What to Do When My High Speed Internet Deal Is Set to Expire?

Before you give your Internet service provider a call, take a look at other providers in your area. Jot down notes about similar services they're offering and at what price points they offer them, including any deals they may be offering. This will provide some substantiation for determining what approach to take with your provider.

In order not to be pressured into something you don't want on the phone, decide beforehand if keeping the same deal would be enough to keep you, or if you feel you want a better deal or additional services. This way, you'll know what to bargain for and won't get off the phone feeling like you've been swindled.

Set aside a stretch of time to be on the phone, keeping in mind that you'll likely be on hold for a decent portion of that time. Put a smile on your face so that your voice comes out friendly and non-confrontational. The customer service representative on the other end of the line is much more likely to be helpful if you're cheerful and polite. Once you're connected to a live person, tell him that you want to cancel your Internet service because the price will be more than you can afford. Internet companies don't succeed by losing customers, so the representative will then either offer to extend your deal or may try to offer you a similar one. Tell him that you were looking at other companies and saw that a certain one offered a particular deal, and ask if he will match that to keep you as a customer, since you've been happy with the company's service and would prefer to remain with it. If all has gone well, you should get off the phone with a deal that you feel good about. Take down the representative's name and note the date and time of your call, so that you can call back and confirm the deal in case of any confusion.

If the customer service representative wasn't helpful or couldn't extend your deal or match another company's promotion, cancel your Internet service at the end of your required contract and switch to the other company. You'll receive a deal, and you won't be supporting a company that wasn't willing to deal with you.