Tip: Bluff to cancel lawn service and cable

[andrews_dad]

I tried this with some nice results.


Called to cancel my lawn service contract through Scott's. Was transferred to a rentention specialist CS person. Ended up with a 25% discount for this year from last year's charges (same contract). I never intended to cancel, but that route nets you better return. The retention folks often have a bigger range they can offer you than usual CS reps.

Called to cancel ComCast. Transferred to a retention specialist. Told them I was looking at the Dish promos. Got a reduction in monthly bill to the tune of $17 per month or so for 6 months, free Starz for 12 months, free Max for 6 months. Never really intended to cancel. Total bluff, although I loathe ComCast and wish I COULD cancel!! I have a whole-house 5 zone sound system that would need to be re-programmed if I switced providers.....

Whatever they initially offer to retain you is rarely their best deal. If they say, "I am allowed to knock off $5 a month," reply ... "Well, that would help but I am not sure it is enough for my budget. Do you have any other ideas on how to get my bill lower."

I tried this same with ADT security. Got nothing. Actually tried to up-sell me on a insurance policy on the lines or something? So, I did not cancel but got nowhere. When they called my bluff I backed off and said I'd better check with the wife before I canceled and I would call back later if she OK'ed the cancel.

Good luck! Post any other steals or deals you get with the bluff

 

[eliza61]

Thanks AD,
I'm actually considering cancelling Comcast. They are getting expensive and I swear there is never any thing on. The show 1 new movie on Saturday and the rest of the time it's old movies, many that have been on network tv. We keep it becasue of the internet access but I'll give them a call to see if I can get a lower rate.

 

[pmickus]

Verizon FIOS is digging in our neighborhood. I called Comcast to tell them that FIOS was coming what could they do to keep me. Reduced my monthly bill by $30 and threw in 2 movie channels free for 6 months. Does not hurt to ask, every penny counts these days.

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

I cancelled cable tv and just have cable internet, I get some basic cable channels through the cable line. The installer put a splitter on the line next to the modem and told me to connect it to my tv. I called them and bluffed about wanting to cancel, they offered me the lowest speed for $5 less. I told them I would still like to cancel and then all of a sudden a new deal appeared, 6 months highest speed package for $29.

Anything else that I cant see I watch on hulu or netflix. Saved me about $55 a month.

Also cancelled my cell phone contract, I was paying around $70 with taxes and barely used any minutes or any of the features on my smartphone. I bought an iPod and a tracphone. That was a savings of $60 a month.

 

[wdwfan16]

I tried this with some nice results.


Called to cancel ComCast. Transferred to a retention specialist. Told them I was looking at the Dish promos. Got a reduction in monthly bill to the tune of $17 per month or so for 6 months, free Starz for 12 months, free Max for 6 months. Never really intended to cancel. Total bluff, although I loathe ComCast and wish I COULD cancel!! I have a whole-house 5 zone sound system that would need to be re-programmed if I switced providers.....

We did this three years ago. Got a great discount for 6 months. At the end of the 6 months our premiums skyrocketed and were now way higher than 6 mnths ago. Called back. No go. Called DirecTV. After all was setup with DirecTV, satellite in and working, called Comcast back to cancel. Now they would talk to me.

 

[ctjsowens]

This is kind of funny but I own a lawn maintence company and had two customers try to get me to go lower on pricing but I called their bluff and held ground and both of them gave in and have signed them for another year. I dont feel too badly about doing this because I havent raised prices in over 8 yrs even with the rise in fuel costs over the past 5 yrs or so. I wish we could bluff some of the wireless companies into lower pricing but I dont think they would go for it!

 

[MissAndrea]

We cancelled our cable over a year ago and haven't looked back. We only watch local during the week nights, are out of town 2 weekends out of the month...it just wasn't worth paying $60 to watch it two weekends a month. We now have netflix for $11ish a month with their free on demand option and use the internet and hulu to watch shows we miss! More money for Disney! $720 a year!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm actually considering cancelling Comcast. They are getting expensive and I swear there is never any thing on. The show 1 new movie on Saturday and the rest of the time it's old movies, many that have been on network tv. We keep it becasue of the internet access but I'll give them a call to see if I can get a lower rate

Uh, you do realize that unless you're talking about On Demand (which, don't they have new release movies every week?), cable companies don't have ANY say over what's shown by the various broadcasters - right?

