Swapping Unwanted Cellphone Contracts

An American web site has been set up that says it can enable customers to swap their phone contracts with other people. Cellular service providers such as Cingular, Verizon, T-mobile, and Nextel require a 1-2 year cellular service agreement to activate their service.

Cellular customers wanting to get out of their contract would often get meager results from asking friends and family to take over, and those same customers would remain "stuck" to avoid costly termination fees.

Celltradeusa.com provides a solution to this dilemma. The new online service establishes a community for the 180 million current cell phone users in the US and Canada seeking more choice and flexibility. The service connects people that want to Get Out of their contract and matches them with deal-seeking customers that want to Get In.

Celltradeusa.com does this by allowing its Get Out members to register for free, and provides an incentive system based on free phones, cash, and other "creative" barter arrangements to entice other people to take over contracts.

"If you've ever spoken with someone stuck in a cellular service contract with inadequate service, you quickly realize the value of the Get Out option. We also appeal to the deal seekers of the cellular world with the Get In option. And the service provider gets the new satisfied customer, it's really a win-win for everybody," says Eric Wurtenberg, co-founder of Celltradeusa.com.

Now that the FCC in 2003 has authorized the option to allow consumers to keep their cell phone numbers when switching carriers, the question now becomes how many cell phone customers in the US would switch carriers given the right opportunity, but haven't in the past because of their contract and/or early contract termination fees?

Presumably the service will still need approval from phone network as well."

Posted to the site on 11th July 2005