“Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.” – Carrie Fisher
I normally don’t write product reviews, but this one excited me. Most of us know that we can speak to some service providers to negotiate a lower rate. You try to cancel satellite radio and they offer you a promotional discount for a few free months. I’ve called the cable company a few times to complain about my rates and they cut the bill for 6 months. These negotiated discounts are readily available (with some effort.)
But in my case, the 6 months came and went…and I just really didn’t want to call again. It was tedious, somewhat uncomfortable, and the on-hold process and delays made the minor discount just not worth the time and effort involved.
That’s why I was interested when I read about Billcutterz. You authorize them to speak to your service providers and they negotiate on your behalf. The incentive for them is that they take 50% of whatever savings they get you (with no charge if they don’t save you anything). The types of bills they recommend are:
- Cell phone
- Internet
- Cable & Satellite TV
- Electricity & Gas (if not a regulated utility)
- Landline Telephone
- Gym Memberships
- Alarm & Security
- Satellite Radio
Here was my experience:
- I signed up and sent them electronic copies of the bills I wanted negotiated. I don’t have cable so in my case this was just my internet and cell phone.
- I received an email a day or two later asking for security codes for the two companies. Based on what I’ve read elsewhere, this is not absolutely necessary. They can call, patch you in, and then you give verbal authorization for the company to speak to the Billcutterz rep.
- Both companies called and I had to talk to each for about 2 minutes to give them authorization to speak with Billcutterz on my behalf.
- Billcutterz sends you an invoice for their half of the savings. You can pay monthly or get a 10% discount if you pay all at once.
In the end Billcutterz saved me about $8/mo on my internet and $10/mo on my cell phone along with an additional 2GB of data – both for 12 months. After I paid them their share (w/ the 10% discount) I saved $119 for the year.
Not a king’s ransom by any means, but it took minimal effort. It was also satisfying since cable/utility companies in particular provide horrible customer service. Consumers have very few (or no) choices and are captive to inflated rates and poor service. Feeling like I was “sticking it” to them just a little bit was as satisfying as the little bit of money I’m saving every month.
If you’re interested, you can try the service out by clicking here.
Disclosure: the links above are affiliate links where a small commission is received for those who sign up. This product is not being featured because of this incentive but because of the value it provides. But since the program exists, we will take advantage of it.
Any accounting, business, or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties.
