I see all of these so-called deals out there that include a free cell phone - what’s the catch?

Most deals that include a free cell phone (or cell phones) require that you sign a one-year or two-year contract to stay with a specific wireless carrier. If you cancel or change service before this agreed-upon contract is up, you face an early cancellation fee. The amount of this early cancellation fee varies widely with different carriers and plans.

Also, some of these free cell phone deals are, in fact, rebate offers. In these cases, the consumer actually pays for the cell phone when signing up and then is required to mail in rebate forms, proof of purchase, etc. in order to be reimbursed. So, as long as he/she mails in the required information in a timely fashion, the cell phone will be free. Not all free cell phone deals are rebate offers, though. Some deals actually do include a cell phone at no cost when signing up.

So, there is no real “catch” with this type of free cell phone deal, as long as you honor the terms of your contract (usually 12 or 24 months) and mail in rebate forms when necessary. Before signing up with a carrier, be sure to check the length of the contract and what kind of cancellation fee you would incur if you had to cancel service before the end of the agreed-upon contract for whatever reason.

If you are not currently under contract with a carrier and/or are in need of a new cell phone, there is no reason not to take advantage of a free cell phone offer. The wireless carriers are in a heated competition for your business, and they’re often willing to offer up a free phone or two if you’ll sign on with them as a paying customer.

Compare cell phone deals now or get more answers to common questions in our FAQ section.

Posted in Cell Phones

 |   |   |   | 

This entry was posted on Monday, September 25th, 2006 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Cell Phones. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.