New students! – it’s that time of year again and you’re probably moving into your new dorm or apartment any day now, if you haven’t yet. One of the things you’ll need to do is sign up for phone, cable and internet service if it isn’t already provided for for you by your college or university. Below I will point out just a few things you should keep in mind about signing up with an internet provider. These points will apply to anyone just moving to the U.S. (e.g., international students), or who is moving out on their own for the first time.
The two main choices in the United States for integrated phone, cable and internet services are AT&T and Comcast. AT&T uses DSL and Comcast uses cable (and is purportedly a bit faster). Based on my experience I’ll talk about Comcast, but only as a guide to what things in general you should look out for. I do not mean to recommend or speak on behalf of Comcast in any way – do your own research to see what will work for you.
Signing Up For U.S. Internet and Phone Service FAQ
1. Can You Order Internet Service online? Yes. With Comcast, you can place the entire order online over their website. An online live chat window will open and someone will be available to walk you through it (during business hours only – at other times, it seems, there’s no live chat). Once you’re ready to actually place the service order, a different window will open and an order specialist will talk with you to complete the order. I found this latter live chat to be especially helpful. In both cases, you will be speaking (typing) with a live person. You can also order phone and internet service over the phone, but I found the live chat helpful because you can copy and paste the transcript into a document for your own records.
2. Do I Have to Have an Apartment Before I Can Order Phone and Internet Service? Yes. You will need your address before you can even begin to order service. If you need a phone before you have an apartment, consider buying a cellphone which does not require a contract or much personal information such as residence, home phone, etc.
3. Do I Need To Give Them A Social Security Number? – Yes. They will ask for a social security number. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry. If you are new to the U.S., or if you are an international student, you won’t have one of these. Instead, they might ask you to give them a security deposit, which, the last time I used AT&T, was $200.00. You will have to pay this before they will give you service. It is much easier to get service once you already have a social security number. But if you don’t, you will probably just have to pay an extra deposit fee.
4. Do I Have To Give Them My Birthdate? No. If you are filling the form out online, just skip the field that asks for your birthdate. You will still be able to continue with your order.
5. Are there any hidden (aka “unpublished”) fees or unexpected fees? – Yes, there are always hidden fees, aren’t there? These might also be called “unpublished” fees. Here are the ones that I encountered:
- $99 for phone service installation (the online form only mentions a $99 internet installation);
- $29.95 for phone service activation fee;
- $3.00/month modem rental fee; (one modem for both services)
- $2.50/month in order to keep your phone number private (i.e., unlisted in both phone books *and* from 411 services, which also publish online);
- $1.49/month service protection plan (to be fair, it is not a mandatory fee either, but if you do need something fixed with your phone/internet line later on, it will probably cost you more);
- $5.00 mandatory extra installation fee which they call a “non-published set up fee.”
6. Is there a contract? No. If you have a social security number, and you go with Comcast (which is what I have experience doing), there is no contract. But when I did not have a social security number and I went with AT&T, I do remember having to agree to a 12- month service contract.
7. What is the Installation Date? – Do not expect your service to get installed in the next 48 hours. Depending on your area and the time of year it is, it can take up to two weeks to have your phone and internet service hooked up. Two weeks! They will give you a special number to call to see if you can get an earlier (or later) installation date that works for you. August and September will be busy times of the year, since this is when all the students are moving in.
Connectivity Tips For Saving Money on Calling and Getting Online
If you’re a new reader here, you should know that you can follow my tweets on Twitter at @MoneyEnergy. It’s free and quick to set up an account – you just need a valid email. I asked some of my blogging and twitter colleagues for their advice on getting set up with new phone and internet service. Here are some of their tips for you:
@howestreet – haggling with Phone providers works. Find the best quoted price in your area and you can hammer landline provider.
@Matt_SF – I’ve got basic cable & a HS modem from Comcast. If you have a cellphone, you should be set. Skype works well as a home phone.
@fiscalgeek – I have comcast 3 play and iPhone. Don’t feel like you can’t negotiate, especially with many options these days.
There is a great guest post by the SVP of product marketing at Earthlink on Frugal Dad about Six Strategies To Reduce Your Technology Costs. Frugal Dad recommends properly assessing your needs and making sure you don’t end up paying for anything you won’t be using. I didn’t need help installing the internet access software on my own computer, for example, so I negotiated with the customer service representative and saved $100 right away.
How about just using your iPhone? Moolanomy shares some thoughts about a connectivity alternative: Apple iPhone 3Gs – Review From A Blogger Without Home Internet Access. He talks about the possibility of just using the iPhone (or similar device) instead of signing up for conventional home phone line and internet access. Worth considering!
Steadfast Finances has a good post about thinking about disconnecting your cellphone or landline. Matt has also written about using Netflix On-Demand instead of other cable services, and other things you can do if your cable bill is too high.
Whatever package you choose, don’t worry if you make a mistake. It’s fairly easy to switch providers later on once you are more familiar with what is offered and what your needs will be. Also, be sure to negotiate a better price so that you’re not paying extra for something you don’t need; and consider alternative options, too – like Skype or just using an iPhone.
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{ 3 comments }
Great tips, always good to know about the hidden fees. I see students get dinged with them all the time.
I must say I am shocked that you need to provide your Social Security Number to sign up for cable. I’m Canadian, so I know it is a bit different here, but our Social Insurance Number (SIN) serves the same basic function. I give my SIN to no one who doesn’t absolutely need it. Essentially only an employer who needs to deduct tax from my earnings, and a financial institution holding registered investments. As a fraud prevention educator, I advise others to do the same.
Is it common practice to be asked for this information for services like cable and internet? Here we would provide a credit card number, and if we did not have a credit card, we pay the security deposit.
All very interesting, regardless.
Nice work. Should be required reading for any college student who just moved off campus!
@Natalie – I’m also from Canada and I know what you mean. Here they ask for the SSN for everything – even telephone banking. It’s really hard to do anything without it; possible sometimes but really inconvenient.
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