Back in 2010, U.S. Cellular surprised many of us by announcing 'The Belief Project' -- a new, novel policy that gave existing customers increased freedom by no longer requiring that they sign a contract for phone upgrades. Only an initial contract was required to be signed by new customers; after that, subscribers could upgrade contract-free indefinitely. At the time, this was unheard of as far as the 'Big Four' carriers were concerned.
Ironically, as other carriers begin to move away from subscriber contracts, U.S. Cellular has decided that contracts are the best way "to invest in improving our customer experience." Beginning later this month, any existing U.S. Cellular customers who use an available upgrade to purchase a subsidized device will be required to sign a 2-year service contract. Also changing is the '15-Day Excellence Guarantee' policy, with customers now being charged a $35 restocking fee when a device is returned within the initial 15 day period.
How do U.S. Cellular customers feel about these new (or old, depending on how you look at it) changes? Sound off in the comments.
Source: Engadget
