Best Buy Mobile Survey: Half of Consumers Don't Know Their Mobile Phone Contracts

Do you know when your mobile phone contract is up? According to a recent study by Best Buy Mobile, more than half of American mobile phone owners do not know the month and year when their current mobile phone contract expires. Also, only four in 10 say they received a reminder notice that their contract was about to expire.

Best Buy Mobile wants to help you understand your contract situation. They recently launched an Upgrade Checker campaign at www.BestBuy.com/Mobile that provides resources to help you make shopping decisions. Best Buy Mobile's free online Upgrade Checker application, www.bestbuymobile.com/upgradechecker, allows you to verify the status of your contract and opt-in to receive a reminder when your contract is due for renewal.

The survey also found that while nearly one in four shoppers (23 percent) made their mobile phone decision based on the device itself, 67 percent selected carriers as their main purchasing influence. One in 10 selected a mobile phone based on the operating platform, such as Google's Android or Apple's iPhone platforms.

Survey respondents also noted that they expect multimedia capabilities as a primary function, but content interests differ:

• 45 percent look for multimedia capabilities including music, video and camera
• 32 percent look for GPS navigation
• 29 percent want to replace landline phone
• 26 percent want to be able to access social networking sites
• 26 percent want to be Wi-Fi enabled
• 15 percent want to make eCommerce purchases from their mobile devices
• 15 percent want to be able to download a movie
• 14 percent want to be able to play games from their smart phone

"When it comes to mobile solutions available today, many consumers are not armed with the right information to truly get the most out of their mobile phone," said Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile. "We know that there are customers out there using mobile phones that are four and five years old when they could be using a smart phone. At Best Buy Mobile, we look out for our customers and help them navigate the wide array of choices to help them make an informed decision that fits their lifestyle."

Get more information on Best Buy Mobile at www.bestbuymobile.com.