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Cellular Back Door Tips & Tricks
Great ideas you'll never get from your wireless
carrier
TIP #1: "SECRET" PLANS
Almost every carrier has plans they don't
advertise. Most of them are cheaper plans
that include fewer features than their regular
plans. In most cases, the only way to find
out about these plans is to press a Customer
Service agent for more information. Some
plans only 'appear' when you threaten to
leave the carrier, although these plans are
not supposed to be considered "retention"
plans, but that's what they are. Some plans
contain discounts for customers who belong
to certain groups and aren't really "plans",
and these discounts need to be applied to
your account. We listed some of these special discounts, below. If you don't want to threaten to cancel,
ask if there are offers "to help keep
me as a customer."
TIP #2: TEXT MESSAGING WORKS WHEN OTHER METHODS DON'T
When you have a communications problem, like
a hurricane, "All Circuits Busy",
not enough 'bars' and the like, consider
sending a Text Message. It works when
trying
to contact any other wireless subscriber
and all you need is their phone number.
This
is your backup for when there is a
power
outage at the cell site, you're in
a bad
coverage area, or you're at a convention
and everybody else is using their phone.
This is the way to communicate when
severe
weather cuts you off. Your phone will
'hold'
the message until it can receive a
clear
signal, then sends it off. Some phones
hold
the call longer than others, so check
periodically
to see if the message needs to be re-sent.
It is also an inexpensive way to communicate
internationally as Text is billed at
rates
much lower than voice calls. Additionally,
you should become aware of how other
callers
can send a Text Message to you, in case the emergency is at their end.
TIP #3: HOW TO MOVE YOUR CELLULAR SERVICE
If you're moving from one city to another,
changing your cellular service doesn't need
to be a problem. Follow these steps:
1) Make sure your phone will work in your
new location, Check your carrier''s coverage
maps or "Locator."
2) If there is coverage, make sure you have
a plan that includes "National"
coverage...one with no roaming charges.
3) Move to your new location. While you should
have coverage, dead spots are possible anywhere.
Don't rush any changes, yet.
4) Once you are "settled" it's
time to check for coverage in your new home
and other frequent locations. OK so far?
If not, jump to 6)
5) If you want to keep your old phone number,
you can either notify your old carrier of
your new address, or just start paying your
bill online. If you eventually want to change
your number, keep the old one long enough
to tell your friends who call you, you'll
be changing it and you'll call or text them
with the new number. Texting them allows
many phones to directly add the number to
their phone book using the "extract
number" function.
6) If you find you have no signal in your
new home, or if you want a Local cellular
number and none is available, you will need
to change carriers. If you find you are Roaming off your original
carrier's network, you may have your account cancelled after a few
months. But don't worry about it until it
happens. You can sometimes cancel your account
without penalty if you have no coverage,
but you'll need to prove it with a utility
or similar bill. Many carriers are facing
lawsuits for not allowing people out of their
contracts after moving to areas with no coverage,
so may need to press your case. Also, see
How to Get out of a Cellular Contract.
TIP #4: LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE WITHOUT RINGING THE OTHER PARTY'S PHONE
Some carriers have Voice Mail Access Numbers. In most cases, you can call those numbers,
then enter the cellular number of the party
you are calling, and then be directed to
their Voice Mail, even your own, without
ringing the phone. In some cases, these access
numbers are no longer being supported. In
that case, access your own Voice Mail and
check the menu for an option to leave a message
for another party. This may be limited to
users of your own network. This may be considered
a "Mobile to Mobile" call if you're
on the same network.
TIP #5: HOW TO DEAL WITH 2-YEAR CONTRACTS
If you're going to do something that requires
signing or renewing a 2-year contract, do
it as soon as you can. The sooner you start,
the sooner it ends, and quite often you're
not really "stuck" for the whole
2 years. Even if you signed a 2-Year agreement,
you can qualify for a new phone after as
little as 1 year. Many carriers offer early
upgrades for users with higher-priced plans,
sometimes as little as $49, and some let
you sneak into a new free or discounted phone
after 20 or 22 months of your 24-month obligation.
