Most working moms – and people in general – say they can’t live without their cell phones. In the United States in 2007, 242 million people subscribed to cell phones, up 11 percent from the previous year, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In Canada, some 22 million of the country’s 32 million people have cell phones, according to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA).
Those statistics do not mean that all consumers understand exactly what their cell phone contracts entail.
“When dealing with any business, there’s going to be a certain amount of legalese when you’re signing a contract,” explains Marc Choma, director of communications for the CWTA.
Carriers are not trying to purposefully confuse their customers, adds Adam Fendelman, cell phone guide for About.com.
Carriers “traditionally [have] just tried to protect themselves and their shareholders — financially and legally — first and foremost and then treat their customers well as a second priority.”
Your Rights
So what, then, are your rights and responsibilities as a cell phone user?
In both the U.S. and Canada, the cell phone industry is free and open, and quite competitive. There are no price regulations or contract mandates — depending on which you sign with, contract terms and prices vary.
That competition is good for consumers, says Fendelman, as carriers are beginning to simplify their plans due to customer complaints. He cites some carriers – including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and PlatinumTel – as “not only unshackling customers from contracts but helping to make the experience more straightforward.”
To do the same for Canadian consumers, in September the members of the CWTA launched a Code of Conduct. Available at cwta.ca, the document creates minimum standards for the cell phone industry and ensures consumers understand their rights, says Choma.
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