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+--- Thread: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... (/showthread.php?tid=33350)
Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - spacescape - 05-16-2007
Right now I have Wide Open West for Cable and Internet. I have basic analog cable along w/ 4Mbps Internet and it's about $79.15 ($73.99 before the fees). Anyone have any suggestions on getting my bill down? AT&T is offering DSL for as low as $14.99 and offering cable via Dish Network or something simular . I plan on calling tomorrow or even tonight to see what they are offering. I might even call comcast to see what they can offer me. Especially seeing they offer basic digital for everyone now.
Any advice?
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - Will Collier - 05-16-2007
Sure. Find out what everybody else charges, then call your current company and tell them you're going to cut them off. When they ask why, tell them how much you'd save by leaving. High odds they'll match that price & service, and you won't have the hassle of actually changing service.
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - spearmint - 05-16-2007
Stay away from Comcast! They are evil. They offer cheap come on deals that last for a few months and then they sock it to you. I am paying $55 per for basic cable TV. It would be $120 for the full schmiel. Maybe a package would be more reasonable but they want your phone business too and may have to go with that too. I am happy with basic just as long as I get my Law&Order reruns, ESPN and of course SciFi Schlock. It's just too expensive but in my building I have no choice. Blah.
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - M A V I C - 05-16-2007
It's tough to find deals. Comcast, as mint says, will charge you a low, low rate of just $20/mo, but that's just for the first 3-6mo, then it goes up to $60/mo, plus basic cable tv, plus their extra fees, plus their fee charging fee, fee managing fee, fee collection fee, taxes on those fees, tax collection fee, a tax on that fee and then random charges, fees for random charge processing, fee for random charge over charge, fee for random charge over charge removal, fee for random charge over charge over removal, more than 20 fees fee...
Pretty soon you're left feeling like a maroon for paying to watch 20 minutes of commercials ever hour. They charge you for making them money.
Anyway, I pay the Comcast thugs. But here's what I'm in the process of setting up:
- Killing my $75/mo land lines. I've switched to VoicePulse for VOIP. Once my number moves over, then I'll keep one basic line of the ~$10/mo variety. Net savings, $40/mo.
- Getting basic cable TV for $12/mo. That will make the drop my "no cable TV fee" of $10/mo. Net savings of -$2/mo, but then I don't have to mess with the rabit ears anymore (we don't watch much anyway.)
- Upgrading my internet packaging to get more bandwidth. Net savings of -$10/mo.
So my total net savings is $28/mo. Overall internet/tv/phone expenses go from $135/mo to $107/mo, but I also get faster internet, better TV reception, cheaper long distance and better phone services.
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - Bixby - 05-16-2007
Get rid of one or both?
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - Will Collier - 05-17-2007
We picked up an extra cell phone line ($10/month) and bought an old CellSocket base station on eBay for about $30. The CellSocket runs all our old wired phones just like we still have a landline. Got an ancient Nokia that matches the CellSocket for next to nothing (also on eBay), dropped in a SIM card, and I was done. It works great, and saves at least $20/month off BellSouth's outrageous fees (plus free long distance and all the trimmings).
Re: Ok, I'm ready to lower my cable and internet service price... - graylocks - 05-17-2007
here's one other Comcast possibility though it may vary according to the whims of your service tech.
for years i only had the network basic comcast service; the 4 major network and a few shopping channels. when i decided to move from dsl to cable, the comcast tech couldn't get the broadband to work. finally, he asked if i had network basic and i said yes. he said with network basic i didn't have enough bandwidth. i said, well, i guess i'll go back to dsl because i don't/can't/won't pay for more than network basic. he said, 'hmmm. let me see what i can do." he went out to the pole, came back and fiddled with my computer, and said "okay. i got it to work."
i didn't think much of it until about a month later when the power went out and i had to reset the channels in my tv. low and behold, i had ALL the basic cable channels. that was over three years ago; i still only pay the $16 rate for network basic cable.
that guy was nice and i guess supposed doing that was better than comcast losing my $45 monthly fee for broadband.
might not work for everyone but it does happen.