Purchasing Internet standalone versus dropping television

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

This is how they get you and keep you.

Last summer, I got the standard notice in my bill.

Originally Posted by Cable Notice

Your current 12 month promotion is about to end. Beginning with your next statement, your rate will be ADD $27 (> 16%) excluding taxes and fees still providing considerable savings over regular rates.

When they wouldn't budge, I decided to drop services for two weeks, and my family got very upset. I called them back to see if they were more amenable. I ended getting a -$2.28 credit for the two weeks that I dropped service in exchange for a $4.48 increase thereafter. Admittedly a $4.48 increase is better than a $27 increase, but it was a hell of a lot of trouble.

The 7 months later I got a mysterious $60.50 increase which took another half a dozen phone calls to get removed.

Last month my cable company began a partnership with Sling, fuboTV, and PlayStation Vue to offer streaming services on their website. I thought that was great since the cable company would get some kind of finder's fee or revenue share with the streaming company they might be more willing to negotiate. My first choice would be YouTubeTV, but I was willing to settle for a good financial deal.

Nope! The cable company wanted so much for standalone internet only that replacing it with streaming channels (I would lose a lot of channels) and Ooma would cost me a lot in equipment purchases and virtually no reduction in my monthly bill. Payback for the equipment would be several years.

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Drop it anyway. Send a message. Speak with your dollars.

Send a message to whom? Permitting the cable company to get out of paying network affiliate fees and charging a lot more for internet will only help their profit margin.

[Peregrine]

You need to talk overall prices, not "it was $60 more".

Right now I can go to Spectrum, granted as a new customer but!: and get my one year promo price of $45. The cheapest bundle promo they offer with internet + TV + "phone" is $99.

$45 + Hulu +YouTubeTV = $100.

Send a message to whom? Permitting the cable company to get out of paying network affiliate fees and charging a lot more for internet will only help their profit margin.

The CABLE COMPANY. They don't want to ONLY be in the Internet business I assure you. Spectrum rolled out the new CHOICE TV or whatever it's called. Why Paco? Why, if there's more money in internet only? BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON TV.

I personally was sick of subsidizing Sport programming.
We cord cutters of the world sent a message: we are sick of your broken programming structure. We are sick of paying $100 or more for the 10 channels we watch.
I was paying $160 for internet + TV when I cut. Internet only was $60.

This article's 4 years old... but it was only a year old when I cut the cable:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspi.../#14dbe8645e94

Today? You can watch NFL football FOR FREE on my phone or tablet.
Because we took a stand. You're welcome.

You, Paco, post constantly about cutting the cord. You're like the kid drooling at the window of the candy store. Come in Paco! Come in! At the very least do some trials. STOP INSISTING your parents simply cannot adjust. I say bull****. YouTube TV over a Roku box with it's 5 button remote control isn't any more difficult then using a cable TV remote. If anything, with it's 5 minute learning curve: IT'S EASIER.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

You need to talk overall prices, not "it was $60 more".

Overall Prices Right now
$79.99 Signature Cable TV | Up to 50 Mbps Internet | Nationwide Calling
$0.00 Showtime and The Movie Channel (12 month courtesy)
$10.00 Six Tuner 4K DVR
$12.00 Two HD Receiver Powered by TiVo® (slaves for two TV's in other room)
$2.00 Modem
$103.99 Total Monthly Charges:
$50.68 Taxes, Surcharges & Fees (includes $30 bogus TV surcharges for broadcast, sports , and entertainment)
$154.67 Total Current Charges

I asked the cable company if I give up TV what charges will they remove
$10.00 Six Tuner 4K
$12.00 Two HD Receiver Powered by TiVo®
$34.00 Taxes, Surcharges & Fees (includes $30 bogus TV surcharges for broadcast, sports , and entertainment)
-------
$56.00

So if I get a streaming service for $40, $5 for DVR service, and $11 for Showtime I am back to net gain of zero dollars.


===================================
If I lived alone the AT&T $80/month AT&T Unlimited &More℠Premium seems sufficient
Unlimited talk, text & data
Mexico & Canada – Unlimited talk, text & data included
HD Streaming: (1080p quality)
Mobile Hotspot: 15GB/line
Live & On-Demand TV: 30+ channels, live & on-demand (CNN+TNT+TCM+TBS+ 27 additional channels)
Premium entertainment - choose 1 on us: HBO®, STARZ®, SHOWTIME®, CINEMAX®

[Peregrine]

You're asking the wrong question.
Not "what do charges do you remove if I drop cable".
How much is INTERNET ONLY. Period. That's all you ask.

Buy your own modem.
Get Oooma.
Youtube TV doesn't charge $5 for its UNLIMITED DVR.

Where do you live?

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

You're asking the wrong question.
Not "what do charges do you remove if I drop cable".
How much is INTERNET ONLY. Period. That's all you ask.

Internet only for new customers is $24.99/$34.99/$45.99/$55.99/$59.99 for download 10/50/250/500/1000 Mbps. Minimal surcharge (~$2) plus taxes. But they add about $30 to those rates for the second year. There is nothing published.

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Buy your own modem.
Get Oooma.
Youtube TV doesn't charge $5 for its UNLIMITED DVR.
Where do you live?

(1) I have to use the telephony modem the provide for telephone for $2 a month, so I might as well use it for internet. If I increase speed then it makes sense to buy my own modem.
(2) Ooma is over $100 and I am paying only $2 for the telephony modem. Ooma charges only taxes and fees, and cable company is only charges taxes and fees for their VOIP. It's almost a wash
-- I am unsure if Ooma will power all 9 extensions that we have in the house.
(3) Granted I prefer Youtube TV, but my mother likes Hallmark channel. So I either pay for DVR or I pay for Hallmark streaming.
(4) North of Philadelphia in Lehigh Valley near ABE airport. Intervening hills means we get local PBS and local News from a broadcast tower 7 miles away with an antenna. We can't get Philadelphia or New York or Scranton. It wouldn't matter if I got a 30' pole for the antenna.