One of the stumbling blocks I have to being able to cut back on expenses is contracts. We could cut back on some expenses we have except that we are contractually obligated to keep the service for a set amount of time.

How do you avoid contracts for services like phone, internet, cell, TV, ect? What do you think of companies who demand a contract for their services?

 I don't know how to avoid them if you want the services, but I think contracts should be illegal. They make you obligated to pay for a service whether you still want it or not. Everything else is available on an "as you need it" basis... why not cell phone or cable service? I have backed off from some services just for that reason and I doubt that I'm the only one.

I don't have a contract per se on my phone, since I have a landline. Cable is the same way. I signed up for it but I can cancel at anytime. No cell phone because of the monthly charge they want, buying a phone that is current, and the fact that they want a contract for 2 years. I don't like the demands of a contract that I have for DSL, one year, but still it's a limiting thing. I think it's sad that people have to have written agreements for contracts and cant just take their word for it. If the quality of the service is good, people will stay, if not, let them leave.

When we got phone, long distance, internet and cell phone for our business we had to sign a contract on it. It was running about $185 a month. After we closed, we used it for our personal phone since it was under contract. When the contract ran out, I discovered I could get the same phone and DSL package WITH DTV for  less than we were paying, I agreed to this...with a contract. At this time I would be happy with that arrangement except instead of the $109 a month I expected to pay, we are paying $145....and no one knows what happened to the package deal price we were supposed to get but too bad for us, we are stuck with a contract that doesn't specify the amount.

 Grrrr.

I think one of the things that should be abolished are the penalty fees, on anything. Two years ago I went looking for lower car insurance rates, got offered an amount of about $300. less than what we were paying, so we switched to Mercury. We had to fill in what we were paying before getting the quote. However one year later Mercury raised our rates right up to that amount we had been paying to the first company, so after a month of paying on the renewed policy I went looking again, and switched to AAA. Because Mercury's policy had already started they docked us $60.00 out of our refund because we had canceled mid-stream. We didn't save with AAA but I think we got a better policy with a more reputable company. In hindsight I never should have left the first company, but their rates were getting to be barely affordable too.  

 I canceled my long distance service on my land line phone, which isn't a contract, and it cost me $7.75 disconnect fee. They flip a switch and it cost me $7.75?!?. Three months ago the company had added a "shortfall fee" of $11.00, so whether I made any phone calls or not I would still get charged that fee. If I made calls they would be charged off against the fee, then 5 cents a minute after that. I had long distance calling on my cell phone. The long distance on my home phone was mostly for the fax/printer/copy machine, which we rarely use. So I am saving $132.00 a year by not having long distance for my fax machine. I can scan and e-mail for cheaper. E

We recently canceled the long distance on my MIL landline. She had no idea why she was suddenly being charged when she had make no calls. She is on SSI and cant pay for nothing. So now , she comes to our house on Sat morning to call her family that live in NC. I have to have long distance for now. My DM lives with us and all her friends live in NC. She  cant use her hands to dial cell phone or hear on it. So, we are stuck with landline for now. I figure that I will let anyone that needs it use it since we pay the one price for unlimited calls. LOL Babs

Our long distance is only $5 - $8 a month, reg phone is $36. Internet is $16.95, it's the only company that has a local dial-up number in our area. Our phone companies are the only phone companies for our area. So it's not like I can shop around.

Our cells are Tracphones, so it's pay as you go. We don't have cable or sattelite, just the regular 3 stations (PBS is too fuzzy) with an outdoor antenna.

We have garbage removal because burning it is so stinky, at $76 every quarter.

I don't like contracts or automatic withdrawls...esp. for ISPs. I had serious problems years ago with AOL.

Well here in lovely BC...monopolys abound. Until recently we had BCTel (now telus) the only landline phone option, has changed now. Our gas company BC gas (terasen now) deregulated this year so other companies can offer it. had to sign a contact for that now. car insurance is ICBC, the only option. Our electric is BC Hydro but in New West we have new west electric.  Same in the past with cable, if it was shaw or rogers etc in your area that was your only option.  The funny thing is that with phones etc, gas the other companies are just renting the lines from Telus, Terasen etc.  With phones we have telus, shaw, rogers or bell now. landlines are telus/shaw I think. tv cable is rogers/shaw or satellite. mostly shaw available though. telus/shaw the main oens for internet.  So we were very limited in the past with options, have a few more now but not many.  That is why all the dollar stretchers tips of changing insurance, providers for deals and switching back and forth don't help here much. Also if you are in debt or defaulted in the past on a bill for phone etc.since there is only one company you can't hide from them if you owe money.

 My Family's Interests,

We don't have options where I am either. We have one phone company and cell service does not work well inside or around my home, two satellite cable companies which both demand contracts and highspeed internet is only available by satellite or through the one phone company, the satellite companies has for a large sum up front and a contract.

That's funny because Telus cell phone, the big one here,  service doesn't work well here either! And they are the main provider and we are in the heart of the lower mainland. Dh cell phone is from work and it is a telus phone. Doesn't work in our basement and it is only half underground. Not working in tunnels and dead spots in the mtns is normal.

Funny thing I realized recently is that the reason you need more cell phones here is that it is very hard to find pay phones. They use to be everywhere so you could find one easy but now they are far and few, mostly in librarys, malls, skytrain/bus stations etc.  Years ago because of drug dealers and vandalism, telus started to remove them.