Save Money on Cell Phone Contract Breaks

photo credit: Gaetan Lee

Cell phone bills are sometimes part of an ever-increasing build-up of debt and you might decide you want to save money by getting out of an expensive cell phone contract. But especially in the last few years, the fees that telecommunications companies charge you to leave a contract have been so high that it’s barely worth it.

But maybe things are changing. Recently, there have been a few law suits that established early termination fees from some companies were much too high and violate laws because they were only to discourage customers from leaving the company, rather than being charges for any concrete cost incurred. These results in court mean that many providers are now lowering the fees they charge for broken contracts, so it’s becoming possible to shop around and find contracts that won’t be so expensive to break.

The other way you can avoid paying large early termination fees is to trial your new provider before you commit - most allow this, and if they don’t, then simply go to the next provider. Alternatively, using a pre-paid plan might provide you with the flexibility and freedom you want to help your budgeting and perhaps save money - but do your homework first and make sure they don’t end up costing you more.