You have had your phone for almost two years and you’re ready to get a better one.  Chances are you are eligible for a discount upgrade if you agree to another contract.  Here are some ways to get an even better deal than just blindly taking the first offer you get.

Cell phone service providers want to keep you as a customer and what is more they want you to be obligated under a contract.  When your contract comes up for renewal, the provider is ripe for the picking.  If a person is  not under an obligation, the chances of them leaving and going to another provider rises drastically.

Probably the best way to get a better deal on a phone and plan is to threaten to cancel and go to a competitor.  After an attempt to “save” you, the agent will transfer you to an “Account Specialist,” known internally as the “Save Team” or “Customer Loyalty.”  It is here that the special deals will start falling out of the sky.  Their job is to save you as a customer and get you under a new contract at almost any cost.  They have access to special offers not available online or through a normal agent.

Chances are you will get a very nice phone for free and a special rate plan with extra minutes, depending on how long you have been a customer.  Even the high end devices like Blackberries and Windows Mobile devices will be slashed in price or even free if you agree to stay for another 2 years.

Also, remember that most providers will do this over the phone, which means you are giving a verbal agreement for two years.  The thing is, by law, a verbal agreement cannot extend beyond 11 months!  So go ahead and agree to the two years.  Even if the conversation is recorded, it is still a verbal contract that cannot be made for more than 11 months legally.  Should you decide to leave after that time, remind them of that fact and you will be released from the two year verbal agreement.

Don’t you just love loop holes?  If you have any questions, leave a comment!