A growing number of television & Internet providers are doing everything they can to encourage customers to choose a combined TV & Internet package as part of a special bundle deal. However, experts warn that this might not always be the best option for consumers. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of opting for a combined package in order to see if it really is a good deal.

The Advantages of Combining Your TV & Internet Services

Let’s start out by taking a look at what the advantages of bundling together your television subscription and your Internet connection actually are. The main attractions are all pretty much based around two factors – convenience and cost.

Tackling convenience first, there are a number of bundle advantages which fall into this category. These are as follows :

• Receiving and paying a single bill is far more convenient than having multiple bills which may arrive at different times throughout the month.
• It is far more convenient to simply purchase all of the services that you need from a single provider than to shop around for individual services.
• It can be much easier to deal with a single provider, especially when it comes to moving house or sorting out a technical error.

Of course, as with most purchases money is also very much a factor. Bundling services together often allows providers like DirecTV to offer substantial discounts. These usually take the form of an introductory price for six or twelve months. This is something that is very attractive to consumers.

The Case Against Combing Your Services With One Provider

The advantages are certainly very attractive. However, there are also some downsides that do need to be considered. For example, those low introductory rates do not last forever and at the end of the discount period you could get a nasty shock when your bill rises in cost. It is essential that you understand clearly what the price will be once your introductory offer has expired. It is also worth asking about potential cancellation fees and also what length of contract you are actually signing since many bundles run on 24 or even 36 month contracts instead of the usual 12.

Another main concern that consumers have with bundling is that often the packages are not particularly flexible. This could mean that the package you are offered does not actually match your needs. There may be restrictions on certain channels that you actually want, while the included ones may be ones that you are never going to watch. That’s why it is important to compare various packages to make sure that you are getting what you want.

So, is bundling your services worth it? For the most part the answer is probably yes. A consumer survey recent showed that 85% of those who bundle television, Internet and phone services together they would likely do so again. However, it is important to make sure that the package or bundle that you are offered is going to actually work for you. There is no point in choosing a package if, for example, it does not offer the television channels that you are most likely to watch. If you are going to choose a bundle deal then research your providers and find the one that can best meet your own individual needs before you sign up.

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