topic Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely) in Community Chat

Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

excpa — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:26:28 GMT

Got my third cable bill with a jump in cost, so bill was about $12 higher than before. They keep nickel and diming me and I had enough. So, I got on chat line. Big mistake. For spectrum. While I had only intended to opt out of the little excesses they kept adding (like a "sports package" for $2.50 and other options, I wound up being so incensed that I wanted to cancel the whole thing. One of the things that really bothered me was the rep's insistence that I had to call to "migrate" my billing for a lower rate and that basic cable (for which I was being charged $10) was not available. If I called, according to the rep, someone would discuss all the wonderful "bundles" (also known as Bait & Switch) that could be mine. I terminated the chat and sat wondering why this whole experience seemed so familiar.

Frontier! Same experience! Small additions without asking, billing corrections for one month and reverting back the next month, double talk from reps... So, just as I gave up my Frontier land-line, I decided to vastly reduce my spectrum interaction. After wading through the automated menu, I finally came to the option that would allow me to reduce services. Still not easy. I like the internet service (for now).

Eventually I got a person who understood what I was wanting to do and, apparently, got it done, with a credit of almost $80 I opted to apply to my next bill. My bill will go from close to $200/month to under $125. Still outrageous but a big improvement.

Then I signed up for the free 7 day trial of Sling. I don't understand Sling at all! I think I'm going to subscribe to brit-box and ignore the rest of the world.

In the immortal words of Vinnie Barbarino "I'm so confused."

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

dex — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:41:57 GMT

I always call and ask for specials or promotions.The downside is that you have to stay on top and keep calling before the special pricing endsTo renegotiate.I am seriously wondering if I should cancel and just use the internet.My son got rid of his cable and purchased the extra speed internet.He says he doesn't regret at all.I wonder what will happen to all of the shopping chanels as young people don't seem to want to pay for cable.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

SaRina — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:42:58 GMT

My co-op complex has always had a bulk rate contract with TWC for better than the private rates. I am extremely concerned about the warning from management that our rates are about to jump sky high with Spectrum as Spectrum will not negotiate in good faith.

I'm thinking of cutting the cord altogether, despite not knowing the first thing about streaming options. I don't like being manipulated like that and at the mercy of a gluttonous multi-billion dollar company. I'm that annoyed. Before doing so, I'll visit their Customer Service offices in my city to see how they can accommodate me. If they can't, I fear I will be cutting my nose to spite my face, lol.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Lipstickdiva — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:49:01 GMT

We received our cable bill last week and our bundle went up $20.00 making our bill just under $195.00. We are with TWC and still had a grandfathered in TWC package although they are now Spectrum.

I have no desire to look into doing an antenna, HULU, Roku, Netflix, etc. I did look into keeping our internet with Spectrum and getting Dish but the overall savings was negligible and not worht the hassle.

I ended up moving to a Spectrum package that is a step down from what we had. We went from 200 stations to 125 but I'm only upset over the loss of 1 of those channels and that's TCM. Our cost dropped almost $47.00 a month making this change.

We still had to keep our landline. To drop it would have made our bill $10.00 a month higher. LOL

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

sunshine45 — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:55:42 GMT

i enjoy television a lot.....prefer it to going to the movies.....so i am willing to spend money on that as an entertainment expense. i NEED a fast internet so i cannot compromise on that. i still like having a landline also and have had our number for MANY years now.

you have to stay on top of your bill. i call every 6 to 12 months to make sure i am getting the best deal and the best pricing. they dont want to lose me as a customer, i spend too much for comcast. LOL

anytime i call i pretty much get a discount in some way or another.....and usually something "free" to try for a specific period of time.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

momtochloe — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:03:40 GMT

@sunshine45wrote:
i enjoy television a lot.....prefer it to going to the movies.....so i am willing to spend money on that as an entertainment expense. i NEED a fast internet so i cannot compromise on that. i still like having a landline also and have had our number for MANY years now.

you have to stay on top of your bill. i call every 6 to 12 months to make sure i am getting the best deal and the best pricing. they dont want to lose me as a customer, i spend too much for comcast. LOL

anytime i call i pretty much get a discount in some way or another.....and usually something "free" to try for a specific period of time.

@sunshine45 while I hate Comcast the only thing I would really like to wrangle out of them is free HD and maybe a free DVR. Do you have any tips or key words that get them to shake loose things that I used to get for free with AT&T?

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

sunshine45 — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:18:38 GMT

@momtochloewrote:
@sunshine45wrote:
i enjoy television a lot.....prefer it to going to the movies.....so i am willing to spend money on that as an entertainment expense. i NEED a fast internet so i cannot compromise on that. i still like having a landline also and have had our number for MANY years now.

you have to stay on top of your bill. i call every 6 to 12 months to make sure i am getting the best deal and the best pricing. they dont want to lose me as a customer, i spend too much for comcast. LOL

anytime i call i pretty much get a discount in some way or another.....and usually something "free" to try for a specific period of time.
@sunshine45 while I hate Comcast the only thing I would really like to wrangle out of them is free HD and maybe a free DVR. Do you have any tips or key words that get them to shake loose things that I used to get for free with AT&T?

