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Cellcom knows from time to time you may have questions about your service or your wireless phone. So we have gathered a list of most frequently asked questions to assist you. If you don't find the answer or information you are looking for, please send us an e-mail, contact a Cellcom Customer Service Representative by calling 1-800-236-0055 or 611 (a free call from your wireless phone) or stop by one of our Retail Stores or Agent Locations.
| Account and Billing Information | |
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| 1. Why is my first bill so much more than what I thought it would be? |
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| A prorated service charge can be on your bill for more than one reason. The first reason may be if you are a new customer. We always bill wireless service one month in advance. In addition you are charged from the time you came in and signed up for service until the bill cycle starts over. That is the prorated portion of your bill, plus your next months charge for service in advance. |
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| 2. Is there a fee if I terminate my service before the end of my contract? |
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| An early termination fee may apply and, if applicable, may be reduced proportionately to the remaining months left in your contract. |
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| 3. Does Cellcom offer online bill pay? |
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| Cellcom does offer on-line bill pay through myCellcom.com. Simply click on the link to myCellcom in the upper right corner of this page to get started. myCellcom provides you with Internet access to make a one-time payment or establish a recurring payment using a credit/debit card or checking or savings account. Limitations do exist within myCellcom as to your ability to make payments. If registering as a Wireless User you will only be able to make a one-time payment. Account Owners have the ability to make one-time payments as well as set up recurring payments. Visit https://my.Cellcom.com today to register to pay your bills online. |
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| 5. What is roaming? |
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When you are outside of the Cellcom service area you are roaming. This means you are using another wireless carrier's equipment. The map that was included in your rate plan brochure indicates your service area. Depending upon the plan you chose, this might cover a portion of a state or several states. When you are outside of your rate plan area, you will see the charge as roaming fees.
Choose your rate plan carefully! It is possible for you to roam in your home area. For example, in Madison, your phone would show that you are roaming, even if your home area is the entire state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is because Cellcom does not have any towers in that area; you are roaming on a different carrier’s tower. In that case, since your rate plan includes the entire state of Wisconsin, you wouldn't be charged by Cellcom for roaming: Cellcom would pay the roaming fees for that carrier. |
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| 6. If I am moving out of the area, what do I do? |
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If your contract is past the term length: we will just need to have your forwarding address to mail you your final bill. In most cases it is much cheaper for both Cellcom and you to get service from a local provider in your new area.
If you are moving out of our service area and you have not met the term length of your contract: you will need to make agreements with a Cellcom customer service representative by calling 1-877-611-0009 . (This is a free call from your wireless phone.) |
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| 7. What happens if I forget to push the end key when I am finished with a call? |
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| If you forget to press the END key to terminate a call, usually the call will automatically disconnect when the other person hangs up. But occasionally the call could result in several extra minutes of use on your next bill, so you will want to make sure you always press end when you are finished talking. |
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| 8. What is the 411 Wireless Phone Directory? |
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| Qsent, Inc., on behalf of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) and some wireless providers, are creating a wireless phone directory. The customers of these carriers are the only subscribers that will be affected by this directory |
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| 9. Will Cellcom be participating in the 411 Wireless Phone Directory? |
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| No, Cellcom is not participating in the directory at this time. |
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| 10. Can a Cellcom number be listed in the 411 Wireless Phone Directory? |
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| Not at this time, Cellcom is not participating in the wireless phone directory. |
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| 11. What is the Do Not Call Registry and does my wireless number need to be on it? |
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| The Federal Trade Commission manages a Do Not Call list program. Under this program, individuals with landline phones can include their number on a list to provide protection from unwanted calls, mainly telemarketers. If you want to have your wireless number listed for the protections provided by these list, you can visit www.donotcall.gov to be listed on the national registry. You can also visit nocall.wisconsin.gov to add your wireless number to the State of Wisconsin registry. Wisconsin residents can sign up a wireless phone from any area code - even one from out of state - but must provide a Wisconsin zip code. Please remember that the 411 directory is not the same as the do not call registry. These are two separate issues. Cellcom at this time is not participating in the wireless 411 directory. |
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| 12. CPNI Information. |
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In accordance with the FCC Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules, beginning December 1, 2007, only the "financially responsible parties" and "authorized per contract individuals" will be able to receive any account information and/or make changes to your Cellcom account. The "financially responsible party" is the person who signed the service agreement. An 'authorized per contract' individual is someone you authorize to have access to your account. Either the "financially responsible parties" or "authorized per contract" individuals will be able to get information or make changes on this account provided they have the following information: - Name on the Account
- Last four digits of the financially responsible party's Social Security Number
- Password (if you have set one up on your account)
- Billing Address
- Photo ID (if inquiring on the account in person)
Following are Cellcom's CPNI forms that are required to be completed. Click on the appropriate link to access the form appropriate for your needs.
