| CONSUMER ADVICE - TIPS - PRECAUTIONS |
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| Written by Tammie Crosby | |
| Friday, 03 August 2007 | |
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CONSUMER ADVICE-TIPS-PRECAUTIONS This article is written in the spirit of helping the consumer in many different areas but is slanted toward the satellite/cable service industry. It can apply to any type of service oriented or consumer purchase. These are things which are basically from a common sense point of view. They are things which one should always do but most take for granted and ASSUME that everything is as they were told. Remember the old saying: "When you ASSUME something…you make an ASS out of U and ME." That is a saying I have never forgotten but not always applied in my life…being of a trusting nature…whether through being naive or simply gullible…I don't really know…a bit of both I suspect. Needless to say, it has cost me monetarily several times but working at a call center in 'customer service' brought it home so much that I have been compelled to compile this list of precautions, tips and advice to share with others. These are nothing which most people don't already know but can stand to be repeated as a reminder. I do have a slight soap box topic to express at the beginning of this list and it pertains solely to the cable/satellite TV industry. How much do you pay for cable/satellite service? …$30.00-$40.00-$50.00-$60.00-$100.00--more? How many stations do you truly watch that you cannot live without? 5-10? Is it the prestige of having the 'everything' pack that boasts over 250 channels? Does it simply seem like the best deal? Do you use the TV as a babysitter for the children? I was one of the latter ones…TV as the babysitter…when my boys were growing up…I admit it was soooo easy…just plunk them down in front of the 'educational shows' or the cartoons and do what I had to do. Heck, I often sat with them because I have a liking for the cartoons…always have. I used to have the TV on 24-7 when I was home. I used it as a background noise or escape route from the routine world. It wasn't until I was forced into the silence of not having TV available…not even a TV antenna…that I realized what I had been doing. The TV was an escape into another world and quieted the unsatisfied voices which invaded my mind whenever there was silence. I was first forced into silence in my vehicle when the radio stopped working. No matter what I did, it would not come back on. So I rode in silence and started listening to what the voices…my inner-self…were telling me. The silence opened new doorways and allowed the new ideas to flow. When I finally got the chance to see about getting the radio repaired…after about a month without it…the repair person turned it on to see what it was doing and…you guessed it…it worked perfectly. Nearly the same thing happened with the TV. I had purchased a satellite dish system and, after my divorce, had it for nearly a year before I could not keep the services going due to financial problems. Thus…I had only the VHS player and the repeated watching of my tapes to fill in the silence but I usually only did that in the evenings. How many times have you complained that the same old thing is being played over and over on the TV? Try doing it on purpose…sheds a whole new light on the situation…also clarifies why you want the TV on constantly. There are so many other things for one to do…so many other choices…what is the TV truly worth to you? Is it worth more than covering your rent, your utilities, your food, your clothes, gas for your car? Television and the movies are luxuries…NOT necessities. The basic channels to keep in touch with the world, the weather, and for light entertainment are convenient and may be needed in some areas…particularly when it comes to the weather but a radio…free access…usually can cover that. Working in the billing/pre-collections call-in center of one of the satellite services was continually amazing to me. Some of the billing was astronomical…things the customers thought they needed…some they truly did not want but could not get what they wanted without the big package…many abuses of the system by ordering pay-per-views and then not wanting to pay for them…some not customer ordered but added due to technical problems with interference from nearby systems. The stories and the problems are endless. There were legitimate emergencies and the trying-to get-something-for-nothing scam artists. Both are with any service or anything a consumer can buy. It is unfortunate that the scammers are out there and there is not true way to tell the difference over the phone. It makes it bad for the true emergencies. That is one of the reasons I decided that this list was needed…to help the trusting people and make it harder for the scammers to get away with their scams.
