Looking to save a bundle? Bundle up

Many of us are one-stop shoppers when it comes to home telecom, opting for a “triple play,” the industry term for a discounted bundle of TV, Internet and phone service, notes Consumer Reports.

The majority of its readers who bundled are happy with that arrangement, a new Consumer Reports National Research Center survey suggests.

Among the more than 20,800 readers who told researchers about their triple- or quad-play package, three in four said they’d definitely or probably buy that bundle of services again.

Deep discounting helps explain the bullishness about bundling. You can get big savings by bundling three services with one provider. You can get more discounts by adding cellphone service to a triple play. Verizon and AT&T offer such “quad plays.”

Such breaks are welcome relief from the upward climb of telecommunications rates.

Many big providers boosted monthly bills for one or another of their telecom services by $5 or so this year, driven in part by the rising costs of TV programming. Industry analysts forecast continuing hikes over the next few years.

The more services in your bundle, the more services you have to switch when changing providers, and the tighter the grip your current company has on you. This report should embolden you to tackle your telecom costs head-on. Consumer Reports’ Ratings — of bundles from 14 companies, along with individual phone, TV and Internet services from many more — show that most people have at least one decent choice in telecom.

SURVEY FINDINGS

Here are key findings from Consumer Reports’ survey, along with advice on how to use the info to get better or cheaper telecom service:

Verizon’s fiber service satisfies. Among major carriers, the highest proportion of subscribers who said they’d “triple play” again had bundles with FiOS, Verizon’s fiber optic-based TV, digital-landline phone, and high-speed Internet service. “Quad play” customers who added Verizon cellphone service to the bundle were even more enthusiastic. FiOS received standout scores for its broadband speed and reliability, TV picture and reliability and even phone call quality and reliability.

Ooma is a top phone option. Ooma, which provides Voice over Internet Protocol service (the same technology used by cable and fiber companies), was one of the top-rated phone services of any type in the survey. It requires a $180 device (often discounted to $150) that connects to your broadband service and a regular phone. There’s no charge for unlimited local calls and 5,000 minutes a month of domestic long distance (though you have to pay a few dollars a month in taxes), and international rates are very low.

Verizon and satellite are TV standouts. Verizon FiOS TV and DirecTV’s satellite service had higher ratings than most other providers for picture and sound quality, channel selection and reliability. Satellite rival Dish Network also fared well with survey respondents, as did a few (mostly smaller) cable companies.

Try to bundle your cellphone, too. Bringing your cellphone into your telecom bundle, if it’s an option, is as close to a no-brainer as you can get in the world of telecom savings. AT&T gives you $5 a month off your wireless bill for two years if you sign up for U-verse services for one year and will discount U-verse services as well. AT&T’s U-verse Choice bundles offer savings to new customers who sign up for any combination of wireless, TV, landline and Internet.

Too few people bargain. The experiences of Consumer Reports’ survey respondents should empower you to bargain for lower rates. One in three respondents with a triple or quad play negotiated with their carrier, and many got a reduction in their monthly bill, fees waived or an upgrade. About 44 percent of bargainers reported savings of up to $50 a month, and 7 percent chopped more than $50 off their monthly bill.

2013, Consumers Union Inc.