This guide is to assist you in canceling a cell phone contract without having to pay an early termination fee. Cell phone contracts are a HUGE pain to cancel and most consumers are stuck with a bill that they think they MUST pay or else. You have other options. If I save just one person, then this page is worth my time. If you love your cell phone and can't live without the service, then this page is not for you. If you have already fulfilled your contractual agreement, then canceling is easy and this page is not for you.

For those of you who are stuck in a contract and no longer wish to keep your cell phone service, you are in the right place. For whatever reason, you CAN cancel your contract without paying a fee.

Early termination fees can be around $200 and a serious dent in your wallet! Before calling your cell phone company to cancel your contract, let's go over some strategies.

First, get your facts together. You want to be organized and confident. Service representative can sniff out nice people whom they can push into continuing their service or pay the fee. Be prepared to fight for what you want.

When you call your cell phone company, take notes. You want to list names, the date and time you called.

Are you quitting because of poor service? If so, explain this to the service representative. Then say, I want to quit my cell phone service and I would like you to waive my early termination fee. It is a bold move and you MUST sound confident when you say it. If they refuse, then ask to speak to their supervisor. Go through the whole scenario again with that supervisor. Most of the time, supervisors are the only people who can terminate your contract and waive your fee. I would ask for the supervisor right away, however the first agent will insist you explain your whole story to him first so there is no avoiding it. You will probably retell your story several times so be prepared.

If your service was poor and they still refuse to waive your early termination fee, then calmly let them know that you intend to write to their company headquarters. Ask for the address. Let them know that you also plan to complain to the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the State Attorney Generals Office. If this did not scare them into action, then get off the phone and follow through. Create a paper trail and be sure to note the representative names, dates, times on your complaints.

I like this quote and use it often with any company with whom I want a refund or fee waived, I know you want a satisfied customer rather than one who would tell 10 friends about this bad experience.

Never lose your temper! I can't stress this enough. Be persistent, confident and cool. I spent an hour on the phone canceling my mother’s cell phone contract. I went from one supervisor to the next and eventually got the fee waived. Be prepared to spend time on the phone. Eventually they will give you what you want just to get off the phone with you. If not, then start on those complaints because the battle is not over. You can still win!