Comments on: Whittling Away at the Expense Ledger http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/ The Hard Truth about Money and Personal Finance Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:03:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: TStrump http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4344 TStrump Tue, 12 May 2009 06:06:42 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4344 It's sad how most companies treat their current customers like crap, but if you're 'new' they'll bend over backwards to give you a good price. Mark my words - when it comes time to renew (especially my cell phone) I'll be getting the 'new customer' deal. Thankfully, my roommate works at the local cable company and we are getting our phone through them ... so I don't pay anything! It’s sad how most companies treat their current customers like crap, but if you’re ‘new’ they’ll bend over backwards to give you a good price.
Mark my words – when it comes time to renew (especially my cell phone) I’ll be getting the ‘new customer’ deal.
Thankfully, my roommate works at the local cable company and we are getting our phone through them … so I don’t pay anything!

]]> By: Pattie http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4343 Pattie Tue, 12 May 2009 03:59:37 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4343 TML, I never thought I could do away with my landline, but after downsizing the roughly $45/mo. I was paying, to the most basic of plans, which still ran me about $12/mo., and having online account management, and auto pay, we still didn't utilize the landline enough that would justify keeping it. Since I use Satellite Internet, VOiP isn't an option due to latency factors, BUT, since everyone in the house has a cell phone (Verizon), I took the final leap and did away with my AT&T landline in December. You know what? We don't even miss it; I can't say I miss telemarketers calling, either. Yes, it took a little extra work redoing account information, billing info., etc., but it was worth the monthly savings, which of course over the long haul, will add up to some serious bucks. Having all the bells and whistles on your landline really isn't worth the cost, but it's a hard sell on your provider's part to get you to keep them. It's pure profit for them! A notice late last year that the most basic of services was going up, and for no good reason, is what prompted me to do away with it. When I called AT&T, because I couldn't disconnect from the online management (don't know why that is), they wanted to know WHY I was cancelling their service. When I said it was due to cost, the first Rep hung up on me; the 2nd one tried to give me a $3/mo. discount for 6 mos., and when I said "Thanks, but no thanks," they hung up on me as well. My 3rd call I went straight to requesting a Cust Service Manager, who again tried the hard sell to get me to stay, but I (finally) prevailed and did indeed get my landline disconnected. They raise rates, offer poor service, it's not worth the money spent when you're carrying cell phones, but try to cancel it and see what happens. Try it cold turkey; disconnect your landline for 6 months; use cell service only and I'll bet you never miss your landline and you'll wonder why you kept it so long :-) Take it from someone who simply never thought I could not have a landline. Friends had done away with theirs ages ago, but I hung on because it has a certain "comfort" to it, but now...don't miss it at all, and it was the best thing I ever did. BTW, my cell usage/costs DID NOT go up as a result of disconnecting my landline. With 6 cell phones in the family you can imagine what the bill would be anyway, but I've seen no increase in usage or cost. Try it...if it doesn't work out for you, go another route as a new customer with another carrier and you might get an awesome "welcome to XXX" offer and package. Good Luck! TML, I never thought I could do away with my landline, but after downsizing the roughly $45/mo. I was paying, to the most basic of plans, which still ran me about $12/mo., and having online account management, and auto pay, we still didn’t utilize the landline enough that would justify keeping it. Since I use Satellite Internet, VOiP isn’t an option due to latency factors, BUT, since everyone in the house has a cell phone (Verizon), I took the final leap and did away with my AT&T landline in December. You know what? We don’t even miss it; I can’t say I miss telemarketers calling, either. Yes, it took a little extra work redoing account information, billing info., etc., but it was worth the monthly savings, which of course over the long haul, will add up to some serious bucks.

Having all the bells and whistles on your landline really isn’t worth the cost, but it’s a hard sell on your provider’s part to get you to keep them. It’s pure profit for them! A notice late last year that the most basic of services was going up, and for no good reason, is what prompted me to do away with it. When I called AT&T, because I couldn’t disconnect from the online management (don’t know why that is), they wanted to know WHY I was cancelling their service. When I said it was due to cost, the first Rep hung up on me; the 2nd one tried to give me a $3/mo. discount for 6 mos., and when I said “Thanks, but no thanks,” they hung up on me as well. My 3rd call I went straight to requesting a Cust Service Manager, who again tried the hard sell to get me to stay, but I (finally) prevailed and did indeed get my landline disconnected. They raise rates, offer poor service, it’s not worth the money spent when you’re carrying cell phones, but try to cancel it and see what happens. Try it cold turkey; disconnect your landline for 6 months; use cell service only and I’ll bet you never miss your landline and you’ll wonder why you kept it so long :-) Take it from someone who simply never thought I could not have a landline. Friends had done away with theirs ages ago, but I hung on because it has a certain “comfort” to it, but now…don’t miss it at all, and it was the best thing I ever did. BTW, my cell usage/costs DID NOT go up as a result of disconnecting my landline. With 6 cell phones in the family you can imagine what the bill would be anyway, but I’ve seen no increase in usage or cost. Try it…if it doesn’t work out for you, go another route as a new customer with another carrier and you might get an awesome “welcome to XXX” offer and package. Good Luck!

