- In this report
- Overview
- CR Quick Recommendations
- Ratings
- How to choose
- Summary
- What to ask before signing up
ELECTRONICS FORUMS  Get real-world advice from others about choosing a new TV, digital camera, computer or cell phone. |
February 2008
How to choose
Find out what's available. Chances are you're getting cable now, or your neighborhood is wired for it; a small percentage of homes have two cable companies
from which to choose. Satellite is generally available, provided your home has an unobstructed view of the horizon to the
southwest. DSL is widely offered in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Fiber-optic service--FiOS from Verizon and U-Verse from
AT&T--is spreading fast but is so far available to only about 8.5 million homes in about one-third of the states.
Check availability in your area at uverse.att.com and www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios. But even if your area has fiber-optic capability, specific services might not be available right away. For example, about one and a half million homes that can get Verizon FiOS Internet and phone can't yet receive the company's fiber TV service.
Consider installation and safety. Bundles are so complex that it pays to call carriers with the list of questions in the box below. We found that on the phone, providers may also be open to haggling on installation and other costs.
If you're switching to cable telephone service, which is Internet-based, consider spending about $20 a month to retain basic landline service. A landline is more reliable for 911 calls and will continue to work in power outages if you have a phone that doesn't require AC power. (If your phone does, you can buy a battery backup from the provider for around $45 that offers 4 to 6 hours of power.) Verizon's fiber phone service also requires a battery backup, which is provided at no extra cost, but it handles 911 calls the way landline service does.
Check your bill. Make sure your first few bills match your expectations. Some respondents to our blog told us their bills contained errors, a problem that, at least in some cases, seems to originate with computer billing systems that are unable to handle the complexities of bundling. Often bills can be difficult to read, with promised discounts sometimes tacked onto a certain service, like telephone, making it anything but obvious.
Haggle when the promotion ends. Don't blindly renew your service at the end of the promotional period. Some promotional prices include premium features, such as additional TV channels, that are great at the outset but will leave you paying more once the promotion ends. Some companies may automatically delete features, such as unlimited long-distance, unless you tell them you want to pay extra to keep them. Also, check competitors' prices for bundles and for unbundled services. Then consider haggling with them, too.
Check availability in your area at uverse.att.com and www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios. But even if your area has fiber-optic capability, specific services might not be available right away. For example, about one and a half million homes that can get Verizon FiOS Internet and phone can't yet receive the company's fiber TV service.
Consider installation and safety. Bundles are so complex that it pays to call carriers with the list of questions in the box below. We found that on the phone, providers may also be open to haggling on installation and other costs.
If you're switching to cable telephone service, which is Internet-based, consider spending about $20 a month to retain basic landline service. A landline is more reliable for 911 calls and will continue to work in power outages if you have a phone that doesn't require AC power. (If your phone does, you can buy a battery backup from the provider for around $45 that offers 4 to 6 hours of power.) Verizon's fiber phone service also requires a battery backup, which is provided at no extra cost, but it handles 911 calls the way landline service does.
Check your bill. Make sure your first few bills match your expectations. Some respondents to our blog told us their bills contained errors, a problem that, at least in some cases, seems to originate with computer billing systems that are unable to handle the complexities of bundling. Often bills can be difficult to read, with promised discounts sometimes tacked onto a certain service, like telephone, making it anything but obvious.
Haggle when the promotion ends. Don't blindly renew your service at the end of the promotional period. Some promotional prices include premium features, such as additional TV channels, that are great at the outset but will leave you paying more once the promotion ends. Some companies may automatically delete features, such as unlimited long-distance, unless you tell them you want to pay extra to keep them. Also, check competitors' prices for bundles and for unbundled services. Then consider haggling with them, too.
