What things can you haggle when signing up for a cell phone plan?

You can usually haggle when you've been with the company for a few years.Firebrace

like what kind of haggles? I have been with US Cellular for a couple years.

I want to sign up for a phone plan and was wondering what things I could try and get a deal on. Like a waived system access fee and stuff like that. I'm looking at getting the iphone and there is a 6gb data option for $30. Could I ask for 3gb for $15.hotmustard

I used to work for Cingular back when they were still Cingular. I don't know how other cell phone companies work, but that's not possible with Cingular (or at least, WASN'T possible).

See, the computer system that we used to put customers on a plan had a list of available plans, with a price attached. If a certain plan costs a certain amount of money, putting that plan into effect AUTOMATICALLY charged the customer a set amount of money. You can't give them the same plan for a different price without adding a new plan into the system, with a different price attached to it.

Now granted, it may be possible to do that...but you're gonna need a damn good reason for someone to add a new plan into the system.

Alternatively, there are plans that are similar to normal plans, but with lower prices. These plans typically have some kind of code next to them, indicating that they are government or business discounts, or something like that. Someone COULD hypothetically give you a discount this way, by signing you up for a discounted plan that you're not supposed to get. Still...good luck getting someone to do that for you. If a customer were to put you on a business discount plan when you are not eligible for the discount...that's instant termination. And the system was set up to provide pretty thorough documentation of which service representative/agent did what.

Customer service reps had authorization to waive charges up to a certain amount. As in, if you're threatening to cancel, we might be able to waive one month's charges if it's less than x amount of dollars. But as far as getting a $60 plan for $30, forget about it. Not gonna happen.

Now, that said, this was back before Cingular was AT&T. So I can't say what AT&T is like. I also can't tell you what other phone companies are capable of doing. I'm just telling you that before you start being a total jerk in an attempt to get them to give you free money, be aware that they very may not be ABLE to give you a certain plan for a lower price. It might not only be against company policy, it might also be IMPOSSIBLE.

I doubt they will do that

When I renewed my contract I said another service provider was offering me free texts for £5 less a month, so they met that and I now have unlimited texts.