Secrets to saving on cable: Yahoo users' own stories

It's no secret that everyone wants to save money on cable.

Whenever Yahoo Homes posts a story (this one, or this one, or this one) offering advice on saving money on monthly bills, readers chime in with thousands of comments on how they were able to jump hurdles, dodge denials and eventually win a discount from their cable providers.

They’ve been there, done that and have the savings to prove it.

We’ve culled a few themes and choice pieces of advice that our readers have to offer. Please feel free to add more in the comments to this story, too!

1. Begin the conversation with cancellation.

Yahoo user kevinh recommended calling your cable provider and canceling your service as soon as you’ve been charged for the upcoming month. Then, just sit and wait for the company to call you back.

"[When] they call you back, you will not be contacted by a customer service rep ... [you] will be contacted by customer retention," kevinh wrote, and this department will have much better deals to offer to keep your business.

According to kevinh, they are basically allowed to do anything they can to keep you as their customer.

Yahoo user craig l said asking to be treated like a new customer by the cable companies is a smart way to get a better deal.

"Was sick of seeing all these deals for 'new' customers only. So I asked them the following question, 'Why after being a loyal customer of 15 years do you penalize me with higher fees and only reward new customers with discounts?'" craig l wrote.

The service rep came back with a better deal, but not one as good as craig l wanted. The rep he was speaking to then offered him a better package, but with the caveat that he would need a phone and pay a $20 extra fee. Once again, he asked to cancel his package and she agreed to credit his account $20 to offset the fee.

“Fine with me, my offer is good for 1 year. I'll do it again in 6 months,” he wrote.

[Do you want to save money your TV bill? Click to get quotes and switch providers now.]

2. Bring competitor prices/package deals as negotiating points.

Never come in without competitor price comparisons, wrote Yahoo user blabs.

"If you threaten companies that you'll switch to the competition they almost always come up with better pricing," blabs wrote.

Another tip according to blabs -- always ask for an Interaction ID number.

"This is to safeguard yourself if problems arise with billing ‘cause this is proof of ID of person who gave it to you and is recorded in the company records along with details of plan," blabs wrote. "If you don't get that number, they can say it didn't happen."

Another Yahoo user who went by just Commenter said bringing specific deals to cable companies is the ticket to lower pricing.

“It pays to pit one provider against the other and once you have done this a couple of times, they will know you mean business so the negotiations get easier,” Commenter wrote. “Spread the word."

[Click to compare TV packages and rates from providers in your area now. ]

3. Set absolute top price you’re willing to pay and work down from there.

For those cable users who want to stay within a budget, Yahoo user keith recommended revealing your ceiling price to the cable company and working down from there.

"[Every time] my promotional rates change I call my provider and request a downgrade [on] my services,” he wrote. “I tell them I need to keep it under $100.00/month and don’t care how many channels or internet speed I will lose."

Another Yahoo user, stonie, echoed this success by nailing down a concrete budget. She tells her cable provider she can’t pay more than $50 a month and they always seem to find a way to meet that number.

"You can talk to 3 people who say there is nothing they can do to help, "sorry but the deal has expired" type of excuse. Magically, the final customer service 'retention specialist' comes up with a 2-year $50 deal, no contract, no worries. They make you jump through hoops but in the end they want to be your provider," stonie wrote.

[Want to save money by switching TV providers? Click to get quotes from providers in your area now.]

4. Switch providers frequently to take advantage of deals.

With cable companies constantly slinging promotional deals, one Yahoo user, Mr. Jon, recommends marking your calendar for a month before your promotional deal ends and asking for a new one.”

"We save around $75 a month with discounts. And if ever they refuse, there is competition and they know it as I make it very clear to them,” Mr. Jon wrote.

Yahoo user chris said that telling the company you're going to switch providers is a successful way to bring down the bill.

"I actually explained that I hate going through the hassle of switching from one provider to another once a year to get the promotion,” chris wrote. “The woman I was speaking to understood and actually wanted to help out. She ended up cutting my bill in half...from $140 to $70!"

5. Call to cancel parts of your package.

Some services provided by cable companies might not be as important to you in 2014 as they were in say, 2000. Yahoo user Hawk said calling cable companies to cut parts of your package could help bring down the bill. Hawk’s cable company actually offered to take $20 off in an effort to convince him not to cut any services.

Commenter Acttorneyatliar said this single phone call can also result in free services, if handled properly. Acttorneyatliar called to cancel the phone portion of the cable/internet/phone package and wound up getting it for free.

“It does pay to be firm and resolved going in - and it can save you several unnecessary and annoying rounds/calls,” the user wrote.

[Do you want to save money on your TV bill? Click to get quotes and switch providers now.]

Ilyce Glink is an award-winning, nationally syndicated real estate columnist, blogger and radio talk show host, and managing editor of the Equifax Finance Blog. Follow her on Twitter @Glink.