ISP Pricing Tips
Read these 5 ISP Pricing Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about ISP tips and hundreds of other topics.
Additional Email Addresses
Do you need additional email accounts with your ISP service? Will they cost you extra? Find out how many email addresses you're entitled to with your discount ISP. Many will provide you with only one; additional addresses may cost you $5.00 or more dollars per month. If you're getting the account for a family, you may want to ensure that the ISP service provides you with two or more for the price you're willing to pay.
Tech Support Extras
Your ISP provider's tech support is important to you, even if you're a full-fledged techno geek. Be sure before you sign up with an ISP service that the provider has technical support and that it's available when you might need it. If you burn the midnight oil and your connection goes down, will your ISP tech support be there to answer the phone? Additionally, find out if there are any additional costs for calling technical support before you need them to get you up and running again.
Traffic Jams
Don't get in a jam by signing up for an ISP service without knowing how much bandwidth or Web traffic you're allowed each month. If you build a Web site that attract a lot of visitors, your provider may charge you additional money for the traffic. If you download a lot of files, you may be hit with additional charges. Ask your provider to explain how they measure traffic if you're unsure and how it may affect your ISP pricing.
Prepayment Penalty?
Often providers use ISP pricing to entice new customers with lower prices for six-month or full-year prepayments for ISP services. Before you jump at the chance to save a few dollars a month, be aware that the ISP you've chosen could disappear along with your prepayment before your contract is up. Additionally, if you dissatisfied with the ISP service, you may not be able to get your money back if you want out of the contract early.
Hidden Setup Fees
Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure that your chosen discount ISP doesn't have hidden setup fees that might make your attractive low monthly price less attractive initially. Don't assume if a provider fails to mention setup fees that there aren't any. In fact, an internet service provider may advertise, "No Setup Fees," but upon closer look at the contract, some fees may apply. Be sure you read the fine print.
