HAGGLE TO SAVE MONEY ON BILLS.
When it comes to haggling don’t think of an exotic Bazaar. Big savings are available starting in your home. As long as you’re willing to bargain with top service companies for things like mobile, telephone, TV, broadband, car insurance and more…
More often than not, the best deals are reserved for new customers. Loyal customers are the best mates of the big service companies and it’s usually due to apathy, not brand loyalty. In fact, most people can be unsatisfied with their service but either don’t have the time or patience to switch, just don’t tell your service provider that. Of course, we don’t want you to lie, but if you don’t get a good enough deal you should genuinely consider ditching.
Because there are so many cracking deals on the market, you’ll have a lot of leverage when it comes to persuading your current provider to reduce your bills (and if they don’t, threaten to switch).
If the company wants to play hardball and aren’t offering you anything substantial, then try out a few speed tests at different times of day
If it’s at all below the advertised speed, which it often is, then your bargaining power just got a little better.
Know your broadband usage. Ask your provider what your usage was for the last two months. If it was below your maximum allowed usage you should ask them about downgrading.
Check your calls package. If you’re not on the right home phone deal, you could be overpaying. See if you can haggle a discount or ask to downgrade. You shouldn’t automatically pay for the most expensive “unlimited anytime calls” package if you’re not going to use the calls.
If you’re coming to the end of your contract, or are out of it, then you’re wielding a powerhouse weapon: customer loyalty. Companies desperately want to keep you, so if they believe they will lose you, you can often get much better deals.
Things to note: The ‘disconnections department’ is usually internally called ‘customer retentions’. It’s their job not to let you leave – so they have huge deal-making power to keep you. So don’t waste your time with normal customer services.
Speaking to your provider could also net you faster speeds, a bigger download limit, a new (better) router, and possibly some other freebies, as well as a better price.
We’d love to hear about your success stories so please post about which company you spoke to and how much money you’ve saved. That way you can help others save too, and gain online community street cred in the process.
Here are some useful numbers from the big providers.
Telstra: 1800 306 344
Optus: 1300 555 241
iinet: 13 22 58
Virgin: 1300 888 978
Vodaphone: 1800 727 143
Please post any other useful numbers you come across.
