Cell-phone tag: save on your phone and calling plan with these expert tips
Essence,  August, 2004  by Daisy Chan

 

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For something that's supposed to make our lives easier, cell phones can be maddeningly complicated. Not only are companies constantly rolling out new phones with the latest options--digital cameras, FM radios--but carriers and plans are always changing, too. And there are so many details to consider that it's hard to know for sure whether you're really getting the best deal. We looked at phones and plans from the six major carriers: Verizon Wireless, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Cingular, Nextel and AT&T Wireless (which is expected to merge with Cingular). We also spoke to industry experts for advice on choosing a carrier and plan that's cost-efficient. Here's how you can save on everything from your phone and roaming charges to text messaging and voice mail.

Picking a Cell-phone Plan

Ask yourself these questions before you begin:

* When do I make the majority of my calls--during the day, evening or weekend?

* How much time per month do I usually spend on the phone?

* Whom do I call most often? Are they in town or in another state?

The answers will help you avoid being overwhelmed as well as keep you from overpaying when it's time to choose a plan.

Once you're ready, consider the following:

Make sure your national plan includes long-distance. Local plans are cheaper up front, but you run the risk of paying exorbitant roaming charges (Verizon, for instance, charges 69 cents a minute) every time you call out of your area, say, while you're on vacation. It's something many people fail to take into account. Last year carriers made close to $4 billion on roaming charges alone, according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), an industry trade group in Washington, D.C.

Choose a plan that has a few more minutes than you actually intend to use, says Allan Keiter, president of MyRatePlan.com, a wireless-plan-and-phone-comparison Web site. This way you won't be hit with per-minute overage fees (usually 35 to 40 cents a minute).

Think about sharing minutes with a trustworthy family member (that is, husband and wife; mother and daughter) between two or more phones. For each additional phone you'll typically have to pay a one-time activation fee of around $35, and an extra $20 per month. But costs vary by carrier, T-Mobile allows up to two lines on one account; AT&T will add up to three extra lines for just $9.99 a month, per phone. And you can often avoid paying activation fees on both family and individual plans if you sign up for a two-year plan.

Be sure you take advantage of the trial period, because one of the biggest complaints the FCC gets regarding wireless service is dead spots (areas where you can't get phone reception). Carriers are required to give new customers at least 14 days to test a phone, so try it out in all the places you're most likely to call from. If you encounter problems, the carrier will cancel your plan without any penalties; you just pay for the airtime you used.

Can You Save by Switching Carriers?

The good news is that carriers have become much more competitive. It costs a carrier around $340 to open a new account, so it makes sense to keep a customer long enough to recoup the cost. If you're happy with your current service, call and ask if they're willing to cut you a deal to keep you. The more you spend on your phone bill, the more leverage you'll have.

With any plan these days, you get more minutes for your money. But plans vary. For instance, T-Mobile offers 1,000 anytime minutes or unlimited night and weekend minutes for just $39.99. With some other companies, that same price will get you only around 400 or 500 minutes. So just how much can you save? Compare current plans in your area at MyRatePlan.com.

Here's a quick look at what different 800-minute national plans cost in March 2004 (assuming 70-percent peak, 20-percent night and 10-percent weekend usage), from Econ One, an economic research and consulting firm based in Los Angeles.

AT&T�Wireless:���$39.99

Cingular:        $41.49

T-Mobile:        $42.90

Sprint PCS:      $46.46

Verizon:         $49.99

Nextel:          $52.93

6 money-saving moves

* Don't use directory assistance on your cell phone. Companies charge anywhere from 99 cents a call (T-Mobile) to $1.29 (Nextel).

* Ask carriers if you qualify for discounts through your company.

* Stick to the games and ringer tones that come with your phone instead of downloading a file online, which costs extra.

* Check with your carrier every few months to see if there are any newer, cheaper plans.

* Pay attention to when and how much you use your phone. Remember, those free nights don't usually kick in until after 7:00 or 9:00 P.M.

* Try a prepaid plan. For a certain dollar amount you get a phone and calling card with a fixed number of minutes. When those minutes are used up, you have to pay to refill the card. Note: These plans come with an expiration date of 60 to 90 days, so if you don't use it, you lose it.

Decoding Your Wireless-phone Bill

Wireless-phone bills often list charges with descriptions that are difficult to decipher, such as "cost recovery fees" or "regulatory program fees." "There are fees that are legitimate, and then there are legitimate-sounding fees, which are just a way for carriers to make money," says John Breyault, a research associate at TRAC. Allan Keiter at MyRatePlan.com has found that taxes and surcharges can be as much as 20 percent of your total bill. The bottom line: Don't sign any contracts until you ask what your total bill might be, so you know you're getting a good deal. If you already have a plan and suspect you've been charged incorrectly, call your carrier. If the situation isn't resolved, you can file a complaint with the FCC.

How Much Phone Do You Really Need?

These days the actual purpose of a mobile phone--to make phone calls--seems to be taking a backseat to extra features that have their own extra charges: Before you buy, consider what you need and are willing to spend:

$50 AND UNDER

BEST FOR: Folks who only use their cell for emergencies or to make occasional calls to friends and relatives. T-Mobile offers a $50 Nokia 3595 or Samsung R225m phone with any one-year contract; And these models aren't dinosaurs: The Nokia has a color display and AOL instant-messenger capability. The Samsung works in more than 120 countries.

LOOK FOR: Low-cost deals online, offered by all six major national wireless carriers on their official Web sites.

$100-$200

BEST FOR: College students or gadget lovers who want the ability to send digital pictures, download games and ring tones, and do text messaging. The AT&T $199.99 NEC 525. for example, offers a more crisp color screen and better sounds and controls for playing games.

LOOK FOR: Souped-up features such as a camera with a zoom lens. If you're willing to wait: prices often drop on some models a few months after they're introduced. And if you've been a loyal customer you might be able to negotiate a discount on a new phone.

$200 AND UP

BEST FOR: Frequent business travelers. Take Cingular's $349.99 Blackberry 7280 PDA with built-in phone; it allows you to read E-mail, log on to the Internet, and access address books from your home or work computer when you're on the go.

LOOK FOR: Cutting-edge features. Think of these "smart phones" as an extension el your desktop computer.

SHOULD YOU DITCH YOUR LANDLINE PHONE? The answer is no if you're sharing your phone with a talkative teen; you could rack up some hefty bills. Landlines usually charge much less for local and long-distance calls. And wireless networks can get jammed up in serious emergencies; with landlines, you'll almost always get through.

Finding the Right Carrier

Before signing up for any specific brand, you should first do some research both online and at stores; most companies don't expect you to do that much legwork. To get you started:

Check out a carrier's customer-satisfaction rating, which looks at wireless coverage among other factors, at jdpower.com/cc/ telecom/jdpa_ratings/wireless/Find.jsp. It's the Web site of J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing-information firm that recently reviewed mobile-phone service. You can view results by region. Verizon Wireless scored highest in the most regions, with Nextel coming in second. And according to the Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC) in Washington, D.C., Nextel and Verizon had the lowest Chum rate (percentage of customers who left the company) in the fourth quarter of 2003.

Talk to friends and neighbors in your area and ask them which wireless carrier they use and if they like it. Such testimonials speak volumes about a phone's reliability.

Remember: Some carriers offer perks, such as a walkie-talkie feature or rollover minutes, which could help you save even more. See the chart below.