]]> By: FV http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4342 FV Tue, 12 May 2009 02:00:16 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4342 When I recently called Windstream to cancel my landline they said they could not do it because it was necessary for my DSL internet connection. They did, however offer me their bare bone phone service which shaved off $16 of my monthly bill. Similar thing with Verizon for my cell phone. Another blogger pointed out a "secret" Verizon 550 min Family share plan. This plan is closer to my actual usage than their minimum 700 min plan. The interesting thing is that Verizon CS people claim they do not know anything about it if you call and ask for it. They only offer it when you call to quit their service. So I called to tell them I'm quitting and presto! they offered me the plan. That's a saving of $10/month! FV When I recently called Windstream to cancel my landline they said they could not do it because it was necessary for my DSL internet connection. They did, however offer me their bare bone phone service which shaved off $16 of my monthly bill.

Similar thing with Verizon for my cell phone. Another blogger pointed out a “secret” Verizon 550 min Family share plan. This plan is closer to my actual usage than their minimum 700 min plan. The interesting thing is that Verizon CS people claim they do not know anything about it if you call and ask for it. They only offer it when you call to quit their service. So I called to tell them I’m quitting and presto! they offered me the plan. That’s a saving of $10/month!

FV

]]> By: Rick Beagle http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4341 Rick Beagle Tue, 12 May 2009 00:53:10 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4341 Mrs. Beagle is also my household's holdout for the land line. You would think with the erosion in their customer base coupled with a failing business plan would make them rethink their pricing strategy (phone companies). If you like having the ability to go online and manipulate your telephone service, try Vonage. I am not a big fan of the canned sound coming out of a VoIP service, but they should get an award for their web interface design. Peace. Rick Beagle Mrs. Beagle is also my household’s holdout for the land line. You would think with the erosion in their customer base coupled with a failing business plan would make them rethink their pricing strategy (phone companies). If you like having the ability to go online and manipulate your telephone service, try Vonage. I am not a big fan of the canned sound coming out of a VoIP service, but they should get an award for their web interface design.

Peace.
Rick Beagle

]]> By: My Journey http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4335 My Journey Mon, 11 May 2009 20:56:39 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4335 2 Thoughts: 1) It really is great when a company lets you handle that stuff all online! For instance I can play with my sprint cell phone right from admin page, after I check my useage stats 2) There is nothing that makes me more furious then when I see new customers paying less than a customer of multiple years. I get so angry, but that usually subsides when I am bought off by some CSR 2 Thoughts:
1) It really is great when a company lets you handle that stuff all online! For instance I can play with my sprint cell phone right from admin page, after I check my useage stats

2) There is nothing that makes me more furious then when I see new customers paying less than a customer of multiple years. I get so angry, but that usually subsides when I am bought off by some CSR

]]> By: PT Money http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4334 PT Money Mon, 11 May 2009 20:08:49 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4334 Good analysis, TML. An area I've always found to be more kind to the new customer is the cell phone. Opening up a new line and plan through Amazon can get you a really nice phone for free. Of course the downside is that you have to sign a plan and get a new number. But for people who don't care, it's a better deal financially. If you think about it, the biggest (per sale) sales commissions are given out to third party companies. Therefore they can pass more of that along to you in a better deal. Looking forward to running this in the Carnival of Money Stories next week. Good analysis, TML. An area I’ve always found to be more kind to the new customer is the cell phone. Opening up a new line and plan through Amazon can get you a really nice phone for free. Of course the downside is that you have to sign a plan and get a new number. But for people who don’t care, it’s a better deal financially. If you think about it, the biggest (per sale) sales commissions are given out to third party companies. Therefore they can pass more of that along to you in a better deal.

Looking forward to running this in the Carnival of Money Stories next week.

]]> By: Rob Bennett http://toughmoneylove.com/2009/05/11/whittling-away-at-the-expense-ledger/comment-page-1/#comment-4333 Rob Bennett Mon, 11 May 2009 20:03:42 +0000 http://toughmoneylove.com/?p=3606#comment-4333 The companies with which we do business have far more in the way of resources to make us pay more than we should than we do to protect ourselves from doing so. Over time their edge is going to grow greater and greater unless there is a cultural change pushing things in the other direction. In the old days, there were cultural considerations that prevented companies that wanted to be thought of as respectable from pushing the marketing envelope too far. That line has been moved. I believe that it is in everyone's best interest that it be moved back a good bit. If it's not moved back by private efforts, my guess is that the government will be forced to intervene and we will lose freedoms because we failed to take action on a problem in the name of freedom (it is libertarian thinking that causes many people to tolerate this sort of thing). Hoo boy! Rob The companies with which we do business have far more in the way of resources to make us pay more than we should than we do to protect ourselves from doing so. Over time their edge is going to grow greater and greater unless there is a cultural change pushing things in the other direction.

In the old days, there were cultural considerations that prevented companies that wanted to be thought of as respectable from pushing the marketing envelope too far. That line has been moved. I believe that it is in everyone’s best interest that it be moved back a good bit. If it’s not moved back by private efforts, my guess is that the government will be forced to intervene and we will lose freedoms because we failed to take action on a problem in the name of freedom (it is libertarian thinking that causes many people to tolerate this sort of thing). Hoo boy!

Rob

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