Wireless phone carriers are desperate and stabbing one another in the back. It’s a golden opportunity for you to save money.
In what industry experts say is unusually vicious competition, T-Mobile and Verizon recently started pitching personalized counteroffers to their competitors’ customers, which has sparked litigation and bickering. This holiday season, wireless companies have also been dangling sweeter deals on free or discounted smartphones.
It’s fresh evidence of an intensifying price war over cellphone customers. While inflation is uncomfortably high, prices are actually falling for wireless service, government figures show.
“It’s a perfect storm in wireless right now, and for a change it’s the consumer that is benefiting,” said Craig Moffett, an analyst with the investment research firm MoffettNathanson.
Shopping around for wireless service is awful. But the price war makes it worthwhile to consider switching your phone plan to cut your bills. Here’s how:
Start with this new website
Many people only reconsider their wireless plan when they want a new smartphone. If that’s you, try SaveOnWireless.com and pick “compare phone deals.”
Enter a few details and SaveOnWireless will crunch the complicated trade-in offers and discounts from the bigger wireless companies.
If you’re still paying off a smartphone from your cellphone company, the site will also assess carriers that will pay off what you owe if you switch.
SaveOnWireless is a sibling to the wireless comparison site Navi. While it’s not fun, I’d try both Navi’s price comparison tool and SaveOnWireless to research your options.
Cellphone plans have dizzying perks and different features, which makes comparison a pain.
You can also call your carrier and ask for the customer retention department. Ask, “What can you do to lower my monthly bill?” Read more on bill negotiation here.
What about the carriers’ price comparison tools?
Verizon and T-Mobile now have options to share your bill from other providers and get a personalized counteroffer. It’s a promising idea, but I don’t recommend these options yet.
Verizon’s “Bring your bill” lets AT&T and T-Mobile customers provide some information and share a digital copy of their bill to get competing Verizon offers.
A colleague who is a T-Mobile customer went through Verizon’s online process this week and was offered a Verizon store appointment — presumably for an in-person sales pitch. Who wants that? (Verizon didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
T-Mobile recently started a similar feature in its T-Life app called “Easy Switch,” aimed at AT&T and Verizon customers.
You can share a digital copy of your wireless bill from AT&T or Verizon, or details of your plan with those companies. T-Mobile said it will suggest better deals.
But a colleague who tried tried “Easy Switch” was recommended a T-Mobile plan that costs more than his current AT&T monthly bill. (T-Mobile said the pitch included added services such as streaming benefits and satellite connections that increase the value of the T-Mobile plan.)
AT&T has sued T-Mobile and said a prior Easy Switch feature was an unauthorized data grab. T-Mobile said that AT&T is using the court to limit people’s choices.
Consider a lower-cost carrier
You could be better off ditching T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon for a smaller and often far cheaper wireless company. Consumer Reports members who did so reported saving close to $500 a year.
I’ve used smaller mobile providers for years — first Google Fi and now Spectrum, the cable-and-internet provider that also sells mobile service in some cities like my hometown of New York. My monthly bill for “unlimited” data is now $30 a month including taxes and fees. I haven’t had any problems.
Price comparison tools like Navi won’t help you research smaller carriers. You’re mostly on your own.
Start by looking at your wireless bills or online account to check your monthly mobile data use. Light data users could save money on a lower-cost “unlimited” plan with a smaller data allowance or a plan that charges based on your data use.
Next, look at websites of smaller carriers with high customer satisfaction scores from Consumer Reports members, including US Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, Ting and Visible. If you’re buying internet from Xfinity or Spectrum, look at their mobile service plans, too.
Consumer Reports has useful tips on switching to smaller carriers. Navi also recommends which plans to pick for many of the smaller wireless companies.
The smaller providers probably won’t lavish you with perks like add-on subscriptions to Netflix. They may not offer discounts on a new smartphone or have in-person customer service.
But if your top priority is reliable mobile service for not much money, smaller carriers are worth a look.
Jonathan Baran and Chris Velazco contributed to this report.
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