They might not tell you this unless you ask,
and sometimes the offer isn't extended to
users with a number of complaints, late payments
or other "problems" with their
account. Mark it on your calendar to start
calling half way through your contract and
you just might be surprised. Get more ideas
at How to Get Out of a Cellular Contract.
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TIP #6 GET A PHONE NUMBER IN THE AREA CODE
YOU WANT
Your wireless carrier may not be able to
provide a phone number in your choice of
Area Codes. It's important to some people.
With "Number Portability" you can
fix that, although it's not free. Contact
your local wireline phone company and order
a real phone line (or wireless from a cellular
carrier that does offer service in your desired Area Code,
but watch out for Early Termination Fees). You can "install" the wireline
in a home or business, some phone companies
will assign you a "virtual" phone
number that rings another. You may not have
many choices of numbers. Then, contact your
cellular provider to "port" your
number from wireline (or wireless) to your
final wireless account. The final wireless
carrier will help you through that. This
action will cancel the old service for you.
Don't do it yourself, but check with the
carrier later to make sure it terminated
properly. There are more tips for number portability here.
Of, course, you could keep the new wireline
active and just Call Forward that number
to your cell phone. This can be done with
both actual and virtual phone numbers. You
may need to pay for a certain amount of service,
installation charges, and go through the
headache choosing a long distance carrier,
but how bad you you want it?
TIP #7: FORGOT YOUR PHONE? WHAT TO DO
At your next opportunity, call your wireless
carrier and ask them to forward your calls
to a number that will be convenient to you.
This is the time to take advantage of your
glove box phone or the phone of a person
you will be spending some time with. Otherwise,
use what phone you can find to check your
voice mail. Then, when you are reunited with
your own phone, you can cancel Call Forwarding
yourself. Store the code in your phone book
so you won't need to look it up.
TIP #8: FORGOT YOUR BATTERY CHARGER WHILE TRAVELING?
ASK YOUR HOTEL!
Cell phone chargers are the Number 1 item
left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are
willing to lend cords from their lost and
found.
TIP #9: "DO THE MATH" ON YOUR PLAN
You don't always save on a "Family Plan".
Consider separate plans for each user to
get more minutes for each. Also, you might
be paying more for "unlimited"
features, like Data and Text, when an "a
la carte" or pay-per-use plan could
save you substantial fees. Sit down with
6 months of your bills (1 year is better)
and look at your charges compared to your
usage. Most carriers offer an analysis of
your usage on their "my account"
pages. Also, there may be better "bundles"
and features available now than when you
first signed up. Also, consider switching
to Pay As You Go.
TIP #10: HOW TO HEAR YOUR PHONE CONVERSATION IN A
NOISY ROOM
Don't stick your finger in the opposite ear.
Instead, put your finger over the mouthpiece,
or use the phone's "Mute" button.
The noise is coming in through the phone,
not into your other ear. The mouthpiece is
normally a very small hole near the bottom
of the phone and is easy to cover. The "Mute"
button on some phones is not easy to press
"on" and "off" during
a conversation, so your finger may be the
easier method.
TIP #11: IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO PROGRAM INTO YOUR PHONE
-Add an entry in your phone book, "ICE"
(In Case of Emergency) and a relative's phone
number. In case of an accident, it gives
you a better chance of your being identified
and relatives notified.
-Add the Local direct number to certain Public
Safety agencies, like *CSP, #77 and the like.
A 911 operator needs to determine the nature
of your call, but a direct call to the right
agency will expedite your request.
-Make sure you enter a number for "Home",
even if you never call home. It's the number
one way for someone who finds a lost cell
phone to return it to the owner.
-Add a number for some kind of directory
search. "411" works for some carriers,
but a Free option is to use Google's automated
directory at 1-800-GOOG-411 (800-466-4411).
Because it's free, you'll be more likely
to use it from time to time, making it a
familiar process when you're under stress.
