The Cost of Delayed Service Disconnections. Stop Paying for Lines You No Longer Use!

Still Paying for Unused Phone Lines? You’re Not Alone.

Imagine paying $3,500 every month for nine years for an internet connection at a location that no longer exists. That’s $378,000 wasted—money that could have been reinvested into growth, hiring, or technology upgrades.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon scenario. Many businesses unknowingly pay for unused services—mobile lines from past employees, internet connections at closed offices, circuits that should have been disconnected years ago.

And telecom providers? They’re in no rush to remind you.

The problem isn’t just the oversight—it’s the deliberate delays in processing disconnect requests. Every extra month of billing is money in their pockets, not yours.

The good news? There’s a way to stop the drain and recover lost costs.

Why Businesses Keep Paying for Services They Don’t Use

Unused telecom services aren’t always obvious, and they don’t disappear on their own. These are some of the most common reasons businesses keep paying for lines they no longer use:

• Site relocations without service cancellations – A location closes, but the telecom provider keeps billing for services long after employees have left.
• Technology upgrades leave old services active – You upgrade to a new system, but the old circuits and phone lines are never officially disconnected.
• Disconnect requests are placed but ignored – Many businesses assume a service is canceled as soon as they submit a request—but providers often drag their feet for months.
• Failure to scale back telecom needs – As business needs change, unused mobile lines and data plans pile up, but no one is actively monitoring to cut the waste.

This issue is so widespread that even multi-billion-dollar retailers have been caught off guard.

Real-World Telecom Waste: What It’s Costing Businesses

These aren’t just hypothetical scenarios—they’re actual examples of businesses losing thousands (or even millions) on services they don’t use:

• A national retail chain with 450 locations discovered they had been paying $40,000 per month for over three years for services that were no longer connected.
• A B2B data company paid $3,500 per month for nine years for an internet connection at a closed location—racking up $378,000 in unnecessary charges.
• A property management company found that multiple locations still had active circuits from previous tenants, even though those tenants had left years ago.

And these are just the ones who caught it. How many businesses are still unknowingly paying for services they don’t use?

Why Is It So Hard to Disconnect a Service?

You’d think that once a service is no longer needed, you could just cancel it and be done. But telecom providers make it as difficult as possible to disconnect services—and for a good reason.

• Delays Mean More Revenue for Them – Every extra month you’re billed for an inactive service is free money for your provider. They have zero incentive to process your request quickly.
• Complicated Disconnect Processes – Many carriers require multiple approvals, long wait times, and follow-up requests just to get a single line canceled.
• No Clear Visibility on Active Services – Without a centralized telecom management system, it’s impossible to see what’s active, what’s inactive, and what’s just draining cash.

So, how can you take back control?

How to Stop Overpaying for Unused Services (And Save Thousands)

Eliminating telecom waste isn’t just about cost-cutting—it’s about regaining control over your telecom environment. Here’s how:

1. Conduct a Full Audit of Your Telecom Services

The first step is identifying where your money is going. This means reviewing:

• All active circuits, phone lines, and data plans
• Invoices for duplicate or outdated services
• Service contracts for renewal dates and cancellation terms

Pro tip: Many businesses don’t realize they’re still paying for services they assumed were disconnected.

2. Work with a Telecom Expense Management (TEM) Partner

Managing telecom expenses manually is time-consuming and ineffective. A Telecom Expense Management company like SimpleTek:

• Identifies unused services before they cost you thousands
• Handles disconnections with telecom vendors to prevent billing delays
• Recovers lost costs by negotiating credits for previous overcharges

“Before SimpleTek, we had no idea which services were active or inactive. Now, everything is visible in Vigilance.”

– Scott (Southern Carlson)

3. Implement Proactive Monitoring

Most businesses don’t realize they have a problem until it’s too late. SimpleTek’s Vigilance system provides:

• Real-time visibility into every active telecom service
• Automated alerts for unused services before renewal deadlines
• Contract tracking to avoid auto-renewals on unnecessary services

The result? No more surprises, no more wasted spending.

Success Story: A Retailer Saves $75,000+ in One Year

One SimpleTek client—a large national retailer—was unknowingly paying for 50+ inactive phone lines and circuits. Over the course of 12 months, they lost over $75,000 to unnecessary billing.

After a Scrub Analysis, SimpleTek:

• Identified and flagged all inactive services still billing.
• Negotiated immediate disconnections with telecom providers.
• Recovered credits for past overcharges.

Total Savings: Over $75,000 in the first year alone.

Are You Paying for Services You No Longer Use? Let’s Find Out.

The reality is if you haven’t audited your telecom expenses recently, you’re probably overpaying.

That’s why SimpleTek offers a free Scrub Analysis—a full review your telecom and mobile expenses to identify hidden costs, unused services, and overcharges.

SimpleTek analyzes your invoices, contracts, and active services to uncover immediate savings opportunities and prevent ongoing waste—helping you take control of your telecom spending without disrupting operations.

How much could you save? Let’s find out.

Contact us today to get started!