Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.
Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Honoring Our Fallen Heros
Today I honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. May you rest in peace.
Friday, May 21, 2010
What's wrong with cell phone contracts
AT&T announced today their plans to significantly raise their early termination fees (ETF) on smart phones. Of course, this is messed up! Now they claim that they have these fees to recoup the cost they incur by subsidizing the cost of the phone to make them more affordable for consumers. The truth, of course, is that they're just money hungry and they prey on our insatiable need for the latest gadget. I don't begrudge them their right to make money but customers are supposed to come first.
There are two simple options the cell phone companies could employ to make the ETF more reasonable and fair to consumers.
Option 1
This option involves a bit of calculation. The cost of the subsidy plus a reasonable profit margin (10%) = the ETF. Furthermore, the ETF is then divided by the term of the contract and for each month completed, that amount is subtracted.
So, let's say you complete 9 months of your contract and you've had enough. Your early termination fee would be $218.75
This option is really an extension of the firstTake the phone back. AT&T can refurbish and resell that same phone for $150. It costs maybe $50 on average to refurb the phone. So, give the consumer a $50 credit for the phone, which comes off the top of the ETF. Additionally, the phone company gets to make another $50 on the phone.
This isn't rocket science.
There are two simple options the cell phone companies could employ to make the ETF more reasonable and fair to consumers.
Option 1
This option involves a bit of calculation. The cost of the subsidy plus a reasonable profit margin (10%) = the ETF. Furthermore, the ETF is then divided by the term of the contract and for each month completed, that amount is subtracted.| Here's an example | |
|---|---|
| AT&T's Cost to Apple | $500 |
| Phone's cost to Consmuer | $200 |
| Subsidy paid by AT&T | $300 |
| Reasonable Profit | $50 |
| Total Subsidy/ETF | $350 |
| Amount deducted each month of a 24 month contract | $14.58 |
So, let's say you complete 9 months of your contract and you've had enough. Your early termination fee would be $218.75
Option 2
This option is really an extension of the firstTake the phone back. AT&T can refurbish and resell that same phone for $150. It costs maybe $50 on average to refurb the phone. So, give the consumer a $50 credit for the phone, which comes off the top of the ETF. Additionally, the phone company gets to make another $50 on the phone.
This isn't rocket science.
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