-If you belong to AAA or other auto club,
be sure to save their number in your phone
book. In some cases, your auto manufacturer
and insurance company may offer help as well.
-You'll need help when the utilities go out.
Add your power company and land line repair
service to the list.
-Do NOT add "911" to your speed
dial list. This alone accounts for a huge
number of accidental calls to 911 operators.
Learn about Wireless 911.
-Do these things now...before you need them!
TIP #12 YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO CHANGE PLANS TO
GET A NEW PHONE
In some cases it's true, but in many it is
not. When you buy a new phone from a carrier,
they would lead you to believe that it is
required, but it's not necessarily so. Customer
Service and store employees are trained to
tell you otherwise, but usually retreat when
you insist. You may need to press the issue.
Some carriers automatically change the plan
when you purchase a new phone. Check your
account after you get a new phone and make
sure you're on the right plan. The billing
computer may have made the change without
anyone knowing. It is normal to require a 1- or 2-year renewal
of your contract to get a good price on a
certain phone, but you can often avoid that
if you pay a higher price for the phone.
TIP #13: DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE!
Most of us have accepted that fact the cell
phones can be used safely while driving,
but there are exceptions. First, "texting"
while driving is nearly suicidal. Your eyes
are off the road for much too long of a period
while you search for certain letters on the
phone. Almost as dangerous is the manual
entry of phone numbers. You are just not
aware of how much time you are not looking
where you're going or what you're about to
hit. Spend the time to load all your called
numbers into your phone book. Statistically,
entering info on your phone while driving
is worse than driving drunk. Pull over and
stay alive. Never Text and Drive!
TIP #14: GET A BIG DISCOUNT IF YOU'RE OVER 65, FROM YOUR EMPLOYER OR WITH GOVERNMENT
PROGRAMS
Most wireless carriers have special discount
programs for people who are included in certain
groups or situations. Some offer unique plans
for those 65 years and older, kids phones
with calling limits, inexpensive "Lifeline"
and "Lifelink" programs for people
on government-subsidized programs, some plans as low as $1. Also ask about deals for employees of certain
companies and government agencies, residents
who have no wireline service available, school
students, and more. Many Customer Service
agents don't know about these, or are instructed
not to alert you about them, and you need
to ask them to look. These offers are also
available among smaller carriers.
TIP #15: HATE YOUR CARRIER BUT LOVE THEIR NETWORK?
Many wireless carriers 'rent' their network
to other companies, and those companies,
called "MVNO's" (Mobile Virtual Network Operator),
may be easier to deal with. An example is
that Tracfone uses, among others, the AT&T
network. Tracfone sells their own phones
and provides their own customer service.
There are several others, mostly prepaid,
and we list the best of them on Alternative Networks.
TIP #16: NEED MORE MINUTES? JUST ASK!
One of the most common self-inflicted wounds
is running out of minutes before we run out
of month. In many cases the carriers will
be able to spot you a few minutes to help
you get through the tough times. As with
any call to customer Service, you might need
to press the issue. Don't use additional
"force", just use multiple pleas.
You might use the terms, "what can I
do?" instead of "what can you do?" The agent needs to look at your
records to see if you've been naughty or
nice. Don't expect to be given anything if
you're always asking. Quite often the request
for extra minutes for this month goes down a little easier when you
ask for a more expensive plan for next month.
Some carriers will change your plan retroactively, and some will now do it without a contract
extension. Often you can change back if your
circumstances change again.
TIP #17: DON'T CARRY 2 PHONES!
Some of us now have one wireless phone for
Personal use, and another for Work. Use Call
Forwarding from one to the other to keep
from carrying both all day. Even better,
use a form of "Conditional" Call
Forwarding and if you don't answer the first
phone within a few rings it Forwards to the
second, without needing to be programmed
each time you switch phones. And you could
Forward the second phone to your home or
office voice mail, or yet another cell phone's
voice mail. Some prepaid phones can be had
for less than $50 a year just to use their
voice mail.
TIP #18: LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE WHEN "ROAMING"
You're on vacation and want to check your
voice mail, but it won't work. If you are
roaming outside your network's service area
you may need to call your own number, instead.
