Suspending Services for Saving Money

Here in Brazil there are some resolutions from government organizations which allow you to suspend temporarily some services, like cable TV, Internet and telephone. Those services can be suspended for a period from 30 to 120 days, which can be useful if you intend to travel for a month, or more, or just if you want to reduce your expenses for this period, without having to cancel your contract.

Instead of the resolutions and their correspondent article and texts being distinct, depending on the service, the main text says basically the same:

"The subscriber, that is updated with your payments, can request to the services provider, with no cost, the suspension of the services, once in each period of 12 months, for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 120 days, keeping the possibility of reactivation of services, without cost, in the same address on your contract.

§ 1º It's forbidden to charge any money referring to the service providing, in case of suspension included in this article.

§ 2º The Subscriber has the right to request, at any time, the reinstatement of the service provided, and any charges for the exercise of this right are forbidden.

§ 3º The Provider has twenty four hours to attend the request for suspension and reinstatement of services referred to in this article."

It differs only from mobile services that instead of quoting "at the same address", changes to "reinstatement of service provision in the same Mobile Station." - That means in the same phone line.

I have called my service providers (cable TV, telephony and internet) and the procedure is basically the same. You must call your provider the day before your trip, off-period or uncontrollable desire to stop these services. You call the company and choose the option to speak with the operator. From there your service will be suspended from 24 hours after the request, until you resolve to reestablish the services, that is, call again the operator, requesting reinstatement. They have a period of 24 hours to restore these services. The charge will be made proportionally. Only the days when the service was available because it will be difficult to match the exact start date of the monthly period charge.

I did a simulation on my budget worksheet, and cutting/suspending cable TV and internet services, I would save about $420.00 in a month. Adding to this, services like Netflix, plus $30, would reach $450.00. However, in the case of Netflix you can not "suspend". It would have to actually cancel, and then activate again. In 4 months, 120 days, the maximum term for suspension of services, the economy could be $1,800.00. In a year, permanently suspending these services, you would save around $5,400.00. Of course, these values will vary depending on the packages contracted.

It just left to know what is worth and how much you really need to save. Although Internet and cable TV are not considered essential services, I, for example, need the Internet for work. So for me it would not be worth canceling this service. Unless only if for a holidays.