Posts
we may or may not like our Cable service but definitely do not enjoy getting that huge bill every month. Lets look at some ways to find some savings.
promotions....Cable providers always have some promotion which is basically the same service at a lower rate for some time so pick up the phone and ask if you can avail them.
they want you....Cable providers are losing existing customers faster than gaining new ones, so your worth to them keeps going up every day. Contemplate telling them you are evaluating competition and negotiate for 6 -12 month waivers on modem rentals, special pricings, free premium channels.
bundle pricing....Cable providers offer triple play - voice, video and data. It might be worth considering the bundle as compared to a la carte services by different providers.
do you need them?....ofcourse you should really evaluate if you need the services they provide. Do you need the land line or can your mobile be the primary phone? Do you really need access to the network channels or would a $50 HD internal antenna do the job?
Lastly....you will not get anything if you will not call. So call your provider and ask for help trimming your bill. A 5 min conversation can save you atleast $10 every month, not much for some, but over time we will find multiple such small saving opportunities which will add up. Thats what this is all about, isn't it?
Additional info:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2080702_save-money-cable-costs.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2010-02-04-saving-cable-web-phone_N.htm
http://billeater.com/tips/10-ways-save-money-your-cable-or-satellite-tv-bill
One option could be a service like Hulu+ which provides most of the content from network TV. The only drawback is the live content like games and events are not available on services like Hulu+. This in turn reduces the need for any DVR service that your cable may provide.
ReplyDeleteI believe a customer has the same leverage with new entrants in the content provider industry. There is still a bit of arrogance in cable providers; believe it or not they still corner the lions share in content distribution. New providers are trying their darnest hard to steal the market share from contemporary players. In my opinion companies such as Hulu+ and Netflix are going to change the landscape of this industry in coming years. Who knows what google and apple tv is going to do once their products mature. The biggest loosers in this fight are going to be Dish network and direct tv. We are entering into the era of only one cable ending at the side panel of the house and all the content is going to ride on it.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that Hulu, Netflix, Apple or Google - all have services that uses the infrastructure that is owned by Comcast or ATT, so first we will see lots of competition, then coopetition and finally acquisitions.
ReplyDelete