|
|
When you buy a new home or move into a new apartment, one of the first things you do is set up your phone, cable, and internet services.
Generally, these companies attempt to charge you a setup fee. They will often mislead you by telling you that the fee is charged 'just in case a technician needs to come down to inspect and correct any potential problems'.
This is absolute hogwash.
If the services worked for the last residents for the last X years, why would they suddenly fail now that you've moved in? This is just a money-extraction technique used by the service companies to rope extra dollars out of you.
When they try this on you, simply tell them that you do not want to pay the fees. You want to have it 'waived'. Tell them you don't see the value in the charge, and that if they don't waive it you will seek services from their competitors.
For this tip to work, it is best to do a bit of research before-hand. If you are calling the phone company, be prepared to tell them that if they don't waive the fee that you will simply not have a land-line installed, and will exclusively use their competitor's cellular service, etc.
If you stick to your guns, no company will ever refuse to waive the setup fee. Why would they want to lose you as a customer over a $50 setup fee when keeping you as a customer will mean thousands of dollars of profit to them over the years?
Competition is a great thing for the consumer if you know how to use it.
| |
|
|
