{Unlock Cell Phones}

A one year cell phone warranty is included with every mobile phone you purchase new. If you purchased the cell phone used directly from the cell phone company or received it through warranty exchange or the insurance replacement program it has a 30-90 day warranty dependent on your cell phone company.

Your cell phone warranty covers manufacturer defect. So what exactly is considered 'manufacturer defect'? A phone that is less than 1 year old and was purchased new from the direct cell phone company i.e. ATT Wireless, T-Mobile or an Authorized Dealer or Retailer, that displays one or more of the following problems:

* The speaker is not working or the microphone is not working (I can't hear the caller or the caller can't hear me)

* The phone will not charge because the charging port is loose from daily wear and tear and is not physically broken because you jammed your charger repeatedly into the charging slot 'upside down'

* The battery dies quickly (within 1 hour of a full charge) or constantly reads low battery no matter how long you have had it on the charger.

* The phone screen is faint or blank (usually you would notice this as soon as you open your new phone). Otherwise it is generally a result of water damage.

* The internal antenna is broken therefore even after you activated your phone it still receives no service even though you are in a service area

*Charger doesn't work, meaning there is no indicator.

* If you have a phone with a manufacturer defect and the problem occurs within the cell phone warranty period the cell phone company will replace the cell phone through the warranty program at no charge.

In order to start a warranty exchange request the first thing you will need to is contact customer care to get the process started.

How to Make A Warranty Exchange Request:

1. You call the company and tell them you are having a problem with your phone and believe that it is a cell phone warranty issue

2. The representative will walk you through a series of pre qualifying questions and manual phone tests.

3. If the problem is deemed a warranty issue they will transfer you to their warranty exchange department

4. The representative will repeat many of the questions from the initial customer care representative and walk you through a series of pre qualifying questions and manual phone tests.

5. They will have you read some numbers off the back of your phone or battery, as this is how they determine that (1) The equipment you are calling about is what is shown in their system (2) Your issue is under the cell phone warranty which can be determined by the number and letter sequence on your serial number

6. After determining that your phone qualifies under the warranty exchange program they will mail you a replacement phone first with a mailer (may or may not be pre-paid dependent on your carrier).

7. You will have about 5-7 days to get the defective cell phone back without having your bill charged for it (they will provide you with the actual time period before they ship out the device.

8. You will receive what they call a 'transceiver only' which is the phone with no battery.

9. If the carrier gets the device back and it is physically damaged or something is wrong with it other than what you stated, they will charge your bill a fee that is equivalent of buying a refurbished phone. Either way you always keep the device they sent you and they will always keep the device you sent them, repair it and often recycle back into their own warranty replacement or insurance pool dependent on the age of the device and the problem.

Note: The carrier direct (i.e. ATT Wireless, Verizon Wireless) handles warranty exchanges for phones and hardware.

The manufacturer (i.e. Motorola, Nokia, Plantronics) handles warranty exchanges for accessories, such as bluetooth headsets, wall chargers and batteries.

By: Shonika Proctor

Cell phone location tracking is a controversial subject for many people. Everyone that calls 911 for emergency assistance is certainly in favor of having the emergency dispatcher know exactly where to send help. However most of us feel uneasy not knowing who is monitoring our location and for what purposes. It is generally accepted that you have the right to monitor the location of any cell phone you own either as an individual or as a business. Beyond this point gathering cell phone location tracking information enters a gray area.

Law enforcement agencies do routinely seek warrants for the purpose of tracking the location of cell phones. These warrants are supposed to be supported by sound probable cause sworn before a magistrate or judge. However it appears that up to recently the constitutional protections of the 4th amendment have been abused by many law enforcement agencies. When properly used, cell phone location tracking is a powerful tool for law enforcement.

New technology allows 911 emergency dispatchers and cell phone companies to locate just about any phone to within 200 to 300 feet. In accordance with FCC E911 regulations all new cell phones must have GPS technology built into the phone. These GPS chip sets greatly enhance the cell phone location tracking accuracy. It is not uncommon to expect location accuracy to be less than 30 feet in an outdoor environment. Infrastructure in terms of building and bridges as well as some natural terrain features will degrade this accuracy to some extent. Never the less you can be relatively sure that the location of just about any cell phone with the new GPS chip set can be found.

