People in Western Washington say their bills are out of control. So how do you lower them? KIRO 7 sat down with BillShark, a company that specializes in lowering bills and found out people often use the wrong tactics when trying to negotiate down their rates.
For Jackie Loyola and her family of three in Renton, they’re paying $361.78 a month for internet, cable, and home security, plus about another $100 a month for mobile.
“It’s aggravating just to see the high cost of everything,” Loyola said.
How bad is it? KIRO 7 posted on our Facebook page asking, “Are your bills too high?” And your comments poured in.
Kate Dorman, a financial therapist in Seattle, says she’s seeing the pressure skyrocket.
“Over the past three years, I’ve noticed a lot of increased stress in terms of finances,” Dorman said. She points out that during COVID, the world shut down and spending ground to a halt. People saw their savings go up. But when everything reopened, it collided with inflation, making a financial mess.
Dorman says the number one feeling people are struggling to cope with isn’t just the stress or anxiety.
“It is a shame. There is so much financial shame that people carry,” she said.
Know that you aren’t alone – and there are steps you can take to get a handle on all those bills.
KIRO 7′s Deedee Sun sat down with the company BillShark to find out how.
“90% of people are overpaying for a service,” said Brian Keaney, the co-founder and COO of BillShark. The company has a team of negotiators called “sharks” who call companies to haggle your bill down for you.
Keaney says bill pricing is not transparent, and he compares it to airline seat pricing.
“Everyone’s paying a different price. You don’t pay the same as your neighbors. And that’s how they make a lot of money,” Keaney said.
The first tip to get the best deal? You must threaten to cancel.
“Asking to cancel gets you to the right department to get you the most savings,” Keaney said. This is critical because any other department – like customer service – doesn’t even have the same promotions available as the cancelation department.
“The biggest mistake people make is calling the customer service number,” Keaney said.
You should always be polite but come in strong. Don’t say things like you’re calling hoping to “save a little” on your bill.
“We want to save the maximum amount possible,” Keaney said. “The rep understands that we’re not calling say to save $5. We want to save $50,” he said.
He also warns – be prepared to be annoyed.
“You’re going to get hung up on. You’ve got to call back, go through the process again. And it’s super frustrating waiting on hold,” Keaney said.
And if you get a rep who seems cranky, be ready to politely disconnect and try again.
“You’re going to get a rep who just had a bad day,” Keaney said. “Cycle through reps and that’s going to get the most amount of savings,” he said.
Finally, don’t settle. When you do get an offer – push for better.
“Yeah, never accept the first offer,” Keaney said.
BillShark charges customers 40% of the total amount they shave off their bills, with the charge capped at two years. The company offered to look at Loyola’s bills and negotiate with her providers for free.
“BillShark was very convenient,” Loyola said.
Unfortunately, her family has a grandfathered plan.
“Xfinity pretty much said that they’re already providing a very good deal,” Loyola said.
The “sharks” say they’re successful 90% of the time, but in this case, got Loyola’s family a one-time savings of $60 bucks.
“That what that tells you is you’re paying the best rate for your services in your area,” Keaney said.
Now Loyola says to cut costs, that probably means it’s time to cut services.
“Yeah, it’s long overdue,” Loyola said.
KIRO 7 heard from a lot of customers complaining about their PSE or other energy bills. However, Washington is a regulated state for electricity and natural gas, which means residents can’t shop around to price compare with other providers. Instead, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission works to “ensure regulated companies provide… service to customers at reasonable rates.”
Another big complaint was about rising car insurance costs. KIRO 7′s Samantha Lomibao looked into why rates are rising and how to maximize savings.
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