@momtochloe

sometimes if you tell them you are thinking about switching services they will find you a plan that would work at the same price but with more features. you may even find a plan with someone else that has a DVR and mention it. when we upgraded to the X1 platform and got the voice remotes, the man who did all the installing gave us an extra DVR at no cost.....so we currently have 2 but pay for 1.

you can also ask them if they have a better plan, for the same price or a lower price that includes a DVR as part of the service.

sometimes you have to stay on the line with them for a while to find the best deal and sometimes you do have to say you agree to a full year or two full years at the price they are giving you.

honestly, the most expensive part of the entire deal for us are the boxes and the taxes/fees. they add quite a bit to our bill. with 5 people in the home, everyone needs their own tv and own boxes......then there are the "common areas."

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

momtochloe — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:34:55 GMT

Thank you so much @sunshine45 this is most helpful as I am in the process of sending back one of their boxes as I don't use that TV very often so maybe I can negotiate getting at least HD and maybe a few other upgrades. It was easier in my previous home as they went head to head with AT&T but here they know they are the only game in town.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

ValuSkr — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:46:05 GMT

I don't have Spectrum but my parents do (they formerly had TWC) and have looked into it a bit for them. I think you can avoid a box - with its $11 monthly fee - by putting a Roku (or similar) device on each non-Smart TV. Then you can stream your service to each TV via Spectrum's app. Rokus atart at around $30, though you might have a better experience (less delay etc) with one that's slightly more expensive, say $50.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

bootsanne — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:46:25 GMT

We live in the country and only have one choice for our cable. We are bundled with cable, landline phone and internet. Our bill jumped up $46.00 in one month. I called to complain and was told we had been on a special for 2 years and it was up. Well I lowered the speed, got rid of several channels and got the bill down to $184.00, still a ridiculous price for what we have. Very next day we get a letter from cable company that prices are increasing March 1st. We're looking into Direct TV but I'm really uninformed about this.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

ValuSkr — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:04:33 GMT

@bootsannewrote:
We live in the country and only have one choice for our cable. We are bundled with cable, landline phone and internet. Our bill jumped up $46.00 in one month. I called to complain and was told we had been on a special for 2 years and it was up. Well I lowered the speed, got rid of several channels and got the bill down to $184.00, still a ridiculous price for what we have. Very next day we get a letter from cable company that prices are increasing March 1st. We're looking into Direct TV but I'm really uninformed about this.

Verizon used the speed trick on me too. They gave me a higher internet speed (I didn't ask for it) for free, for two or more years running. It was always itemized on the bill as no-charge, like it was a gift from Verizon. Finally, the promotion ran out and my bill went up. Initially I was told I couldn't revert to the old internet speed. A rep cryptically told me to "wait until November," then to call back. I did, and at that time I was able to lower my bill by rolling back the internet speed.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

chrystaltree — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:28:55 GMT

About a year ago, I called Comcast cs because I was having technical trouble and they corrected the problem. At the end of the call, the rep asked if I had any other problems and off the top of my head, I said "well, the bill is pretty expensive". I was really not complaining but she said "I can help with that". She reviewed my package and there was a special going on (there's always a special offer) that let her give me a couple of extra channels and it reduced my bill by $25 a month. I ended up getting more....for less. I think there's so much competition that it pays to call them periodically to see there are any special deals or offers out there.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Brett05 — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:08:05 GMT

@dex @excpa I too had an outrageous Spectrum cable bill. Every time I looked up they were adding services to my bill and I got tired of having to call them, wait on hold to finally speak to a rep and have to defend why I wanted the service removed. Add that to increase in pricing I was paying $205 a month for rubbish television viewing. After a lot of research we decided to cancel cable. I purchased a 2-pack Roku media streamer from HSN for $99 and now have what Spectrum offered plus hundreds more television and movie channels, including all the shopping channels without any addition charge. The $99 is a one time fee and we have never been happier. No more paying for channels dominated by rubbish so called 'reality shows'. Of course if you like the reality type shows they can be found on Roku.

Roku streamers can be purchased in mulitple packs or can just buy one for $49. And remember it is a one time purchase. My cable bill was $205 per month. I upgraded my internet and now pay $69 a month to receive the same cable channels Spectrum offers plus hundreds more channels, including shopping and movie channels.

I have been using Roku since June and love it. My only regret is not having done it sooner.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Imaoldhippie — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:15:25 GMT

@bootsanne.........................we currently have Direct TV and our rates keep going up and they are not willing to negotiate anything for us.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Nataliesgramma — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:47:40 GMT

I have DirecTV and I love it never had any issues..... except for the cost. I just got next months bill and it is going up to $172........

