What do you want — an iPhone or a fair cellphone contract?
When the cellphone craze first started many, many years ago. I looked into getting one and looked at the prices and walked away.
Years later, I was living in Maryland and traveling in the DC area, and often wouldn’t be able to make it to appointments on time due to traffic. I figured having a phone with me would be great to let people know I was going to be late. It was only the polite thing to do. What I wanted was a phone that I could use in an emergency and I didn’t want a contract. I wanted a pay as you go phone. I asked at those kiosks in the mall and got laughed at and regaled with the refrain, “what planet do you live on?” But I kept my eye out and checked the cellphone areas of stores and found the Virgin phones. Perfect. Buy the phone and get a card of minutes. Activate and you’re all set until your minutes run out and you buy more. That worked for years. The coverage wasn’t great but it worked in major cities so it was also good when we went to conventions.
Now years later we have cellphones and a plan. We don’t use them much and only with other people on our plan — ’cause the minutes are then free — and for emergencies. Why? Because I see no reason to pay for an incoming call when the caller is paying for the call — that’s called double billing and as far as I’m concerned should be illegal (it’s a way to scam customers and bilk them of money). I don’t like it. But when I try to talk to people about the unfairness of this you’d think I grew a second head or something — a reaction similar to the one I got when I looked for a pay-as-you-go phone (and now just about all the carriers have a version of this).
But today, I found an article in the New York Times by DAVID POGUE entitled, “The Irksome Cellphone Industry“. Evidently, I’m not the only one that thinks there’s something wrong with the way cellphone carriers treat their customers. He also doesn’t like the double billing for calls and text messages.
He also has this to say about the exorbitant rates for overseas calls:
INTERNATIONAL CALLING Dear cellphone-carriers: Using Skype or iChat or Google Voice, I can place a crystal-clear computer-to-computer overseas call for nothing. Chat with China, or gab with Greenland, for hours, for free.
Or if I want to call phone to phone (instead of computer to computer), I can sign up for Google Voice or Skype Out, where I’ll pay 2 cents a minute to call China.
Why, then, am I still billed an astonishing $1.50 to $5 a minute to call these countries from my cellphone?
Surely the zero-cost technology that’s available to Skype and Google is also available to the world’s cell carriers. In other words, there’s no practical reason that cell carriers (ours and the overseas ones) should charge so much — only a greedy reason.
I use Skype when talking to our UK editor and our Canadian editor. Crystal clear communications and no charge for computer to computer other than the special headset I had to buy because I have an older model laptop. The drawback is I have to be at the laptop to get or make a call and I can’t just walk away to get coffee or a drink. But hey, the price is right for the call. Why can’t cellphone companies manage the same technology? Calls overseas on my cell should be the regular minutes for the call just as it is for local and long distance.
But, what brings this to my notice right now is that Congress, you know those elected officials that are supposed to be doing what’s best for the country and its citizens instead of what’s best for their election or pocketbooks, are debating what to do about the cellphone exclusivity agreements. It’s the reason you can’t have an iphone unless you get a contract with AT&T. That’s pretty much it. I agree with Progue, it’s mostly an “Why can’t I get an iphone with Verizon or Sprint” debate. As much as I might like an iphone, I can deal with my disappointment (and believe me my disappointment is really severe, no joke).
What we really need is Congress to investigate and do something about the other problems that consumers have with cellphone agreements and companies. Shouldn’t they be looking out for us once in a while — and I mean the guys to elect them to office. If the people are happy and treated decently and fairly the companies will do okay anyway. I thought that the American way was to be fair, honest, and provide the best product or service at the best price. Some days, I feel that it’s not the best product or service at the best price it’s whatever the company can get from you because you can’t fight back and take or leave it.
Something needs to be done about the injustices and greed in business. Making the terms of service fair and honest and understandable would be a great start. Meanwhile, I can live with my disappointment in not being able to have an iphone.
What about you? Are you happy with your service? Content? Or just living with it?