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Yesterday I finally had enough and called my provider (FIOS) to drop the TV but kept the internet. When they told me the price for the internet only would be $90 I asked what I could downgrade to (have 50 Mbps Down currently). They only told me there was 3Mbps down for $65 per month which there is no way I was paying that much for so little. I was considering just dumping everything.
Today I went onto my account to make sure there were no other options and lo and behold there was 25Mbps for $15 less per month. Sneaky phone reps irk me. At $75 per month for 25Mbps it is still too much but at least somewhat easier to swallow. Should save me about $50 to $60 per month over what I was paying for TV and internet so for now have downgraded to that. I should probably drop FIOS just for the shady way they went about that but then my only other choice seems to be Xfinity which we all know their problems.
Now the choice is either to drop internet completely or switch to Xfinity for their introductory rate of $40 per month (which jumps to the $75 per month after the first year is up). The biggest thing holding me back from dropping it altogether is that I very occasionally need to do some work from home. If the price were o stay at around a max of $50 per month it wouldn't be much of an issue. At $900 per year the juice just isn't worth the squeeze. I really don't even need that much speed but that is the lowest speed they offer.
If I can find a way around the work need for internet then I just might drop it all together. No specific questions here but wonder if anyone else has dropped internet and cable TV all together? Dumping everything would be the equivalent of a $2k raise which is likely more than I will get as a raise this year. Tempting.
I get a good deal on my internet, because the person on the other side of the wall has cable. So I pay him $30/month for my use of the internet. The connection gets very slow when he's watching TV, but I'm good with that.
I tried signing up for my own internet-only connection from Comcast. Supposedly, it was an introductory offer for $40/month for a year. They lied, and lied, and lied... Got out of that. I TOTALLY understand why cable companies are so thoroughly hated.
If my neighbor moved, and I couldn't get the same deal from the new folks? I'd adjust my life and use the library instead.
I get a good deal on my internet, because the person on the other side of the wall has cable. So I pay him $30/month for my use of the internet. The connection gets very slow when he's watching TV, but I'm good with that.
I tried signing up for my own internet-only connection from Comcast. Supposedly, it was an introductory offer for $40/month for a year. They lied, and lied, and lied... Got out of that. I TOTALLY understand why cable companies are so thoroughly hated.
If my neighbor moved, and I couldn't get the same deal from the new folks? I'd adjust my life and use the library instead.
So you tap into his WiFi with his OK for a fee? That's a great idea.
Back to the OP buying cable or internet service is like purchase luggage from a sidewalk vendor in a third world country. Always wheeling and dealing going on. I would not live without internet so I would take them up on that introductory $40 rate. When it expires call them and say you really want to stay but ABC carrier is offering the same rate of $40 for an entire year. Trust me they have no way to verify what promos are out there so they nearly always match the offer by giving you their company's current special offer for new customers. Most areas have both Comcast and FIOS so you can play one against the other. If you get a rep that won't do this hang up and call again and try another rep.
As recently as a year ago, I was being billed $250 a month from AT&T for internet, U-Verse and cellular.
My company reimbursed me for the cellular and internet portion, as I work from a home office.
After looking closely at the bill, I was being billed for unnecessary TV channels (I only watch 2-3 channels), a very high speed (50 mbps) internet connection and large amounts of unused cellular data (unlimited).
After my cellular contract expired, I moved to T-Mobile and saved about $30 a month.
I cut the entire TV portion and installed an antenna, I can receive local channels in HD now. I use a Roku to stream Hulu, Netflix and Amazon.
I reduced the internet speed to 10 mbps and now billing around $55 a month from AT&T, just for internet. AT&T are a bunch of liars, in term of pricing, playing "bait and switch".
So you tap into his WiFi with his OK for a fee? That's a great idea.
Yes, I feel very fortunate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry
Back to the OP buying cable or internet service is like purchase luggage from a sidewalk vendor in a third world country. Always wheeling and dealing going on. I would not live without internet so I would take them up on that introductory $40 rate. When it expires call them and say you really want to stay but ABC carrier is offering the same rate of $40 for an entire year. Trust me they have no way to verify what promos are out there so they nearly always match the offer by giving you their company's current special offer for new customers. Most areas have both Comcast and FIOS so you can play one against the other. If you get a rep that won't do this hang up and call again and try another rep.
