Moe’s B2B World

The popularity of high speed internet is undeniable. It seems every member of the household is logging in and zooming down the information highway. But do we really understand why we have to have it?

Cable, DSL, and Fiber Optic providers are selling speed, convenience, and affordability in Triple Service Packages, that include your television, phone,and internet services at rock bottom prices. Or so they seem. The lure of superfast, supercheap internet connectivity for only $10 a month draws users like moths to the flame, that is until the flame is snuffed out only a few months down the road. When consumers make quick decisions without understanding the agreements, the consumer loses.

So after your $9.99 service goes up to $29.99 six months later, and then you add the taxes, surcharges, and other fees, you begin to realize that ?being connected? isn?t that affordable anymore.

So, why not just jump ship and cancel your service? Easier said than done. Providers often hide the ball, and when you attempt to cancel service, they inform you of the two year contract you entered into for those promotional rates. So, not only are you tied in, but you if want to break the contract, there is a penalty, and more of your money in their bank accounts.

Now consider that a large number of users don?t even utilize their broadband connections on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis and these companies are greatly increasing their profit margins! In fact some commercials poke fun at consumers calling them ignorant.

What’s the fix? Education. By reading the fine print of the agreeements you enter into, prioritizing your needs, and understanding what you can do to fix a problem or get out of the contract are key to your consumer satisfaction. As time is money, time educating yourself to the terms of a contract saves money and frustration.

So, are promotional rates off limits? Absolutely not! Finding a provider that offers promotional rates without a long term contract is a great money saving tactic. Once the promo period has ended, you then also have the freedom to either stick it out with this provider or move on to the next.

At the end of the day you need to watch after your own pocket book and it is our responsibility to be the watchdogs over these high speed broadband providers. We need to find ways of providing affordable high speed for the entire US and start competing with the rest of the world that offer 5 times the speed at a tenth of the price.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 6:34 am and is filed under Communication.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.