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Consumer Cellular Celebrates 18th Month of Usage Alerts Program

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Posted October 19, 2011

On Same Day Other Carriers Announced Future Plans to Curb Bill Shock, Company Announces it has Already Saved Customers $9 Million

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Consumer Cellular (www.consumercellular.com), the number one rated no-contract cellphone plan provider, celebrated 18 months of their complimentary Usage Alerts program by announcing their customers had saved more than $9 million since April 2010. The announcement comes as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other major wireless carriers announced plans to begin voluntary usage alerts programs by April 2013.

“This gesture from the other carriers is long overdue, although it doesn’t go far enough and, for many consumers, won’t be soon enough,” said Consumer Cellular CEO John Marick. “More and more wireless customers are fed up with surprise charges and uncertainty surrounding how they can use their cellphones and plans. We made an early commitment to our customers to be transparent about their voice, text and data usage and offer them no-contract and penalty-free alternatives to scale up or scale back their plans.”

Launched in April 2010, Consumer Cellular’s Usage Alerts are a complimentary service that notifies customers before they exceed their monthly cellphone data or voice allotment, ensuring that no one incurs unexpected overage fees. Some of the unique features of Consumer Cellular’s program that are not part of the proposed programs from other major carriers include:

  • Automatic enrollment into the free alerts program with the ability to opt out;
  • Recommended next steps (including retroactive, penalty-free plan changes) given the level of activity and projected use for the particular billing cycle;
  • An easy way to implement that recommendation; and
  • The ability to switch back to the old cellphone plan or maintain a new plan at any time without penalty or contracts.

Since the program launched in April 2010:

  • More than 99% of Consumer Cellular’s customers have opted to keep the service, saving more than $9 million;
  • More than 55 percent of Consumer Cellular customers have received Usage Alerts; and
  • More than 26 percent of Consumer Cellular customers have updated their rate plans through the program.

About Consumer Cellular

Consumer Cellular is the exclusive cellphone plan provider for AARP members and a top-rated carrier that provides no contract cellphone plans and service to those 50+. Founded in 1995 on the belief that everyone should have affordable access to the safety and convenience of cellular service, Consumer Cellular is privately held with more than 400 employees. The Portland, Ore.-based company utilizes the nation's largest voice and data network, covering more than 296 million people - or 97 percent of the U.S. population. Consumer Cellular’s cellphones and plans are sold nationwide at leading retailers such as Sears and RadioShack dealer franchise locations, as well as direct to consumers at www.consumercellular.com or 800-686-4460. The company has been ranked on the Inc. 5000 List for three years in a row. For cellphone tutorials, features, applications and company news, connect with Consumer Cellular on Facebook.com/consumercellular, Twitter.com/consumer_cell and YouTube.com/consumercellular.



CONTACT:

LANE PR
Angie Galimanis, 503-546-7871
Angie@lanepr.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Oregon

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Technology  Consumer Electronics  Networks  Telecommunications  Mobile/Wireless

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