Should I share with a new service provider a bill from its competitor?Does the first person to mention a...

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Should I share with a new service provider a bill from its competitor?


Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
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8















I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure they match the services and value my company is currently getting from their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this purpose? They've asked for an old bill. Yes, I am looking to replace the relationship with my current service provider because it hasn't been optimal, and I'm sure competitors are willing to undercut each other to get the business. But in regards to this competitor's request,




  1. Is it ethical?

  2. Is it lawful?

  3. Is it to my advantage?

  4. Is this commonplace, accepted practice?










share|improve this question







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ShieldOfSalvation is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • 2





    You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

    – David K
    11 hours ago











  • We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

    – ShieldOfSalvation
    10 hours ago




















8















I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure they match the services and value my company is currently getting from their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this purpose? They've asked for an old bill. Yes, I am looking to replace the relationship with my current service provider because it hasn't been optimal, and I'm sure competitors are willing to undercut each other to get the business. But in regards to this competitor's request,




  1. Is it ethical?

  2. Is it lawful?

  3. Is it to my advantage?

  4. Is this commonplace, accepted practice?










share|improve this question







New contributor



ShieldOfSalvation is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 2





    You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

    – David K
    11 hours ago











  • We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

    – ShieldOfSalvation
    10 hours ago
















8












8








8








I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure they match the services and value my company is currently getting from their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this purpose? They've asked for an old bill. Yes, I am looking to replace the relationship with my current service provider because it hasn't been optimal, and I'm sure competitors are willing to undercut each other to get the business. But in regards to this competitor's request,




  1. Is it ethical?

  2. Is it lawful?

  3. Is it to my advantage?

  4. Is this commonplace, accepted practice?










share|improve this question







New contributor



ShieldOfSalvation is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure they match the services and value my company is currently getting from their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this purpose? They've asked for an old bill. Yes, I am looking to replace the relationship with my current service provider because it hasn't been optimal, and I'm sure competitors are willing to undercut each other to get the business. But in regards to this competitor's request,




  1. Is it ethical?

  2. Is it lawful?

  3. Is it to my advantage?

  4. Is this commonplace, accepted practice?







billing business






share|improve this question







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ShieldOfSalvation is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.










share|improve this question







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share|improve this question




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asked 11 hours ago









ShieldOfSalvationShieldOfSalvation

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  • 2





    You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

    – David K
    11 hours ago











  • We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

    – ShieldOfSalvation
    10 hours ago
















  • 2





    You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

    – David K
    11 hours ago











  • We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

    – ShieldOfSalvation
    10 hours ago










2




2





You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

– David K
11 hours ago





You should make sure your contract with the previous vendor doesn't block you from sharing it from anyone else.

– David K
11 hours ago













We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

– ShieldOfSalvation
10 hours ago







We are under contract. I'll check for any clauses about this. But I'm also working on exiting that contract early and I hear there are ways; I've got people working on that.

– ShieldOfSalvation
10 hours ago












6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes


















20














Items 1, 2 and 4 are what you'd hope them to be - it's ethical, legal, and relatively common-place.



That said, Item 3 is where you should be concerned. And to help illustrate it, I'm going to translate it to a different situation (with the same basic point)




Scenario



You go to an interview for a new job, and the interviewer asks, "So,
what's your current salary and your salary expectations for the job?"




Everything you read about this will say: Do not answer this question. The reason is simple: it's letting the company know what sort of minimum salary you'd accept. Now, maybe they were expecting to pay you between 50-60, and your answer of "62" makes them think they'll have to do better. But, more likely, they had a band of '60-75' and your answer tells them they don't need to bother going towards the upper end of the band: you'll be happy getting an offer for 64. So they offer 64. You're definitely not getting 75, even if you'd be worth that.



It's the exact same situation. The cable company is effectively asking you your "current salary" - only in this case, it's your monthly cable bill amount. Now, maybe your bill is low enough that they'll go lower than they'd ordinarily offer to beat the competitor's price... but it's also possible they'll use that information to offer you a rate higher than what they would've in a vacuum!



Generally, you should treat the two situations the same.




