HAVE YOU TAKEN

a good look at your cellphone bill lately? You just might be getting hit with some wacky fees that can really add up over time.

Case in point: In September, Cingular Wireless began charging customers $4.99 a month for using older TDMA and analog cellphones, as the company phases out that technology and replaces it with GSM. In other words, not being cool could cost you an extra $60 a year. (This affects 8% of their customers about 4.7 million subscribers.)

Fact is, no matter which provider you use, you'll encounter plenty of miscellaneous taxes, fees and surcharges, padding your bill by as much as 20%. "Cellphone companies are almost as creative as credit-card companies at finding new ways to charge people," says Beth McConnell, director for the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocate. Here are five sneaky ones to watch out for:

1. New Handset Fees

So you finally decide to pull the trigger and get that RAZR handset. Be prepared to pay a fee for your switch, in addition to whatever you pay for the phone. "It's under the auspices of upgrading your account information," says McConnell. (Click here to see which providers charge what.) The good news? This is one charge you may be able to get removed with a quick call to customer service.

2. Premium Content Fees

"One of the remaining cases is tonight's lucky case." When consumers hear that pitch on the popular game show "Deal or No Deal," they can send a text message with their guess Case 1? Or maybe Case 6? for a chance to win $10,000.

It may seem like harmless fun, but it isn't cheap. On top of the fees you'll pay to your cellphone provider for sending a text, many shows charge a so-called premium content fee, says Edgar Dworsky, editor of Mouse Print, a consumer-advocacy site. The fee could be per message (celebrity gossip show "The Insider" charges 49 cents; "Deal or No Deal," 99 cents) or per month (fans of reality show "Big Brother" cough up $5.99 to subscribe). Avoiding these fees is simple: Read the fine print before you whip out your phone.

3. Early Termination Fees

If you doubt you're a valued customer with your current cellphone provider, well, just try to leave. Consumers paid more than $2.5 billion in early-termination fees from 2002 to 2004, according to the Public Interest Research Groups. Depending on your provider, where you purchased your phone and the length of time left on your contract, such fees can easily add up to $240 or more.

Ditching this fee is no simple feat, says Ben Popken, editor for Consumerist, a consumer-advocacy site. "You've got to put your warrior gaze on," he says. "This is not an easy customer service call." Early-termination fees are built into the contract, so success hinges on convincing your provider that it isn't holding up its end of the bargain. Think dropped calls, poor coverage, fee increases, voicemail delays anything that speaks to lackluster service. Then be prepared to work your way up the customer-service ladder.

You might also try finding someone to take over your contract. Sites like Celltradeusa.com let users list their contract "for sale" for a $19.99 registration fee. You work out a takeover arrangement with an interested buyer, notify your current provider and then walk away fee-free. Click here for more details.

4. Data-Storage Fees

You've got your mom, your boss, your dentist and pretty much everyone who matters to you on speed dial. The thought of losing all those important numbers as well as any appointments or messages in your phone is nothing short of horrifying. Lose or break your phone, and you're lost. But paying for a cellphone backup service is a pricey alternative to the 'ol paper Rolodex. Back-up plans from Sprint and Verizon are $2 a month, while Cingular charges $5.

To sidestep these fees, consider Yahoo Mobile Services Contact Back-Up. It works with SyncML-compatible phones from Cingular and T-Mobile. The service is free. However, you'll pay a small fee (about 25 cents per 25 contacts transferred) for the data transfer if you don't subscribe to your provider's data plan.

5. Roaming Fees

Thought roaming fees went the way of the dinosaur once national calling plans were set up? Think again. "Nationwide doesn't necessarily mean nationwide," warns McConnell. You'll still pay roaming if you're in an area where your provider doesn't have many, or any, service towers. Consumers in Crescent City, Calif., for example, are always roaming if they opt for service with

. Depending on your provider and your plan, roaming fees could be as high as $1.95 to $2.95 per minute.

Most phones let you control your ability to roam, so check your menu for "roam modes." Set your phone to "network only" to prevent roaming. Sprint/Nextel also offers a call guard feature, which keeps your phone ready for incoming or outgoing calls, but warns you when roaming charges will apply.

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