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How Junk Mail Can Save You Money |
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Articles, How-To's and Interviews -
Personal Finances
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Written by Jeffrey Strain
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Most people toss out the junk mail that comes in their mailbox never
realizing that it can save them hundreds of dollars a year. That's
because "junk mail" includes competing offers which can be used to
lower the rates you currently pay for services.
When
a companies send out junk mail, they're hoping to convert new customers
to their product or service. To do so, they often offer discounted
introductory rates below the normal retail price. When you have an
offer from a competing company, you have leverage against your current
provider to get them to lower their rates.
Say your receive a credit card offer in the mail for a 0% interest rate
for 6 months and you are currently paying 18% on your current credit
card. Call your credit card company and simply say, "I received a
credit card offer from (credit card company A) that is offering me 0%
financing for six months (or whatever the competing offer is) to
switch. Can your company match this offer?" While they won't always
match the offer, you'll be surprised at how many times they will give
you a better deal than you are currently getting.
Junk mail offers aren't limited to credit cards. Telephone companies,
cellular phones, Internet service and satellite/cable TV are a few
others that are common. When you call with a competing offer in hand,
you're in a much stronger position to receive a discount on your
current services.
When you call, be polite. If the first person you talk to can't give
you the discount that you want, ask to talk with a manager. Explain
that you want to stay, but only if you can get a comparable rate with
what the competing company is offering. Since it's much more costly to
get a new customer than retain one, in many instances you'll get the
discount you want.
If you receive a discount that you're satisfied with, then you've saved
yourself money. If they offer a discount but not as good as the
competing offer, thank them and say you'll get back to them. If the
competing offer is worth switching to, then call back the next day and
make the switch (sometimes on the second call a different person will
give the discount you wanted). If the competing offer isn't worth the
effort, don't do a thing until the next competing offer comes.
Getting into the habit of calling your current service providers with
all the competing offers you receive will ensure that you get the best
price available from all the services you pay for. When you see how
simple it can be to lower your costs using this method, you may find
that you'll start looking forward to that junk mail filling your
mailbox each day.
Copyright (c) Jeffrey Strain. He is owner of www.savemoneygames.com - a website dedicated to decreasing debt through money saving games.
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