Bundles Gone Wild: Phone Companies Exposed

You've probably seen the ad on television, "phone TV DSL", offered by SBC Global. Is it a good deal? Compared to services offered by traditional telephone service providers in the past, yes. Compared to what you could get by doing some research yourself, no.

While SBC advertises bundled telephone, DSL, and satellite TV service for around $75.00 a month, you knew there had to be a catch didn't you? The catch being the advertised price is not the end price. You'll also be bound to a contract.

Did you know you could be getting a much better deal on those services if you just do your homework? About an hour doing the research could save you a big hunk of money every month. Sure, you'll have to pay separate bills, but with the money saved, it's worth it.

Let me give you an example. You are probably looking for phone, TV, and DSL services. Let's discuss the promotional rate and the end price on each of these services. Keep in mind, these examples will reflect basic packages with no add on's.

Satellite TV from dish network will cost you about $19.99 a month for three months then go up to $31.99 plus $5.00 for DVR service in two rooms. Movie channel packages range from $12.00 to $40.00 a month. The end basic package price with 2 DVR's is $36.99

DSL or Cable broadband Internet from both ComCast and Earth Link will be around $19.99 to $29.99 for the first three to six months, depending on your service area. In most cases It will be $19.99 a month for the first six months then go to around $45.00 regular rate.

Broadband telephone service or VoIP from Vonage is about $15.00 a month for unlimited local calling plus 800 long distance minutes a month. Now, don't fall over, but this is not a promotional rate. This is the regular rate for basic service with Vonage.

So what we have now is phone, TV, and high speed broadband Internet for about $55.00 a month for the first few months, that's $20.00 a month cheaper than SBC. In the end, you'll be paying less than $100.00 a month for the services just mentioned.

So the next time you are looking for a good deal on bundled packages, keep in mind you'll save a whole lot more if you just take the time to bundle your own services and spend an extra five minutes each month paying your bills separately. That's an hour a year folks.