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Just accidentally found something on Optimum's web site that is news to me. I haven't seen any notification of this in any of my billing or via any emails from Optimum. It's about the cost of their internet service portion of their Pricing and Packages:
So right now it shows "Optimum Online" as being $64.95/month for the actual internet connection. That's what we have, and because we also have the Economy tv package we get $5 off (big whoop) and so the actual amount billed is $59.95. No "speed add-on"s.
On the web page I linked, there is an asterisk next to that $64.95 price for Optimum Online, and in the footnote it says:
*Effective 2/1/20, the rate will be $59.99 for Optimum 20 and $89.99 for Optimum Online. Effective 2/1/20, Speed add-on pricing will be $10.00 for Optimum 200, $20.00 for Optimum 300, $30.00 for Optimum 400, $40.00 for Optimum 600, and $50.00 for 1 Gig. Speed add-on pricing is in addition to Optimum Online pricing.
I wonder when they were planning to tell customers about this, if at all?
A $25/MO INCREASE FOR BASIC INTERNET ACCESS, STARTING NEXT MONTH?!?!?!?!?!! SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!!!!!!
Where is an expoding-head emoji when you need one?
Last edited by BBCjunkie; 01-14-2020 at 10:44 AM..
Currently, Optimum Economy costs us $49.95 per month. But now it has that deadly ^ next to it, which corresponds to:
^Effective 2/1/20, the rate will be $129.99 for Optimum Premier, $119.99 for Optimum Silver, $94.99 for Optimum Preferred, $94.99 for Optimum Select, $84.99 for Optimum Value, $79.99 for Optimum Core and $69.99 for Optimum Economy.
$20 MORE PER MONTH FOR THE CHEAPEST TV PACKAGE AS WELL!!!!
I have no words. At least... no words that would not get me immediately banned from City-Data forums for ten lifetimes.
So.. right now, we are paying $132/mo, including all fees and taxes, modems etc etc, for Internet/one modem/Optimum Economy.
But in two weeks, that will increase to $164.98before adding the various fees and taxes. So basically $40 more per month (assuming they would still knock off the five bucks for having both tv and internet) plus fees and taxes, just because they can. Almost $500 bucks more a year. FOR WHAT?
Okay, I've been ferreting around the internet (especially on DSLreports.com) and have found this in regard to the upcoming price increases. Posted last week. Don't know how true it is but obviously we will find out one way or the other on the next billing:
Some of Optimum’s most popular packages are going up in price by as much $20 or $30 per month effective Feb. 1, according to the company website and inserts that were added to customer bills this month.
NJ Advance Media reached out to Altice, which said the posted price increases are the company’s standard rates, but they may not apply if you have multi-product discounts or package pricing. Translation? Different customers will pay different amounts for the same services.
After NJ Advance Media reached out to Altice, I decided to call a second time, but this time I called the 800-number as a customer — not as a reporter.
While I was on hold, I pulled out my most recent bill. There was a page insert titled “February 2020 Pricing & Packages.†It gave a list of prices for each package — the increased prices — without comparing it to what customers are currently paying. Nowhere does it say, “Hey, we’re hiking prices.â€
But elsewhere on the bill, on the second page (and let’s be honest, many customers don’t go past the first page to see what they owe and when it’s due) the fine print says: “As demands on our network and programming costs increase, the standards and costs of providing world-class products and services continue to rise. While we work hard to minimize the impact the impact on you, pricing adjustments will be made to select Optimum rates, effective with your February bill. There will be no more than a $14.50 increase to your current monthly rate.â€
That’s different from what the pricing chart said, but okay.
After about five minutes, a representative came to the line. After looking up my account, he confirmed that yes, my bill would be going up by $20.04 next month.
The rep came back and said: “Effective today, I’m going to lower your bill by $45 a month.†He said it looked like the monthly increase on the television part of my bill would have been 14 bucks or so, not the $20.04 confirmed by the first rep. But still, with this offer, I’ll be saving some $30 per month, net.
The offer is only good for a year, so it’s a stopgap.
