Alas, the dreaded call to Comcast to once again renegotiate my monthly bill came around. See, every 6 months, I basically call them up, claim I’m going to quit and go to Verizon FIOS and see how much I can have my monthly bill reduced. What happens each time is that we play some cat and mouse, bluff a bit and then ultimately, they knock a portion of the charges off my bill by offering me various “promotions” which reduce the face value of the bill. Then, 6 months later, these promotions expire and my bill shoots up and I have to call them again and repeat the cycle. I figured by sharing my experience and talking points, it might save you a few bucks or even provide some ammo to use with other carriers from cell phone service to waste collection. Same theory applies – competition is good for the customer.
This week, my call went like this:
See how to negotiate a better bill from any utility supplier.
Darwin
I’ve had similar fun with Comcast.
http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=11327
That’s great, glad to see people doing this; looks like you and I are the only ones left in the area then! I keep seeing those FIOS trucks everywhere and even my next door neighbor tried negotiating and he said they shot him down, so he gave up and switched. I guess it’s all in the delivery. I pretend I have a “standing agreement” with them and they keep renewing the promotions for years now. Some negotiations are better than others, but in general, as long as I keep paying less than the street price (or less than what I could get for equivalent service from Verizon), what the heck?
I so wish I could “stop getting screwed.”
But my ass-screwing is approved by state law, and mandated by the city that gets free kickbacks for allowing a monopoly.
My Brighthouse cable/internet bill is $110 a month. This is for basic, non-digital, non-box, cable and slow internet.
My only other option is using a phone company (AT&T or Cavalier) but sadly I am just two miles from the phone co “central office” (the building that houses all your local switches and interchanges) and can’t get DSL because data, thus far, is a bitch to amplify.
So, I’m just stuck paying these bastards until the day I tell them to pound sand.
With non-stated inflation, and customer reductions, continuing non-stop, that day feels like it draws closer and closer every month.
The rat bastards at Comcast will lie to you without losing a wink of sleep – they lowered my bill by $15 a month, and then added the fraudulent “HD Technology Fee” to get it back. They always pretend that they have no record of your last call to them. When they die, I will dance on their grave.
Anyone who still has cable is a friggin idiot. End of story.
Did the same with Directv. Upgraded my package 3 tiers for $12 less a month good for 12 months. Really didn’t take that long either.
Wow, what balls! Never heard of that HD Tech Fee. Can’t wait for that one to hit my bill.
As far as having cable, I’m kinda stuck with it. Happy wife, happy life.
We barely watch TV but the occasional great series comes on like Game of Thrones, Homeland Security or whatever and while I get the premium channels for free as part of the “promotion”, need cable to watch
Admin! you are going to love this, these kids were just interviewed by Santelli on CNBS.
these are our youth, they get it, they are impressive, they are awesome. and they are out there all over the place. flash, this is not you, you are the opposite.
http://www.turningpointusa.net/
We will be having similar “fun” with US Cellular at some future point.
Got a letter in April that they have discontinued some “older” plans, including our current plan ($35/mo).
However, we will be “automatically switched over to a new plan.” ( Isn’t that nice of them?)
We have been moved to their 1000 minute plan for $69.99/mo!!!( I just looove being sold shit I didn’t even want!)
To offset the increase, we are receiving a monthly discount of $30 for 12 months so we will have time to decide if this plan is right for us.(Isn’t that precious?)
Well I’ve got news for ya USCell. I couldn’t care less about your “points for things like faster phone upgrades, free accessories, ringtones and more”.
I just want a basic phone without all the BS, thank you very much. Therefore, you WON’T be getting to me for $69.99/mo, but you will be hearing from me soon.
So glad you appreciated our “loyalty for the years you have been with us.”
Hey, don’t forget about the “new” digital broadcast TV..
For a one time fee to buy an amplified antenna and a digital decoding box, you get all the broadcast stuff (here about 45 channels) free. No monthly swag to cable or satellite companies.
The digital TV has a much greater reception range from transmitter sites and broadcast channels have multiplied like rabbits.
I will shortly have no cable or satellite TV at all and save the money for beer and other essentials. Of course, you have to recognize that 45 broadcast channels of pure crap is roughly has roughly the same value as 250 channels of pure crap you had before on cable or satellite, so mostly, the TV stays off anyhow..
MA
Well, now Google is launching their own high speed internet and cable biz. I’m sure that will be a disappointment in some way as well, but competition is always great for customers! will probably take years to get in suburban PA though…
I also use this method with my Wireless provider.. Especially when it’s time to upgrade my phone. I tell them instead of paying the “Upgrade Fee” and having to pay for a portion of the phone, if I want a really nice 4G phone, I will just cancel my account and go to a different provider.. Then I go on to tell them that I have been getting flyers in the mail for free iPhone’s through other providers. I am able to get basically whatever phone I want for free, no upgrade fee, and free overnight shipping of my new phone.. Wonderful system, they don’t want to lose any of their money that they basically rape people for..