If you are half the commitment-phobe I am, you hate your contracts. You hate your cable contract; hate your cell phone contract, Internet, anything that ties you down for a certain amount of time. Well my friends, you are in luck. There are ways to get out of these bad Larry’s.
But, hey, not so fast! This is not going to be easy. You are going to need some serious diabolical skills. There are many ways to go about it, and hopefully one works for you. Please note, other than the first tip, these bits of advice get more and more hard-core, so sit tight.
Start with the toughest part: be polite. Yes, some of the people on the other line are idiots, but not all of them are, and they do not appreciate coming in Monday morning being yelled at or put down. You will get a lot further with honey than vinegar. Once you have committed yourself to kindness…
Explain that the service is not up to par. If you are disappointed, let the company know. The service sucks? Tell them. You are paying money and if they are not holding up their end of the deal, they should know about it. Why doesn’t the service work? Explain how you have trouble making phone calls in your own home, explain every problem you have ever had.
If they don’t care, explain how another company’s service is better. Knowing where their competition is and whom you plan on leaving them for might make a difference. If they still don’t care…
Be the loudest goose in the gander. Report problems to the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission. Any problems with service – be it phone service or customer service – can help you get some attention real quick. No one wants to have his or her company pummeled by a grumpy customer. I mean, if you owned the company, wouldn’t you want to get rid of someone like that?
Move. Okay, okay this advice only helps if you were planning on moving anyway. But moving to a place that does not provide service is certainly grounds and leverage for a contract cancellation. I mean what kind of company would make you pay for something that you cannot receive? A terrible one. But do not be fooled; some will try to do just that. Moving is legal, people move all the time and you should not be penalized. Here is a great place to throw your weight around. However if you are not moving…
Did you know that any change of contract is grounds to cancel a contract? Technically, you do not have to approve any company or contract changes and are therefore eligible to leave. These can include new data plans, charges, anything, really. So stay informed about the company.
Not to be morbid, but if the contract is under the name of someone who is deceased, that is grounds to terminate as well. This sounds like a butthead thing to say, but sometimes people will keep a contract under a deceased’s name and keep paying the bill, not realizing the contract is actually void and at the same time hating the service. After the death of a loved one, the last irritant anyone needs is a bad service company.
While you’re at it, where is that contract you signed? Have you seen it? Have your company send you the contract and pick through it yourself. If they cannot produce the contract (they usually can but perhaps you will get lucky) you can cancel, and if they do mail it to you, then you will get a chance to see your best bet for cancellation.
The last resort seems to be tethering. Connect your cell phone to a PC and download as many corrupt torrent files as you can. Most companies will shut down your service and it also renders you “subject to having your service terminated.” I bet you will be so sad when they let you go from that contract. Not.