  • Company: "So how much are you currently spending per month?"

  • You: "Does that matter? I'm asking how much it'll cost if I switch
    to you."

  • Company: "But we can't beat their price if we don't know what it is."

  • You: "Then offer your lowest price. If you don't beat them, I'll stick where I'm at."

  • Company: "We need to know what their price is to continue."

  • You: "No, you don't. I want your service. I want to know how much
    it is per month. How much is it?"


... etc. You should only give that Current-Bill-Info in one situation: where they've given their good-faith price and it's higher than your current monthly bill, and you want to try to use your bill as leverage to lower their offer. But that's the only situation they should be privy to that information.






share|improve this answer
























  • Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

    – DarkCygnus
    7 hours ago













  • If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

    – bta
    2 hours ago



















2














I'd be more concerned with sharing personal info of my own than the company.



In my area I recently changed internet providers. The new one asked for a copy of the bill, and gave me a discount if I provided it. I had no issue with doing so, and simply blacked out the acct #. That was none of their business. But I had no issue with them seeing what their competitor charged. It only benefits the customer if businesses know what the others charge and compete for the business.






share|improve this answer































    1














    Yes, but BE CAREFUL.



    Avoid getting scammed. Be extremely wary of door-to-door salesmen or unsolicited phone calls (if that's the way you were approached). Note that they could be lying about the company they work for.



    If the representative asks for a utility/phone bill, that bill may contain enough account information for them to switch you to a new service without your consent (in which case, your new bill with that new company will skyrocket, if only for the reason that if they lie to you about one thing, they won't have any other qualm about lying about other things). Or in some other cases, that bill or the information it contains could be used for identity theft.



    That being said, assuming you've done your due diligence and you're pretty sure it's not a scam. Even then, I would suggest that you black out your account number, your address, any of your private business info, and your full name from the bill, take a photocopy of that blacked out document, and only provide that photocopy to them (either that, or tear off the private information, but look at both sides of the paper before you hand anything over).



    Otherwise, here are my answers to your other questions:




    Ethical? Legal?




    Yes and yes (assuming it's not a scam).




    Is it to my advantage?




    It could be.



    Notwithstanding the already excellent answer from Kevin that I won't repeat here.



    The first benefit of providing a copy of your (properly blacked out) bill is a matter of convenience. And the second benefit is discovery. The fact is. This is not a salary negotiation. The stakes are a lot lower to you. And explaining all the options to you may take extra time that you simply do not want to give.



    For instance, replacing your old boiler may save you thousands of dollars in energy savings and in government incentives. Or repairing your leaky swimming pool may save you equally as well. But these topics may simply never come up if the competitor doesn't see your bill.




    Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




    Yes.



    Unfortunately, it's commonplace for both non-scammers and scammers alike.






    share|improve this answer

































      0















      Is it ethical?




      Why wouldn't it be? This is no different than price matching at the grocery store. "Show us our competitors coupon and we'll beat it."




      Is it lawful?




      Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like.




      Is it to my advantage?




      If it gets you a better price, then yes.




      Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




      In my experience, yes.






      share|improve this answer



















      • 1





        Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

        – dwizum
        11 hours ago






      • 1





        @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

        – Joe Strazzere
        10 hours ago



















      0















      I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure
      they match the services and value my company is currently getting from
      their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this
      purpose? They've asked for an old bill.




      Yes, of course. It done all the time.



      You say "Here is an old bill listing the services I get from my current company. Show me how you can do better."



      And once you change providers, you do the same thing next time you wish to put those services out to bid.






      share|improve this answer































        -1















        Is it ethical?




        You should check your contract with them. If there are no contracts, you should be good to go.




        Is it lawful?




        Probably not but only if you signed a contract.




        Is it to my advantage?




        Probably not. They want to make sure their competitor isn't offering something they don't. Take for example if your bill had below that they are working on a new product soon. They could see that and try to gain insight on what it is and what they offer. Overall though you should know what you want from the service and what you're expecting. So you can go to a competitor say you're getting X, Y, Z services and want to see what they have to offer.




        Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




        Generally not but I have seen a bill matching for services like cell phone or internet. But even then your bill isn't so much that they want to look at it but just to verify that you are switching and not trying to just get a good deal.






        share|improve this answer


























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          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes








          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          20














          Items 1, 2 and 4 are what you'd hope them to be - it's ethical, legal, and relatively common-place.



          That said, Item 3 is where you should be concerned. And to help illustrate it, I'm going to translate it to a different situation (with the same basic point)




          Scenario



          You go to an interview for a new job, and the interviewer asks, "So,
          what's your current salary and your salary expectations for the job?"




          Everything you read about this will say: Do not answer this question. The reason is simple: it's letting the company know what sort of minimum salary you'd accept. Now, maybe they were expecting to pay you between 50-60, and your answer of "62" makes them think they'll have to do better. But, more likely, they had a band of '60-75' and your answer tells them they don't need to bother going towards the upper end of the band: you'll be happy getting an offer for 64. So they offer 64. You're definitely not getting 75, even if you'd be worth that.



          It's the exact same situation. The cable company is effectively asking you your "current salary" - only in this case, it's your monthly cable bill amount. Now, maybe your bill is low enough that they'll go lower than they'd ordinarily offer to beat the competitor's price... but it's also possible they'll use that information to offer you a rate higher than what they would've in a vacuum!



          Generally, you should treat the two situations the same.




          • Company: "So how much are you currently spending per month?"

          • You: "Does that matter? I'm asking how much it'll cost if I switch
            to you."

          • Company: "But we can't beat their price if we don't know what it is."

          • You: "Then offer your lowest price. If you don't beat them, I'll stick where I'm at."

          • Company: "We need to know what their price is to continue."

          • You: "No, you don't. I want your service. I want to know how much
            it is per month. How much is it?"


          ... etc. You should only give that Current-Bill-Info in one situation: where they've given their good-faith price and it's higher than your current monthly bill, and you want to try to use your bill as leverage to lower their offer. But that's the only situation they should be privy to that information.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

            – DarkCygnus
            7 hours ago













          • If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

            – bta
            2 hours ago
















          20














          Items 1, 2 and 4 are what you'd hope them to be - it's ethical, legal, and relatively common-place.



          That said, Item 3 is where you should be concerned. And to help illustrate it, I'm going to translate it to a different situation (with the same basic point)




          Scenario



          You go to an interview for a new job, and the interviewer asks, "So,
          what's your current salary and your salary expectations for the job?"




          Everything you read about this will say: Do not answer this question. The reason is simple: it's letting the company know what sort of minimum salary you'd accept. Now, maybe they were expecting to pay you between 50-60, and your answer of "62" makes them think they'll have to do better. But, more likely, they had a band of '60-75' and your answer tells them they don't need to bother going towards the upper end of the band: you'll be happy getting an offer for 64. So they offer 64. You're definitely not getting 75, even if you'd be worth that.



          It's the exact same situation. The cable company is effectively asking you your "current salary" - only in this case, it's your monthly cable bill amount. Now, maybe your bill is low enough that they'll go lower than they'd ordinarily offer to beat the competitor's price... but it's also possible they'll use that information to offer you a rate higher than what they would've in a vacuum!



          Generally, you should treat the two situations the same.




          • Company: "So how much are you currently spending per month?"

          • You: "Does that matter? I'm asking how much it'll cost if I switch
            to you."

          • Company: "But we can't beat their price if we don't know what it is."

          • You: "Then offer your lowest price. If you don't beat them, I'll stick where I'm at."

          • Company: "We need to know what their price is to continue."

          • You: "No, you don't. I want your service. I want to know how much
            it is per month. How much is it?"


          ... etc. You should only give that Current-Bill-Info in one situation: where they've given their good-faith price and it's higher than your current monthly bill, and you want to try to use your bill as leverage to lower their offer. But that's the only situation they should be privy to that information.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

            – DarkCygnus
            7 hours ago













          • If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

            – bta
            2 hours ago














          20












          20








          20







          Items 1, 2 and 4 are what you'd hope them to be - it's ethical, legal, and relatively common-place.



