If Your New Cell Phone Number Used to Belong to Someone Else ...
When was the
last time you were issued a new cell phone number or had to give up your old
one? Inheriting someone else's old phone number used to mean getting the
occasional call from the previous owner's family and friends, or even from a
collections agency. With the growth of Internet services just for cell phones,
however, your new number may come attached with some additional nuisances:
existing cell phone content subscriptions.
Cell Phone Subscription Services You Didn't Order You can now use your cell
phone to subscribe to services that send you anything from the latest NBA
playoff scores to messages from a dating service regarding potential partners,
not to mention highly popular subscription services that let you download the
newest and hottest ringtones and games - all for a few dollars a month.
However, when a person inherits someone else's old number along with the
previous owner's cell phone subscriptions this can become a problem.
Let's say that soon after getting your new phone or number, you start
receiving messages from a company you haven't heard of. An inconvenience, but
you may not think much of it until you see your monthly wireless bill. That's
when you realize that the cost of all these unsolicited messages is adding up.
Sometimes the subscription is billed as a line item on your cell phone bill.
Also likely is that those messages are coming out of your monthly allocation of
text messaging. If you don't have a data plan, you might be charged a messaging
fee for each and every incoming text message - whether it was meant for you or
not.
Canceling Previous Owner's Cell Phone Subscription Because these add-on
services are often from third-party companies, canceling the subscriptions may
not be as easy as simply calling your carrier. Although phone companies are
often willing to remove the charges once you explain your situation, you will
likely need to contact the other service yourself to put an end to the ongoing
subscription. The contact information for the subscription provider is usually
presented on the cell phone carrier's bill together with the charges.
Current customers are sometimes met with resistance as they attempt to cancel
a previous owner's subscriptions themselves. Some companies require a letter
from the cell phone company before canceling the service; others, such as adult
content services, require that the current subscriber be over 18 in order to
cancel the subscription.
In any of these cases, you should contact both service providers immediately
to dispute the charges.
New Phone Numbers - A Limited Resource The Wireless Association, CTIA,
estimates that there are currently over 200 million cell phone subscribers,
representing a six-fold increase over the last 10 years. Given the recent
explosion in cell phone use, it's virtually impossible to issue a brand new
number to every new account holder.
In fact, any given cell phone number may be dormant for as little as 30 days
before being issued to a new subscriber, which is usually not long enough to
guarantee the cell phone subscription companies will have canceled service.
One surefire way to avoid the problem of recycled phone numbers is to port
your existing number. Since the FCC mandated Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP),
customers can transfer their existing cell phone (or home) number to their new
device. This ensures the transition goes smoothly for you, and you can avoid any
friends or companies trying to reach a previous owner. It also ensures that your
friends and family all have your current contact information.
Recent studies have predicted that the global total of cell phone subscribers
will reach 2 billion by 2007. There isn't much we can do to prevent old phone
numbers from being reassigned so quickly, but by porting our existing phone
number when we switch service and by knowing what to do in case we inherit
another person's subscriptions, we can save ourselves time, frustration and
money.
Back to Cell Phone Articles Archive
Why Order Cellular Plans Online Local stores rarely have the best new
customer deals. Find out why in our Cellular Plan Savings Guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Save With A Cell Phone Family Plan You don't have to be family to share your
minutes. The best deals today are with Cell Phone Family Plans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cell Phone Basics Not sure where to start? Read through articles written by
the Point.com staff in our Cell Phone Articles Archives.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recycling Your Old Cell Phone Don't throw out your old cell phone! Recycle or
donate used cellular equipment to help the environment and fundraise. Learn how.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cell Phone Reception Search
A Cell Phone Resource Site