In the 4 months or so I had Comcast, I was NEVER billed the $40/month I had been promised. And it wasn't router rental either, I bought my own router. Last bill I paid was $80-something. Yes, the bill was impossible to understand. Yes, I was on the phone each month. And yes, the bill went UP each month.
You're right, calling back again to get a different rep often helps. When I first called to cancel the service (shortly after the second month), I was told that I couldn't, that I was on the hook for the whole year whether I used the service or not - when I asked what would happen if I died, I was told my estate would have to pay it. The only way they'd let me off the hook was if I moved to an area they didn't serve. I pointed out that they probably didn't provide service to the river where I intend to have my ashes scattered. Rep was unamused.
However, the next time I tried, after the $80-something bill, they canceled right away. By then, they were probably really sick of me. Because I DO NOT suffer in silence.
I will say their tech support was really good - polite, patient, and good at trouble-shooting - but I had to call them far too often.
I have wondered whether EarthLink is still in business, but not seriously enough to find out. The library's wifi is on even when they're closed, I can always join the after-hours parking lot crowd... But I am definitely done with cable companies. I think they were always hoping I'd give in and pay for the landline I don't need and the eleventy-seventy channels I would never watch. Because my neighbor has the full package, it is seldom down, and his bill is always what he expects it to be.
I cut off cable services after years of subscribing and giving TWC now Spectrum $1000's of dollars. I spent some months in hospital and rehabs and hardly ever watched their crappy tvs, so when I finally got home the cable company disconnected me for non payment. I was a valued customer for yrs and told them I was in a hard place health wise and NOT HOME to do my regular stuff. They would not back down, so I told them come and get your black box I no longer want cable. So I'm saving $60 a month.
Internet is with Verizon now Frontier and here in So. Cal. lower income people can apply for Calif Lifeline discount service. So for my land phone and internet I pay $25 something a month, auto pay from bank.
If one is lower income status, there are services to help with utilities.
I'm so happy to be rid of cable company and their constant increases and get plenty of news on NPR and local radio stations and here at C-D and internet in general.
At one point in time, I was paying roughly $256 a month for internet, tv, home phone and cellular phone. Right now, I only pay $91 for those services but I no longer have cable. (And my internet is 3x faster too)
I got rid of cable in Feb and I felt really bad in doing so. I was with Dish Network for 16 years and they always treated me right. But when the cost of cable went up, i asked for a price reduction for a bare minimum package that would feature my sports. I was paying 55 a month and I was ok with that. Then the price spiked to 59 a month, then 65 a month. I asked why did my bill go up 6 dollars and they told me that the use of local channels went up and they passed on the cost to me "since I wasn't protected under the price lock agreement" ( apparently, i broke that agreement when i negotiated down my contract.)
So in turn, I got rid of them.
I was really having second thoughts about leaving them. Again, they always treated me fair and with great respect. PLus, i still owed them an early termination fee of $220. (it was still worth it since I more than made up the cost difference as of this date) But when the rep told me that they would be a restocking fee of $25 per receiver, I knew I made the right decision.
It's the best decision in my life. I just netflix and hulu everything. Plus, I use my neighbor's cable access to watch my shows.
If you have an ipad or similar tablet that has cellular data (not just the wifi tablets, it must have cellular also), for $25-35 a month you can have internet via the cell data. I forget how much data you get (my company pays for mine), but unless you are watching a movie or lots of you tube videos, you should not go over your data limit.
If you do go over -- you are not automatically charged, you get an alert and it's up to you to buy more data or just wait until your next month cycle
The people I know who drop internet its usually within two weeks they get it hooked back up. I have not known anyone to drop internet and stay dropped , unless they truly couldn't afford it.
Dropping internet connectivity is like dropping electricity or plumbing, no real point to doing it unless you're going off the grid for good.
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