September 23, 2009

I'm On a Roll

Last week, I wrote this post about how I had saved $201 with one phone call. I suggested that if you looked over your accounts, you might be able to save some money by calling and asking for a better deal.

So I decided to take my own advice. I felt flush with the success of lowering our home insurance premium, so I called the cable company and asked why our "bundle" price on telephone, Internet, and cable had gone up over the past few months, from about $112 to about $135.

The agent looked at our account and told me that our $99/mo "all-the-best" package was a 12-month deal and that it had run out. But she said she could offer me another deal for $104 a month plus tax and box rental, essentially saving us $15 a month. There would be no change in our service and I would have to do nothing. So just by asking, we'll save $180 over the course of the year. Not bad. My next call is the Department of Water and Power. That bill is the big enchilada, around $350 every 2 months. Yikes. Marine-style showers may be in my future.

If you're ready to test out your negotiating skills, check out this article that claims it's a lot easier to get a bargain these days. Apparently it's a buyer's market, and that goes for the doctor's office as well as boutiques and department stores, hotels, and yes... the cable company. It's a haggle-fest out there.

What deals have you been able to score just by asking? Tell us all about your great bargains in the Comments section.

6 comments:

stephanie said...

I have TWO stories to go with this topic.
They aren't deals, per se, more like calling out their cheating, fake charging ways! Yipes!
Both "saved" me about $200 collectively.

(1) After being told by a few AT&T agents of the monthly price and gift card I was going to get - when my internet was finally set up, nothing they'd told me was true. I called and multiple folks told me "I have no idea why you would have been quoted that price/promised a gift card - we have no such deal."
Finally, I got a guy who said, "This is going to sound crazy, but the only way to get what was promised to you is to call the cancellation department."
Sure enough, they gave me the rate and gift card I was quoted.

(2) I was just erroneously charged a $50 fee on an airline ticket. When I called AA, the cust. service said, no refund - you have to pay it. However, her "supervisor" was able to erase the charge and told me I never should have been charged it in the first place.

Sneaky trickery.
Not cool, gigantic corporations!

wendyytb said...

I just popped in to say that your blog is one of my favourites.

Have I any great stories to tell about saving money? Only that we are going to purchase a new car this year which will give us double the gas mileage and change insurance companies which will save me at least $30.00 a month.

Every cent counts!

wendyytb said...

I have to add that we are making a grand purchase in the way of a new vehicle but have been careful in our shopping, and also will be passing our old vehicle on to our son so he can more safely transport his family.

I would rather have waited but the safety of family in this case came first.

tammy said...

I saved myself a car insurance service fee by setting up an automatic payment draft for my monthly premium. They charged $5 per month for my "luxury" of paying my premium monthly. By setting up an auto draft, I saved $60 a year!
Great thoughts Angela! Keep at it.

Lucy said...

Nice! You really are on a roll.

Angela said...

Stephanie- Good job, thanks for sharing those.

wendyytb- Thanks! That's so nice to hear. Your car purchase sounds good on the wallet and for the environment.

Tammy- good job.

Frugalchick- thanks!