Codes like "*VM" may not work while
roaming. If you're out of the country, a
certain dialing sequence is required. GSM
phones may decipher the sequence for you
by adding a "+" before the number,
but most likely, your phone book entries
won't work without adding the proper prefix.
Check your carrier's web site or customer
service for instructions on what to do if
you travel off their network.
TIP #19: GET A MORE "BUSINESSLIKE" PHONE
NUMBER FOR YOUR CELLULAR PHONE
When you place an ad in the newspaper, Yellow
Pages or your business card, often customers
know that's a cell phone number, making your
business look a little less 'legitimate.'
With "Number Portability" you can
fix that, although it's not free.
Contact your local wireline phone company
and order a real phone line. You can "install"
it wherever you'd like, some phone companies
will assign you a "virtual" phone
number that rings another. You won't have
many choices of a number, but choose one
with an "old" exchange people would
recognize, or one that you recognize as "businesslike". Then,
contact your cellular provider to "port"
your number from wireline to wireless. You
may need to establish a new wireless account,
but the wireless carrier will help you through
that. This action will cancel the wireline
for you. Don't do it yourself, but check
with the wireline later to make sure it terminated
properly. There are more tips for number portability here. Of, course, you could keep the new wireline
number and just forward the number to your
cell phone. This can be done with both actual
and virtual phone numbers.
You may need to pay for a certain amount
of wireline service, installation charges,
and go through the headache choosing a long
distance carrier, but in the end, you'll
look like you're in business at an 'established'
location.
TIP #20: MAKE YOUR PHONE ROAM (or NOT Roam) TO ACCESS
A STRONGER SIGNAL
There are different menu selections in some
phones that will help you change which network
the phone accesses. Some of these selections
are called "Mode" or "Network",
and they can be switched to "Cell Only",
"PCS Only," "Roam Only",
or similar, which may give you a different
network. There is also a "NAM"
or "Line" choice that will allow
you to program a different "Home"
network into the second, or main, "NAM"
(Number Address Module). You would change
the System ID (SID) for your own network
to the roaming network. We have a page with
a List of SID's. Hints on how to perform these changes can
be found by conducting an internet search.
TIP #21: CAN'T GET THE PLAN OR CARRIER YOU WANT IN
YOUR AREA? SIGN UP WITH A DIFFERENT ADDRESS, OR AT
WORK
Some carriers forbid this, but most don't
care. Sign up with an address of a friend
or relative in the area you'd like. Most
carriers will allow you to go "paperless"
and pay online or on the phone, and you won't
have a bill going to the friend's address.
You can also sign up with your work address
and get the bills there. this is very common.
Your employer also may have a discount deal
with certain carriers. See "Are You Special", above. Be aware that you might not
get a phone number local to your 'real' home.
If that's important, you can get an '800'
number. Expect to explain if most of your
calls are off the carrier's network. You
could even get bumped off as a customer.
TIP #22: GET A PROMOTIONAL PLAN AND A NEW PHONE AT
THE SAME TIME
Combine signing a new contract for a promotional
plan with getting a new phone at a promotional
price. Almost all carriers let you do both
for the same contract obligation, although
changing the plan usually only obligates
you to one additional year.
TIP #23: INTERNATIONAL WIRELESS LONG DISTANCE BARGAINS
Some carriers charge as much as .65 per minute
for Long Distance charges to foreign countries,
but you can make those calls for a few pennies
per minute, or FREE! Here are 2 great alternatives:
- TracFone customers get a toll-free number to call
and then enter their international number
and complete the call for FREE! You only
pay the TracFone per-minute air charges.
- Use any Prepaid calling card with lower rates. You can add the access
number to your wireless phone book, or
enter
the whole sequence with your frequently-called
numbers. Calls, for example, to Mexico, can be as low as .03 per minute, with no
monthly fees.
- Some carriers offer flat rate international
calls. For example, MetroPCS charges $5 a month for free calls to several
countries. Check the country list before
signing up.