THE LIST--- 1. First and foremost, do not believe everything placed in an ad. Most ads are not from the mother company itself but from independent contractors…especially the satellite companies. Other companies may be direct ads but always check to be sure. There is so much out-sourcing and franchising today that one can rarely be sure that the ads are truly what the main company wants or not. ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OFFERS WHICH SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE…THERE ARE USUALLY LINES OF FINE PRINT OR STRINGS ATTACHED. Example 2. The first tip leads to the second which is usually the major oversight people do. ALWAYS…ALWAYS…ALWAYS…READ THE FINE PRINT AND READ ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE YOU SIGN IT!!!! This is true with anything and not just the satellite/cable companies. Where they get a lot of people is the fact that the installers have to have the consumer sign their work sheet…WHICH IS THE CONTRACT…and most people never think twice about it. 3. Also going along with the fine print…if you do not want a long commitment…in most cases right now…18 to 24 months…make sure you read that fine print and get it straight BEFORE you sign or have it installed. Know that you may not get the rebates or discounted specials if you do not opt for the longer contract but if you have any doubts about whether you will like the service or you may be moving within that time period, it saves lots of hassles if you do not opt for the lengthy contract. To not have the contract, may entail purchasing the equipment out right but it does save hassles later on if you run into problems. Yes, most do offer a moving service where they will transfer you to your new home…this is for the satellites and probably cable…however, also be aware that if there is any lengthy down time, you will still be paying for the service, even if it isn't connected or working and to get credits for that down time, you WILL HAVE TO CONTACT THE PROVIDER AND DOCUMENT WHEN YOU WERE WITHOUT SERVICE…this is on the consumer's side for the most part…the companies do not register whether the signal is being received constantly or not…they only know when it is sent out. SO…REMEMBER TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THE PROVIDER WITH ANY CHANGES OR ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AS SOON AS THEY ARE HAPPENING OR YOU WILL NOT GET THE CREDIT FOR TIME WITHOUT SERVICE. YOU MUST ALSO ASK FOR THE TIME WITHOUT SERVICE OR IT WILL NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED. 3. Along the lines of asking…those nifty little free trial bonuses of those premium movie channels or extra features for 3 months…yep…they are free for that time period BUT…IF YOU DO NOT CALL IN TO CANCEL AFTER THAT TIME PERIOD, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THEM…THEY ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY DROPPED AT THE END OF THAT TIME. The companies go under the assumption that you will want to keep the extra service(s) unless notified and…again…it is in the fine print about that cancellation. 4. About the billing…most LUXURY companies such as the TV services do bill a month in advance. Be aware of that when you sign on to the service and the first bill usually reflects TWO months ahead with the following bills remaining one month ahead. This is a standard procedure and another thing which was a major contention with many customers. The only parts of the service which were not paid for in advance were the pay-per-views. The basic service was always a month in advance. There is no way around it. Paying only for the time which has been used, like the month of June at the first of July, only marks you as a late payer and makes it more difficult to get extra consideration should a true emergency arise. REMEMBER TO READ THE FINE PRINT AND ASK QUESTIONS. 5. Here is a point which also needs addressing…ALWAYS KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOUR BILLING. If there are added items, like the pay-per-views, on the billing which you did not order…check it out fast…but first be sure it wasn't someone in your home who was ordering them. It never hurts, especially if you have children or teens in the home, to have special locks, blocks and passwords set-up on the system right from the start. You can have the most trustworthy and honest family members but there is always the temptation for special events, movies, etc….and especially adult programming. Why set yourself up for arguments over who did what when you can stop it right from the on-set? Call in and put a limit on the pay-per-views which will make it necessary for anyone to call in to order and also have a special password which only one person knows. Make sure you let the customer service department know this and that they make notes on the account. There are also blocks and locks on the receivers themselves which the technical departments will usually help you set-up. REMEMBER THIS: PAY-PER-VIEWS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE UNLESS THERE IS A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY OCCURRING TO PREVENT YOU FROM WATCHING IT AND YOU MUST CALL IN WHILE THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING TO GET THE CREDIT…ASSUMING THAT IT WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CREDITED IS WRONG. EVEN WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WILL NOT WORK…IT MUST BE WHILE YOU CANNOT SEE IT IF YOU HAVE ORDERED AN EVENT. IF IT IS SOMETHING WHICH YOU DID NOT ORDER OR ORDERED BY MISTAKE…YOU MUST CALL IMMEDIATELY TO GET THAT CREDIT. 