          That said, Item 3 is where you should be concerned. And to help illustrate it, I'm going to translate it to a different situation (with the same basic point)




          Scenario



          You go to an interview for a new job, and the interviewer asks, "So,
          what's your current salary and your salary expectations for the job?"




          Everything you read about this will say: Do not answer this question. The reason is simple: it's letting the company know what sort of minimum salary you'd accept. Now, maybe they were expecting to pay you between 50-60, and your answer of "62" makes them think they'll have to do better. But, more likely, they had a band of '60-75' and your answer tells them they don't need to bother going towards the upper end of the band: you'll be happy getting an offer for 64. So they offer 64. You're definitely not getting 75, even if you'd be worth that.



          It's the exact same situation. The cable company is effectively asking you your "current salary" - only in this case, it's your monthly cable bill amount. Now, maybe your bill is low enough that they'll go lower than they'd ordinarily offer to beat the competitor's price... but it's also possible they'll use that information to offer you a rate higher than what they would've in a vacuum!



          Generally, you should treat the two situations the same.




          • Company: "So how much are you currently spending per month?"

          • You: "Does that matter? I'm asking how much it'll cost if I switch
            to you."

          • Company: "But we can't beat their price if we don't know what it is."

          • You: "Then offer your lowest price. If you don't beat them, I'll stick where I'm at."

          • Company: "We need to know what their price is to continue."

          • You: "No, you don't. I want your service. I want to know how much
            it is per month. How much is it?"


          ... etc. You should only give that Current-Bill-Info in one situation: where they've given their good-faith price and it's higher than your current monthly bill, and you want to try to use your bill as leverage to lower their offer. But that's the only situation they should be privy to that information.






          share|improve this answer













          Items 1, 2 and 4 are what you'd hope them to be - it's ethical, legal, and relatively common-place.



          That said, Item 3 is where you should be concerned. And to help illustrate it, I'm going to translate it to a different situation (with the same basic point)




          Scenario



          You go to an interview for a new job, and the interviewer asks, "So,
          what's your current salary and your salary expectations for the job?"




          Everything you read about this will say: Do not answer this question. The reason is simple: it's letting the company know what sort of minimum salary you'd accept. Now, maybe they were expecting to pay you between 50-60, and your answer of "62" makes them think they'll have to do better. But, more likely, they had a band of '60-75' and your answer tells them they don't need to bother going towards the upper end of the band: you'll be happy getting an offer for 64. So they offer 64. You're definitely not getting 75, even if you'd be worth that.



          It's the exact same situation. The cable company is effectively asking you your "current salary" - only in this case, it's your monthly cable bill amount. Now, maybe your bill is low enough that they'll go lower than they'd ordinarily offer to beat the competitor's price... but it's also possible they'll use that information to offer you a rate higher than what they would've in a vacuum!



          Generally, you should treat the two situations the same.




          • Company: "So how much are you currently spending per month?"

          • You: "Does that matter? I'm asking how much it'll cost if I switch
            to you."

          • Company: "But we can't beat their price if we don't know what it is."

          • You: "Then offer your lowest price. If you don't beat them, I'll stick where I'm at."

          • Company: "We need to know what their price is to continue."

          • You: "No, you don't. I want your service. I want to know how much
            it is per month. How much is it?"


          ... etc. You should only give that Current-Bill-Info in one situation: where they've given their good-faith price and it's higher than your current monthly bill, and you want to try to use your bill as leverage to lower their offer. But that's the only situation they should be privy to that information.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 11 hours ago









          KevinKevin

          3,8788 silver badges23 bronze badges




          3,8788 silver badges23 bronze badges













          • Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

            – DarkCygnus
            7 hours ago













          • If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

            – bta
            2 hours ago



















          • Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

            – DarkCygnus
            7 hours ago













          • If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

            – bta
            2 hours ago

















          Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

          – DarkCygnus
          7 hours ago







          Good answer. To further illustrate and complement your example, here is a suggested reading: Does the first person to mention a number in a salary negotiation lose?

          – DarkCygnus
          7 hours ago















          If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

          – bta
          2 hours ago





          If they absolutely insist in order to "make sure they're offering the same services you have now", you can always send them a partial bill, cropped to show the list of things you're paying for but none of the prices, personal information, etc. It would be hard to justify asking for more information after that.

