Cellular South wants you so bad, it'll pay your early termination fee

Cellular South, which is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi and provides service to around 5 million folks in its home state, coastal Alabama, the Florida panhandle and portions of Memphis, really wants your business. So much so, in fact, that it's willing to pay your early termination fee that'll undoubtedly bite you in the wallet as you attempt to port your number over from your current carrier. Of course, there are some strings attached: it will only pay up to $200, and that cash will be applied as credits towards your bill rather than bills towards your pocket. Still, the premise alone here is extraordinarily fantastic, and we'll go ahead and wish that more mainstream carriers would get the notion that they too should adopt such a consumer-friendly policy (and fast).

[Via Phone Scoop]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 5:05PM]

Last I heard Verizon did this and they got sued for being monopolistic... So yeah, that's why the bigger carriers don't do it.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 4:52PM]

So, it will pay for my funeral?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 5:36PM]

I wish AT&T did this... I would totally ditch Verizon (the none updating my i760 to WM6.1 meanie face company).

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 5:58PM]

I actually emailed Verizon about my i760 right after WM6.1 was officially announced and I had not seen them listed as supporting it. They actually had someone call me up to let me know that they are in the process of getting it ready for the phone and will release it after testing and such was complete.

They had assured me also that it should be ready and out about the same time as it's being released by other companies, assuming they don't run into any issues.

[Mark Larson Posted Apr 26th 2008 5:47PM]

I thought this was forbidden under the terms of the WLNP act?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 6:42PM]

[citation needed]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 5:51PM]

Finally, I'm glad to start seeing carriers do this. This is def the next logical step, "hey tmo/att/verizon, I'll switch if you pay for my ETF!".

If every carrier starts to do it, I don't believe its monopolistic, and it may finally get rid of the 2 yr signing-your-life-away.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 6:33PM]

You don't like to sign your LIFE away for 2 yrs then stop buying phones at a discounted 2 yr price and pay retail. or you can stop hating on the two years. I wish my country would intrudoce the 2 yr contracts so I don't have to pay retail for phones...you think I like to pay 200+ for cellphones

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 27th 2008 12:55AM]

People wouldn't be hating on it if it wasn't such a crap deal. Here in China when I sign away those two years at least I get the N95 free. Can you say the same of AT&T? Thought not.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 27th 2008 12:23PM]

That is a mute argument. how much is the N95 in China and How much is the rate plan that gets you the N95 for free if you Sign a contract???? I am sure this deal your talking about makes sense to the Chiness carrier other wise they would not offer it for free with a 2yr contract. The same goes for att or other companies. the reason for my post is for people to stop crying and complaining about contracts because they allways have another option unlike some other countries. if you sign a contract and get a free phone then it is a go0d deal regardless because you can't geet the same phone for free if you don't sign a contract. GET IT !!!!! phones don't grow on trees and if they do in China then please let me know when is the time to harvest an N95

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 7:05PM]

so if they pay it.. bit you have to get a diffrent #.. does that do away with having to deal with the terms of the WLNP act?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 26th 2008 7:26PM]

Shentel "A Sprint Affiliate" has been doing this since about December 07. Apparently it is their way of marketing instead of running TV, Newspaper or radio to build the brand they use marketing dollars to buy out contracts up to $175 - normally they just post it on their reader board or sign at their locations they do not put it in print or any other media outlet that they buy out contracts.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 27th 2008 12:19AM]

Sprint needs to get on this.

--James

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 27th 2008 12:46PM]

Centennial Wireless, which operates Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, and I think a few southern states, has been doing this for about a year now. All of their kiosks in the mall have big ol' signs advertising it. However, it still hasn't made me care.