The U.S. Federal Communications Commission should abolish early-termination fees because they're unfair to customers, two mobile phone customers and a state regulator said Thursday.
Early-termination fees, or ETFs, charged by wireless carriers are "unique and frankly predatory," Molly White, a corporate consultant from Portland, Oregon, told the FCC.
"I do not sign time-sensitive contracts and agree to early termination fees with any other utility with whom I do business," said White, who had to pay an ETF for her personal phone service when former employer Nike provided a mobile phone to her. "The cellular industry appears to have built an elaborate system of additional fees, early termination clauses and hardware purchase requirements, all with the intentional appearance of offering the consumer, me, a deal, while ultimately locking me into a long-term service agreement."