          – bta
          2 hours ago













          2














          I'd be more concerned with sharing personal info of my own than the company.



          In my area I recently changed internet providers. The new one asked for a copy of the bill, and gave me a discount if I provided it. I had no issue with doing so, and simply blacked out the acct #. That was none of their business. But I had no issue with them seeing what their competitor charged. It only benefits the customer if businesses know what the others charge and compete for the business.






          share|improve this answer




























            2














            I'd be more concerned with sharing personal info of my own than the company.



            In my area I recently changed internet providers. The new one asked for a copy of the bill, and gave me a discount if I provided it. I had no issue with doing so, and simply blacked out the acct #. That was none of their business. But I had no issue with them seeing what their competitor charged. It only benefits the customer if businesses know what the others charge and compete for the business.






            share|improve this answer


























              2












              2








              2







              I'd be more concerned with sharing personal info of my own than the company.



              In my area I recently changed internet providers. The new one asked for a copy of the bill, and gave me a discount if I provided it. I had no issue with doing so, and simply blacked out the acct #. That was none of their business. But I had no issue with them seeing what their competitor charged. It only benefits the customer if businesses know what the others charge and compete for the business.






              share|improve this answer













              I'd be more concerned with sharing personal info of my own than the company.



              In my area I recently changed internet providers. The new one asked for a copy of the bill, and gave me a discount if I provided it. I had no issue with doing so, and simply blacked out the acct #. That was none of their business. But I had no issue with them seeing what their competitor charged. It only benefits the customer if businesses know what the others charge and compete for the business.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered 11 hours ago









              KeithKeith

              8,7477 gold badges22 silver badges37 bronze badges




              8,7477 gold badges22 silver badges37 bronze badges























                  1














                  Yes, but BE CAREFUL.



                  Avoid getting scammed. Be extremely wary of door-to-door salesmen or unsolicited phone calls (if that's the way you were approached). Note that they could be lying about the company they work for.



                  If the representative asks for a utility/phone bill, that bill may contain enough account information for them to switch you to a new service without your consent (in which case, your new bill with that new company will skyrocket, if only for the reason that if they lie to you about one thing, they won't have any other qualm about lying about other things). Or in some other cases, that bill or the information it contains could be used for identity theft.



                  That being said, assuming you've done your due diligence and you're pretty sure it's not a scam. Even then, I would suggest that you black out your account number, your address, any of your private business info, and your full name from the bill, take a photocopy of that blacked out document, and only provide that photocopy to them (either that, or tear off the private information, but look at both sides of the paper before you hand anything over).



                  Otherwise, here are my answers to your other questions:




                  Ethical? Legal?




                  Yes and yes (assuming it's not a scam).




                  Is it to my advantage?




                  It could be.



                  Notwithstanding the already excellent answer from Kevin that I won't repeat here.



                  The first benefit of providing a copy of your (properly blacked out) bill is a matter of convenience. And the second benefit is discovery. The fact is. This is not a salary negotiation. The stakes are a lot lower to you. And explaining all the options to you may take extra time that you simply do not want to give.



                  For instance, replacing your old boiler may save you thousands of dollars in energy savings and in government incentives. Or repairing your leaky swimming pool may save you equally as well. But these topics may simply never come up if the competitor doesn't see your bill.




                  Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                  Yes.



                  Unfortunately, it's commonplace for both non-scammers and scammers alike.






                  share|improve this answer






























                    1














                    Yes, but BE CAREFUL.



                    Avoid getting scammed. Be extremely wary of door-to-door salesmen or unsolicited phone calls (if that's the way you were approached). Note that they could be lying about the company they work for.



                    If the representative asks for a utility/phone bill, that bill may contain enough account information for them to switch you to a new service without your consent (in which case, your new bill with that new company will skyrocket, if only for the reason that if they lie to you about one thing, they won't have any other qualm about lying about other things). Or in some other cases, that bill or the information it contains could be used for identity theft.



