Ask Maggie: On wireless-contract fine print

Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to find information about when your wireless contract ends? Or have you ever gotten so angry at a service provider that you threaten to cancel all the services you get bundled from them?

Well, you're not alone. This week in Ask Maggie, I answer one reader's question about finding information on a wireless carrier's Web site as to when a contract ends. I checked in with the major carriers and will walk you through how you can access information about contract expiration and early-termination fees online.

I also answer a question from a dissatisfied Verizon Fios customer and try to help another reader figure out if she should buy an iPad or a Kindle 3.

Ask Maggie is a weekly advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. If you have a question, please send an e-mail to me at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header.

Deciphering cell phone terms and conditions

Dear Maggie,

One question that I've been thinking about for a long time is why is it so difficult to find out when my cell phone contract expires and how much my early-termination fee would be if I cancel.

It is not something that a carrier will readily provide to you, unless you wait 15 or 20 minutes to speak with an agent on the phone. I have looked for this information on the Web site of my service provider, and I haven't been able to find it. And now, with prorated early-termination fees, I'd like to know in real time what I owe if I cancel early. So why do wireless companies make this so difficult?

Thanks,
Bob

Dear Bob,

I reached out to all four major U.S. wireless operators, and representatives from all said their companies provide some information about contract expiration dates and ETF penalties to customers online.

But much of this information is vague or not specific to individual customers, and if specific customer information about ETFs is available, it's not always easy for subscribers to find. In any case, I'd agree that there is a problem.

As a little experiment, I tried finding out this information through my service provider. I am an AT&T subscriber, and I logged onto my account to look for the terms of my contract. I was able to find out when I was eligible for an upgrade to a new phone, but I did not see a specific date indicating when my contract expires or what my ETF would be, if I canceled my service today. (All four major wireless operators now prorate their early-termination fees, so the penalty decreases the longer you are in your contract.)

After getting a response from AT&T about where I could find this information, I was able to see when my contract ends. While the information is available, it still took me clicking on three tabs to find it. So again, this supports my earlier statement that the information may be available, but it's not necessarily easy to find.

You aren't the only one who has questioned how wireless operators communicate service terms and contract issues to their customers. The Federal Communications Commission has been looking into this as well. Earlier this year, the agency sent letters to AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Google, which was selling the Nexus One phone at the time, asking them to detail how they inform customers of their fees in statements on corporate Web sites, in brochures and sales scripts, and in monthly bills.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at the time that he was struck by how much confusion there is among consumers regarding ETFs.

The carriers responded to the inquiry defending their ETFs. So far, the FCC hasn't hinted whether or not it will force carriers to change their practices or provide better information. But I think your question goes to the heart of the issue. Carriers may offer this information somewhere for customers, but if it's not easy to find, what's the point?

Here is what representatives from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile told me about accessing contract and ETF information online.

Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless spokesman Tom Pica said "everything a customer needs, they can find online." He suggests going to MyVerizon.com. Click on "Change Plan," and customers should be able to locate that information, he said. He wasn't able to provide specific information for navigating the site.

Pica also said the company is readying a new mobile account system, which will make finding account information from a mobile phone easier.

AT&T
AT&T spokeswoman Katie Tellier said customers can view their contract expiration date when accessing their account online (Att.com/mywireless). They should click on the "My Profile" tab on the far right of the screen. And then they can click on "User Info." This will show whether the contract has ended or provide a specific date for expiration. Also within this section, customers will see a hyperlink on ETFs--which will direct them to an Answer Center, providing specific details on AT&T's ETF policy and fees. This section also offers a two-page "Customer Service Summary" which is a PDF detailing the customer's service, plan, and support shortcuts.

Since everyone's account is different, and because ETFs vary, based on when someone signs up for a contract, AT&T encourages customers to call for specific information about their ETFs.

Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel spokeswoman Roni Singleton said customers are able to view their contract expiration date or whether they are still within contract from "My Sprint" at Sprint.com. But the full contract/terms of use are not available for individual subscribers there.

To find when contracts expire, a customer would log into My Sprint, select "My Account," and scroll over the "I Want To" tab in "About My Devices." For each device the customer has on his/her account, there is an "I Want To" tab. Once the box pops up, select the "See My Contract Details" link. When the customer clicks on that link, it lets him/her know when their contract expires.

In order to find out how much you'd owe, if you cancel your contract, Sprint provides a chart that allows customers to calculate what their prorated ETF is in several ways online:

• A link from the site footer to Sprint.com/termsandconditions and Sprint.com/etf
• A full-page explanation in the services section of the site
• Via search, type in "termination" or "early termination," and there will be links to detailed info.

T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA spokeswoman Kristin Warfield said T-Mobile subscribers can get general information about T-Mobile's ETFs within the "Terms & Conditions" link on the main T-Mobile Web site, at the bottom of the home page. There is also a link to the same general ETF policy details via the "Terms & Conditions" link at the bottom of the "MyT-Mobile" account page, which customers can access after logging into their account.

She said T-Mobile does not currently include details about individual ETFs on the customer's online account site. Instead, customers can estimate their ETFs by reading the terms and conditions online, knowing their contract start date (which is also listed on their contract), and making a general calculation.

Here is the ETF schedule for T-Mobile:

As listed in these Terms & Conditions, the early-termination fee is $200, if termination occurs with more than 180 days remaining on your term; $100, if termination occurs with 91 to 180 days remaining on your term; $50, if termination occurs with 31 to 91 days remaining on your term; and the lesser of $50 or your monthly recurring charges (including any applicable taxes and fees), if termination occurs in the last 30 days of your term.

For exact information about the term of users' contracts and the early-termination fee that would apply if they canceled their account, customers can call Customer Care.