FCC May Regulate Cancellation Fees
May 21, 2008, 7:31 AM by Eric M. Zeman
The FCC and several wireless network operators are in discussions over early termination fees. Though most of the carriers have adopted a prorated ETF policy recently, Verizon Wireless, among others, is hoping to standardize ETFs across the industry. The terms include allowing new customers to cancel service either within the first 30 days of service, or within 10 days of paying their first bill. It would also set a maximum rate for ETFs, and set a prorated schedule for them to drop month by month. In exchange for this offer, Verizon is asking that the FCC drop or otherwise dismiss a number of lawsuits facing it and other carriers over ETF policies.
Comments
ETF Should Be DEAD!
Or, customers should be allowed to buy the phone outright and avoid the ETF altogether.
It's not fair that we should be forced into a contract when we are willing to pay full price for the phone.
We buy the phone, NO CONTRACT!!!
another example of a utility company coping out and running to the gov't for help
this is the beginning for the regulated wireless industry. at the end, this is only hurting the consumers. the big wireless companies want regulation so the consumers will have no power of what happens in the market.
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Should you even give a crap about cellphones grampa?
Beginning of the end for contract sales...
Customers get sticker shock now when they realize how much they have to pay for a replacement phone for the one they drowned or ran over 3 months into their contract and didn't have...
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Not far enough
--but, if there are going to be contracts--
The ETF needs to be only the precise amount of the phone subsidy. so for instance, if you get a cheap phone, you might only have a $50 ETF. A PDA might be $200.
then, it needs to prorate over the course of 24 months, all the way to zero. so if your subsidy is $200, the ETF would go down by $8.33 a month.
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oh no!
