Cell phone companies try to devise new shakedown tactics to deal with 'disloyal' customers

[marmar]

(CNNMoney) -- The average cell phone customer now switches carriers as soon as his or her second two-year contract is up. That startling decline in loyalty is causing wireless companies to rethink the way they do business, according to a new study released Monday.

The average length of relationships between carriers and their under-contract customers fell to an all-time low of 48 months last year, PricewaterhouseCoopers' found in the latest edition of its North American wireless industry survey. The comprehensive annual study includes data from all of the region's major carriers.

The trend has building for a few years. What's shocking is how quickly it accelerated. In 2010, the average customer-carrier relationship was 59 months -- nearly a full year longer.

The most precipitous decline came among smaller cell phone companies, but large carriers like Verizon, AT&T and Sprint didn't fare much better. Their average relationships with customers under contract lasted just 51 months. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/203862/288/Cell-phone-customers-ditch-carriers-faster-than-ever

[msongs]

1. t mobile punishes customers who want a new plan that makes t mobile MORE $$....

so they want to stick us with a $200 fee for changing plans when they will make an extra $60/month by letting us do so because it
is in the middle of an existing contract? fine, we will give t mobile their screw customers fee and dump them for another carrier (who will be
just as bad probably)

[napoleon_in_rags]

2. That means what's keeping people there is the contract, not choice.

Yet more evidence that contracts are for suckers. Prepaid gets more and more sane as time goes on.

[emilyg]

3. As soon as my contract

with Verizon is up - going with pre-paid.

[napoleon_in_rags]

4. If you like smart phones, check out the $35 a month unlimited data plan from Virgin.

Its only 300 minutes of talk, (I think $0.10 a minute after that) but the unlimited data for surfing, youtube, etc more than makes up for it. Best prepaid plan I've used.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/beyond-talk-plans.jsp

[Raine]

5. Sounds good, I'm going to get a smart phone soon so I'll check them out. THANKS! nt

[Redneck Democrat]

6. Rec