Contract-Free Wireless Web

Consumers attracted to the idea of wireless Internet access may want to see how the service performs before they make a long-term commitment. But is it possible to sign onto the wireless Web without a 12- or 24-month contract?

Verizon Wireless
Total Hold Time: 2 minutes
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CSR: Thanks for calling Verizon Wireless. May I help you?

WR: I want to sign up for the wireless-Web service. But I don't want to sign a long-term contract. What are my options?

CSR: Mobile Web is actually just a feature, like an added feature with your service. You can always delete that after six months' time. It's $6.95 per month.

WR: O.K. But suppose I want to sign up for wireless service with Verizon?

CSR: You would have a 1- or 2-year contract, depending on the price plan that you choose.

WR: Is there any way that I can test out the Web service first?

CSR: You can test the Web service for three months.

WR: And after that 3-month period, could I cancel my service if I wasn't pleased?

CSR: With a $175 early termination fee.

WR: Do you know if they're planning on changing that in the future?

CSR: They do have a trial period of five days and 10 minutes of usage. You can return everything at that point in time.

WR: Five days and 10 minutes of usage per day?

CSR: No. Ten minutes, period. If you signed the contract and decided that you did not want the service, you would have five days or 10 minutes of usage to return the phone.

Qwest Wireless
Total Hold Time: 4 minutes
Transfers/IVR Layers: 1

CSR: Thank you for calling Qwest Wireless. This is (name).

WR: I'm interested in signing up for the wireless-Web service. But I don't want to sign a long-term contract. What are my options?

CSR: O.K. If you want to sign up for wireless service, and you want to get the BrowseNow, which is our wireless Web, you do not have to have a service agreement. Depending on what price plan you wanted, it would depend on if you had a 1-year service agreement with us. But you wouldn't be bound to keep your Web service. However, we do have some price plans where you do not go into a 1-year service agreement. It's just by the month.

WR: What do those plans entail?

CSR: Well, the bottom plan would be 150 minutes a month for $29.99. So that would be anytime, weekday or weekend. And then, if you wanted to put the BrowseNow on there, that's an additional $14.95 a month. And then BrowseNow is unlimited. So when you're using it, you're not using airtime.

WR: So I could cancel the complete plan at any time?

CSR: Yes. You sure could.

AT&T Wireless
Total Hold Time: 0
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CSR: Thank you for calling AT&T. How can I assist you?

WR: I'm considering signing up for wireless Web. But I don't want to sign a long-term contract.

CSR: You would have to sign a 1-year contract. The plans that come along with the Web and the phones that you purchase - they all require a 1-year contract, especially for new customers.

WR: Would it be different if I was an existing customer?

CSR: If you're an existing customer, all we're doing is changing your account around. If you're a new customer, you're establishing a new service with AT&T, and you're getting one of the phones. Part of the new phones are given at a discount too. We don't offer discount phones, or sometimes we don't even give a discount for the phones, for existing customers.

WR: So my phone would be at a discount?

CSR: Yes.

WR: Suppose I decided that I didn't like my wireless-Web service after two or three months. What would my options be?

CSR: You can cancel your Web service. You'd have to continue your wireless service. You're getting a contract on wireless services, and through wireless services you get the Web service.

WR: Do you have any idea if they plan on reducing the contract time in the future?

CSR: No. It will always be just one year.