[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","dateModified":"2022-08-16","image":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ways-cable-companies-ripping-you-off.jpg","headline":"5 Ways Cable Companies Are Ripping You Off (And What You Can Do About It)","articleBody":"You may be surprised to hear this, but despite the success and popularity of streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, over 100,000,000 US households still have cable.   Put another way: There are 100,000,000 Americans that cable companies can try to rip off.   So I\u2019m going to discuss five ways cable companies may try to rip you off, along with practical steps you can take to avoid this.   Even if you don\u2019t have cable, you may find some of these strategies useful in dealing with other utility bills such as your phone bill, internet, or credit card fees.  Way #1: Overcharging cable company overcharging bills  Many cable companies take advantage of their customers by charging more than what the service provided is worth.   Though this sounds obvious, there\u2019s no easy way to calculate the value of a cable subscription, so this can only be determined on a case-by-case basis.  We\u2019ve all heard about competition leading to lower prices, but this is only true if the company involved thinks there\u2019s a chance they may lose your business.   And the fact is, because of sweetheart deals with local governments, that very few Americans actually have a choice of cable companies.    Even in competitive areas, cable companies attempt to attract customers by offering low rates to begin with, betting that you won\u2019t leave when they raise the rates.  What you can do about it The above being said, your cable company will only charge what they think they can get away with, so if you\u2019re willing to push back a little, they may be forced to reconsider and offer you a better deal.  Sometimes, this can be accomplished simply by calling your cable company on your own and negotiating with the customer service representative.   If you tell them that you\u2019re unhappy with your current rates and are considering switching or even cancelling, the odds are they\u2019ll be willing to lower your prices.   Once they do that, you can accept the lower rates and then decide to leave or renegotiate when your discount expires.  However, bear in mind that this strategy can be unpredictable, and your outcome may depend on company policy or even who you\u2019re on the phone with.  Related: Bill Negotiation Apps That Will Help You Keep Your Monthly Costs Down  Way #2: Bundling subscription bundles  On a similar note, many cable companies often take advantage of their customers by implementing bundling \u2014 the common practice of combining a wide range of channels or platforms into a single subscription.   This bundling isn\u2019t exclusive to cable, and in some cases, can save you money.   For example, bundling your home insurance and auto insurance with the same company can sometimes be cheaper than buying those products separately.   With cable bundling, though, you could easily be paying for 100 or more channels that you never watch.   Even though cable companies know that most customers only want a small number of channels, they continue to sell them all together because they know they will make more money by doing that than by offering individual channels at a fraction of the price.  What you can do about it You probably already know if you have too much bundled into your cable subscription, but if you\u2019re not sure, you can look through the listings and see what you have access to.  From there, you can make a short list of the channels that you do want, before looking for a provider that offers those channels in a smaller bundle or at a lower price.  For example, if one of the channels on your list is HBO, you could get that in a bundle from one of a variety of cable subscriptions.   However, you could also pay HBO directly for access to their content, thus avoiding paying extra for whatever else is in your cable company\u2019s bundle.  These strategies \u2014 taking inventory of both your needs and how much extra you\u2019re spending \u2014 are common financial tools that can be applied to numerous areas, but they\u2019re particularly relevant when it comes to cable, since they make a profit by selling you more than you need.  Given cable\u2019s many competitors these days, though, you shouldn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re bound to cable.   There are numerous low-cost streaming services available, including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus.   You can even get live TV for sports or news via platforms like Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, and Philo.  This isn\u2019t to say cable is bad, but if you\u2019re paying more than you should be for channels you don\u2019t even use, you may want to consider checking out alternative options.  Related: Ready to Cut Cable? 8 Cable Alternatives Worth a Look  Way #3: Early Termination Fees early termination fees  If you\u2019ve decided you\u2019re unhappy with your current cable situation, you may be considering canceling your subscription.   And if you don\u2019t need cable, canceling it entirely (as opposed to just getting a discount) is certainly the way to go.  Unfortunately, getting out of your cable contract isn\u2019t always easy and, in keeping with their desire to make money, some providers even charge a fee just to cancel.   For example, Comcast typically charges $10 for each month remaining on your contract at the time of cancellation, meaning if you still have six months left, you could be charged an extra $60.  It probably won\u2019t bankrupt you to pay that extra $60, but at the same time, the more fees you can avoid, the better.  What you can do about it In my opinion, the best way to avoid paying this fee is simply to make a note of when your contract ends and then set an annual reminder in case you ever want to cancel or look for a better deal.   That being said, it\u2019s never a good idea to keep your cable subscription just to avoid the cancellation penalty.   Your reluctance to pay $60 could cost you much more in monthly fees \u2014 especially if you eventually forget to cancel.  Therefore, if you\u2019re not using your cable and are ready to switch, it\u2019s almost always best to cancel immediately regardless of any fees.  On the other hand, though, there\u2019s nothing to lose by negotiating these charges, so if you want to cancel early but are concerned about the fee, you can call your provider directly in order to get it waived.   The cable company itself doesn\u2019t have much of an incentive to waive this fee, but the human on the other end of the line may be sympathetic and offer a reduction or even a complete waiver.  One more tip: if you\u2019re looking to cancel because you\u2019re moving, you can ask the new tenant or owner if they want to take over your plan so that you don\u2019t have to cancel and they don\u2019t have to set up a new account.  Related: Cheap Moving Tips That Will Keep Your Budget In Check  Way #4: Late Fees late fees  Like any other business, cable companies are out to make money, so they\u2019ll try their best to charge as many fees as possible.   Just as you may be charged for early termination, you may also find yourself charged with a late fee if you don\u2019t make your monthly payment by the due date.  These fees can be frustrating, especially considering that you usually make late payments when you\u2019re having trouble paying the bills, meaning you\u2019re essentially being charged extra for not being able to pay.  