Frugal Family: It Pays to Review Bills

It's been said before but it bears repeating: Look over your cable and phone bills carefully for sneaky tacked-on charges.

With the convenience of online bill-paying, it's particularly easy to let things slip by. Click and it's paid.

I was reminded of this recently when my wife complained about a bill from our phone and internet provider -- a company that will remain nameless except to say that it rhymes with "Berizon."

Buried among all the lines listing various charges, fees and taxes were two curious items. One was for "security and offline backup" and the other was for video games on demand, neither of which were ordered or needed.

I already have updated security and my own external hard drive for backup. And with Playstation and Wii and computers, we have no need or interest in on-demand games. Why am I being charged almost $20 a month for them, and how long has this been going on?

After being on hold long enough to hear Wagner's Ring cycle in its entirety, the Veri...I mean Berizon customer service representative was cheerfully unhelpful. She explained that the company routinely offers customers free trials of its premum services.

Nobody in this house ever asked for offline backup or on-demand games, I told her.

I'd be glad to stop those services for you, she chirped.

And I want the money paid for unauthorized charged returned, I said.

"Our company has a policy not to refund money after 30 days," she says. "The charge is on your bill, and it's the customer's responsibility after 30 days."

"I have a policy too," I said. "My policy is not to grant a statute of limitations to companies who rip me off."

I got my money back.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Another anecdote I wanted to share doesn't strictly have to do with saving money, but is an amusing way I got rid of a pesistent door-to-door salesman.

I don't respond well to unsolicited sales (I know what I need, and I'll go buy it if i want) and I especially don't like people needlessly ringing my doorbell. I can do without the dogs worked into a frenzy.

I don't need saving, I don't want a set of children's books, and I'm certainly not interested in meat that's left over from a delivery in the area.

And I'm definitely not interested in learning how I can save big money on my energy bills from some random dude with droopy pants ringing my doorbell on an afternoon that I had already scheduled for not being annoyed.

"I was in the area talking with some of your neighbors..." he began.

"I'm not interested, sorry," I said.

"...an opportunity to save money on your energy bills," he continued unfazed.

"What part of 'no' isn't clear?" I said. "Get off my property."

"Wouldn't you like to save money?"

"Five," I said.

"Five?" he repeated with a puzzled look on his face.

"...four...three..."

He turned and ran full-speed like a cartoon character, his elbows and legs cranking like windmills. I swear he left a little puff of dust in his wake.