We’ve all gotten a utility bill that was larger than we were expecting. A $250 electricity bill here. A $100 gas bill there. This family got one, too. Except, it was a cell phone bill for more than $200,000.
Today, the FCC is announcing new guidelines that should make sneaky mobile phone fees a thing of the past.
How much do cell phones really cost? Here’s one indication: The average household pays $350 annually—solely for wireless taxes and fees.
On Friday, February 11, and Saturday, February 12, T-Mobile is allowing customers to walk away with any smartphone of their choosing for free—provided they sign up for a two-year service contract, of course. The phones offered include the HTC HD7, Samsung Vibrant, and the T-Mobile myTouch 4G.
When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, it sold for $399. A couple months later, you could buy one for half that. Some iPhone models later dropped to $99, and now AT&T is selling the iPhone 3GS for the enticing price of $49. Sounds like an amazing deal.
There are more no-contract options than ever before: You can prepay your bill or pay as you go, and, if you decide you don’t like the phone or the payment terms, you can walk away with no termination fees—which might cost you over $300 if you were locked into a wireless provider contract.
On Saturday, June 19, all T-Mobile phones are free, so long as you sign up or add a new line to a family plan with a two-year agreement.
There are something like 10 million (yes, 10,000,000) possible calling plan rate combinations possible from the major wireless providers.
After surveying customers and speaking with consumer protection and industry groups, something called the U.S. General Accountability Office has come to a total no-sh** conclusion: Customers are confused and frustrated with their wireless bills and contracts, and they need help dealing with their wireless providers.
All T-Mobile USA was supposedly trying to do was go green. That was the main reason it gave for planning to add a $1.50 monthly fee to customers who wanted paper copies of their bills.