AN UPDATE After this story was posted on NJ.com, an Altice spokeswoman sent an email with a clarification. She said the reason my family’s rate is increasing $14 instead of $20 was that “per the language in your bill, we are capping bill increases to minimize the impact of our rate card changes on our existing customers. No customer bill will increase more than $14, and some will see increases less than that.â€
She said it’s not accurate to say some customer bills will be going up $20 to $30. “Those are changes to our rate card and are not what customers are experiencing,†she said. “Customers will see their respective price changes on their bills based on their package and the pricing adjustments we are providing.â€
I am highly skeptical of the claim that "No customer bill will increase more than $14", especially since the same rep also claimed that the new changes will be "based on [the customer's] package." Does that mean that if you don't have Triple Play or something similar to that, but instead just have Internet plus one of the named tv groupings, you will get soaked for the full amount?
We have paperless billing and so get nothing from Optimum via snail mail. Logging into our account, there is no alert about it either. One poster on the above thread wrote yesterday:
Adding update to my previous postings. Received my January bill today. There was an insert saying that my February bill will only increase by $14.50. My apologies to the person who originally posted info about this. I didn't mean to doubt you. With Altice, a person doesn't know who to believe. Customer Service told me $41 and change and the bill says a hike of only $15. Does anyone working for Altice know what they're doing? This company is making me crazy.
and another:
Customer service is atrocious. Have placed almost a dozen calls in to get more info / options and a different answer every time. A few said no price increase (despite what the bill says). One did say price increase the full amount. One said price increase but limited to what the bill said the max increase is. One said will renew promo for two years so no price change but then after call ended found out that person switched plans and added modem rental. Calling back another person said still on same plan but online clearly showing that isnt the case. Another person changed the plan back. What a horror show!
and
OptimumAltice is very vague in their explanation of what exactly the $14.50 is attached to. As a poster above asked, is that for the entire monthly rate or just pricing on your package plan. Would love to know how it's all broken down but, as was already stated, customer service doesn't know what it's doing. Getting differing answers from customer service plus having to talk to more than one rep to try and get a straight answer is beyond shoddy business. I long for the Dolans.
Doesn't Cable-Optimum-Altice-FIOS-Spectrum-Time Warner-Dish-Direct-every streaming service increase prices arbitrarily whenever they want? That's been my experience. They raise prices. I complain. They say no. I say bye bye and get a quote from Vendor B w/ nifty promo pricing. Retention cuts me a deal to stay. And the world turns....
Doesn't Cable-Optimum-Altice-FIOS-Spectrum-Time Warner-Dish-Direct-every streaming service increase prices arbitrarily whenever they want?
Yes but not by such a high percentage as is being shown in Optimum's newly published rates. You're talking between 30% and 50% for some products.
IMHO they are hiking internet rates to offset the revenue loss from cord cutters: "You cancelled tv in favor of getting it online instead? Well, we'll just charge everyone more for streaming-usable internet access, then. Whatcha gonna do now, huh? LOL"
When one does it, the others will surely follow.
As far as the price for life promo, the $65 doesn't cover everything. They will still charge you for the cable box, for broadcast tv, for any local sports, etc. And those can still go up at any time in the future.
$65 - base package
$4 - network fee
$9 - sports fee
$8 - because we can fee number 3
$20 - AlticeOne
That's $106 before taxes
and
Price is Guaranteed on Services Only, Taxes, Fees and Add-on (DVR, etc), Boxes, etc are NOT.
You can have a legacy setup but they really want AlticeOne but if you DON'T have a HDTV then they provide legacy Samsung Box, Modem and Router if needed... Sure, you can tell them non hdtv even if you do. They mentioned CableCard shouldn't be a issue as don't see anything that would prevent it from but got the whole speech you can't have DVR, OnDemand, etc.
Also, a couple of posters there said that the $65 price for life promo thing ended last week. Don't know if that's correct. Apparently they started it last summer so if they ran it for five or six months that's probably true.
ETA: It appears that the Price for Life promos have indeed expired:
In the new "new customers only" packages that are replacing the Price For Life offers, Optimum only shows three video tiers - Core, Select, and Premier. They are clearly trying to avoid the legacy tiers, having already killed Gold and likely to do the same with Silver, Value, and Economy in the near future.
Last edited by BBCjunkie; 01-14-2020 at 01:53 PM..
So, I was just thinking(I know terrible idea),
Is there even a need for the boxes if you have a smart TV? Like if you are still paying for a TV package can't you just stream or download apps for your favorite channels and watch them.that way on the smart TV?
Could save a bundle ditching the boxes at whatever they charge now, like 12 or 15 bucks per box a month right?
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