In a perfect world, phone carriers would offer amazing deals that are genuinely fair and beneficial to you. We don’t live in a perfect world. Carriers are always trying to rope you in with a deal that sounds too good to be true—these are the things you should keep in mind about such deals.
Genuinely Good Deals Do Exist
Before we begin, let me be clear—every good deal a carrier offers you is not a trap. There is such a thing as genuinely good deals. You should scrutinize the deals you are offered to make sure they are actually good for you, but don’t assume that you’re being played every single time just because you’re seeing a good offer. A healthy degree of skepticism is not the same thing as being outright paranoid.
That said, carriers are trying to make money off of you. Their primary goal is to make a profit. Sometimes, they’ll do this by offering you a fair shake because they want to retain customers by treating them well. Other times, they’ll try to take advantage of you. While not all good deals are a sham, plenty of them are. It’s up to you to determine which is which by keeping an eye out for red flags and doing an appropriate amount of research.
Common Offers That Are Often Too Good to be True
When considering offers that may be too good to be true, there are a few tactics that carriers heavily rely on, such as unrealistically low monthly rates. Affordable plans do exist, but rates that are significantly lower than the industry average should make you suspicious. These plans often come with hidden, poorly advertised limitations, such as reduced data speeds after a certain usage threshold or restrictions on network access.
Deals that offer free or heavily discounted phones are a common tactic as well. They appear favorable on the surface, but these cheaply acquired devices are often locked into lengthy contracts or require trade-ins that aren’t actually giving you much value for your older phone. You could usually get more out of a trade-in phone outside of a misleading deal like that, which is just trying to rope you in.
You should also be wary of plans that offer unlimited data at a surprisingly low price. Unlimited data plans are becoming very common, even for cheaper plans. However, you still need to double-check for hidden limitations, such as throttled data speeds after a certain point or the absence of features like hotspot usage or international roaming. Offers such as these are designed to look appealing at a glance, but you have to dig deeper to make sure they’re truly as good as they sound.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
When evaluating how good a deal truly is, there are a few red flags to watch out for. The most obvious is the presence of asterisks or fine print, which often hide the true costs of a plan that sounds good on the surface. For example, a low monthly rate might only apply for the first few months before jumping to a much higher rate. This information may be minimized in fine print somewhere, so you don’t notice it as easily.
Make sure to read the fine print…
Hidden fees and surcharges are common, too. Many carriers advertise low base rates but tack on additional charges they don’t tell you about upfront, such as administrative costs, regulatory fees, administrative costs, or network access fees. Depending on how expensive these fees are, they can stack up quickly, transforming a deal that seemed good into a really long and costly commitment.
Finally, beware of long contracts. While they may come with some appealing upfront perks, they can also lock you into a plan that becomes outdated or overpriced as new offers emerge. You should always read the fine print and get a full breakdown of costs before committing to any deal. Once you sign a contract, you can’t say, “I didn’t see that part,” to get out of it.
The Importance of Research
Before signing up for any carrier deal, you’ve got to do your research, starting with the carrier’s reputation. Look for reviews from current and former customers and pay particular attention to negative reviews about billing practices, customer service, and network reliability. No matter how good a deal may sound on paper, it’s probably not worth it if the carrier has a bad reputation in your area.
You also need to compare the deal you’re considering to other deals from other carriers. If one carrier’s offer seems significantly better than the rest, there’s probably a reason. There are comparison tools and websites you can use to evaluate an offer, accounting for things like data limits, network coverage, and additional perks. Don’t forget to consider your own usage habits and whether or not they fit the plan you’re looking at as well. Unlimited data is only a great perk if you actually need it, for instance.
Common Scams to Be Aware Of
Legitimate carriers sometimes offer unfavorable deals under an appealing guise. But there are also plenty of scammers out there that merely pretend to offer good plans, with the goal of actually cheating you out of your money. For example, phishing websites that mimic legitimate carrier sites often advertise unbelievably good deals, aiming to lure customers into providing personal and financial information. Always make sure you’re actually on an official company website before putting in personal information.
Real carries can do some shady things too though, such as a bait-and-switch. This is when a carrier advertises a deal, but tries to upsell you on a more expensive plan once you’re actually trying to buy. They might claim that the advertised deal is no longer available or that it doesn’t include the features you need. Always insist on getting the deal that was advertised, and walk away if they won’t give it to you.
Ask the Right Questions
When judging the true value of an offered deal, you need to ask the right questions. What is the total cost of the plan over its entire duration, including any fees or surcharges? How long are you locked into the contract? What are the penalties for early termination? Are there any restrictions on data usage or network access? These are things you want to know before you start signing anything.
It’s also important to ask about the specifics of any promotional offers. How long do they last? What happens when they expire? Will the price of the plan increase, and if so, by how much? Don’t forget to ask the carrier about their policy on price changes, too. They often reserve the right to increase prices during the contract period, which can turn a good deal into a bad one at any time.
Ultimately, there are many ways to tell if a carrier deal is too good to be true, but it all falls on you as the customer to carry out your due diligence. Sometimes, a deal really is as good as it sounds, but just as often, there are hidden considerations that aren’t obvious unless you go looking for them. If you want to make sure you don’t get taken for a ride, always do your homework and assume that there’s a catch to a good deal.
