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
42
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.
New Comcast customers can save money in that ______.
选项
A、Comcast cuts the price of some HD packages for the first year
B、Comcast reduces the package price for phone service
C、Comcast pays new customers a $125 to $175 rebate
D、Comcast provides new customers with low-cost DVRs
答案
A
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/0KoFFFFM
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
Dolphinshavethepowertomakepeoplefeelbetterjustbytheirpresence,accordingtoaleadingmarinebiologist."Icanno
A、Bringagreatdealofusefulexperiencetotheuniversity.B、Improvehumanrelationshipintheuniversity.C、Bringafearofa
WhatmakesAmericansspendnearlyhalftheirfooddollarsonmealsawayfromhome’?TheanswerslieinthewayAmericansliveto
A、Wednesday.B、Monday.C、Friday.D、Sunday.A
Itcanbetemptingtomakeahastydecisionwhenakilleropportunitycomesalongorthethoughtofspendinganotherdayon
A、Priorityofstudents’academicachievements.B、Equaleducationopportunitiestoallchildren.C、Socialequalitybetweenteache
A、Gocamping.B、Decoratehishouse.C、Rentatent.D、Organizeaparty.A男士询问女士这里是否出售露营装备,女士给出肯定的回答,并列出了她所能提供的用品。由此可以推断,男士可能会去露营。
LandfillsYouhavejustfinishedyourmealatafastfoodrestaurantandyouthrowyouruneatenfood,foodwrappers,drinkc
A、Helpdohousework.B、Bargainwiththelandlord.C、Agreetosharewithothers.D、Signanagreement.A细节推断题。男士担心自己负担不起房租,女士让男士不要
A、Anovelaboutapresident.B、Apoliticalsciencebook.C、Alistingofelectionresults.D、Atextforoneofhiscourses.BWhat
随机试题
用0.02mm/1000mm分度值的水平仪,放在200mm长的垫铁上测量1400mm长的导轨在垂直平面内的直线度误差,水平仪测量位置及移动读数(格)如下:0、+2、+1、0、-1、-1、-1,求导轨全长上的直线度误差。
下列关于补充耕地方案的编制与审核。表述不正确的是()。
水泥混凝土路面的横向缩缝的切缝方式有()。
下列税率中,不属于企业所得税税率的是()。
下列关于可转换债券操作流程的说法,错误的有()。
在质量管理体系运行和审核中,记录的作用是()。
去年果园共有苹果树、梨树和枣树618棵,三种果树的产量分别为每棵100千克、50千克和20千克,且苹果树比梨树多10%,枣树比苹果树少10%。今年,果园扩建,苹果树、梨树、枣树分别增加了10%、5%和50%。那么今年三种果树的产量共增加了()千
第三次科技革命导致学术呈现出的新的发展趋势有()。①学科越来越多②学科分工越来越不明显③学科间的联系越来越深入④科学朝着综合性方向发展
传统文本都是线性的、顺序的,而超文本则是______。
ROBOTSATWORKAThenewspaperproductionprocesshascomealongwayfromtheolddayswhenthepaperwaswritten,edited,type
最新回复
(
0
)