Ending a cellphone contract...?

September 6, 2007 6:44 AM

My cellphone contract (with Cingular/AT&T) is ending at the beginning of November. How can I tell them I don't wish to renew it in the easiest, least hardsell way possible?

I don't plan on ending my contract early, and do realize that after it's over it's over, but I want to make 100% sure of that. Would registered mail work? Do I have to call?

posted by dial-tone to Technology (20 answers total)

You don't need registered mail, just certified mail. Personally I'd just send first-class mail. Check the terms of your agreement which might specify how you have to cancel.
posted by grouse at 6:55 AM on September 6, 2007

Honestly, I would call. . I used to dislike making those kinds of calls. Since I did them anyway, I now feel more confident. It's a good practice in saying no. This may sound funny, but remember being a kid and saying "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever bounces off of me sticks to you." Well, think that when they go into their selling routine. Then it just becomes funny, instead of annoying, as you hold strong to your "No thank you."
posted by healthyliving at 7:03 AM on September 6, 2007

When cancelling by phone you'll be passed to the "customer retentions" department. They'll try to convince you to stay - usually they'll have a script with all your possible objections and how they should overcome them.

There are a few objections with no real/viable solution:
1. You're leaving the country and going some place where their cellphones won't work.
2. Your company is giving you a free cellphone and paying all the bills, so you no longer need a personal line.
3. Your company is demanding you use XYZ device for security reasons and your present carrier doesn't offer it.

You could always just say NO! Some people don't like it, but the retentions teams hear it all day long and will give up eventually.

Are you leaving for a cheaper deal elsewhere? If so, retentions can usually offer price plans not available in store, give huge discounts and free equipment - they might actually be able to help you. I work in the industry and one of my colleagues was actually offered a contract at $0/month with a free device, just to stay as a customer. The retentions teams have targets to hit and they aren't always quality based - often they just need to hang on to so many customers a month regardless of what they are offered.

You can always cancel by post but I usually just call up and ask them to send written confirmation.
posted by TheAspiringCatapult at 7:08 AM on September 6, 2007

If you do decide to call, you can avoid a lot of hard selling when they ask you why you want to cancel. They may want to use that information to negotiate a deal. Since you don't want to negotiate a deal, don't play ball:

"May I ask why you want to leave us, sir?"
"I really don't want to discuss it. I'd just like to be disconnected, please."

"I just need an answer to put down in my computer."
"Just put down that I want to be disconnected and I don't want to discuss why."

Also, make sure you get the name and extension of the person you're talking to as soon as you are transferred to retention.
posted by grouse at 7:09 AM on September 6, 2007

I, also, don't understand what is hard about this. If you don't wish to keep your number, just stop paying. Easy. Contract cancelled (check small print first though, but if the contract is out of term, then you are no longer under contract to them so there are no terms under which to come after you for money).

If it is an automatically renewing thing, just call them. Cut through the 'auto-speak' firmly, but politely, tell them they are wasting their time with the selling, and don't take no for an answer. YOU are the customer, you are in charge. An awful lot of companies try and weave webs and bullshit to try and make you forget that.

TELL 'EM! Being forceful is liberating. :)
posted by Brockles at 7:10 AM on September 6, 2007

Do I understand the question? Your contract ends unless you affirmatively renew it, right? Making you a month-to-month customer, if you do nothing?

You don't even have to call them if you want to cancel the month-to-month. Send them a (registered) USPS leter. Then just write Please Cancel My Account on your next bill.

If you must do it by phone: You're really asking how to say no to a telephone sales pitch? Hint: CLICK
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:12 AM on September 6, 2007

You don't owe them any explanation. When they ask you why you want to quit, answer "I'm not going to argue with you about this." If they say they need a reason to enter into the form, tell them "Put down any reason you feel like."

Don't play the game. As soon as you let them get you into trying to justify terminating your account, you've given them a victory.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 7:17 AM on September 6, 2007

In my experience (Verizon Wireless), when my contract ended, it was not renewed, I went to a month to month.
posted by Comrade_robot at 7:33 AM on September 6, 2007

You're not asking them for permission to leave.

