Broadband Providers: Taking Care of #1
There are thousands of households with broadband connections these days from the single college graduate to the seventy five year old retiree. Most of us know why we need a fast connection to the Internet, but some of us don?t.
Triple Services Packages, sold by Cable, DSL, and Fiber Optic providers, bundle television, phone and Internet services for unbelievably low monthly subscriptions. The draw of super fast internet connectivity for only $10 per month lures you in, but the reality of the fine print sets in a few months later. Consumers need to educate themselves and read the agreements they are entering into!
So after your $9.99 service goes up to $29.99 six months later, and then you add the taxes, surcharges, and other fees, you begin to realize that ?being connected? isn?t that affordable anymore.
So, why not just jump ship and cancel your service? Easier said than done. Providers often hide the ball, and when you attempt to cancel service, they inform you of the two year contract you entered into for those promotional rates. So, not only are you tied in, but you if want to break the contract, there is a penalty, and more of your money in their bank accounts.
With so many daily activities, many of us don’t even use our broadband connection on a daily, weekly, or sometimes monthly basis, giving these companies even more of a profit gain. While ignorance may be bliss, some providers are making their consumer’s ignorance the punchline in their catch advertising.
The key to not falling victim to this scenario is to know what you need, what you are getting in to, and how you can get out of it if you change your mind. Bottom line-read the fine print! When you consider that taking the time to read the agreement carefully could save you hundreds of dollars over a two year contract, the investment of a few minutes for review is priceless.
Taking advantage of promotions is a great money saving tip, as long as those promotions don’t come with a long term contract. Look for providers that have special offers that don’t require a long term contract, and when the promotional period is over, you can then determine if you are happy with your service or if you’re ready to move on. If you opt to change your service provider, look again for providers with promo savings minus a long contract.
At the end of the day you need to watch after your own pocket book and it is our responsibility to be the watchdogs over these high speed broadband providers. We need to find ways of providing affordable high speed for the entire US and start competing with the rest of the world that offer 5 times the speed at a tenth of the price.
Filed under: Broadband