and so on)? Ask the wireless provider if the cell phone plan you’re interested in will work in those locations – without accruing long-distance or roaming charges.

What To Ask Your Service Provider

If you’ve got a handful of good plans you’re considering, these questions may help narrow down the field of choices:

- Can I use my minutes anytime? Can I use them during “peak times” or am I charged more during those hours? (Peak times usually occur on weekends). When do “peak hours” start and end?

- How much extra am I charged if I go over my monthly allotment of minutes?

- How much will I have to pay for long-distance and/or roaming? (Some nationwide carriers do not charge for these services unless you call out of the country)

- What is your cancellation policy? What happens if I cancel early? Will I have to pay a cancellation fee after my plan activates? If so, how much?

- Can I make any changes to my plan (such as increasing or decreasing the number of minutes) after I activate the service?

- What other features come with my plan? (Such as voice mail, caller ID, email) and if not included, how much would they cost to add to my service?

Remember, get all of these answers in writing to protect yourself from surprises and gotcha clauses.

If you have several plans you’d like to try out, ask the service provider if there is a grace period where you can cancel your service without charge. Chances are, many wireless providers will be eager and happy to help you compare plans. Just remember to read the fine print before you sign!