Have you ever been so frustrated with your cell phone that you wanted to simply chuck it off a bridge? Nina Roberts, a student attending Rutgers College in NJ, said she came pretty close after learning Sprint wouldn’t let her out of a two year contract. “I am a Bio major, there are two very important halls that I am in all day. Both of which, I get no service at all. I need out of this contract.”
All major carriers require a one to two year cell phone commitment when signing up for their service. Consumers rarely think about the down side to a cell phone contract--especially while cell phone merchants mesmerize you with the latest gadgetry. Although we cannot dismiss the role of individual responsibility, nor can we forget our caveat emptor pledge of consumerism. Nina explained, “It really bothered me one day when my mother called me on my cell and couldn’t reach me. She needed me to pick up my little brother from school. He stranded at school for an hour because my mother was in horrible traffic.”
Nina suggests that is one example and that she had more instances where her cell service failed to meet her needs on and off campus. After calling Sprint, she was told flat out that she had to fulfill her contract obligation or pay the hefty early termination fee. Nina said, “I wouldn’t pay that fee out of principle, and plus 200 bucks is practically rent money for me”
Recently, Nina learned about a website from a friend on campus called Celltradeusa.com. Celltradeusa.com claims that it has cracked the code of cell phone contracts. It almost acts like a dating website. Instead of hooking you up with the hottest babe or hunk, its match-making service connects people that want out of cell phone contracts with people that are willing to take them over. Very much like the commercial website, swapalease.com where you can trade your car lease into someone else’s name, Celltradeusa.com helped Nina get out of her contract through a provision in the contract called “assumption of liability”. Essentially, someone with good credit literally assumes the responsibility of the remaining months of the contract.
“I was a little skeptical because everything seems bogus these days, but I created an ad on Celltradeusa for my plan and phone and within hours, people were contacting me to take over my plan”
Celltradeusa.com has encouraged an incentive system to make these exchanges a win-win for everyone according to Craig Wurtenberg, co-founder of Celltradeusa.com.
“Some people get horrible service and they need out of their contract. The person taking it over can get a contract with half the obligation, a cool free phone, and save 35 bucks on the activation fee. The provider gets the new satisfied customer. It’s definitely a win-win for everyone.”
Celltradeusa.com says that its users can post a free profile, but when they want to unlock their inquiries there is a one-time non-recurring fee of $19.99.
For this Rutgers Bio major, Nina Roberts, “Yes, I felt like throwing my phone in the river, I was going to, I am just happy now I have a phone that works.”
About the Author:
Craig Wurtenberg
craigwurtenberg.com
Get Rid of Your Cell Phone Contract Without Penalty
