Don’t fall into an unwanted triple play deal trap

By Iris Taylor
Media General News Service
Published: July 8, 2008

Do those triple-play deals — you know the ones for television, telephone and broadband Internet bundled together and offered at an enticing price with rebates or gifts — sound too good to be true?
Go online and search “Complaints Triple Play Deals,” and you’ll see some
consumers are very happy with those deals.
Others definitely aren’t. Complaints vary from snail-like receipt of gifts and rebates to unexpected price increases.
Are you getting barraged with triple- or quad-play promotional offers — the quad includes cell phone service — and you’re thinking of saying yes?
Go ahead. But first read the online complaints so you’ll know what to expect. And be sure to follow these tips:
Find out how long the rates last. Usually triple-play deals offer an introductory rate that goes up after a certain time, said Amina Fazlullah, staff attorney for U.S. PIRG, a national consumer-advocacy group.
Also, the price of one, two or all of the services may increase faster than another, she said.
“Keep an eye on that, and know exactly where your rates are headed,” she said. “Know how long each rate lasts.”
Ask what service changes you request will automatically lengthen your contract.
If you have a one- or two-year contract and you upgrade to, say, premium TV programming, it may restart your contract, Fazlullah said. From the very beginning, make sure you know all the changes that you make that will trigger a contract extension.
Ask what is the termination fee. It’ll be tricky to leave one of the three services if you’re unhappy with it, Fazlullah said.
“That contract has you locked in to three revenue streams,” she said.
Find out before you sign up what happens if you want to discontinue one or all of the services.
Find out what will happen during the shift from analog TV.
Next February, analog televisions will go dark unless they’re hooked up to a converter box or cable.
If you want cable running to an analog TV as part of a triple-play deal, you’d better ask if you’re going to be forced to rent a piece of equipment to keep it going or if you will lose out on some channels, Fazlullah said.
Nail down the actual monthly cost.
Some services advertise an attractive flat monthly fee, but watch out for expensive add-ons, said Lesley Fair, a Federal Trade Commission attorney. Find out if you must buy or rent additional equipment.
Also, ask if your favorite cable channels or must-have telephone features are included in the deal.
The promotional price does not include taxes, franchise fees and other charges that may vary by jurisdiction, Consumer Reports said. You may have to pay installation, activation and shipping fees, too.
Scrutinize speed promises.
You may have dreams of dazzling Internet download speeds.
But the promotional rate you get may be for a lower tier of service that’s slower than you’re expecting, Fair said. The actual speed can be affected by many things, including how many people are on the network at the same time you are.
Protect your privacy. Ask if privacy protections are included with the new service, Fair said.
“It’s likely that anti-spam, anti-virus and anti-spyware software you’re currently using will need to be reinstalled or updated,” she said.
Read the small print. You may find out that the offer for free installation applies only if you sign up for automatic bill payment, Consumer Reports said. Be sure to carefully read the frequently asked questions and terms of service on the triple-play-deal provider’s Web site.
Also, find out how much you’ll pay after the promotion ends.