6. This is an adjunct to the tip before…if you took the steps above and blocked/locked everything down and there are suddenly pay-per-views showing up on your billing which you absolutely know should not be, then there is a possible technical problem. This usually only applies to those particular receivers which run two televisions…duel tuners. If you have your channels changing suddenly while watching a show, there is usually some sort of interference from a neighbor or neighbors. You need to call in to establish that there is a problem and the technical department can usually help you fix the crossing signals. As with tip #5...DO NOT WAIT TO CALL IN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THAT ONLY MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH THAT THERE TRULY IS A PROBLEM. 7. Oh, yes…there are certain 'deals' which require the consumer to sign up with a credit card or checking account to get those extra discounts. With all of the problems about fraud and such, it is not a smart thing to do and I'll tell you why. Remember the bit about reading the fine print on the contract which is also the work order for the installer to get paid? Well, along in that contract lines, there is a clause which states that if the consumer/customer defaults on payments, the company is allowed to tag (withdraw) the cost of the remaining commitment/contract fees as well as the unreturned equipment fees…without the customer's verbal permission because it is in the contract or original installation paper they signed. The account usually has to be seriously overdue and the services by the time the tagging happens have already been shut off, but, if you think it is illegal for them to take out money from your account, or whatever account is on file…(could be someone else's card who helped in a pinch)…think again…it is in the contract that, once signed…they can do it and they do it all the time when the contracts are in default. Which leads to two tips in one: NEVER USE SOMEONE ELSE'S CREDIT/DEBIT CARD TO OPEN YOUR ACCOUNT BECAUSE THAT IS THE ACCOUNT WHICH WILL BE TAGGED AND NEVER USE SOMEONE ELSE'S CARD TO PAY THE BILLING EITHER…IT MAY END UP BEING TAGGED IF IT IS THE ONLY CARD USED ON THE ACCOUNT. USE ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF PAYMENT…MONEY GRAMS, PRE-CASH CARDS, IN-CASH LOCATIONS, ETC. Scenario Uncommon? No…it happened all the time and was, by far, the worst type of call to handle because I totally empathized with the customer, especially when the account tagged was not their own but a family member or friend who was kind enough to help the customer set-up the service in the first place. The simplest solution was, of course, always pay the bill on time and not let it lapse but far too many people get in over their heads for a LUXURY service and just cannot keep up with it. Re-read the soap-box bit at the beginning of this article. Is 250 channels really worth having if you cannot truly afford it? What really is the difference between standard TV and HD TV? Is that worth more as well? Is it just to 'keep up with the Jones' or be in on the 'new technology' or is it really something you cannot live without or with a lot less of? You can always drop to lower packaging…at least most people can…there may be some sort of a commitment to maintain a specific package level as well as a time commitment…to help through rough times. Just do not put it off until you are behind in payments…changes usually cannot be made until paid up then. However, I do know that there were some changes being made in that department to help stop the huge bill problem, so be sure to ask as soon as you realize there is going to be a problem in getting your payment in on time. 8. With payments…especially when mailing in the payment with a money order or check…remember that it usually takes 7-10 BUSINESS days to post to an account. Sure, the mail may not take that long to get to the main company, but it does take that long for the processing of the payment. If you are close to a shut-off/interruption, be sure to use an alternate method such as a Money Gram or Western Union or in-cash location or even a pre-paid credit card, which are getting very popular now. Just make sure they are the actual pre-paid credit cards and not a gift card. They need a Visa or Mastercard logo on them. 9. This tip is about when you have to send something back to the main company. ALWAYS KEEP THE TRACKING NUMBER!!!!! DO NOT ASSUME THAT IT IS ON RECORD WITH THE MAIN COMPANY IF THEY SENT YOU THE BOXES AND THE RETURN SHIPPING LABEL…THEY USUALLY DON'T…ONLY ON THE PART THEY SHIPPED TO YOU. Be aware that it is your responsibility to be sure that equipment is returned in a timely manner and that you need to keep that tracking number for your own protection. It also helps if the equipment should get lost or damaged during the shipping process. If you do not keep that number, there will be delays in getting the equipment credited to your account. Along the lines of returns, many people have only P.O. Box numbers for mailing and shipping