2torial #0639:
Learn2 Choose a Pager (continued)

Pick a plan

When you're comparing two or more plans, crunch a few numbers. If it helps, make a chart listing the services you know you want, and use it to compare the plans. These are the standard components of a plan:

Equipment. How much does the type of pager you want cost? Can you rent or lease the pager? Are any specials offered, such as pager trade-ins or discounts?

Service charge. This is the monthly or other prepaid cost for coverage and connection, according to your contract. It usually contains a "usage allowance" of several hundred messages, or several thousand characters, per month. Contracts typically require you to commit to 6 to 12 months of service.

Activation. This is a one-time fee when you start your service. Other activation fees may accrue when you change your service: Ask up front what and how much they are.

Overcalls. This is the per-message or per-character charge once you exceed your usage allowance.

Termination. Providers routinely charge rather hefty fees if you break your contract before it's expired. Ask if this fee is waived if you back out during the first 30 days of the contract--it should be.

Extras. Pager companies are eager to sell you any number of products and services at additional per-month and/or per-message rates. The list of such services never stops growing, but here are some of the more common ones:

• Voicemail and other message storage

• Roaming

• Operator dispatch

• Personal toll-free phone number

• Guaranteed message delivery (your pages are retransmitted until you receive them)

• Fax, email, and software support

• Group messaging (sending the same page to several people at once)

• Internet information services (such as stock quotes, sports scores, and weather and news reports)

Hidden costs. Ask to see the service agreement (separate from the equipment warranty) while you're still weighing several plans. Read it carefully and ask your salesperson about any parts that aren't clear.