Am I at the mercy of my land-line phone provider?

[advance6]

I am 67 years old and retired. Recently I wanted to stop my land-line service, which costs an outrageous $82 per month, and switch to a much cheaper cellular service. So, when I requested my number be transferred to the cellular service, my land-line provider delivered to me a certified letter stating that I was under contract until Feb 2017 and would need to provide them with $246 for an early service exit.

What? I signed a 15 year contract for my home phone?! I don't think so.

This company has raised rates constantly. Their service record, as I searched for online, is deplorable. This all seems like a merger-acquisitions money grab to me (the company was an m/a startup, years back). What say you out there? And what's my best, next move?

I have not as yet been invoiced officially by them but have tried to call the number provided in the certified letter to no avail. I just get an answering machine.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[ShyCat]

U.S. law only.

 

[advance6]

US only, yes

Have you help for me?

 

[Zigner]

Have you help for me?

What US state are you in?

 

[FlyingRon]

Presuming you are in the US, go to FCC.GOV and select FILE A COMPLAINT link on the sidebar and fill it out.

 

[advance6]

NY State

I am in upstate New York.

 

[xylene]

Call Chuck Schumer

 

[tranquility]

I suspect the claim will be the OP said "yes" in some recorded conversation with an annoying agent of the phone company.

Annoying agent: "Would you like to save money on your phone bill? I have a plan."
OP: "Sure".

New contract. Is it enforceable? Maybe. There is certainly an argument it is or is not.

 

[single317dad]

My local phone co-op just locked me into another 2-year contract. Any time I change anything to do with my internet service, I have to sign a new contract. The "telephone" service doesn't even run over the copper wire anymore, but it's still a requirement to maintain phone service to have internet (co-op bylaws). So, it's entirely plausible that there's a contract in place. If there is, you should have a copy of it somewhere.