Cell Phone Plans-Choose Wisely!
By Margarette Tustle
How To Choose The Best Plan For You
There are a plethora of cell phone plans
in existence, so how do you pick which plan
is best for you and your personal situation?
There are numerous cell phone companies offering
numerous cell phone plans. In order to choose
the best plan of all of the cell phone plans,
you should consider some basic things. As
you consider your needs, think about pre-paid
cell phone plans, as well as post-paid (billed)
plans; how many minutes will you need?; when
will you be using your phone the most (what
time of day)?; where will you be using the
phone?; and what extra charges and/or penalties
are there that may not be specified with the
original, advertised sign on rate?
Pre-Paid Plans Vs. Post-Paid:
A pre-paid plan for your cell phone is
a plan where you pay in advance for a
specific number of minutes. Once these
pre-paid minutes run out, you have the
option to purchase more. This type of
plan will generally not have a contract
for you to sign. Make sure you look at
the details and/or ask about how the minutes
are calculated, and how long distance
charges are accounted for. Sometimes with
pre-paid cell phone plans, you will have
to add a certain amount of money to your
account every month or the months you
use the plan.
Post-paid cell phone plans are bill-like,
where you pay after you have used the
minutes. Many post-paid cell phone plans
offer the customer unlimited minutes,
whether all the time or only on nights
and weekends. Many people find post-paid
cell phone plans appealing, since the
individual may use the cell phone at various
times of the day, and have an inconsistent
number of minutes month to month.
Rollover Cell Phone Plans:
This type of plan allows the cell phone
customer to use "leftover" minutes from
month to month. Not all plans offer this
option, so if you think your monthly usage
will vary, ask the sales representative
if the company offers such a option.
Long Distance Vs. Roaming:
The cell phone term known as roaming
can be defined as calling from your cell
phone when you are physically outside
of your coverage area. The term long distance
means you are calling from inside your
coverage area to a location outside of
this area. Some plans will charge for
these services, so if you are a traveler
or will be using your phone in remote
places, you should ask the price per minute
on various cell phone plans.
Local Coverage Vs. Nationwide:
Cell phone plans will always have a coverage
or network area. Nationwide coverage allows
you to make a call to anywhere in the
United States where your carrier reaches.
Local coverage, on the other hand, covers
your local area only. Different providers
offer different coverage areas, so check
their maps to see what the network coverage
area is.
Contracts
Most likely, if you purchase a post-paid
plan for your cell phone, you will have
to sign a contract. This contract means
that you agree to stay with that specific
provider and phone plan for a pre-specified
amount of time. Typically contracts are
for one or two years. If for any reason
you decide to cancel your service, you
will have repercussions, such as a fee
to pay per phone cancelled. This termination
fee can be up to $200 or more. Make sure
you choose a plan you like and feel comfortable
sticking too.
If you spend time to shop carefully for
the ideal plan and phone, you will find
more satisfaction with your purchase.
Written by Margarette Tustle. See more
resources on plans at dyplan.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margarette_Tustle
