首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
How to Cut the Nasty Cost of Digital Services With the economy in poor shape, and many Americans pulling back on their spend
How to Cut the Nasty Cost of Digital Services With the economy in poor shape, and many Americans pulling back on their spend
admin
2013-07-11
55
问题
How to Cut the Nasty Cost of Digital Services
With the economy in poor shape, and many Americans pulling back on their spending for fear of what tomorrow will bring, now is not the time to assume that the cost of some of your entertainment and communication expenses are set in stone.
I found that out the hard way recently when I wondered if I could cut down my expenses. Off in the corner of my desk sat a fax machine, which had been quiet for most of the last three years, except for the occasional times it spit out an ad for a fake vacation or false health care plan. I gave it little thought. That was the problem.
I cancelled the fax’s rarely used, but just as rarely noticed, phone line and cut my monthly expenses by $30.
Bitten with the savings bug, I checked every bill in sight. Next on the chopping block: a third-party long-distance service once offered through Costco that was cheap at the time, but was now costing me much more than an all-in-one phone plan. I adjusted my telephone plan, originally ordered 15 years ago, to now include unlimited local and long distance. Total savings: another $32 a month.
With just a few hours of work, it became clear that it was possible to save hundreds of dollars, even thousands a year without decreasing the level of services we already received. Here are some more tips on how to do the same.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Cable, satellite and telephone companies can only be overjoyed that millions of their customers take no action to lower their bills, and instead routinely pay much too much for overpriced plans they purchased a decade ago.
Faced with increased competition, they will gladly tell you about better package prices if you ask, but they won’t be calling you up to tell you how you can save money.
Pull out your bills and then call all your providers. Tell them you’re paying too much and you want to lower your bill. They can only say no.
If They Say No, Threaten to Switch
As in a teenage love affair, your digital providers seem to care about you only when you’re about to break up. If you’re thinking about switching to another satellite, cable or phone provider, call your current one and let it know.
And remember this: The regular customer service representative won’t be as powerful as someone in the cancellation department to cut you a better deal.
"We will work with our customers to find a package that suits them," said Bill Kula, a Verizon spokesman.
According to their decision, Verizon sales reps can cut the price of DSL service, offer free months of Internet access, increase the discount on voice service or give a $50 American Express gift card to customers returning to Verizon’s television service. AT&T gives its employees similar powers to make deals. Reps are known to offer enhanced services for a basic price, and to lower the cost of one service to its bundled price even if you’re not buying the bundle. "If it’s a matter of keeping the customer, we’ll do the best we can," said Fletcher Cook, an AT&T spokesman.
Satellite and cable companies are also quick to make deals once you tell them you’re thinking of bolting. Receiving discounted service, months of free pay TV or low or no-cost DVRs is common.
Bundle Your Services
With traditional landline ownership decreasing as more customers use only cellphones, the major phone and cable companies are filled with packages intended to keep you from wandering. AT&T, for example, offers local and unlimited long distance for $40.
That price drops to $35 if you also get wireless(but you must tell the company to combine your bills). A $99 package includes unlimited landline service, a DSL connection and wireless service for $10 less than those services would cost if priced separately. The company will also pay new customers $100 to sign up.
Verizon offers a package of unlimited local and long distance via landline, DSL and 150 channels of DirecTV starting at $80. Unlimited landline voice calling and DSL are $50 a month; depending on the plan, new customers can receive a $125 to $175 rebate(i&&).
The cable companies have similar packages. For example, Comcast is reducing the price of some of its HD packages by $15 to $20 for the first year. And Time Warner is cutting the package price for its cable, DSL and phone service by $20 a month for one year in some regions.
Reconsider Third-Party Carriers
Once, third-party long-distance companies offered cheaper long-distance calling than you could get from your local provider, but that might no longer be the case. Some, like the dial-around service 101-6868 and the prepaid PennyTalk, charge low rates for each minute to Europe and North America, but that’s only half the story.
They play down the fact that they add an additional 39 to 49 cents a call for a "connection charge," raising the real rate substantially.
Similarly, Internet calling services that allow you to use your traditional home telephone may not save you money.
For instance, Vonage charges $25 a month for unlimited local and domestic long distance and free calls to five European countries. But the service still requires a DSL or cable modem connection. And because that service will not be part of a voice bundle, you may wind up paying the same or more than another phone company would charge if you went with one of its packaged deals.
Ask For Corporate Discounts
Many corporations have discounts with the major wireless phone carriers. Bring your corporate business card to a wireless carrier’s store or check your company’s intranet(内部网)site for particulars. Depending on the company, you can typically knock $10 off the monthly cost for a smartphone’s voice and data plans.
If All Else Fails, Downgrade
Do you really need hundreds of TV channels? If not, get rid of cable or satellite, and watch free digital and HD broadcast TV with an antenna(天线). Send faxes from your computer. Cancel your landline and use only your cellphone; if your call is within certain minutes you can call anywhere in the United States for no extra charge. And when times get better, you can always add back services one by one. You might actually find that an essential service wasn’t needed after all.
Why is it wise to let your current digital provider know you are switching?
选项
A、It will at once lower your bill.
B、It will start to care more about you.
C、It will recommend you a better one.
D、It will increase the discount for you.
答案
B
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/KX07777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
Whiletravelingabroad,Mr.JacksonFrankranshortofmoney.Sohewrotetohisbrother,asking;for$500."Sendthemoneybyt
Thepresident______NATOofpayingtoolittleattentiontotheethnictensions.
A、Sheisnotgoodatmakingfriends.B、Sheisnotwelloff.C、Sheenjoyscompany.D、Shelikestogotoconcertsalone.B短文中提到,帕特
A、Theeffectswereverygood.B、Theactingwasjustso-so.C、Theplotwastoocomplicated.D、Thecharacterswerelifelike.A男士表示
Allflights______(因暴风雪而取消),wedecidedtotakethetrain.
A、Howtodevelopanewairplanetechnology.B、Featuresandpossibleusagesofaspecialengine.C、Howtodoexperimentwithdang
Whentheyadviseyourkidsto"getaneducation"ifyouwanttoraiseyourincome,theytellyouonlyhalfthetruth.Whatthey
A、Atalocalclub.B、AtJoe’shouse.C、Attheboardingschool.D、Atthesportscenter.B短文中提到我们不在一个班级,也没有一起参加体育运动或课外活动,但是Ispend
A、Studentsattenditbecauseitisrequired.B、Thestudentlikesthecourseverymuch.C、Itissopopularthatstudentslineup
SaveYourOwnLifeWe’veallheardthemiraclestories:TheBoyScoutwhosurvivedforfourdaysinthemountainsofNorthC
随机试题
硬盘工作时应特别注意避免__________。()
杀灭细菌芽孢最常用的方法是()
医学伦理学的研究内容不包括以下哪一项
企业开业、变更名称、注销,由()发布企业法人登记公告。
某环评机构在为位于M市某化工厂建设项目做环境影响评价的过程中,发现根据《中华人民共和国环境影响评价法》的规定在制作公众参与篇章时无须召开听证会,而根据《环境影响评价公众参与暂行办法》的规定须召开听证会,则应()。
只用本金计算利息称为()。
()是指根据被代理人的委托而产生的代理。
各相关机关和单位在实施工程建设强制性标准的监督管理中的作用是()。
审计证据必须具有______的价值和______的价值。
社会主义法治理念是中国特色社会主义的法治理念,包含“依法治国、执法为民、公平正义、服务大局、党的领导”五个方面的基本内涵。其中,属于社会主义法治核心内容的是
最新回复
(
0
)