                    That being said, assuming you've done your due diligence and you're pretty sure it's not a scam. Even then, I would suggest that you black out your account number, your address, any of your private business info, and your full name from the bill, take a photocopy of that blacked out document, and only provide that photocopy to them (either that, or tear off the private information, but look at both sides of the paper before you hand anything over).



                    Otherwise, here are my answers to your other questions:




                    Ethical? Legal?




                    Yes and yes (assuming it's not a scam).




                    Is it to my advantage?




                    It could be.



                    Notwithstanding the already excellent answer from Kevin that I won't repeat here.



                    The first benefit of providing a copy of your (properly blacked out) bill is a matter of convenience. And the second benefit is discovery. The fact is. This is not a salary negotiation. The stakes are a lot lower to you. And explaining all the options to you may take extra time that you simply do not want to give.



                    For instance, replacing your old boiler may save you thousands of dollars in energy savings and in government incentives. Or repairing your leaky swimming pool may save you equally as well. But these topics may simply never come up if the competitor doesn't see your bill.




                    Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                    Yes.



                    Unfortunately, it's commonplace for both non-scammers and scammers alike.






                    share|improve this answer




























                      1












                      1








                      1







                      Yes, but BE CAREFUL.



                      Avoid getting scammed. Be extremely wary of door-to-door salesmen or unsolicited phone calls (if that's the way you were approached). Note that they could be lying about the company they work for.



                      If the representative asks for a utility/phone bill, that bill may contain enough account information for them to switch you to a new service without your consent (in which case, your new bill with that new company will skyrocket, if only for the reason that if they lie to you about one thing, they won't have any other qualm about lying about other things). Or in some other cases, that bill or the information it contains could be used for identity theft.



                      That being said, assuming you've done your due diligence and you're pretty sure it's not a scam. Even then, I would suggest that you black out your account number, your address, any of your private business info, and your full name from the bill, take a photocopy of that blacked out document, and only provide that photocopy to them (either that, or tear off the private information, but look at both sides of the paper before you hand anything over).



                      Otherwise, here are my answers to your other questions:




                      Ethical? Legal?




                      Yes and yes (assuming it's not a scam).




                      Is it to my advantage?




                      It could be.



                      Notwithstanding the already excellent answer from Kevin that I won't repeat here.



                      The first benefit of providing a copy of your (properly blacked out) bill is a matter of convenience. And the second benefit is discovery. The fact is. This is not a salary negotiation. The stakes are a lot lower to you. And explaining all the options to you may take extra time that you simply do not want to give.



                      For instance, replacing your old boiler may save you thousands of dollars in energy savings and in government incentives. Or repairing your leaky swimming pool may save you equally as well. But these topics may simply never come up if the competitor doesn't see your bill.




                      Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                      Yes.



                      Unfortunately, it's commonplace for both non-scammers and scammers alike.






                      share|improve this answer















                      Yes, but BE CAREFUL.



                      Avoid getting scammed. Be extremely wary of door-to-door salesmen or unsolicited phone calls (if that's the way you were approached). Note that they could be lying about the company they work for.



                      If the representative asks for a utility/phone bill, that bill may contain enough account information for them to switch you to a new service without your consent (in which case, your new bill with that new company will skyrocket, if only for the reason that if they lie to you about one thing, they won't have any other qualm about lying about other things). Or in some other cases, that bill or the information it contains could be used for identity theft.



                      That being said, assuming you've done your due diligence and you're pretty sure it's not a scam. Even then, I would suggest that you black out your account number, your address, any of your private business info, and your full name from the bill, take a photocopy of that blacked out document, and only provide that photocopy to them (either that, or tear off the private information, but look at both sides of the paper before you hand anything over).



                      Otherwise, here are my answers to your other questions:




                      Ethical? Legal?




                      Yes and yes (assuming it's not a scam).




                      Is it to my advantage?




                      It could be.



                      Notwithstanding the already excellent answer from Kevin that I won't repeat here.



                      The first benefit of providing a copy of your (properly blacked out) bill is a matter of convenience. And the second benefit is discovery. The fact is. This is not a salary negotiation. The stakes are a lot lower to you. And explaining all the options to you may take extra time that you simply do not want to give.



