How to Get Coterminous Wireless Contracts, Even if Your Carrier Doesn't Offer It
One of the most common questions I get pertains to wireless contracts. Customers ask me all the time - can I get all of my contracts to end on the same day, even if I buy them on different days/months? These are called co-terminus agreements, and the short answer to this question is "yes" you can, absolutely. However it's is assuredly not as easy as it may sound. Why? The reasons are many, but ultimately, your wireless carrier literally banks on the 12 or 24-month contract term per device. The national players, particularly ATT Mobility and Verizon Wireless, are decidedly consumer-focused. So they are more fixated on the individual phone contract, basing their accounting numbers and legal agreements around each single device, as opposed to a large group of phones a business would purchase. That's not to say they don't have coterminous agreements, however such agreements are rare. Sprint-Nextel does offer coterminous agreements a bit more loosely and to smaller players.
What are Co-Terminus Contracts?
Your Carrier Probably Doesn't Offer It
Co-Terminus (coterminous) contracts generally are contracts with a specified end date - as opposed to a specified length of time. For example, say I purchase an oil futures contract that ends 12/31/2008. That means all the oil I buy from now until 12/31/2008 will be at the negotiated price. Those of us who have a wireless phone contract know that carriers don't give us the option of coterminous contracts. Every phone has it's own 1 or 2-year end date, no matter how many phones we buy.
Co-Terminous Wireless Contracts
...This is How You Get It
So, then if your carrier doesn't provide coterminous contracts, how do you make sure all of your wireless phone contracts end on the same day? If your wireless carrier isn't willing to eat the cost of such an agreement, then you can. First, determine just how important having such an arrangement is to you. Second, create a budget for it. Third, stick to the budget and be prepared to buy phones outright sometimes (i.e. full retail price, no contract), and resist the temptation to take the carrier's special pricing during your contract period. It may also require beating down the misconception some wireless reps have that they cannot sell a phone without a contract. Not true.
Self-Made Co-Terminous Agreement
Business or Consumer Wireless Contracts
Here's how a self-made, coterminous agreement would look like:
1) Sign up with a carrier for your initial contract
2) If you need any NEW lines of service during the contractual period, buy them outright, at full retail (typically prices start at around $150 for low-end devices)
3) If you have to change plans during the contractual period, be sure to ask the rep if such a change affects your upgrade or contract end-date - and get it in writing
4) At the end of your contract, you'll be allowed to upgrade, port to another carrier, or cancel all lines - including the one you paid full retail for
What if a phone breaks or needs to be replaced during the contract term, but out of warranty? Same as step 2, purchase a replacement device at full retail, either from the carrier directly, an authorized agent (who may carry refurbished phones), or take your chances online in stores like eBay.
1) Sign up with a carrier for your initial contract
2) If you need any NEW lines of service during the contractual period, buy them outright, at full retail (typically prices start at around $150 for low-end devices)
3) If you have to change plans during the contractual period, be sure to ask the rep if such a change affects your upgrade or contract end-date - and get it in writing
4) At the end of your contract, you'll be allowed to upgrade, port to another carrier, or cancel all lines - including the one you paid full retail for
What if a phone breaks or needs to be replaced during the contract term, but out of warranty? Same as step 2, purchase a replacement device at full retail, either from the carrier directly, an authorized agent (who may carry refurbished phones), or take your chances online in stores like eBay.
Final Note
Wireless Phones Aren't Cheap
Just a final note on buying equipment outright. There's a lot of perception in the marketplace that wireless phones are cheap, costing only a few bucks at the most. Carriers haven't helped themselves in this regard, but the truth is, these devices are quite high-end and expensive. Think about it - how come a $20 landline phone from Wal-Mart can't do something simple like house your contacts, yet a $0 phone from ATT can send email, text messages, get weather maps, play music even video, and place and receive calls? The answer is, the 2-year contract you signed subsidizes that free phone. Without that contract ATT has no incentive to give you anything free. They make their money on the service to the phone and bought that phone from the vendor, offering it to you at a steep discount so you will use their service. Therefore they don't like it when you buy a phone outright they don't make any money on that transaction.
- Richard Walton
richard.walton.stl@gmail.com
- Richard Walton
richard.walton.stl@gmail.com
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- WaltonOne WaltonOne Nov 25, 2008 @ 4:48 am
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by WaltonOne
My name is Richard Walton and I'm a B2B Consultant, working for a nationally known technology company. I've been in this space for 18 years as a custo... (more)
