About Us

Started in 2008, ProviderCheck.net is a consumer advocacy site that always puts our visitors first. We're proud to be 100% independent and free - meaning, our thoughts and recommendations are always our own and never biased in any way.

Having been in the TV and internet industry for over 20 years, we know all too well how difficult and frustrating it can be to setup and manage your home service and programming. There's misleading advertising, obscure contract terms and more. That's not to say every provider or offer is rough around the edges. These days, things are definitely becoming more open and transparent. Here's what we look for during our review process:

Clear and concise terms

At Provider Check, our motto is to "always check the fine print" because our pet peeve is misleading fine print or hard-to-find contractual terms. Unsavory stuff like hidden fees and cancellation penalties get swept under the (tiny font) rug all the time. We obsessively scour the fine print of each plan or service we review. If everything checks out -- with pricing and fees sufficiently disclosed -- we give it our "ProviderCheck Approval" label.

If not, we report all the hidden stuff and leave it up to you to decide if the additional fees/terms change things. In our experience, blatantly hiding exorbitant fees reveals the "character of the provider" and could be a bad omen of things to come. Good news is that the vast majority of the plans we review are monthly so, if new fees get posted to your bill, you're free to cancel at anytime

Excellent customer service

This is a deal breaker for us for any home service. If you can't call up a provider at any time for ANY reason and be met with an understandable and friendly agent, I'd rather take my business elsewhere. For example, with satellite TV (DIRECTV and DISH), they've prioritized customer service and while they occasionally still farm out to overseas, for the most part agents do an above average to excellent job (out of hundreds of calls over the years I can only think of a couple bad experiences).

With cable TV, both Xfinity and Spectrum have gradually improved their training and customer service outlook. Over the last handful of years, they've prioritized the process and training of CSRs. So, while you'll still be frustrated at times, the majority of interactions are efficient and productive.

Our insider info

Being in the industry under many different hats (manager, consultant, partner, retailer, etc.), we know exactly how telco businesses are grown and the often competitive path to get there. We're also still privy to a bunch of upcoming feature, service and programming changes/launches. That insight also helps guide our recommendations on the site. For example, if we think a change to a service or fee structure no longer justifies the value you'll likely get out of it, it'll usually be reflected in our next set of rankings and reviews.

Overall...

TV entertainment is, by definition, a fun thing. But, like anything, cost is always a factor, especially when you're dealing with a recurring monthly charge. We do our best to put our readers' interests first, because above all else, we're paying subscribers as well. We hope you enjoy the site and if you ever have any suggestions on how we can improve or otherwise, feel free to get in touch.

-- Provider Check Team