Recently several companies have emerged that will for a fee locate just about any cell phone. This service is used by bail bondsmen, parents, spouses looking for a cheating partner and private investigators. This has many privacy advocates crying foul. In addition some phone companies are also offering cell phone location tracking to their subscribers for a reasonable monthly fee. You simply log on to the service with your computer and download the location and mapping information.

Privacy policies of most phone carriers limit access to cell phone location tracking information to the individuals and business that own the phones. If you are using an employer owned phone then that employer has the right to monitor all aspects of the phones use. This includes where the phone is being used and for what purposes. Normally the tracking feature on cell phones is only available when the cell phone is turned on. You can in most cases prevent tracking by simply turning it off and or removing the battery. However to prevent criminals from doing this some cell phones have hidden back batteries that continue to give cell phone tracking information without the battery being installed.

The new tracking requirements of the FCC E911 regulations has already proven to save lives during emergencies. However the use of cell phone location tracking information in non emergency situations has many people worried about the loss of their privacy.

By: Jim Kesel

Alltel is one of several major US wireless companies providing cell phone plans with nationwide coverage. Although well established, names like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile are better known, if for no other reason than their active television and internet marketing campaigns.

Consumers considering Alltel cell phone plans will have a good selection of phones from which to choose, including a variety of Blackberry, Motorola RAZR, Moto Q, Palm Treo, and poplar LG models. Alltel offers the full range of Individual, Family and Prepaid cell phone plans.

Alltel's individual cell phone plans start as low as $39.99 with a basic National Freedom plan, which allows 500 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling, the My Circle feature, and free nationwide long distance in available areas. Alltel's My Circle feature gives users free calling for 10 numbers which can be on any network, anywhere in the US, at any time. Such calls do not subtract from the available anytime minutes in the plan.

Although the coverage area is broad, coverage appears to be best in the southeast and very sparse in Alaska, Maine and in small areas throughout the western US. In addition, nationwide roaming charges of 59 cents per minute are incurred in certain pockets of the country, so verifying coverage before committing to a plan is wise.

Alltel's cell phone plans also include choices with greater long distance options however. For instance, their North American Freedom plans offer no roaming for calls in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, and calls to those countries are toll-free.

Alltel's family cell phone plans allow users to pick up additional lines for as low as $9.99 per month. Again, the family cell phone plans start as low as $39.99 with a single line and move upwards to $199.99. Plans such as the My Circle Family Premier Plan offer a free second line, in addition to 2200 anytime minutes and unlimited nights and weekends, mobile-to-mobile calling, and unlimited texting for $139.99.

Their Prepaid cell phone plans run either pay-per-day, pay-per-month, or pay-per-minute. The pay-per-day plans feature anytime minutes at 10 cents per minute, text messaging at 10 cents per minute, picture messaging at 25 cents per minute, and nationwide roaming at 59 cents per minute. Users get 2 features at 75 cents per day, 3 features for $1.00 a day, or 4 features for $1.25 per day.

The pay-per-month prepaid plans are a bit more straightforward. They offer 2oo anytime minutes and 1000 night and weekend minutes for $29.99 per month, 400 anytime minutes and 2000 night and weekend minutes for $39.99 per month, or 700 anytime minutes, unlimited night and weekend, mobile to mobile calling, and text messaging all for $69.99 per month.

For pure simplicity, the pay per minute plan charges 15 cents per minute on all calls. All prepaid cell phone plans at Alltel can be paid by credit card via the phone or online or through a replenishment card which can be purchased at a variety of locations including Wal-Mart.

As anyone with a cell phone plan knows, tracking usage can be important to avoid the expense of using out of plan minutes. Tracking the usage of minutes and text messaging is simple via phone, text message, or online. The Alltel site provides easy-to-understand instructions on everything from how to block unwanted calls to how to activate the No Answer Transfer feature to roll unanswered call to another number. Certainly, Alltel offers the full range of features for wireless customers. Text messaging, TV, Radio, video, and other services are all available.

A final consideration for many consumers is customer service. JDPower.com offers customer satisfaction survey results from recent surveys for public viewing on their website. In looking at their published results it appears that Alltel generally falls in the "about average" category for prepaid and more traditional cell phone plans although they took top honors in the southeast for call quality, billing, and service options.

By: Christine Peppler