shop around -- it pays

Discussion in Internet Broadband Access started by roy835 • Oct 29, 2014.

  1. roy835

    roy835Member

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    It really pays to shop around for lower prices if or when you feel that you are paying too much for a specific product or service. For example, I have ATT DSL for my Internet and recently they jacked-up my monthly bill from $34 to $54. That is a big hike all at once and so I called them and told them that I was Not going to be able to afford that every month and I politely asked what can be done to get that price back down. Low and behold, come to find out, they offer a faster speed for significantly less. If they did not lower the bill though, I was ready to switch to TimeWarner because TimeWarner was already offering me a really nice deal. I have to say that I was somewhat surprised to learn that ATT had that deal with a higher speed for mush less cost but yet they started charging me much more money for a lower speed. Now Im getting ready to see what I can do to lower my cell phone bill.
     
  2. primalclaws1974

    primalclaws1974Member

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    If you live in a rural area like I do, you don't have the opportunity to shop. We have exactly two choices here. One is DSL that only runs at 6 mbs last I heard. The other is a cable company that has finally got some decent speeds going (at least by Midwest standards). They both cost about the same and both have about the same reputation, which is barely above "blah". If you don't have local company's for an internet service provider that aren't with a darn, are there other options? Can a company far away remotely hook you up?
     
  3. gracer

    gracerActive Member

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    It does pay to shop around and find the best deals that could fit your needs. I actually did that about a year ago when we moved back in to our old house. The problem was that when I went to the company provider to apply for the service I saw on the web, they informed me that our area has no more open slots for a new connection. There's just way too many people in our area who subscribed to their service and it may still take a long period of time before new slots would ever be available again.
     
  4. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    Yes, in general the more shopping around you do, the better deal you will get. Sometimes however, you should not take too long to shop around because you might miss a great deal. Maybe a week or two will allow you to get the deals you are after. In the terms of estimates for internet around your home it is usually best to take advantage of deals when you see them.
     
  5. rezonate

    rezonateNew Member

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    Shopping around does pay not only in terms of price but also service. We use to have dish network and they sucked and would over chsrge fast forward months later we have time Warner and they are a better provider with better pricing and better service. So look around not only for the prices but keep in mind what service you are getting yourself into
     
  6. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina IsobeWell-Known Member

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    :oops:Definitely shopping around will fetch a good price. I like window shopping except that it takes so much time. But I compare prices and find the same thing for lower and I'll buy it. Juices that cost nearly $5 at supermarkets cost $2 at Walmart. Shopping around does get you the best prices.
     
  7. jamesfende

    jamesfendeMember

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    i completely agree. you never know what youre missing out on unless you shop around first.
     
  8. BrandonScooterman

    BrandonScootermanActive Member

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    Shopping around is key.
    Asking friends/family/coworkers/guy at the coffee shop or pub...
    Word of mouth is very powerful.
    Sometimes you don't realize you even have extra choices!
    I switched net providers recently to a smaller outfit that does little to no advertising.
    The rep told me they don't advertise because they only like to have tech savvy clients. This is because tech support from them is VERY limited. They charge less but expect clients to troubleshoot minor issues on their own.
    Saved me about $575 a year.
     
  9. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    I also live outside of a large city, and in my neighborhood, there are only two options. Neither option is that great with regard to price, unless you sign a one or two year agreement. The problem arises after that agreement period ends. Neither company has any desire to cater to current customers. I'm not sure who is running the companies, but they seem to be perpetually stuck in a rut of trying to draw in new customers, rather than taking care of their current subscribers. If they would pay attention to their current customers, and provide good service for reasonable charges, they would be able to cut their advertising budgets significantly, because they would have happy subscribers, and wouldn't need to offer huge incentives to draw customers from other companies, but they seem incapable of comprehending that.
     
  10. GemmaRowlands

    GemmaRowlandsActive Member

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    You should never accept the first deal that you are given with any product, because it certainly does pay a lot to shop around and see what is out there for you. I know that I have recently done this with all of the bills that I pay, and I have been shocked at the amount of money that I can save just by changing who supplies my utilities. It's brilliant, and has saved me a lot of money.
     
  11. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    I always, always shop around before I commit to anything. I also have the problem here of not having as many options as I'd like, I take it this is due to the tiny market in Botswana. I always wonder if these service providers collaborate and manipulate prices so that they are not that far apart. But I go one further and look at their customer service provision, too. I won't go where I feel my custom is not appreciated or taken seriously. But yes, even with very few options here, I always shop around.
     
  12. remnant

    remnantActive Member

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    Shopping around is a good purchasing habit in all areas of commerce and technology. However, it makes less sense when the industry concerned behaves like a cartel and with the resultant negligible variance in prices. This is not the case in my country where the cheapest option is Orange Telkom. It has to be stated that quality does not always match a cheap price.