Two days and counting until we leave for Argentina. As a Type A planner, I’d counted on having everything ready to go by now, but we’re still busy with last minute preparations. Besides making copies of our important documents, finishing laundry, and testing out our new Pacsafe (very cool, by the way), I’ve been working on canceling my AT&T cell phone service. I thought it would take 15 minutes, but it’s been a long process — in part because I was being indecisive.

But because of my indecisiveness, I have a great tip about how to suspend AT&T service. Here’s the background.

We’ll be traveling internationally for four months. I have no desire to pay $50/month for a service I won’t be using, but because I’ve had the same phone number for 5 years, I’m hesitant to cancel the plan.

So 4 weeks ago — when I thought I’d have to give 30 days notice on everything — I called AT&T to tell them I wanted to find out about suspending my service. The nice man at customer service told me that, unlike other service providers who charge about $5-10 month to suspend your service and keep your phone number, AT&T doesn’t give you that option. Well, actually he said, “You can ’suspend’ your service, but you still have to pay your regular fee.” Hold on a minute — so I’d be paying $50/month for no minutes? No thanks. Then he told me I could cancel at any time and didn’t have to give any sort of notice.

photo credit: Flyinace2000

I stalled for a few more weeks. I called again a week ago and said I wanted to cancel my service at the end of the billing period. When I explained my situation this time, I was told they could drop my rate to $30/month and they would give me one month free. It was a little tempting so I told them I would think about it.

I did, but I decided $90 just to keep a phone number was too much money.

I called back this morning. Fully prepared to cancel my service, I again explained the situation to the customer service representative.

After trying to get me to sign up for their international service (I’m trying to save money here not spend it) she told me she could drop the plan to $20/month. That would give me 50 minutes/month and I could keep the number. But $80 for something I wouldn’t use? I told her no thanks.

And finally the offer that got me: The representative told me I can roll my phone plan over to a “Go Plan,” so that I could pay as I go and buy the minimum of $25 worth of minutes. Since I won’t be using the minutes it will only cost $25. As long as I either renew the service or use some of the minutes within 90 days (easy enough since we’ll be in the U.S. over Christmas), I can keep my number. When I return to the States I can roll it back over to a regular AT&T plan.

I took the deal. To me, $25 is worth it to keep my number. It only took three phone calls and two hours on the phone to decipher the AT&T sales pitch, but I think I go the best deal.

So for all AT&T customers out there, next time you’re taking an extended trip, I highly recommended looking into switching to a pay as you go plan. If you don’t have AT&T, ask your service provider if they offer a pay as you go option. It can save you a lot of money.

Now onto the next thing on the to do list…