Lowering Your Cable/Satellite Bill
How to Negotiate a Better Beal on Cable or Satellite
Whether you have cable, Dish Network or Direct TV, you can save money by negotiating with your current provider or shopping around for another one.
There’s nothing like channel surfing among hundreds of programs, unless you’re paying hundreds of dollars every month for the chance to watch a sport you can’t even follow or a foreign language channel you don’t have subtitles for.
How to Get a Better Deal on Cable or Satellite
- Negotiate with your provider. If your mailbox is flooded with offers from the competition, let your cable or satellite provider know. If they think you’ll jump ship, they’re likely to sweeten the deal-- extra channels (like you really need that) or a lower payment. A lot of times you’ll get the incentive package new customers are receiving. But beware, those promotions only last for a short time, usually a year or two. Then the price will go up before you even realize it. Every time the deal goes away, start shopping around. But be prepared to leave. If your provider can’t match the competition’s offer, don’t hesitate to change companies, even if it means switching from cable to satellite or vice versa. Just make sure the price of the new plan compensates for any equipment you need to install.
- Bundle your services. If you get phone service, Internet and television from the same provider, you’re likely to get a better price. You’ll also have less paperwork to deal with. Just watch your bill and make sure the deal you were promised doesn’t suddenly disappear. Also, pay attention to the details of each service you're receiving. Even if high-speed Internet will cost half as much, downloading files may take twice as long.
- Drop some channels. How many channels can you really watch at any one time? Call your provider and get a list of the different package prices. If you subscribe to every single movie channel offered, and all of them are basically playing the same films over and over again, you may be better off sticking with only one or two channels for a much better rate. Often people’s tastes change as well. Maybe you were a 1940s movie buff five years ago when you signed up for satellite. Now your tastes gravitate more towards action flicks and westerns. So it might be time to re-evaluate your channel selections.
- Ask around. If you have cable and you're thinking of switching to satellite, ask people in the neighborhood with a dish about their reception. Do storms constantly knock out the picture? Have service technicians been prompt and courteous? Is there a problem accessing local channels? Can everyone in the house watch a different show on a different TV at the same time? Better to ask questions now than regret your decision later.
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The copyright of the article Lowering Your Cable/Satellite Bill in Consumer Education is owned by L. Marie Dubuque. Permission to republish Lowering Your Cable/Satellite Bill must be granted by the author in writing.
