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CNN Live At Daybreak
Dollars & Deals: Cell Phones
Aired October 31, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for 'Dollars & Deals' now. Do your cell phone bills have you screaming for relief? Those roaming charges can be scary. But thanks to our consumer guru, Clark Howard, you can dial up some savings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: Today's question comes from Betty in Danville, Iowa.
Betty, you need a new cell phone and the plans are so confusing, so many choices, so many companies, how do you choose?
Well I was so confused, look, I've got two cell phones. One wasn't enough. Actually, I have a good reason for having two. I'm on my cell phone hours a day and I've got one plan that gives me unlimited calling and another that allows me to travel all around the country.
That's the key. You have to figure out what your pattern of use is going to be. Is it all going to be local, is it going to be in a regional area or are you going to need a cell phone that works all around the country? Obviously the local only plans are by far the cheapest, the national ones the most expensive, the regionals in between.
As far as which plan is the best for you, there is no one right answer, because a lot depends on how much you are going to talk. Is your getting that cell phone day after day, are you going to go over your minutes?
I've got a great place for you to go on the Internet that will help you shop for rates for cell phones and also plans, it's called GetConnected.com. Check it out. See what various competitors are offering. And sometimes GetConnected will be about a half step behind what is available as a local promotion. Call your local cell phone provider and say hey, you got something else besides this, anything better than this?
And November 24, you're going to be able to take your cell phone number from company to company, at first in 70 percent of the country, by next year, all across the country. And the cell phone companies are going to make all kinds of deals this fall either to capture customers or to keep them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We'll be calling.
Clark will be back next Friday with more 'Dollars & Deals.' You can e-mail us your consumer questions, just visit our Web site, CNN.com/DAYBREAK. In the meantime, you can get Clark's money-saving tips on the Web, the address, ClarkHoward.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 31, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for 'Dollars & Deals' now. Do your cell phone bills have you screaming for relief? Those roaming charges can be scary. But thanks to our consumer guru, Clark Howard, you can dial up some savings.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARK HOWARD, CONSUMER ADVOCATE: Today's question comes from Betty in Danville, Iowa.
Betty, you need a new cell phone and the plans are so confusing, so many choices, so many companies, how do you choose?
Well I was so confused, look, I've got two cell phones. One wasn't enough. Actually, I have a good reason for having two. I'm on my cell phone hours a day and I've got one plan that gives me unlimited calling and another that allows me to travel all around the country.
That's the key. You have to figure out what your pattern of use is going to be. Is it all going to be local, is it going to be in a regional area or are you going to need a cell phone that works all around the country? Obviously the local only plans are by far the cheapest, the national ones the most expensive, the regionals in between.
As far as which plan is the best for you, there is no one right answer, because a lot depends on how much you are going to talk. Is your getting that cell phone day after day, are you going to go over your minutes?
I've got a great place for you to go on the Internet that will help you shop for rates for cell phones and also plans, it's called GetConnected.com. Check it out. See what various competitors are offering. And sometimes GetConnected will be about a half step behind what is available as a local promotion. Call your local cell phone provider and say hey, you got something else besides this, anything better than this?
And November 24, you're going to be able to take your cell phone number from company to company, at first in 70 percent of the country, by next year, all across the country. And the cell phone companies are going to make all kinds of deals this fall either to capture customers or to keep them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We'll be calling.
Clark will be back next Friday with more 'Dollars & Deals.' You can e-mail us your consumer questions, just visit our Web site, CNN.com/DAYBREAK. In the meantime, you can get Clark's money-saving tips on the Web, the address, ClarkHoward.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