That is ridiculous and they will lower my bill some but I would be locked into another 2 yr contrac.

I called Spectrum, because we still get Internet through them...costing $103 a month....

I think I may go back to Cable....my cost for everyting is 142.00 a month...saving me 135.00 a month. I am guareteed that price for a year and then I figure I will just stream Tv through a Firestick. I am also not obligated to KEEP Spectrum for a year....so I can boot them if they are too bad...

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Spurt — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:39:07 GMT

A couple of friends of mine went through this recently and I don't know if its the same everywhere but since Time Warner changed to Spectrum there is no more negotiating contracts just to keep your business, there's a price list and what's there is the only option................

And before you jump on an alternative there are several things you need to consider....If you get one of the streaming services--Sling TV, Roku, Hulu --You have to subscribe to one of these non cable services, you still need a REALLY FAST internet service. and you may have to pay extra for certain channels that there is an additional charge to subscribe........

Then, In addition, your local channels may not be included so then you have to buy an antenna to get those......

So by the time you add all these things up how much are you really saving by cutting the cord?????????

Would ala carte pricing reduce our bills--according to this article not necessarily........

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2015/03/25/are-you-willing-to-pay-36-per-month-for-espn/#24617c801b9a

How much do you pay to subsidize the sports programming...

http://time.com/money/4590614/cable-bill-sports-cord-cutting-streaming/

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Yahooey — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:36:40 GMT

You would think they would lower their prices as many are cutting their landline and find other ways of watching TV. I pay for TV/internet/phone for 2 cableboxes DVR and no premium channels as HBO Showtime etc.

$240 a month - I started payng for use of their modem which I never paid before. When I called to complain - they said - kill the landline or go to basics. Is there no compromise? My bill keeps going up for a little more than basic bc I wanted Foodnetwork, Bravo, and other assorted channels. I do not need 10 ESPN (didn't really count). But it is packaged together. I wish there was an option of w or w/o extra sports.

On top of that - all the winners from Golden Globes are Netflix, Amazon - which I don't have.

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Spurt — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:48:28 GMT

We were lucky a maverick cable co offered our condo community a deal and we got our cable at a discounted rate!

But what irks me is $52 of the bill goes to city fees, franchise fees, 2 other cable surchages and taxes.....SHEESH!!!

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Momofdogs — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 21:14:55 GMT

I'm with Verizon, I also got tired of the rising rates, soo I called , went with local tv and of course internet. My bill went from 104.00 to 63.00. I wasn't happy getting rid of my other channels, but I will manage, before 104.00 it was 176.00, and I called back then also. So many channels on basic cable, and probably 75% not being watched ! In a perfect world it would be great to have whatever channels you want and pay for what we watch

Re: Cut the Cable...a lot (but not completely)

Jordan2 — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 23:13:41 GMT

@excpawrote:
Got my third cable bill with a jump in cost, so bill was about $12 higher than before. They keep nickel and diming me and I had enough. So, I got on chat line. Big mistake. For spectrum. While I had only intended to opt out of the little excesses they kept adding (like a "sports package" for $2.50 and other options, I wound up being so incensed that I wanted to cancel the whole thing. One of the things that really bothered me was the rep's insistence that I had to call to "migrate" my billing for a lower rate and that basic cable (for which I was being charged $10) was not available. If I called, according to the rep, someone would discuss all the wonderful "bundles" (also known as Bait & Switch) that could be mine. I terminated the chat and sat wondering why this whole experience seemed so familiar.
Frontier! Same experience! Small additions without asking, billing corrections for one month and reverting back the next month, double talk from reps... So, just as I gave up my Frontier land-line, I decided to vastly reduce my spectrum interaction. After wading through the automated menu, I finally came to the option that would allow me to reduce services. Still not easy. I like the internet service (for now).
Eventually I got a person who understood what I was wanting to do and, apparently, got it done, with a credit of almost $80 I opted to apply to my next bill. My bill will go from close to $200/month to under $125. Still outrageous but a big improvement.
Then I signed up for the free 7 day trial of Sling. I don't understand Sling at all! I think I'm going to subscribe to brit-box and ignore the rest of the world.
In the immortal words of Vinnie Barbarino "I'm so confused."

@excpa, I feel your pain, I am a Spectrum customer too. I can't believe I'm saying this but I long for the days of Time Warner Cable! Spectrum's customer service isn't very good, they are not willing to work with you when you're trying to cut back on your bill. I would be happy if my bill only went up by $12, I have triple play which is suppose to save you money, I have a silver plan and pay $200 a month. I get emails and mail saying I'm a great customer, I can get upgraded to the gold plan, yeah right!