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Types Hidden Costs in Internet and TV Bills

Hidden Costs in Internet and TV Bills

Have you ever been bewildered by your TV and internet bills? We have all been there. You may have taken your time in scrutinizing the best TV and internet deals and then subscribed to one.  Calling reps of these ISPs to get a clearer understanding of the billing schedules and packages. For me talking to my AT&T customer service rep helped a lot.

But what if your TV and internet charges are still giving you shocks every single month? If you are constantly wondering what are all those extra costs for, you need to read this post.

Be Aware of What You are Getting In

Different ISPs and TV providers offer catchy deals with big fonts representing a limited time offer. And while you are trying to avail the best discount, you end up getting extra fees. They end up making you believe that these are because of the essential terms and conditions of the provider. Or, all these charges were stated clearly in the details of the plan that you subscribed. Or, they were buried cleverly on the provider’s website. Let us help you with all these clever sales traps and figuring out all these hidden internet and TV fees.

Let’s pull out the magnifying glass and sort all these hidden costs for you.

Typical Hidden TV and Internet Fees

Actually, there could be plenty of miscellaneous charges, which can pop up on your TV and internet bill. We will start by discussing the typical fees that are charged by most of the internet and cable TV providers. You should know that even the typical fees are tricky to find.

Let’s discuss.

Introductory Price and Normal Price

Let’s say, you were tempted by Cox Cable and Internet packages early this year. They flaunted some amazing introductory prices and you couldn’t help signing up to one of them. Now the hidden charges have taken you by surprise and you can’t deal with it. Sounds familiar? Have you been there? Are you confused?

Well, this is what happened. You signed up for a low-priced plan. And when the time for introductory price expired, your bill increased by around 50%. Most of the internet and Cable TV providers offer tempting introductory prices. The deals are so amazing that it’s hard not to subscribe.

But the limited time offers work in favor of these providers. When the introductory term ends, the monthly rate rises to the “standard” or “prevailing” monthly rate.

Make sure you skim through the following every time you consider subscribing to a TV and internet plan:

Never miss “offer details”

You will always see a line of tiny text under the plan’s price, “see offer details.” You should never miss that. It states the complete outline of the package details and that includes pricing. This section will also enlighten you about how long the deal is going to last.

Page footers and caveats

Do not miss the caveats and page footers for details on the package. They can have important information regarding the package you are subscribing to. For instance, you will see terms like “Limited time offer” or regular pricing rates. You can also find the validity period of your package.

Superscript symbols

Every time you see a dagger or asterisk right next to a promotional plan, you need to check it out. Always skim through the corresponding note, found typically at the bottom of the page. Don’t let the tiny font size make you believe that it’s not important information. It may hold the most pivotal information like details of the current promotion and regular monthly rates.

Your online shopping cart

Here is another way to figure out the normal price of your monthly TV and internet services. You just have to start the online process of purchasing the plan that you have intended to subscribe to. When you will select it, the provider will tell you the regular monthly rate right in your shopping cart. You can always abandon your shopping cart if you think the price is too much.

Are Introductory Rates Really Worth It?

Did you just catch a glimpse of Spectrum Cable Packages offered at a promotional introductory rate? And you are reluctant to subscribe to it now. Well, the introductory rate doesn’t reflect the plan’s normal price. But that doesn’t imply that signing up to it is not worth it. These limited time promotional packages do offer some perks. Some of them are:

  • You can have a guaranteed internet and TV discounted price for at least a year. You can have it for two years or even more than that too. It depends on your contract.
  • When your contract ends, you get the opportunity to reevaluate different packages offered by various providers. You can sign up for a better deal if the regular prices don’t suit you.

The Router and Modem Rental Fee

This one is, particularly for internet costs. You may find the Spectrum Internet Cost cheap. But you haven’t added the rental fees of modems in it. If you own a router, this shouldn’t worry you. Also, owning a modem or a router is costs you lesser in the long term. But it does mean higher upfront costs.

Renting, on the other hand, is a convenient option. But the rental fee adds to the monthly internet charges. So, the next time you wonder about your escalated internet bill, keep the modem rental fee in consideration.

Also, you can buy a wireless router from your provider and you can get this money back after a year’s service. You can ask your provider about the authorized devices or equipment that they offer. Just make sure they are compatible.

Here are a few things you should read:

  • Internet equipment information on the provider’s website.
  • Service support info
  • Internet plans, offers, options, and details
  • List of authorized devices

Fees for Premium Channels

Cable TV is fun. Yes, it is. You get tons of quality channels, sporting events, news, on-demand content, and so much more. You can watch whatever you want 24/7. But escalating bills are not fun. So, here is a little insight into how much your cable TV provider is charging you for premium channels. If you hail from a family of entertainment lovers, you cannot live without channels like HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, Epix, and others. Yes, these channels have great content. But almost every cable TV provider will charge you a little extra for these premium channels. For instance, if you are a Cox TV subscriber, each of these channels is charged around $15-16 on average.

Fees for Internet Data Limit

Every internet user browses social media, streams videos, and downloads content. These are some of the most common uses of the internet. Most of the quality ISPs come up with packages without data volume restrictions. One instance is Xfinity packages. However, some ISPs do have data caps. If you are a subscriber of one of those ISPs, perhaps you are using more bandwidth than your limit.

Once you have reached your bandwidth limit, everything you do online will be charged and added to your plan’s price. And it doesn’t even have to be downloading or streaming that involves massive internet use. Even emailing and browsing social media will be noted and their charges will be added to your bill. Most of the providers charge around $10 for every 50 GB that you use additionally. So, you need to consider your internet usage and plan restrictions. Maybe they are the cause of your escalated bills.

Fees for Late Payments

Are you one of those people who expect a grace period from their digital services providers for the payment of their bills? Well, there is no such thing like that. Most of the ISPs have explicitly outlined their late payment policies on their websites. Usually, the late payment fee ranges from $5 to $25. You don’t want to spend another 25 bucks for late payments. So, it’s a good practice to set reminders for payment of bills just in time. You can also set up an automatic payment system of drafts with your digital services provider. If you are regularly not paying your bills in time, perhaps the additional charges you see are for the late payments.

Taxes, Surcharges, and Fees

You are purchasing a digital service like cable TV and internet. And just like you buy your clothes and groceries, and you pay a little extra because of the taxes, the same will happen here. Taxes and fees apply on your internet and cable TV bills too. In addition to the mandatory federal taxes, you also have local and state taxes. Also, you have regional sports and video broadcast surcharges. You should know that these fees are different across the country.

You should know that in an event of moving, canceling, or dropping your internet or cable TV services, you will be charged. Especially when your contract period hasn’t ended. So next time any of your friends want to subscribe to Xfinity Basic Cable educate them about all this.

We hope we have helped you figure out what’s adding up to your monthly bills.

Disclaimer: To our knowledge, we have made all the required efforts towards obtaining owner/publisher approval for the use of images in VISIONECLICK.COM blog posts. However, if you find violations of any sorts regarding any image, please feel free to contact us. Prices and packages mentioned may vary with time and the specific locations.