 

[caybean]

I do the same thing with my XM Radio... worked for the past 3 years!

 

[DisneyMissy318]

Thanks OP! I mentioned to my Dad last night - he called Comcast today - hit the option to "downgrade" service. He explained that paying $200+ a month was not an option anymore and we would have to cancel most of our services. They automatically - with no questions asked - dropped his bill to $140 a month! !

 

[DVC-Don]

Last year I did this with ADT. Got my monthly bill cut from $36 to $25. It also worked with XM radio too, but I did completely drop them last summer.

 

[marthachick]

Got DirecTv to drop our bill by $20 for 6 months. Just ask for cancellation dept. & tell them you can't afford the bill. This was definitely no lie on my part. DH is making less $ & DS starts college this fall!

 

[DawnM]

I would like to do this with Directv but I think I still have time left on my 2 year contract.

Dawn

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

We cancelled our DirecTV last summer. I was tired of the poor service and the bill going up. Now we have basic cable ($15/month). I've got a laptop hooked up to the TV acting as my DVR. Anything that we don't have on basic (cartoon network, etc), we go online and watch.

This not only saved us $100+ a month, it also got us off our butts to spend more time outside with the kids.

We've been seriously considering getting rid of our phone line and using our Cell phones now.

 

[kteesmumma]

I have done this with FIOS...we have the Triple Freedom and our promotion price ended a few months back...I called to find out how much I would save to cancel the house phone off our package...but it would only make a 10.00 difference...so I asked is there anyway to get my bill lower...and they gave me 20.00 off a month for 12 months.

 

[EclecticWAHM]

We cancelled our cable over a year ago and haven't looked back. We only watch local during the week nights, are out of town 2 weekends out of the month...it just wasn't worth paying $60 to watch it two weekends a month. We now have netflix for $11ish a month with their free on demand option and use the internet and hulu to watch shows we miss! More money for Disney! $720 a year!!!

Believe it or not, we canceled our cable about 15 years ago and have never wanted to get it again. What KILLS me is that all this time I should have been stashing that saved money away because 15 years times about $50 a month...that's about $9,000 bucks!!

 

[starann]

In my area we have RCN and they just sent out letters that our rates would be going up AGAIN (after just having gone up about 4 months ago).

Guess I will be calling tomorrow to see what the local compititon has to offer, then calling RCN to see if they will 'match it' A Total bluff as I don't want to go thru the hassle of switching everything over, but it might work!!!!

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

Im amazed at what people pay for cable I couldnt fathom paying over $100 a month for tv and internet, how many shows do you really watch?

I have an antenna that I get all basic channels for free and use netflix streaming to watch tv shows Ive missed when they hit dvd.

If its a show I really need to watch then I go to itunes or amazon and download the episode for $1.99 or wait until they hit hulu or the network website.

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

Im amazed at what people pay for cable I couldnt fathom paying over $100 a month for tv and internet, how many shows do you really watch?

I have an antenna that I get all basic channels for free and use netflix streaming to watch tv shows Ive missed when they hit dvd.

If its a show I really need to watch then I go to itunes or amazon and download the episode for $1.99 or wait until they hit hulu or the network website.

That's exactly why we got rid of it. Between not watching all those channels, the kids glued in front of the tv and the poor customer service, we had it and ditched it. I stuck with the basic cable (I think my cable company calls it lifeline only because it's 2-13. Very basic. Anyhow, tried an antenna but didn't have any success.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

This also works on your pest control service. When I called to cancel after the first year, they offered to cut my bill to about half what I'd been paying. I still canceled, because once the flooding (rains) stopped, spiders quit coming inside my house. It's been two years since I canceled and the pest control company is still trying to get me to come back, with unbelievably cheap prices for their services. I'm so glad I no longer need them, though.