Tired of paying $46.95 every month, I’ve been shopping around for a high-speed internet service that is cheaper than the one we currently have and of comparable quality. A few of my friends have signed up with National Capital Freenet (NCF) (a non-profit organization that offers high-speed internet for $30 per month with the purchase of a modem) and are very happy with the service.
I decided to cancel my current internet service and sign up with NCF, so I called my service provider and asked to please cancel my account. The agent on the phone asked why I wanted to cancel after being a customer for over three years. I replied that I am looking for cheaper options and right off the bat, she offered to drop the monthly fees to $39.95 with a one-year contract, which would equal a saving of 15%.
One of my rules of thumb is to never ever sign a contract, so I told her that she should go ahead and cancel my subscription because the option I am considering is still cheaper than her discounted offer and in any case, I am not interested in anything that involved a contract. Now, she asks me to hold the line for a few minutes and sure enough she comes back with a revised offer: $29.95 per month for the same service without a contract, or 36% cheaper than the list price. I didn’t think twice before saying “Deal!”.
So, go ahead, call your cell phone or internet service provider and ask them for a discount. In the worst case, they may refuse, but then you may also be pleasantly surprised at their answer. You keep the same service as before, only now it is a bit cheaper.
