Discount Cellular, which is a third party billing company
Dec. 1997 I signed an contract agreeing to a basic analog plan for 2 years.in exchange the activation fee would be waved and the equipment would be ours. I asked if our service would continue after 2 years or would we be just cut off. They said no problem, that the service would continue unless we called.
Oct. 1999 I called and requested an upgrade to an digital phone with more minutes. No problem and no fee was charged to upgrade. Front of contract only was sent for me to sign which I did assuming that the same standards applied as our original agreement which meant that when owned the phone because we extended the contract 2 years.
April. 2003 I called to terminate our cell phone service with Discount Cellular due to third party billing status and not being able to address my complaints or concerns locally. I was told I would be charged $250 for early termination of contract.
I told them I should have been released from that contract by December at very latest. They advised me that the contract I signed was a self renewing contract every 12 months at the end of the contract period.
I decided not to cancel, but expressed by objection to the contract at which time the service rep hung up on me.
I then spoke with the manager A. Eppstein who agree to slight change in my contract and billing with no contract fee charged and in December my contract would go to a month to month contract. I asked for this in writing and waited a week before something was finally faxed to me.
However, what was faxed was not what we agreed to and included fees for changing the contract as well as a 2 year extension of the contract. I returned unsigned and asked Mr. Eppstein to contact me which he has not done as of this date.
Discount Cellular also charges weird fees for the following.
$25 fee for termination of contract at end of contract period. This is not early termination.
$250 fee if equipment is not returned in working order at the end of the contract period. This also is not for early termination.
$25 fee for change in contract even if you upgrade.
$500 additional fee if you don't pay the above fees
NONE OF THE ABOVE FEES ARE CHARGED BY THE INDUSTRY
Due to lack of regulation consumers are left in the clutches of unscrupulous companies such as Discount Cellular who may work within the legal boundaries of the law but whose practices are unethical and damage the relationship between the consumer and the cell phone industry.
The industry needs to discontinue it's association with such companies and the consumer needs to refuse to by from such companies.
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