CUB clinic takes the fright out of phone bills
Friday, October 31, 2008—Halloween just got a little less scary—at least for phone customers.
Experts from the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) showed consumers—including
Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn—how to
save an average of $216 a year on phone service at a pre-Halloween clinic
at downtown Chicago’s James R. Thompson Center.
More than 90 consumers attended the clinic and received free one-on-one bill analyses from CUB’s
experts, who gave them tips on how to cut their local, long-distance and wireless costs.
Lt. Gov. Quinn was haunted by high phone bills—until CUB’s clinic showed him how to cut his calling costs by about $45 per month, or $540 a year.
Brenda Brown drove to the clinic from Alsip and was able to cut her monthly phone bill by $40 a month.
“Boy, have I been wasting a lot of money,” she said. “It was worth the drive.”
Chicago resident Vivienne Burns learned how to trim her local and long-distance phone costs by $348 a year.
“Every time I get my bill I cringe,” she said. “I’m glad I came here. I’ll tell everyone about it.”
Consumers can save by following CUB’s five simple tips:
Try the CUB Cellphone Saver. This new online tool has been showing consumers how to save about $300 a year. It automatically analyzes individual wireless bills, recommends the cheapest plans, spots billing errors, and detects unnecessary charges.
Make the Consumer’s Choice. Under a legal settlement, AT&T is forced to offer three plans in Illinois designed to match the way most consumers use their phone. CUB’s Local Phone Cost-cutter can help put you on the right plan.
Get a $20 long-distance credit from one of the most affordable plans in the nation. Pioneer Telephone’s Rate Buster plan charges just 2-3 cents per minute for local-toll and long-distance calling with little or no monthly fee, compared to typical long distance plans which charge 7-10 cents per minute plus a high monthly fee. Best of all, the consumer group has negotiated a $20 “CUB Credit” for customers who sign up with Pioneer.
Drop “Line-Backer.” By removing this optional insurance plan for a home’s inside wires, consumers can save $7 per month, or $84 a year. Inside wire problems only happen about once every 20-30 years on average. Your savings will more than cover the costs for any inside wire repair.
Don’t pay for 411. Traditional “411” service costs up to $2 per call. Instead, numbers like 1-800-FREE 411, 1-800-goog 411 or 1-800-555 TELL offer free service in exchange for listening to a short advertisement.
Make the Consumer’s Choice. Under a legal settlement, AT&T is forced to offer three plans in Illinois designed to match the way most consumers use their phone. CUB’s Local Phone Cost-cutter can help put you on the right plan.
Get a $20 long-distance credit from one of the most affordable plans in the nation. Pioneer Telephone’s Rate Buster plan charges just 2-3 cents per minute for local-toll and long-distance calling with little or no monthly fee, compared to typical long distance plans which charge 7-10 cents per minute plus a high monthly fee. Best of all, the consumer group has negotiated a $20 “CUB Credit” for customers who sign up with Pioneer.
Drop “Line-Backer.” By removing this optional insurance plan for a home’s inside wires, consumers can save $7 per month, or $84 a year. Inside wire problems only happen about once every 20-30 years on average. Your savings will more than cover the costs for any inside wire repair.
Don’t pay for 411. Traditional “411” service costs up to $2 per call. Instead, numbers like 1-800-FREE 411, 1-800-goog 411 or 1-800-555 TELL offer free service in exchange for listening to a short advertisement.
All told, consumers can save up to $500 a year by following CUB’s calling tips.
“Wow—five minutes to save some money,” said Brown.