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The residential internet service is one competitive business to be in. Why? Well, for starters, internet technology is evolving continually. Then, there are a lot of players who are in the market, making it more saturated than ever before. Therefore, it is not a surprise why internet users are oftentimes confused when it comes to choosing an ISP. They have a ton of choices and choosing the right one can sometimes become a bit of a challenge.
Then, to attract customers, some internet providers offer limited-time deals which double the confusion. But then users might see a spike in their internet bills once the promotional offer ends. Hence, it is recommended to keep looking for options to determine if it is time for you to make the switch. There are some points one should remember while switching your internet provider. And here they are.
1. Know What Your Internet Needs Are
What is it that you want an internet provider to offer? Is it a high-speed connection, no contracts, better customer service, faster connection speed, or lower monthly rates? If you know the specific reason behind making a switch, it would help you in selecting the right provider. Moreover, if you have multiple reasons to make a switch then it is best if you prioritize those needs as per your preference. This would assist you in finding a provider that offers exactly what you need.
2. The Cost of Unsubscribing Your Current Internet Provider
If your current internet provider has bound you in a contractual agreement then it could be costly if you decide to discontinue their service early. Therefore, it is better to review your service agreement to know when it would be safe to ditch your provider if you want to save yourself from paying a termination fee. If you have misplaced the copy of the paperwork that you signed when you got the service, then you can simply find it online by logging into the account that you set up with your ISP. You can always get in touch with your provider if you want to get information on termination fees. However, you should be a bit careful as they might get you in touch with their retention specialist, and conversations with them could quickly become negotiations.
3. Find the Internet Provider in Your Area and Pick the Right One
Once you are aware of the termination fees that you would have to pay for discontinuing your provider’s services, the next thing to do is to figure out the alternatives available to you. You can ask your friends or relatives if they know of an ISP that offers decent services. After that, you can list down the potential providers that you are thinking of subscribing to. And then, you can evaluate them on the basis of the following factors.
- Speed
- Monthly cost
- Reliability
- Customer service
- Up-front costs
- Bundling options
Once you have collected the data from these factors, you can easily see which ISP is best meeting your requirements. You can then select them.
4. Order Your New Service & Cancel the Old One
After you have selected the provider, you can give them a call and order their service. While doing this, make sure that you schedule your installation. Once, your new service is in place, you can call your existing provider and ask them to cancel the service. If you ditch your provider first before activating the new service then this could leave you with no internet. And, nobody wants that!
I remember when I checked Spectrum internet prices, I found it to be extremely affordable. And they were offering a better speed than my existing provider. So, I subscribed to their service first and had it activated before ditching my ISP. Hence, it is advised that you follow the same technique so that you can always have access to the internet even when switching services.
Conclusion
Switching your internet provider can turn into a pretty problematic matter if you don’t know what steps to take. Hopefully, this article would have made the process a bit easier for you. When thinking about switching your ISP, another tip would be to know which service you want to subscribe to as a replacement. So, when you are talking with the retention specialist, you can tell them about which service you will be opting for. This can sometimes end up in your favor as the specialist might offer you an attractive package that might convince you to stay with your current provider.