BillFixers

BillFixers is an American company that negotiates with television, internet service providers, and cell and landline companies on behalf of consumers or businesses. It was founded in July 2014[1] by brothers Ben and Julian Kurland[2] with the goal of lowering household monthly bills from telecommunications service providers.[3] BillFixers is an expert as a service (ExaaS) or justice-as-a-service[4] company, which optimizes on work that feels menial to individual consumers. As of February 2020, BillFixers has over 25,000 clients and claims a combined savings of over $5,000,000.[5] BillFixers was acquired by Experian in April 2022.[6]

BillFixers
TypePrivate
IndustryExpert as a service
Founded2014
Founders
  • Ben Kurland
  • Julian Kurland
Headquarters
Nashville, Tennessee
ParentExperian
Websitewww.billfixers.com

History

Ben and Julian Kurland founded the company in Nashville, Tennessee, in July, 2014. Later that year, a customer service call between Comcast and tech entrepreneur/journalist Ryan Block went viral.[7] The Kurlands posted on Reddit about their speciality in haggling with Comcast and thus received their first customers.[8] In the first year, the Kurlands and their cousin Peter Zimbicki were the sole negotiators.[9] By 2016, the business had grown to over 1,200 clients and was featured on NBC Nightly News[2] and in The New York Times.[10] On April 1, 2022, BillFixers was acquired by Experian Consumer Services.[11]

Services

BillFixers works primarily on TV, internet, and phone bills, although their services may extend to satellite radio, home security, and propane bills.[5] They claim a 95% success rate and average savings of $300 per bill.[12]

How it works

The service operates by hiring experts to negotiate on behalf of consumers. When a client submits their bill, BillFixers calls the provider (like Comcast or AT&T) to seek a lowered rate. Their success is due to industry know-how and expertise on promotional and custom deals. The business generates revenue on a contingency basis, meaning payment is reliant on customer's savings.[5]

Reception

BillFixers was praised by NBC News as an "ingenious idea",[13] and a CNET review reports 100% satisfaction.[14] In September 2015, BillFixers was nominated as the Small Business Innovator of the Year by USA Today.[15] A 2016 article in The New York Times questioned the legality of negotiators representing themselves as clients, but found no violation.[10] BillFixers has also received positive feedback from My Money Blog[16] and Debt Departure.[17]

References
  1. Johnston-Taylor, Susan. "Should You Use a Third Party to Negotiate Your Cable Bill?". U.S. News. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  2. "Bill-Fixing Brothers Turn Consumers' Mental Pain Into Their Gain". Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  3. Suddath, Claire (September 10, 2015). "The Fee Fighters". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  4. Zillmer, Henrik. "Justice-as-a-Service". henrikzillmer.com. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  5. Booth, Barbara. "How to lower your monthly bills 20% and build your wealth in minutes". Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  6. "Experian acquires BillFixers | Experience". www.jonesday.com. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  7. Stampler, Laura. "Recording of Man's Attempt to Cancel Comcast Will Drive You Insane". Time. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  8. del Castillo, Michael. "Julian Kurland and Ben Kurland launch BillFixers to renegotiate Comcast bills". Upstart Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  9. McGee, Jamie. "Nashville startup BillFixers will haggle for lower cable bill for you". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  10. Lieber, Ron (2016-02-05). "Tips on Reducing Cable and Phone Bills From Ethically Ambiguous Experts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  11. "Investegate |Experian plc Announcements | Experian plc: Full-year financial report". www.investegate.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  12. Chang, Ellen (2016-03-02). "Hire these brothers to fix your outrageous cable bill". The Street. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  13. "Bill-Fixing Brothers Haggle With Companies to Get Your Bills Reduced - NBC News". Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  14. Broida, Rick. "How I saved $150 a year on my cable bill without even trying". CNET. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  15. Jamie, McGee. "BillFixers takes on cable bills for consumers". USA Today. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  16. Ping, Jonathan (2016-04-06). "Bill Fixers: Let Someone Else Haggle Your Cable and Phone Bills For You". My Money Blog. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  17. "BillFixers Review". Debt Departure. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
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