It’s a common money-saving tip repeated just about anywhere you find money-saving tips. If you want to save money on something that you subscribe to (particularly cable TV), give them a call and threaten to cancel. They’ll slash your rate and maybe even shower you with freebies in order to keep you from walking away. Only a retention rep at Verizon called Dan’s bluff and wouldn’t lower his rate now that he’s out of his initial two-year contract. He’s prepared to leave, but really doesn’t want to. Have you managed to finagle a lower rate out of Verizon or another telecom? If so, how?

I was wondering if you or your readers had any tips for getting a better deal when renewing a contract for Verizon Fios. I signed up for a 2-year contract two years ago for bundled TV, phone and internet, and was given verbal assurance from the Verizon representative that once my contract expired, I could renew at the lowest available rate. The base price of my contract was $99 a month, and now that it expired, it has risen to $109 a month.

Verizon was recently advertising the same package I had on the radio for $89 a month for new customers, so I called up to ask for that rate. The Verizon customer service representative told me that the best deal she could give me for a 2-year contract was $109 a month. This deal would be exactly what I was paying out of contract, with the added requirement to pay an ETF if I decided to go elsewhere.

When I suggested that I would go with another company if I couldn’t at least keep my rate the same, I was transferred to a customer retention specialist. The retention specialist informed me that there was no way I could get any other rate than $109 a month, and acted as if I had somehow been freeloading off the company for only paying a base rate of $99 for the past two years.

My threat to go with another company was initially a bluff in the hopes of getting a better deal, but the customer retention specialist has made me seriously consider switching. I’d prefer to avoid the hassle of switching companies, so I was hoping you or your readers would have some suggestions for getting the rate advertised for new customers.

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