What you can do about it If you\u2019re charged a late fee, you can always call and ask for the fee to be waived.   This won\u2019t always work, but under certain circumstances, you shouldn\u2019t have any trouble getting out of a late fee, especially if you\u2019ve generally been a good customer or have a good reason for missing the payment.  For instance, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast announced they would be waiving late fees for any customers with difficulties paying who contacted Comcast directly.  Of course, Comcast is probably relying on the fact that only a few customers will know about this policy, and other companies may have different policies on the matter.   Nevertheless, there\u2019s a good chance that your cable company will work with you if you reach out about late fees or other charges and are willing to advocate for yourself.  Related: How to Remove Late Payments From Your Credit Report  Way #5: Other Charges and Hidden Fees hidden fees cable companies charge While early termination fees and late fees are the most common additional fees charged by cable companies, they\u2019re not the only ways you can get overcharged by your provider.   I\u2019ve seen a vast array of hidden fees and unreasonable charges that cable companies hope that customers won\u2019t fight or even be aware of.  In fact, a 2016 report by U.S. senators Rob Portman (R) and Claire McCaskill (D) found evidence of widespread overcharging on the part of cable providers.   For example, they found that Time Warner overcharged customers a total of about $2,000,000 per year.  As one would expect, all companies involved attempted to distance themselves from these findings by discussing changes in their practices.   It\u2019s been a few years since then, but while some of the problems may have been dealt with, it\u2019s still an open secret that cable companies aren\u2019t exactly trying to help customers save money.  What you can do about it Again, the exact fees will vary depending on your provider, but it\u2019s critical to be vigilant about extra charges when you\u2019re trying to budget.   And, as before, if you find you\u2019re being overcharged, it\u2019s extremely important that you advocate for yourself; in my experience, a little bit of pushing back goes a long way when you\u2019re dealing with a company who wants to keep your business.  Related: Things You Should Always Negotiate  Beware: Who Knows What They\u2019ll Come Up With Next I\u2019ve discussed the most common ways cable companies rip you off, but there\u2019s almost no end to the ways cable companies will try to part you from your money.   Ultimately, there\u2019s no right or wrong way to approach cable; some of you may be happy with your current plan, and that\u2019s great.   Over the years, though, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s extremely easy for someone to lose track of how much they\u2019re spending on various items unless they make a conscious effort to monitor their budget.   And if you\u2019ve had a cable subscription for a long time, then you probably aren\u2019t thinking about your subscription that much.  Therefore, I highly recommend going through your statements, looking at your current plan, and researching alternatives in order to see if there\u2019s a way to get what you want for less.","description":"This article is about how to lower your cable bill.","name":"How to Lower Your Cable Bill Article","datePublished":"2020-10-18","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","name":"Money Done Right Logo","height":"488","width":"60","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/#ImageObject"},"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","name":"Money Done Right Address","addressCountry":"United States","addressLocality":"Valencia","addressRegion":"California","postalCode":"91354","streetAddress":"23890 Copper Hill Dr Ste 139","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/#PostalAddress"},"url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/","publishingPrinciples":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/methodology\/","additionalType":"Blog","name":"Money Done Right","email":"support@moneydoneright.com","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/moneydoneright","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/moneydoneright\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/moneydoneright\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/money-done-right\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/moneydoneright\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/MoneyDoneRight"],"foundingLocation":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Santa_Clarita,_California","legalName":"Allec Media LLC","naics":"519130","parentOrganization":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/#ParentOrganization","founder":{"@type":"Person","hasCredential":["https:\/\/cslainstitute.org\/","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Certified_Public_Accountant"],"url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/","spouse":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/caroline-allec\/","image":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Logan-Allec-Money-Done-Right.jpg","name":"Logan Allec","description":"Logan Allec is a practicing Certified Public Accountant, Certified Student Loan Professional, and the founder of personal finance blog Money Done Right.  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He also educates thousands of people every week on The Money Done Right Show.","email":"logan.allec@moneydoneright.com","sameAs":["https:\/\/loganallec.com\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/loganallec","https:\/\/www.benzinga.com\/author\/logan-allec","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/logan.allec","https:\/\/www.fareverse.com\/writer\/logan-allec-cpa-freelance-writer\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/loganallec\/","https:\/\/www.legalzoom.com\/author\/logan-allec","https:\/\/www.rent.com\/blog\/author\/logan-allec\/","https:\/\/www.thebalance.com\/logan-allec-5192331","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3Jg7eUCBPsjX13X7kTW1hQ"],"familyName":"Allec","givenName":"Logan","birthDate":"1988-08-04","birthPlace":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anaheim,_California","alumniOf":["http:\/\/www.ucla.edu\/","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ernst_%26_Young","https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/"],"gender":"Male","jobTitle":"Founder","nationality":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Americans","worksFor":{"@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/#Organization"},"@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/"},"@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/#Organization"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/personal-finance\/saving-and-budgeting\/how-to-lower-your-cable-bill\/","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/personal-finance\/saving-and-budgeting\/how-to-lower-your-cable-bill\/#Article"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Personal Finance","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/personal-finance\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Saving And Budgeting","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/personal-finance\/\/saving-and-budgeting\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"5 Ways Cable Companies Are Ripping You Off (And What You Can Do About It)","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/personal-finance\/saving-and-budgeting\/how-to-lower-your-cable-bill\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]