The hardest part about breaking up with your cable company is the early termination fees (ETFs). You might be moving, switching cable providers, or switching to a streaming service—but the cable company has you tied down with a contract. You might think there’s no way around TV cancellation fees, but we’re here to help you dodge them, with no repercussions. If you’ve had a terrible TV experience or you’re mad at how much your bill costs, then jumping on the phone to renegotiate your package or monthly bill might be the answer. The worst part about signing up for a cable, satellite, or fiber TV service is the cancellation fees. But we’ll help you relieve some of that stress by quickly checking out what cancellation fee you may be facing. It can seem easier to read minds than to read through your cable contract to make sense of what you’ve signed. But reading your contract could be the golden ticket you need to walk away from your TV provider without losing lots of money. First, check to see if you got the service you were promised, and then check what type of fee the company charges (prorated, a set amount, etc.).
Did your cable company fail to provide the services it promised? Was your cable out for long periods of time? Were channels blocked that you were paying for? Were there unexpected fee increases?
You might be able to convince a customer service representative (or their supervisor) to allow you to back out of your plan without penalty if you let them know you didn’t get the service you signed up for. At the very least, you may be able to minimize the size of your cancellation fee. For example, DIRECTV has a prorated early termination fee of up to $20 per month.1 If you have three months left on your contract, it’ll charge you $20 the first month, $40 the second month, and $60 the third month for a grand total of $120. Remember: your cable contract is legally binding. Sometimes you just can’t get out of paying those pesky cancellation fees. And if this is the case, just hold on tight to it while you can. Make the last few months count. Also, mark your calendar for the day your subscription ends so you can avoid automatic renewals. Because that . . . could be bad. Many agents get a commission based on the number of accounts they keep active—and you could take advantage of this. Maybe you could talk them into decreasing your monthly bill until your contract runs out. Try these out and see what happens:
“This service is too expensive. I could afford it if it were cheaper.” “We didn’t mind the package price, but these new fees are too much.” “We haven’t had TV service out here for three weeks, and this isn’t the first time.” “We don’t get ESPN with our package anymore, so . . .” “According to our contract, our service was supposed to be . . .”
Just make sure the agents don’t grant you “free” access to a package upgrade or premium channels and charge you fees in the future for these perks. They might even throw some credits or free streaming into the mix to keep your business. Ask for what you want, and you might be surprised at what you end up with. You may stay together and live a happy life. A DVR could cost up to several hundred dollars, and a company won’t send out a technician to remove and collect it. They make you work for the breakup. Just in case you change your mind in the process and go running back to them. Also, most satellite TV providers won’t remove the dish from your roof. It’s up to you to remove it yourself or let it be. And you can spend a week or even a month with them without needing to pay a cancellation fee. You can also try out another cable company that has packages you’re looking for (and possibly a no-contract option). Hulu + Live TV gives you the best bang for your buck with a low price and good channel lineup. Sling TV is the most affordable option, but you’ll have to pay an additional $5 per month cloud DVR fee. DIRECTV STREAM has a high channel count and includes three months of HBO Max for free, but it’s the priciest option. fuboTV caters to the sports fanatics and offers a decent number of channels. So take our advice for a clean break and move on to a service that fits you better. If you never want to deal with early termination fees again—or their in-laws—we recommend taking a look at the attractive and charming YouTube TV, Sling TV, or Hulu + Live TV. Take your pick. You’re free now.
