CellClients Blog

So you’re moving away, found a better deal, or for whatever other reason, you want to get out of a Rogers cell phone contract.  The truth is that Rogers isn’t very up-front about their cancellation fees.  Why?  Well, because it’s expensive, and they know it.

Another reason they’re not up-front with it is because their own reps don’t even understand the cancellation fees.  We called and inquired, and one rep told us “It’s hard to understand, even for us.”  That rep gave us some info, then we called back, spoke to another rep, and that rep gave us completely different information.

Both reps told us that it depends on what’s in your plan, one told us it depends on your DSRF (device savings recovery fee, which is different for everyone) and other things that don’t lead you to a straight answer.  Do a quick Google search and you’ll notice that other people are just as confused as you are, and they’re also getting the run around from Rogers.  Then you’ll notice that Rogers does post something… but wait… it’s a 33-page document full of legal jargon.  No help there.

Here’s what you need to know (as of December 2012).

You’ll have to pay the GREATER of:

1. $20 per month for however many months are left in your contract.  If there’s one year left, it’s $240.  Two years, and it’s $480.  Three years, and it’s $720.

2. Whatever discount you got on your phone when you signed the contract.  Let’s say an iPhone retails for $699 and you got it for $99 when you signed a three-year contract — you got a $600 discount.  If you break your contract at any time, you have to pay back the $600.  (The first rep told us that you have to pay back according to the time left on your contract, e.g. if you break half of your contract, you would pay half of the discount — or $300 — but the second rep said the first one was wrong).

On top of that charge (the greater of those two), to cancel your data plan (which is required if you purchase a smartphone), it costs an EXTRA $100.  (The first rep told us it’s $5 per month — but the second rep said the first one was wrong).

There are ways to get out of your cell phone contract without being held hostage by Rogers.  You can try to speak to the cancellations department or wait around for your contract terms to change — or find someone else to transfer your contract to.  This lets you get out for MUCH cheaper and gets someone else in on a contract for a shorter term.  If you’re looking to transfer a contract, try CellClients.com to find buyers nationwide and avoid the $500+ cancellation fee.

Filed under: Uncategorized
1 Comment »

We get all kinds of questions here at CellClients — one of the more common questions we get is “What can I do to entice a buyer to take over my contract?” or “Why would someone want to take over my contract?”… so we thought we’d outline why a buyer would want to take over a contract, starting with the most important.

1. You Have a Great Plan.  The number one reason someone will want to take your contract over is because your carrier, daytime minutes, data plan, features (caller ID, voicemail, etc.) and monthly fee are attractive.

2. You Have a Short-Term Contract Remaining.  If the time left on the contract is short, that will give the buyer some flexibility — if they want to exit the contract, they don’t have to wait long.  This may also mean that they’re eligible for a hardware upgrade sooner.

3. You’re Offering Good Incentives.  Buyers react to incentives like a free phone and cash — both of which you can offer with your plan on CellClients.  The newer the phone and the more cash you offer, the more likely you’ll be to have your contract transferred.

Another thing to note is that the more detail you provide about your plan, the better it is for everyone.  Buyers will trust you more if you disclose the scratch on the back of the phone, the My-5 feature on your account, or anything else.

Have any other ideas for getting a buyer to take over your contract?  Let us know in the comments!

Filed under: Uncategorized
No Comments »

Whether you’re with Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido or any other Canadian cell phone carrier, chances are you’re somewhere in a contract.  3-year contracts tend to be the norm, and the cost to get out is usually in the hundreds of dollars (the fee gets more expensive for contracts that have longer periods left on them).  Here are the best ways to avoid these costly cancellation fees:

1. Speak With the Cancellation Department.  Tell them why you want to get out of the contract and see what options they have for you.  Some say that you should tell them something more compelling — that you’re moving to another part of Canada that the provider doesn’t serve (or moving to the U.S.), that the cell phone service is not working well, or that you’re a soldier being deployed — but that’s up to you.

2. Wait For the Contract Terms to Change.  If the carrier decides to change the terms or fees associated with your contract, by law you have the option to terminate it.  This is a tricky thing though, because you may end up waiting a loooooong time for the contract terms to change.

3. Decrease to the Bare Minimum.  Lower your plan to the lowest-priced one offered, take all of the optional features off of your plan, and wait for the contract to end.  This one isn’t technically a way to get out of your contract, but it is an alternative.

4. Transfer Your Plan to Someone Else.  There are always people looking to get into short-terms contracts, for a variety of reasons.  With a service like CellClients.com, you can post your plan and offer incentives (like cash or a free phone — both optional).  Anyone looking to get into a contract can browse plans and contact you to take yours over.  Most carriers have no transfer fee and the transfer process is quick and easy.

Good luck getting out of your contract!

Filed under: Uncategorized
No Comments »

We were really looking forward to hearing from the CellClients community about our new redesign… and we want to thank you for the overwhelming response!  We heard lots of comments about how the platform makes it even easier to get out of your cell phone contracts and how easy it is to find short-term contracts!

Please keep the feedback coming — we’re dedicated to continually improving the CellClients.com experience for our community and our users.

Filed under: Uncategorized
No Comments »

We thought it was about time for a CellClients refresh… and we’re proud to present you with the new CellClients!  With all the changes in data plans, wireless providers, phone models, and other phone plan details, we wanted to make sure anyone looking to get into or out of a cell contract has all of the info they need to make a great decision.

Our aim is to continually improve the customer experience with CellClients for both buyers and sellers; we hope you love the new look and feel of the site.  Our goal is to eliminate the hundreds and hundreds of dollars people pay for cell plan cancellation fees, and we think the new interface will do just that.

We always welcome feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our site.  Please send any comments to info@cellclients.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Filed under: Site News
No Comments »