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Get the biggest bang for your cable bill buck

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    Time to cut the cord?

  • Duration 4:32
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Take Charge with Jamie Colby

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We'll feel like you're paying too much for your cable service and whether some studies that show it's gone up.

Rates have increased and -- rising faster than inflation.

Many of those bundles really aren't such a great deal as a time to cut the -- in today's take charge consumer protection segment.

We're gonna let you keep cable we're gonna help you get a better deal though Janelle marte joins us reporter for Smart money dot com.

-- -- -- really hard look at this topic great to see Janelle thanks for joining us and helping us out today hi Jamie agreed to be here thank you for having me I bet you everybody feels like they're paying too much first of all you really looked into this it's gone up some 5% 2011 more than inflation why does it cost so much.

Who you're right -- -- a lot of people hate their cable companies and the pricing pieces have a lot to do with it.

I mean there are a lot of factors but I would say one of the main factors is back even though we are getting now more auctions from satellites from phone companies.

A lot of people still only have -- option for cable provider depending on where they live.

And that.

Lack of competition or -- mile competition that really contributes to the higher prices.

So once your customer with your cable company -- -- a better argument to get the price reduced and then you see those Promos for new customers -- get -- so absolutely I mean and sad thing is that the people who pay the most.

Are -- long term customers that never pick up the phone.

I mean if you call -- you complain -- you tell them that you're actually considering.

Competing offer from another phone company from another provider.

If if I think that's available to you.

I'm they're actually try to keep you would -- -- cable companies not a once and it was a customer it's going to be really hard for them to get you back.

At actually it's cheaper for them to keep the customers that they have now than it is to try to bring on from the -- -- that's interesting in terms of marketing costs and installation.

Here's a question that I have the big charges come in when you want the movie channels.

And they do this thing called bundling yes so if you already have the cable stations you want like the fantastic Fox News Channel.

And you want to add those does it really -- the cable company that much more money to add those for you isn't it just a flick of the switch what negotiating power do we have.

If we already have other cable -- so -- going.

I mean is that the networks do have more power more -- you know just the fact that there are a couple more options with satellite phone companies.

That means that they can say well we're gonna work with as per matter we're not gonna work with this provider and the fact that they can see it -- He really gives them the leverage to charge -- bit more -- when it comes to subscription fees.

And that's when we start does costs are going up and that is also leading to higher costs for consumers.

Should we buy the bundling is -- another structure we can ask for because we want cable.

We just don't understand the -- is right and -- so sometimes you can save I've bundling.

Especially when you're getting these multiple services like phone cable and Internet from the scene provider.

-- the -- that it works is that they'll give you a steep.

Does come on the second service and then an even steeper discount on the third service.

So that actually makes it difficult to try to have just one thing verses the other.

Because I think you think well let me just have Internet and not have cable or one or the other.

-- you might actually end up paying more in some cases venue where originally pain right so we make the call we tell -- good customer we pretend we're gonna leave and we get a bit of the discount.

Then what those discounts won't last forever potentially call again you got a you have to keep crying that's what I was what they mean you what you wanna do is you always want to try to have -- -- that's being offered to than to the newest customer.

I just spoke with someone that earlier this year his and -- Basically cut his bill -- half from 20200.

Dollars and it was something we you know he had the whole.

Packets DVR.

I'm pretty HBO.

At a popular TV -- -- do -- so he actually went -- to her heat we did some of the cable company that he was looking that thinking about canceling their magic where it's council.

And -- because of what they called them up and they were like no we want to keep you.

And they -- able to somehow.

Given the -- -- cut in half fantastic -- to now we appreciate that you looked into this forest so we can get our channels and maybe pay a little bit less and folks who want more information can check out your article on Smart money.

Dot com on the website thank you -- nice speech and now -- today.

And also if you want to learn more.

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