Choosing the right internet plan requires a little thought for a whole lot of reward. The number one mistake people make is to look at one factor without considering the whole picture. For example, a consumer might look at the price, or they might look at the maximum speed advertised. Anytime you look at a single factor, you could be losing out on the best overall plan. Let’s take a look at the 5 tips that will help you select the best plan for your needs.
Below are the 5 Killing Tips for Selecting the Best Plan from Internet Providers:
1. Look at the Big Picture:
Many internet providers offer fantastic deals to sign you up, like free equipment or cash back. These might seem like great deals, and in fact they sometimes are. Then again, sometimes they’re not. Sure, you might get $100 cash back, but if you’re locked into a 2 year contract that costs you an extra $200 over the course of the contract then you won’t be saving anything. Whenever you see these great introductory advertisements, consider how much it will cost over the course of the entire contract, and then see if there really are savings to be found.
2. To Sign a Contract or to Not Sign a Contract…
We’ve seen people who absolutely refuse to sign a contract, and we’ve seen people who sign a 3 year contract without giving it a second thought. Ideally, you’d do something in the middle. In some cases, contracts can be to your benefit. They’ll guarantee you a price for a specific amount of time, and often they come with perks like those mentioned above. That said, be careful that your contract doesn’t start out with 6 months of a low rate, only to be doubled for the last 18 months of your contract.
3. Think About YOUR Needs:
You might be surprised to see how many people spend more time researching what they should be worried about versus thinking about what they really are worried about. Some people search high and low to find out how fast their internet should be, or what kind of extras it should come with. The truth is that there are no answers across the board that apply to everyone. Think about how you use the internet, think about how you’d like to use the internet, take the expert advice into consideration, and then then make your own decision about the right plan for you.
4. It’s All About the Usage Caps:
One of the reasons many people find it more difficult to shop for internet today versus a year ago is because of usage caps. There’s a lot of conflicting information coming out, where some companies claim their data is unlimited but in reality if you use over a certain amount, you’re going to see your speed throttled – which means it will be much, much slower. The first thing most people should remember, however, is that usage caps affect a very small percentage of people. If you’re not using the internet for 12 or 15 hours a day, if you’re not streaming unlimited high definition movies, and if you’re not downloading a significant amount of large files, then these caps probably won’t affect you. On the other hand, if you are a heavy user, then it is well worth it to take some time to see which company applies caps and when.
5. Don’t Discount Service:
In an ideal world, you’d never have trouble with your service or billing, and you’d never need to contact your provider. However, we live in the real world, where it’s worth it to look into how easy it is to contact a provider (Do they have online chat? How about a phone number to call with a real life person answering? What are their tech support hours?). It may make your life easier down the road.
Finding the right plan is simple if you follow these steps. Take the time to do the research and compare the companies, and you’ll end up with the right provider and plan for you.
