I recently noticed that my Time Warner cable bill had increased by around 7% or so, so I took the time to actually look at the statement. I know that large corporations bet on their customers not carefully examining their bills over time (particularly in this age of electronic statements and automatic payments), and, let’s face it, it’s usually a very safe bet: generally speaking, it’s not worth the time it takes to study a statement every month. Like frogs in slowly heating water, we generally don’t notice small increases, or we do register them (barely), but they’re not significant enough to motivate action. Multiply this effect by several million customers, and we’re talkin’ some real money here.
Anyway, the relatively large recent increase managed to rouse me from my consumerist stupor, and I finally took a close look at what I was paying for. The company had recently rearranged its channel lineup, making it “theme based” instead of package based, and various promotional offers – which, of course, I had forgotten I’d accepted – had expired. For instance, HBO and Cinemax had been offered bundled together for a promotional price, and now they were separate (and more expensive). Other channels (now bundled together under the headings “Digital Variety” and “Digital Choice”) were mostly in those television wastelands above Channel 99 but below the HD channels we generally watch. There were also four channels bundled together under the “HD Plus Package” that we rarely watch. So, by dropping three optional packages and Cinemax (is there really any need for cable movie channels anymore, given streaming Netflix and the like?), we were able to save about $40 a month. I also decided to take Time Warner up on a digital phone deal that will allow us to drop our present land-line service, and that should result in about a $20 monthly savings, at least for the next year or two. So, by being a little more on top of my consumption, I was able to save over $700 this year (in return for an hour or two of work).
Now if I only remember to check my bill two years from now, when that promotional phone deal has expired…
It’s not just cable TV, that is the new approach for raising prices in a deflationary environment across the board. Banks and their hidden fees, health clubs that charge an extra 13th month for “equipment upgrades”, and let’s face it, the university system has always had hidden fees in the form of lab fees, admission fees, extra online course fees (for what, 1 meg of space on an existing server versus a classroom??).
I just ordered contact lenses from an online vendor which I’ve used for years. Suddenly at checkout there was a an extra fee with no explanation. I barely noticed it, but I called to check it out. Yes, I had free shipping, but that was the “handling” charge. She said not to worry, my invoice that came with the shipment would explain it all. And let’s not forget cell phone bills. Nobody can tell you what your service really costs once you start using text messages and all the other options.
Cable bills are completely negotiable. I’ve made a habit of stopping and paying my bill in person each month and striking up a conversation with the clerk to find out what deals are being offered. There are always packages that aren’t really mentioned to current subscribers. If you call and talk to “customer retention” you can work all kinds of deals if you’re up for it. The key is to mention a competitor and the price will drop. They have at least figured out it costs more to recruit new business than keep existing customers, but you have to stay on top of it.
I’ve gotten in the habit of scrutinizing every bill, which maybe isn’t really worth the time, but it’s become a hobby of mine I guess. Call me a cheapskate, but I find it kind of insulting and manipulative. For me I guess it’s almost an ego thing now. It’s not really about the money I’m saving. And all of this is likely to change yet again if and when inflation returns to the economy.
You’re a better consumer than I am, John. I do, however, stand in front of supermarket displays for several minutes, trying to figure out just which package of toilet paper or can of tuna fish is most economical – and ethical – to buy. The variables are absolutely mind-boggling.
Hi Larry!
A couple of years ago I received a rebate check from a company I’d done business with, took it to the bank and deposited it. When I was checking my VISA bill the next month there was a charge of 19.99 that I didn’t recognize. Turns out that yes, I had done business with that company, but that wasn’t a rebate check. They had sold my name to a different company which had then sent me a check with teeny tiny print on it that meant “Cashing this check will set you up to be billed for a service you neither need nor want forever and ever until you find out”. I called them and cancelled the service right away but not without an annoying sales pitch. I posted this story to our Pun list-serve and another teacher wrote and said he looked at his bill and he’d been charged by this company for TWO YEARS.
I also lowered our electricity bill by $40./month by switching to a flat screen iMac and turning off the other computers that have CRTs.
And I stand in front of the TP and tuna too!!! What really gets me are the signs at Safeway that say how much/lb the regular price is, but the sale price is 10 lb/$8.00 but they don’t break that down into the price/lb. When I’m shopping I just don’t want to have to do math. It doesn’t raise the trust level any either.
Hi Martha! Good to hear from you.
Yeah, so many scams, so little time to watch out for them…
One problem with TP is that there are so many different measurements to consider… how many “ply” it is, how big each square is, how many square feet there are (is that per roll? per package?), what 1 roll = 2 regular rolls actually means (depends on what the ‘regular rolls’ refers to), the amount of recycled content, not to mention how it will feel on various orifices… At least Tuna comes down to weight… but then, even there there is ratio of fish to water, which the can does not reveal… Finally, there’s the cost/benefit analysis of the time you’re putting in to make the decision, which will almost always come out as: not worth it.