AI users report lower telecom bills and airline credits
Early users describe handing telecom negotiations and airline credit requests to AI tools. One user says ChatGPT secured a lower Verizon rate; another combined flight-price tracking with automated calls to United. Their accounts show individual savings rather than a representative measure across customers. Experts also warn that companies can restrict these tools’ access to customer-service and shopping systems.
Artificial Intelligence··Midday
A competing offer becomes an automated telecom negotiation
AJ Stuyvenberg, an engineer at the monitoring-software company Datadog, asked ChatGPT to negotiate his Verizon telecom bill after Comcast offered service for 50 dollars a month. He says a little over an hour of online exchanges set his monthly rate at 69.99 dollars instead of the previous 94.99 dollars and secured a loyalty credit worth 47.50 dollars. Stuyvenberg calculated annual savings of 347.50 dollars. His experience forms part of new Business Insider interviews about delegating consumer tasks to personal AI agents.[1]
Falling ticket prices prompt requests for credits
David Pawlan works on growth at Merit Systems and used the personal assistant Instinct to monitor United flight prices. When fares fell after purchase, he combined the coding assistant Claude Code with StablePhone, a calling tool reached through AgentCash, to request credits. Pawlan says he obtained 73 dollars across 3 flights; he put the time spent on an individual request at about 5 minutes. Instinct executive Noah Shinn also describes using transaction scans to find and cancel forgotten subscriptions. The reported savings are individual user accounts.[1]
Companies can restrict the tools’ route to customer service
The Consumer Federation of America’s AI director, Ben Winters, warns that businesses could restrict these tools and cites Amazon’s blocking of Muse shopping access. Insurance specialist Tony Soloman of J.D. Power says buying or changing a policy often still requires human contact. MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett identifies insurance, finance and property as potential uses where comparing prices or finding suppliers is difficult. Wayve Capital Management’s Rhys Williams says the share of customers adopting agents affects their business impact.[1]
