Cable Problem

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I hate verizon. So my mom stayed with us lovingly for 7 weeks after I had my second child. Very nice to have the help. But as a compromise my DH and I got her cable tv for our house. We cancelled it last year but it didn't seem very nice to allow my mom to live without it when she was used to it.

We had only internet/netflix and aren't on a contract. We were paying $49.99/month for internet, but then we added cable for $54.99/month + 16.99/box -$10 bundle discount and our internet dropped to $40/month = $101.98.

Well I called to cancel it since my just left this week, and they now tell me that I can't get internet for $49.99/month. Now the internet solo is $74.99, Internet + Cable $79.99 + 16.99 DVR box = $96.98.

Should I just cancel it? It is so annoying.

[f0rgiv3n]

You might try and act like you're going to cancel all of the services "because I can't afford it". I've done that a few times with cell phone/Internet companies. They tend to get to the right person who can make the right changes for you to remain happy customers Just a thought!

[bjl584]

You might try and act like you're going to cancel all of the services "because I can't afford it". I've done that a few times with cell phone/Internet companies. They tend to get to the right person who can make the right changes for you to remain happy customers Just a thought!

I agree. Simply threatening that you are going to cancel the service unless you can get a better price should be enough for a discount.

[Like2Plan]

Can you get comparable Internet service elsewhere?

Could you get by without the DVR? In my area they have boxes for regular tv for about $5.00/month (no HD, though). But, if you don't watch tv that much anyway, maybe it wouldn't be a big deal.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Okay I got off the phone with them and they offered without a contract

$84.99 Cable/internet - $20 discount = $64.99 plus $16.99 box. The regular box is $11.99 so minimum that much without the DVR. Both boxes are HD. This is verizon FIOS if it makes a difference.

My DH refuses to let me switch companies because he hates the fact each time they drill holes in the walls to set up a new internet. Trust me I wanted to switch the $49.99 deal for a better one from either comcast or rcn. But he was adamant and refused to switch because of the drilling.

Now it's $74.99 or $81.99 plus taxes of course. Ugh, I hate the cable companies. And internet is essential for work for my DH.

[Goldy1]

off topic but the drilling in the holes comment is funny. I hate that too. My dh will drill a hole anywhere for anything. He hammered nails all over our fine wood mantel and also our fine wood molding around windows to hang tacky holiday lights.

[snafu]

It's really not that difficult or expensive to fill all the holes with spackle [Polyfilla] either pre-made in a tube or mix-it-yourself powder. If you promise to fill all the holes and sand the filling...will DH relent and allow cheaper internet? If the holes are really small, I suggest using the cheapest toothpaste available. I use toothpaste as filler for picture holder nails, works great, cheap & efficient.

[Like2Plan]

off topic but the drilling in the holes comment is funny. I hate that too. My dh will drill a hole anywhere for anything. He hammered nails all over our fine wood mantel and also our fine wood molding around windows to hang tacky holiday lights.

Too funny. There's a new product (I think it's new) by 3M called command strips. They don't make a hole and supposedly you just pull the adhesive and it comes right off. I used it to put a giant wall map up in my office. On the packaging I saw the product used for putting Christmas lights on stairway railings, et'c. (I suppose it is too late for your mantel, though.)

[Like2Plan]

My DH refuses to let me switch companies because he hates the fact each time they drill holes in the walls to set up a new internet.

I was wondering about this. So the new company can't use the existing wiring? Verizon did an awful job with the wires in our installation. They drilled a hole in the ceiling and then stapled the wire to the wall in one room (that one is not too bad). In another room, they had to redo the wire and it was getting late so they just left the wire hanging free from the ceiling. (It looks terrible IMHO)

I would like to route the fiber cable in through the wall to a box in the wall to which the unit could be plugged in, but I don't know enough about it. I thought in new construction the houses have that. Are they not compatible between companies?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Nope they all want to drill and have holes for their own cables. And Verizon is doing FIOS unlike the others in our area. Ugh.

So now I am stuck with an extra $5 for cable tv. I don't get why internet alone isn't cheaper?

[f0rgiv3n]

So now I am stuck with an extra $5 for cable tv. I don't get why internet alone isn't cheaper?

It's all a marketing scheme! It's the same thought that goes for drinks at the theater...
Small 5.75
Medium 6.00
Large 6.15

You think "well, i'm already spending 5.75 on a small might as well get the Large for .35 more". Basically they make it illogical to go with only Internet so that way they can get a few more bucks out of you

[EarlyRetirementJoy]

You can absolutely get this down! Here is the story I posted on my blog when I did exactly this earlier this year with Time Warner:

When my call got transferred to a customer retention representative after 10 minutes or so on hold, I started off by explaining that our contract was up for renewal, and we no longer wished to continue with phone or cable service. The customer service retention representative asked if there was anything they could do to retain these services for us, and I explained that no, we simply no longer wanted either one, regardless of price. I then asked how much internet service alone would run and she gave me a price of $52.99, about half of the $99.97 we'd been paying previously for all three services ($29.99 each for phone, cable and internet).

I paused and then asked if that was the best she could do. She likewise paused for a moment and then said she could offer me a monthly rate of $44.99 instead. I didn't say anything (I was actually trying to quickly calculate the annual savings to see if it it was worth it), so she then offered me a rate of $39.99 monthly, conditional on agreeing to an automatic debit bill pay.

I have an absolute policy against giving any company permission to put their hands into my checking account, so I said, no, I wasn't interested in that option at this time. I then thanked her and said I would need to call around to see what other options for internet service might be available before committing to the $44.99 price she had quoted. That was apparently the golden phrase, because she immediately offered me a much lower monthly rate of $29.99 . . . which I immediately accepted.

[FireBal989]

They try to get you spend more by "bundling it" and therefore "saving" you money, they won't make as much profit on just the internet so their strategy is to try to raise the price