Dear Cellular Providers
I'd rather walk around like this and get the service I need than spend one more day over-paying for bullshit...
As I sat in a seemingly endless line at the Sprint Store today, praying that I wouldn't have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to fix my phone's cracked screen, a thought dawned on me. A simple one at that: Why? Why do we shell over hundreds of dollars a month for a technology that is not only 10 years old, but also is getting cheaper to provide every day? Why do cell phone providers feel the need to lure us in with seemingly frugal deals only to up their prices months later? Why is it that every time I have a problem with my phone, I have to call a number, be placed on hold and then speak to a representative who knows just as much about English as I do about President Obama's sex life? Why? Why? WHY? Well, I did some research and I came up with some startling news: the United States pays more for cellular service than any country in the world. That's right. Check it and check my letter to cell phone providers:
via The Consumerist:
A new survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compared annual costs around the world for consumers who have cellphones, and the U.S. is in the top three for most expensive. How expensive? DSLReports notes that "on average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden."
Really, Sprint? Really, AT&T and Verizon? So while I'm forking over over $600 per year (I know for a fact it's more), my Scandinavian brethren are spending chump change on the same services? I've had enough of this. My phone's been broke twice this summer, both from quality-related issues. It seems like the more money we as consumers spend on your crummy service, the less you give us. I mean, seriously. Since when was data over an iPhone actually worth the extra $30 a month? Since when has repairing a phone cost more than the phone itself? There's no doubt in my mind that we need (arghh, I hate to admit that) cell phones in today's fast-paced world. However at what cost? You guys always seem to have a new deal that lures in customers but never seem to be able to satisfy the ones you already have. What's worse is that we as Americans continue to feed into this vicious cycle. With every year, as the technology gets more and more advanced (and cheaper), we spend more money to acquire it. While the cost for sending the data we so desperately need goes down, we spend more.
I'm no wireless expert, but for the amount I'm paying, shouldn't my reception bars NEVER go down if I'm in a relatively big city (say, Philadelphia or New York)? With the number of house phones decreasing year by year, I feel like the percentage of cellular phones being a person's only phone is increasing. By that token, shouldn't the price of service be decreasing? Shouldn't services like text-messaging and e-mail, which are becoming ubiquitous fixtures on everyone's device, be included? Yes, I'm mad about my phone. Yes, I'd rather not drop a lot of money to fix it, but for the money I'm spending, shouldn't these phones be a bit more durable? I feel like every time I put my phone anywhere that isn't by my ear, it's at risk for some BS happening to it. Seriously, do me a favor, cell providers. Either lower your prices or make your services better. And not better by putting up a fancy waiting list in your store. Give us a flat rate and exceptional reception. Give us phones that don't break every two months. Better yet, give us phones that don't cost more to fix than to buy. Most importantly, stop nickel and diming us after the fact. They say that there's no way in the world to make an honest million. You've made your millions. At least try to be honest with the customers you know you'll be giving upgrades to next year anyway...