CRTC wireless code lets Canadians cancel contracts after two years, caps excessive data fees

CRTC wireless code lets Canadians cancel contracts after two years, caps excessive data fees data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20596759' !== '') ? 'bsd:20596759' : ''; var postID = '20596759'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"donald-melanson", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-14d",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});CRTC wireless code lets Canadians cancel contracts after two years, caps excessive data fees MobileByDonald MelansonpostedJun 3rd, 2013 at 10:10 AM 0

It's spent the past few months soliciting feedback from Canadian wireless users, and the CRTC has now announced the details of a new wireless code that it says "addresses the main frustrations that Canadians shared with the CRTC." At the top of that list is the length of cellphone contracts, which will now effectively be capped at two years -- carriers may still be able to offer longer terms, but you'll be able to cancel your contract after two years with no cancellation fees. The code also places some significant new caps on data fees: excess data charges will be capped at $50 per month, while international roaming charges will be capped at $100 per month.

Beyond that, Canadians will now be able to get their phones unlocked after 90 days (or sooner if you've bought the device outright, although the actual unlocking fee isn't specified), and they'll be entitled to a 15-day trial period, during which they can return their phone and cancel their contract if they're unhappy with their service. The code also promises to enforce "plain language" in contracts -- ensuring, for instance, that you don't pay any extra charges for services described as "unlimited." Notably, however, the code doesn't immediately cover all current cellphone users. It only applies to new (or extended) contracts starting on December 2nd of this year. In the meantime, you can read up on all the finer details at the source link below.

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Source: CRTC Wireless Code

Tags: canada, canadian, contracts, crtc, mobilepostcross, wireless, wireless code, WirelessCode

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The Daily Show's Jason Jones Pans Cellphone Contracts in T-Mobile Ad

Seth Fiegerman2013-03-26 16:35:24 UTC

T-Mobile announced Tuesday that it is ditching the much-loathed two-year cellphone contract and letting customers pay through an installment plan instead. To help explain why this is better for customers, the wireless company has enlisted Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones.

In the video above, Jones approaches people on the street asking whether a two-year contract is worse than getting a root canal (yes) and poking fun at pedestrians using old phones because they're stuck on a contract. At one point, he even starts whacking people in the face with his microphone, noting that wireless carriers are smacking around consumers with contracts.

"America is angrier than those birds and grumpier than any cat," Jones says in the video. "They want carriers to quit messing with them and provide them with a simple choice."

T-Mobile also released a 60-second spot online showing a group of cowboys getting fed up with "bossing people around," which you can watch below. The company also hopes to start a conversation online by including the hashtag #simplechoice with the new ads.

Image courtesy of YouTube, TMobile

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T-Mobile Gets Rid of Cellphone Contracts

Stan Schroeder2013-03-26 03:56:48 -0400

T-Mobile has done away with cellphone contracts, replacing them with installment plans in an effort to stay competitive in the U.S. market.

Instead of offering its customers a phone with a two-year contract, T-Mobile will offer it for a fixed upfront price plus a monthly fee for unlimited calls and data. That second fee will include the cost of the phone, and when the phone is paid off (typically after two years) the fee will be reduced, in contrast with traditional two-year contracts where monthly payments typically stay the same after two years.

T-Mobile calls its new pricing plans Simple Choice. For example, a Samsung Galaxy S II costs $29.99 today, and $16 per month on top of the monthly data/voice payment, for 24 months.

T-Mobile is the fourth biggest U.S. mobile carrier (behind AT&T, Verizon and Sprint). It will hold a special "Uncarrier" event Tuesday, where it is rumored to reveal the availability of Apple's iPhone in its stores.

Image via Adam Berry/Getty Images

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