They Got A Line On You

The other day, I was listening to the radio and heard the song “I Got a Line on You” by the group Spirit. It brought back great memories as I had a chance to see them play live at the old Electric Theatre in Chicago. The very next day, I thought of that song as I was looking at a client’s cellular bill. Or should I say I was looking at all 6 pages of a client’s cellular bill. After a bit of discussion, it became clear to me that the client’s cellular provider had more than a line on that person. They had multiple lines for phones and lines for data. There were also lines on the bill for phone leases, add-ons, insurance, taxes and fees.

Trying to make sense of that bill was, like reading Homer’s "Odyssey" – in Greek. In fact, it was pretty much all Greek to the client, so each month, it was dutifully paid. When I tore through the bill, I found out some interesting things. First, this person had an Apple Watch and had no idea where it came from. Secondly, a line that the client thought had been cancelled a couple of months ago via phone customer service was still there – with insurance. Speaking of insurance, we had a discussion about the benefits, or lack thereof for insurance. At $17 a month for each phone, it can get pretty pricey. Plus, deductibles can be as high as $200. I only recommend insurance to clumsy people or households which contain a younger person. Finally, and worst of all, I told the client that there are much better deals out there. Even from their current provider.

The first thing we did was to get on the phone with the client’s current provider and fix the billing errors including getting rid of the line that had been previously cancelled. Next, we asked about current offers, and wouldn’t you know it, as soon as we talked about switching carriers, the customer service person basically said they were only kidding about those current rates. "We have a great deal out there right now that can save you ten dollars a month plus you get a free Apple Watch.” Great. If it’s such a good deal, why didn’t the client know about it until threatening to leave? Also, that free Apple Watch is not so free when you add the data line that is needed in order to do pretty much everything except tell the time. On the other hand, it is called a watch.

The moral of the story is your cellular provider will happily send you a bill each month for services which may be higher than you need to pay, so long as you continue to happily pay your bill each month. It’s on the consumer to be diligent in auditing their tech bills, looking for unnecessary charges as well as services which are no longer needed or never even ordered. It’s also important to shop around for new deals from both your current provider and its competitors. If you haven’t done that in a while, the chances are pretty good that you are paying too much, and your provider has a line or two on you.

Since I retired from Radio, I've saved households from hundreds to even thousands of dollars a year on their TV, Cell and Internet costs with most savings ongoing. I’ve researched the providers and found the best options for saving money. For a free look at your bills and to discuss alternatives, email hmwellsradio@gmail.com or visit lowertechbills.com because you may not have the time to dig into your bills, but I do.