AT&T will raise its early termination fees to $325 from...
AT&T will raise its early termination fees to $325 from $175 on contracts signed for smartphones, as well as cellular-connected netbooks, an AT&T spokesman confirmed. But for contracts on feature or messaging phones, AT&T will drop the fee by $25…
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to $150, he said. According to an adviser, this development has raised the eyebrows of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who has expressed concern about the rationales used for the ETFs set by certain wireless providers. The fee changes, which don’t apply to current customers, take effect for new and renewing customers on June 1. Although the increase comes ahead of an expected June launch of a new version of the iPhone, the timing of the move wasn’t related to any devices, the AT&T spokesman said. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called the move “an excessive strike against competition and consumers.” It is time for Congress and the FCC to act to ensure competition and consumer protection in the cell phone marketplace, said the member of the Senate Communications Subcommittee. “AT&T is forcing its customers to pay a price to get their freedom, and that’s not right,” said Klobuchar. “Too often consumers find out after committing to a multi-year contract that their wireless service doesn’t meet their needs, and changing your wireless provider shouldn’t break the bank. Once again wireless providers have shown that they would rather use arbitrary fees than network and service quality to keep customers,” she said.