Growing anger against 3-year cell phone contracts is hitting the federal regulator of telecommunications in Ottawa. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asked for feedback from users on their cells and on how they are treated by the big telecoms. Overwhelmingly, Canadians have complained of what some might call contract-creep. First the contracts were 12 months, then 24 months and now a full three years. These people say they are being “held hostage” by 36-month contracts. “Get rid of the 36 months contract!!!,” one Canadian shouted. All of this is a prelude to hearings the CRTC intends to hold in February to begin to develop a national code which might give consumers more protection,.Canadians complain of cell phone “contract creep”
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Growing anger against 3-year cell phone contracts is hitting the federal regulator of telecommunications in Ottawa. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asked for feedback from users on their cells and on how they are treated by the big telecoms. Overwhelmingly, Canadians have complained of what some might call contract-creep. First the contracts were 12 months, then 24 months and now a full three years. These people say they are being “held hostage” by 36-month contracts. “Get rid of the 36 months contract!!!,” one Canadian shouted. All of this is a prelude to hearings the CRTC intends to hold in February to begin to develop a national code which might give consumers more protection,.
There is, of course, a simple way of avoiding a contract. Just buy the phone outright. It’s more expensive in the short run but actually much less expensive if you calculate the leasing — or payback — costs over a three year contract.
You can, in fact get a two-year contract from Bell but you only save about $50 on the initial cost of the phone.
The overall cell phone costs could come down but there is no magic solution to the contract issue–you either buy the phone or put up with the contract,