[IP] more on Locked In a Cell: How Cell Phone Early Terminati on Fees Hurt Consumers
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Aleecia M. McDonald" <aleecia@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: October 14, 2005 12:45:45 PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Locked In a Cell: How Cell Phone Early
Terminati on Fees Hurt Consumers
Hi Professor Farber,
This may be of general interest for IP.
Transcribed from the October 17th issue of Newsweek, p 74, by Linda
Stern:
"All those new cell-phone deal look great, but ... too bad you're
saddled with your old plan for another 23 months. If it weren't for
those ridiculously high early-termination fees---they average $170---
almost half of all cell-phone users would switch, a consumer group
said recently. But the big cell-phone companies forgot to close one
loophole. They'll let you transfer your plan to someone else without
penalty or cost. A new Web-based company, celltradeusa.com, presents
a forum for those trades. You can list your plan free, to gauge
interest, but you'll have to pay $20 to connect with potential
buyers. Then it's up to you to cut the best deal, contact your
carrier and sign over the plan. With some 2,000 users logging on to
Celltrade, somebody's gotta want what you have."
Aleecia
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