Request a Password Form (PDF)
Account Authorization Form - Personal (PDF)
Account Authorization Form - Business (PDF)
Account Authorization Removal Form (PDF)
If you have any questions regarding the new FCC CPNI rules please contact us at 1-800-935-4439 or via email at info@cellcom.com. |
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| 13. What are the two new fees that you will see on your phone bills during the Fall 2009? |
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Two new fees imposed by the state of Wisconsin will soon begin appearing on your wireless and/or landline phone bill.
The first fee is called the Police & Fire Protection Fee (P & FPF). This fee is part of Wisconsin's 2009-2011 biennial budget, which was signed into law on June 29, 2009. The seventy-five cent monthly fee for every landline and cell phone in Wisconsin, as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, is expected to generate about $100 million over the next two years.
The second fee is a state Universal Services Fund (USF) fee. The amount of this fee will be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2009. At the present time, it is expected that the state USF fee will be sixty-eight cents per line. This particular fee has been imposed on all landlines for the past several years, and therefore no new state USF fee will be added to phone bills for landlines in 2009. However, beginning in the fall of 2009, wireless phone lines will also be assessed the fee and will contribute to the state USF. This fee is separate from the federal USF fee, which currently appears on wireless and landline bills.
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| 14. Who is mandating the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee? |
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Both of the new fees are mandated by the state of Wisconsin. As telecommunications providers, Cellcom and Nsight Telservices are required to collect the fees by adding each fee to subscribers' bills and turn over 100 percent of the money collected to the state.
Cellcom and Nsight Telservices are not required to list the state-mandated fees separately on customer bills. However, we have chosen to break out the fees on our billing statements to help you gain a better understanding of why your phone bill(s) is increasing. |
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| 15. What is the monthly amount that will be paid for each phone line for the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee? |
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The P & FPF is seventy-five cents per month on each active retail voice line - landline, VoIP service and wireless - for the first 10 lines of service.
After the initial 10 lines, an eight-cent monthly fee will be charged for every additional line. For example, the monthly P & FPF for a customer will be:
• $7.50 for 10 lines
• $7.58 for 11 lines
• $7.66 for 12 lines
• $8.30 for 20 lines
• $8.54 for 23 lines
• $9.10 for 30 lines
The P & FPF applies to active retail voice lines only. It does not apply to nonvoice communications (data services) such as routers, mobile data cards and pagers. The state USF fee applies to active retail voice lines, as well as to pager lines. The state USF fee will not be a flat fee. The amount of the state USF fee will be a percentage of your wireless bill. |
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| 16. Do the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee apply to all landlines and all wireless phones? |
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The fees apply to all landlines, as well as service provided by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
In regard to wireless, the fees only apply to active retail voice lines. Data services, including routers, paging and mobile data cards, will not be affected by the fees.
However, the Wisconsin state USF fee applies to active retail voice lines, as well as to pager lines.
If you purchase a pre-paid phone, you will not see the P & FPF or the state USF. |
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| 17. When will the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee be implemented? |
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The P & FPF will be implemented on September 1. Therefore, you will see the new fee appear on your September phone bill(s).
The new state USF fee for wireless phone lines will be implemented effective November 1, 2009. |
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| 18. How will the funds generated by the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee be used? |
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According to the state, all funds generated by the P & FPF will go to a segregated fund within the state's general purpose fund, to be used for local and county municipal aid.
The state USF fees will go to a segregated fund within the general purpose fund. In the past eight years, Universal Service Funds have been diverted to the general fund and used for other purposes. |
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| 19. If I am part of a tax-exempt organization or a federal government account, will the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee be applied to my phone lines? |
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The P & FPF and state USF assessments are both fees and not taxes. Therefore, both fees will appear on a tax-exempt organization's landline, VoIP services and/or wireless bills.
There are two exceptions: Federal government accounts and connections provided for official use by sovereign tribes are not subject to the P & FPF. |
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| 20. Will I be taxed on the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee? |
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The P & FPF will not be included in calculating state or local sales taxes.
The state USF fee will be used in calculating state or local taxes. |
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| 21. Will the Lifeline plan be affected by the Police and Fire Protection Fee and State USF Fee? |
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| Yes, if you subscribe to the Lifeline plan, you will be assessed the same new fees as any other phone line. |
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