It is hard to cut through all the bull when it comes to cable, satellite, and even internet based TV deals. You see commercial after commercial for the two big satellite providers. These ads are inescapable and come loaded with promises of low low prices, then spend the rest of the ad spot tearing down each other. It’s dish on dish crime when it comes to Direct TV and Dish Network.
There are many tangled up cable options depending on the region in which you reside. Then there are the many internet TV deals that can be hard for non geeks to understand.
So how do you know when you are getting good deal on TV service? That is an easy question to answer and it goes along with deals of any sort in my opinion. If you have to sign a contract that locks you in for a set time period, how can that be best for you? It’s great for the TV service since they now have you as a regular customer for a year or even two. They also try to get you on auto pay so you forget about the bill and just coast along with them forever. This auto billing also makes it hard to get refunds for days when the service goes out, like in a snow storm.
I understand why cable providers and satellite companies want to sign consumers up for a certain time. They would suffer financial losses if they had people shutting off the service after just a month or two then signing back up a few months later. It would be a vicious cycle for these “poor” corporations. That said, their financial well being isn’t on your shoulders as a consumer. You are responsible for your own budget, not that of Comcast or Direct TV. So NOT signing up for a long term contract is simply good business…for you.
So how do you get a great deal on TV service? Find one that does not require you to sign two years of your TV viewing life away. Netflix is month by month. They know their service is great so they don’t have to hold you hostage with a legal contract. They like you, you like them or you can walk away when you feel the desire to do so. The same goes for Hulu and Sling TV, no proverbial gun to your couch potato head. I am no fan of Hulu, but at least I was able to cut off the service after a few days when I realized it wasn’t for me. I have yet to try Sling TV. As for Netflix, I have been a customer for close to ten years and have been super pleased.
I can’t tell you the best TV service for your specific needs. I can tell you that I feel robbed every time I pay my Comcast bill and I can’t cut them loose because of the contract. I never feel like a hostage with Netflix. No contract is the easy answer to your TV service dilemma.