"My contract is up on day N of monty M. Please cancel my service as of the next day."

"Blah blah... May I ask why you want to leave us, sir?"

"I don't wish to assist you in gathering data, so I refuse to answer. Just stop my service on that day."

"I just need an answer to put down in my computer."

"Oh, in that case, it's because your customer retention department is managed and staffed by obtuse assholes. That's my reason."
posted by cmiller at 7:36 AM on September 6, 2007

Just tell them you are moving out of the country for business. I have never had anyone push me after that*.


*though I have had to make up some awesome stories when they asked where, out of curiosity...
posted by ThFullEffect at 7:42 AM on September 6, 2007

It is unlikely your contract is an evergreen contract. When it is over, simply port your number to your new carrier. Nothing else needed.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:44 AM on September 6, 2007

In my experience (Verizon Wireless), when my contract ended, it was not renewed, I went to a month to month.

This was also my experience with Cingular. Which is excellent, because these days they don't even offer the (cheaper!) plan that I had been using.

To echo everyone else, however, these people have no hold over you. You don't owe them an explanation, and you don't need to argue about it. I don't understand why it is so hard to just consistently repeat that you don't wish to renew, and that you don't need to provide a reason. They are in your service, not the other way around.
posted by tigerbelly at 8:35 AM on September 6, 2007

Find out their name, explain that you wish to be disconnected on or after day x and place the receiver next to the phone and walk off going about your normal business.....have fun checking every minute or so if they are still speaking to you! They are wasting your time so why not waste theirs!


Alternatively, if they start the sales talk tell them you'll have to put them on hold cause you have to do X - got to the loo for instance! Normally shuts them up nicely ;)
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:27 AM on September 6, 2007

Echoing TheFullEffect. The statement "I am moving out of the country" brings all the scripted customer-retention nonsense to a screeching halt.
posted by ambrosia at 10:20 AM on September 6, 2007

Try this when you are put through to the retention department. It will not fail.

*ring ring*
"Hello sir, I understand you wish to cancel. Are you..."

Can I please stop you there. I understand you are the retention department. I need to cancel my contract and you will not be retaining me under any circumstances.

Therefore, to everything you say, I am going to name a random piece of fruit. The longer you talk to me, the more pieces of fruit I will name. And the longer you talk to me, the fewer other people who might want to retain you will talk to, the less bonus you will get. You may put me back through now.

"Yes sir, but did you know there's a offer of a new phone on at the moment?"

Plums.

"Erm, pardon sir?"

Banana.

"Do you know that we are the cheapest provider in your state for your level of minutes usage?"

Cranberry.


and so on.

(By the way, if you do do this, *please* tape it :))
posted by randomination at 10:50 AM on September 6, 2007

Will you be moving to another carrier? When you work with your new carrier to port your phone number, that should end your old service automatically. No need to contact AT&T. (At least that's how it worked when I moved from Sprint to AT&T last week.)
posted by Sfving at 11:00 AM on September 6, 2007

It occurs to me that there's a different approach: go in person to a phone store. You can't be switched to the retention department because there isn't one, and the guy behind the counter can't spend a lot of time arguing with you because there are other people who need to be helped.

When I canceled my Verizon account, that's what I did. I was in and out in ten minutes.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:04 AM on September 6, 2007

As others have noted, you don't have to call them or send them a letter. The only effect of your contract ending is that you can now cancel at any time without penalty.
posted by Laen at 2:47 PM on September 6, 2007

Call. Tell them you already have started a contract with another service provider. That cuts the retention BS down to almost nothing.
posted by CwgrlUp at 5:30 PM on September 6, 2007

As a former wireless employee, I recommend porting your number to another carrier as that automatically tells them you're cancelling. Painless.
posted by haveanicesummer at 3:19 AM on September 8, 2007