                      For instance, replacing your old boiler may save you thousands of dollars in energy savings and in government incentives. Or repairing your leaky swimming pool may save you equally as well. But these topics may simply never come up if the competitor doesn't see your bill.




                      Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                      Yes.



                      Unfortunately, it's commonplace for both non-scammers and scammers alike.







                      share|improve this answer














                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer








                      edited 8 hours ago

























                      answered 10 hours ago









                      Stephan BranczykStephan Branczyk

                      12.6k7 gold badges28 silver badges54 bronze badges




                      12.6k7 gold badges28 silver badges54 bronze badges























                          0















                          Is it ethical?




                          Why wouldn't it be? This is no different than price matching at the grocery store. "Show us our competitors coupon and we'll beat it."




                          Is it lawful?




                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like.




                          Is it to my advantage?




                          If it gets you a better price, then yes.




                          Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                          In my experience, yes.






                          share|improve this answer



















                          • 1





                            Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                            – dwizum
                            11 hours ago






                          • 1





                            @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                            – Joe Strazzere
                            10 hours ago
















                          0















                          Is it ethical?




                          Why wouldn't it be? This is no different than price matching at the grocery store. "Show us our competitors coupon and we'll beat it."




                          Is it lawful?




                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like.




                          Is it to my advantage?




                          If it gets you a better price, then yes.




                          Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                          In my experience, yes.






                          share|improve this answer



















                          • 1





                            Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                            – dwizum
                            11 hours ago






                          • 1





                            @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                            – Joe Strazzere
                            10 hours ago














                          0












                          0








                          0








                          Is it ethical?




                          Why wouldn't it be? This is no different than price matching at the grocery store. "Show us our competitors coupon and we'll beat it."




                          Is it lawful?




                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like.




                          Is it to my advantage?




                          If it gets you a better price, then yes.




                          Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                          In my experience, yes.






                          share|improve this answer














                          Is it ethical?




                          Why wouldn't it be? This is no different than price matching at the grocery store. "Show us our competitors coupon and we'll beat it."




                          Is it lawful?




                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like.




                          Is it to my advantage?




                          If it gets you a better price, then yes.




                          Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                          In my experience, yes.







                          share|improve this answer












                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer










                          answered 11 hours ago









                          joeqwertyjoeqwerty

                          6,8153 gold badges10 silver badges32 bronze badges




                          6,8153 gold badges10 silver badges32 bronze badges








                          • 1





                            Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                            – dwizum
                            11 hours ago






                          • 1





                            @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                            – Joe Strazzere
                            10 hours ago














                          • 1





                            Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                            – dwizum
                            11 hours ago






                          • 1





                            @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                            – Joe Strazzere
                            10 hours ago








                          1




                          1





                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                          – dwizum
                          11 hours ago





                          Why wouldn't it be? It's your bill from the vendor. You can show it to anyone you like. Not always the case - many service contracts prohibit sharing billing information.

                          – dwizum
                          11 hours ago




                          1




                          1





                          @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                          – Joe Strazzere
                          10 hours ago





                          @dwizum - many? Where in the world is that the case? In my part of the world (the US), I have never seen a service contract that attempted to prohibit the sharing of billing information. Not once in my entire life.

                          – Joe Strazzere
                          10 hours ago











                          0















                          I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure
                          they match the services and value my company is currently getting from
                          their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this
                          purpose? They've asked for an old bill.




                          Yes, of course. It done all the time.



                          You say "Here is an old bill listing the services I get from my current company. Show me how you can do better."



                          And once you change providers, you do the same thing next time you wish to put those services out to bid.






                          share|improve this answer




























                            0















                            I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure
                            they match the services and value my company is currently getting from
                            their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this
                            purpose? They've asked for an old bill.




                            Yes, of course. It done all the time.



                            You say "Here is an old bill listing the services I get from my current company. Show me how you can do better."



                            And once you change providers, you do the same thing next time you wish to put those services out to bid.






                            share|improve this answer


























                              0












                              0








                              0








                              I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure
                              they match the services and value my company is currently getting from
                              their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this
                              purpose? They've asked for an old bill.




