Smart Tips

Keep an eye on your bill to make sure there are no unexpected data or subscription charges. Sometimes what you might think of as a one-time fee may become a recurring feature on the bill.

Many carriers will offer preferred on-net rates, or calls to other numbers with the same carrier. While you might not want to waste your social capital converting your entire network to your carrier, it helps to do a quick check before heading into the market.

Go paperless if you can. Not only will you save extra charges for paper bills (levied by most providers), but you'll also do a tiny bit for the environment.

Voicemail is a great tool, but remember that on most plans voicemail retrieval is not free. So delete messages after listening to them to avoid wasting time the next time you check.

Mobile Internet comes in many shapes and forms, and while upfront costs of accessing content is usually not very much, sometimes you can unknowingly be paying recurring subscription fees. Question every unfamiliar charge on your bill.

When changing from one plan to another, always enquire about the Early Termination Charge. This is the fee you must pay to get out of an existing contract and can be quite significant. But if you plan to re-contract with your existing carrier, it can usually be negotiated down towards the end of your contract term.

Don't automatically rush into a long term contract. If you already have a phone you like, consider other options like prepaid or month to month. You will get flexibility to move around, plus you keep control over your spending.

 If you regularly experience poor mobile reception, do not hesitate to ring your service provider to negotiate a contract termination. Service providers are obliged to provide a minimum level of service. If they are unable to do so, you do not have to continue with the contract. The process is not easy, but stay with it.

 

 So you signed up to a 24 month contract last month and now they\'ve gone and improved the plan in some significant way. Don\'t accept it as a given. Talk to the phone company and ask to be upgraded to the new plan at no cost - you might be surprised! 

Thinking about insuring your phone? It's a waste of money unless you have an expensive smartphone retailing for more than $1000. Typical insurance costs will add up to $300 -$400 over two years. You can easily pick up a decent replacement phone for that much if something does go wrong. Also check if the phone is covered under your existing home and contents policy.