but UPS and FedEx do not deliver to the P.O. Boxes so you must make sure there is some way to get the return shipment boxes to you and you may have to call in to arrange that or risk being charged for the equipment when you don't get it back within a specified amount of time…usually 10-15 days if non-voluntary and up to 30 days if voluntary. This is from the time of total shut off…not interruption…usually. A lot depends on the past track history of payments, so the fewer late payments made, the better you are when you end the contract. Another point…if you are returning something, there is a return authorization number usually assigned to the items and having that number on the returned item speeds the process of getting it posted as credit to your account. If it is not given, call and ask for it. It saves a lot of frustration and time in the long run. 10. I know that most times, customers are told to call and let the company know that the payment was sent BUT…calling the automated systems or even talking to an agent does not guarantee that service will not get interrupted if the payment isn't posted by the due, or rather, overdue date. In almost every case, payments MUST be posted to the account by specific days to ensure uninterrupted services. Many times, when there is some sort of an error where the payment was suppose to have been posted… i.e.--paid with check over the automated system or on-line, etc. and then it comes back as an 'account not found' or possibly even insufficient funds…suddenly, the service is interrupted. It is the only way the company has to catch the customer's attention. There are just too many customers having this problem to really have the company call each one who defaults like this. (One of the major things with this was that the customer had the numbers 'memorized' and may not have double-checked closely enough. It is so easy to turn numbers around, especially when giving the number to an agent. Make sure the agent repeats the numbers back to you as well.) Remember that most of the system is automated and it only goes by the primary phone number listed on the account. This interruption also happens if the billing gets returned in the mail or there is any other problems with a payment made. Hint here is to keep your phone number up to date if you want to be notified of problems. Also…along with this tip…make sure the agent repeats and refreshes your update prior to hanging up because sometimes the calls come in so fast that they X out of the account instead of close and update, thus the update changes are lost. Not necessarily the agent's fault…the calls just come too fast to do much else and the companies are all about keeping the calls as short as possible. Unfortunately, that cuts down on the true customer service part of a call and the companies will drop excellent customer service people who do try to de-escalate problems…as they are told…simply because the agents do not get down to the call handling times expected. Lastly, all calls are suppose to be recorded but there are millions of calls each day in many centers all over the country, perhaps even outside of the country. The companies do say this is their policy for quality and training purposes, however, the customer is not permitted to record the conversation…it is illegal and the agent does not have to speak to a customer if the customer says they are recording the conversation and to record without informing the other party is doubly illegal and not admissible under any circumstances to my knowledge. This is company policy. The customer can takes notes and that is the best option…write down the name and agent I.D. of the person to whom you are speaking, as well as the name and agent I.D. of anyone else like the supervisor, etc. Write the date and time of the call, the reason for the call, all that was suppose to be resolved and when it is suppose to show up on your billing. Most of the above tips have been geared toward Satellite/Cable services. One thing I would like to add at this point is that you really need to ask A LOT OF QUESTIONS if you are even thinking of bundling services. Yes…the deals sound so great BUT…if for any reason, the bundling breaks apart (could be on your part or through a company buy-out type a thing or even too many technical difficulties)…it is a nightmare to try and sort out the separation…AND…at least with the satellite services, starts you over like a new customer with the first non-bundled billing being doubled…so be VERY CAREFUL AND VERY INFORMED WHEN BUNDLING SERVICES.
ALSO Most of these tips are common sense but, as stated at the beginning, it never hurts to be reminded of them. Apply them to any circumstance or business dealing and you may be able to cut down on frustration, misunderstandings, and other problems before they have a chance to explode into being. These tips are given as helpful notes and are not meant to point blame or cause problems for any specific company. The tips are meant to educate and help in all areas by reminding people of common sense steps and perhaps a few steps which are there but often overlooked. Please feel free to pass this on to others you think may benefit from these tips/reminders. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 October 2008 ) |
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