First, ditch the insurance. We couldn’t agree more. First, it’s rarely worth it. Yeah, if you back over your phone with your car you can get a new one, but it’s not always as simple as that. You always stand the risk of hitting the company on a bad day, where they don’t process your claim quickly, or give you a hard time about it. It’s $5 a month, so $60 per year, which is a month’s bill for many contract subscribers. Ditch the insurance and save. The second is to go through your monthly bill line by line. Couldn’t agree more. After reviewing Verizon’s contract, we understand that he company can charge you basically any fee they want. So make sure you know what you’re being charged for. If you see something you don’t like, dispute it.
One consumer group estimated the average household pays $200 a year more than it should because of overcharging by phone companies.If you subscribe to the $60 per month idea, that’s over three months worth of extra charges. Dispute, dispute, dispute. Third is to join an “in-network” calling plan, meaning a plan that gives you unlimited mobile to mobile minutes. That’s pretty much a no-brainer, though with the nature of cell phone contracts it’s tough to coordinate which network all of your friends and family will be on. Plus, everyone has their personal preference. So in theory it’s a good idea, but in practice it’s a bit tougher than just joining an “in-network.” Finally, if you call 411 a lot, stop. Call 1800-FREE-411. We didn’t know about this before right now, but we’re definitely going to check it out. You’re billed for 411 airtime anyway, so it’s no loss there. And there’s no $2 service fee for FREE-411 — you just have to listen to a 15-second advertisement, which is surely worth the $2 saved. Oh, and they mention going with prepaid if you don’t talk a lot. That makes us happy. [The Pittsburgh Channel]]]>