Hey guys, I'm stuck in a situation and was hoping if anyone could help me.
Right now, I'm on a verizon family plan with 4 lines. All of them have different contract-ending dates and the total ETF for all of my lines combined would be around $500. Is there any way to avoid this huge cost to switch to AT&T?
Also, I know that you can avoid the ETF if Verizon changes some part of your contract. Have they changed any pricing plans recently?
Thanks in advance.. D:
There are lots of ways out of a contract without paying the etf.
1. The cell provider changes the terms of the contract
If your cell carrier changes the terms of the contract you signed, you can cancel your contract without paying any early termination fees. Many states require cell phone companies to give customers advance notice of contract changes which could increase the cost or extend the length of the contract.
2. Transfer your contract to someone else
The process is free, easy to accomplish, and can be done over the phone in 20 minutes if both people are there together.
3. Complain often, but do it the right way
What do you do if you have spotty service, dropped calls, or your calls repeatedly go straight to voice mail? Complain to the company – but do it the right way. When you call the customer service representatives be polite and professional, thoroughly explain the situation to them, and be patient. If this is the first time this has happened you could ask for a discount to recompense you for your troubles. If this is a recurring problem, you should ask to get out of your contract. This works best if you call often and keep records.
4. Sweet talk your way out
This is probably the most difficult way to get your contract canceled without paying the early termination fees. Cell phone companies don’t like to lose customers, so they will do everything they can to keep your contract with them. You may not be able to get out of your contract, but calling and asking to cancel may be a good way to convince your cell provider to lower your bill a few dollars. Again, this is difficult to do.
6. Move out of the cell provider’s area (go off the grid)
Cell providers have limited coverage. There will always be some location where they do not have service. You can always move to one of those locations, or if you are in the military, you can usually cancel your service if you deploy for a long period (sometimes they just place your contract on vacation mode). Some people have also had luck calling in the CSR and telling them they have moved to some small desert town without coverage (whether or not they actually moved there). In this case, do what your conscious allows you to do.
7. Let your contract go to collections.
Not the best way out as you can possibly take a hit on your credit, but if you stop paying your monthly bill all together they will adventually send you to collections. At that point, when you are sent to collections, you are basically no longer a customer. From there you can negotiate what you owe with the collections agency or even contest what you owe over and over again until they give up and just try to settle with you for a much lower sum then what you originally owed.