                              Yes, of course. It done all the time.



                              You say "Here is an old bill listing the services I get from my current company. Show me how you can do better."



                              And once you change providers, you do the same thing next time you wish to put those services out to bid.






                              share|improve this answer














                              I understand the new service provider is probably looking to make sure
                              they match the services and value my company is currently getting from
                              their competitor, but should I share an old bill with them for this
                              purpose? They've asked for an old bill.




                              Yes, of course. It done all the time.



                              You say "Here is an old bill listing the services I get from my current company. Show me how you can do better."



                              And once you change providers, you do the same thing next time you wish to put those services out to bid.







                              share|improve this answer












                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer










                              answered 10 hours ago









                              Joe StrazzereJoe Strazzere

                              264k141 gold badges798 silver badges1090 bronze badges




                              264k141 gold badges798 silver badges1090 bronze badges























                                  -1















                                  Is it ethical?




                                  You should check your contract with them. If there are no contracts, you should be good to go.




                                  Is it lawful?




                                  Probably not but only if you signed a contract.




                                  Is it to my advantage?




                                  Probably not. They want to make sure their competitor isn't offering something they don't. Take for example if your bill had below that they are working on a new product soon. They could see that and try to gain insight on what it is and what they offer. Overall though you should know what you want from the service and what you're expecting. So you can go to a competitor say you're getting X, Y, Z services and want to see what they have to offer.




                                  Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                                  Generally not but I have seen a bill matching for services like cell phone or internet. But even then your bill isn't so much that they want to look at it but just to verify that you are switching and not trying to just get a good deal.






                                  share|improve this answer




























                                    -1















                                    Is it ethical?




                                    You should check your contract with them. If there are no contracts, you should be good to go.




                                    Is it lawful?




                                    Probably not but only if you signed a contract.




                                    Is it to my advantage?




                                    Probably not. They want to make sure their competitor isn't offering something they don't. Take for example if your bill had below that they are working on a new product soon. They could see that and try to gain insight on what it is and what they offer. Overall though you should know what you want from the service and what you're expecting. So you can go to a competitor say you're getting X, Y, Z services and want to see what they have to offer.




                                    Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                                    Generally not but I have seen a bill matching for services like cell phone or internet. But even then your bill isn't so much that they want to look at it but just to verify that you are switching and not trying to just get a good deal.






                                    share|improve this answer


























                                      -1












                                      -1








                                      -1








                                      Is it ethical?




                                      You should check your contract with them. If there are no contracts, you should be good to go.




                                      Is it lawful?




                                      Probably not but only if you signed a contract.




                                      Is it to my advantage?




                                      Probably not. They want to make sure their competitor isn't offering something they don't. Take for example if your bill had below that they are working on a new product soon. They could see that and try to gain insight on what it is and what they offer. Overall though you should know what you want from the service and what you're expecting. So you can go to a competitor say you're getting X, Y, Z services and want to see what they have to offer.




                                      Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                                      Generally not but I have seen a bill matching for services like cell phone or internet. But even then your bill isn't so much that they want to look at it but just to verify that you are switching and not trying to just get a good deal.






                                      share|improve this answer














                                      Is it ethical?




                                      You should check your contract with them. If there are no contracts, you should be good to go.




                                      Is it lawful?




                                      Probably not but only if you signed a contract.




                                      Is it to my advantage?




                                      Probably not. They want to make sure their competitor isn't offering something they don't. Take for example if your bill had below that they are working on a new product soon. They could see that and try to gain insight on what it is and what they offer. Overall though you should know what you want from the service and what you're expecting. So you can go to a competitor say you're getting X, Y, Z services and want to see what they have to offer.




                                      Is this commonplace, accepted practice?




                                      Generally not but I have seen a bill matching for services like cell phone or internet. But even then your bill isn't so much that they want to look at it but just to verify that you are switching and not trying to just get a good deal.







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered 11 hours ago









                                      DanDan

                                      11.3k4 gold badges19 silver badges38 bronze badges




                                      11.3k4 gold badges19 silver badges38 bronze badges






















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