I was impulsive. I was naive. Ok, I'll admit I was downright stupid when I signed up for Pac Bell Wireless' one-year service plan. I've got only three months left on my one-year agreement, and, as GOD is my witness, I will NEVER use Pac Bell Wireless again.

Oh, they know how to lure, young innocent folks like me. I admit I was forewarned to look at the service plan and not be sucked in by the "free phone". But those darn Nokia phones are just so cute. And all I could hear was "FREE PHONE WITH $20 DONATION TO THE RED CROSS!" Great, I thought, I could donate to charity and have a cute little cellular phone.

Sure, I knew I had to sign a one-year contract. But hey, how bad could the contract be?

If only someone had warned me.

First, there is almost no way to stay within your little 125 weekday minutes. I was careful, really I was, but my first phone bill for two phones was almost $300. That's a far cry from what I expected to pay.
I called customer service. The "customer care" representatives (if you can call them that, as if Pac Bell Wireless cares!)told me that the first month's bill is usually a little higher, because of activation fees and whatnot. The next month was no better. Again, the bill neared $300 for all the "overtime" minutes.

Unlike most cellular phone plans, Pac Bell Wireless, at the time offered no "off-peak" e.g. evening minutes. A phone call made at 9:00 p.m. on most plans is billed at the cheaper, off-peak rate. Not so with Pac Bell's plan. Not the one I bought, anyway.

To make matters worse, customer service at Pac Bell Wireless is awful. They rarely send the bill out on time, but they'll cut off your phone in a heartbeat if your bill is late. I once had the phone cut off for 20 minutes, literally. They charged me a $20 per-phone re-activation fee!

Truly, this phone deal has NO redeeming qualities. It sucks you in with a seemingly great deal and there is NO WAY OUT. Ok, that's an exaggeration.
Anyone can cancel the contract for a mere $150 per-phone penalty. I admit, sometimes a $300 penalty seems worth it!

I've made it my mission to make sure that no one else gets sucked in. If you're shopping for a service plan, don't be lured by the cheap or free phone. It will cost you dearly in the long run!





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