AT&T Improves Early Termination Fee Policy

AT&T has just announced amendments to its early termination fee policies that make it far less painful if and when customers decide to part ways with America’s largest cellular carrier while still under contract. Early termination fees are never a good thing as far as the customer is concerned. 999 times out of 1000, when people decide to break free of a mobile carrier contract ahead of schedule it’s because of a stark hatred for their carrier. Maybe the hatred is a result of poor customer service, a series of billing errors or maybe the customer is just tired of the limited handset selection that CDMA certain carriers might offer. Whatever the case may be, a contract break means that the customer is beyond the boiling point. To make matters worse, the issue is then compounded when the disgruntled customer is reminded of the early termination he/she will have to pay before all ties are severed. AT&T has decided to kindly ease the pain a bit for all customer contracts signed on May 25, 2008 or later. Contracts opened prior to that date are still subject to the wrath of the full $175 termination fee, but new customers will enjoy a $5 drop with each passing month with the carrier. In other words, if you have ants in your pants and decide to switch to a new provider in the final month of your two-year contract, $55 will get you out the door. AT&T isn’t the first carrier to utilize a depleting early termination fee schedule, but we appreciate it all the same.

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