A Suggestion For Anyone Dealing With Comcast...

[Lord Jim]

Four years ago, we went from having Comcast just for our cable TV, and AT&T for everything else (phone landline, internet)

I made this switch because initially there was an enormous cost savings in the "bundled" package we signed up for four years ago...

And every year since then, when that agreement expired, without any notice we received an enormous, (about 30% plus) increase in our bill...

And every year when this has happened, I've gone through the same ritual...

I have called Comcast on the phone (And spoken very politely with a representative of the "cancel service department"...who's job it is to avoid having people cancel) and said something to the effect of:

"Gee whiz, we went with this "bundle" because it was a good deal, but if you insist on this price increase, it really doesn't look like such a good deal..."

"I'm thinking it might make more financial sense to go back to AT&T for internet and phone service, and use Dish Network for cable"....

And every time I have this conversation, (as I did a few minutes ago) I have had our charges reduced to what they were previously...

So we have had no increase in our charges in four years...

So, what can we learn from this?

There are thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands or millions, given Comcast's reach) of shleps who simply accept price increases because they didn't bother to pick up the phone...

[Scooter]

Pretty much every provider works this way.

I have been with the same company since forever, starting with cable then over time adding internet, wireless, home phone as those services became available.

They never notify existing customers of new pricing plans or service upgrades, or of specials they are offering to new customers to get them to switch .

So I go through this dance with them every year or two, when I tell them I want the best deal they are offering anyone, or I will cancel everything. Sometimes, I have to give the CSR on the phone notice to terminate my service (one month in advance). That almost always get me a call a few days later to make a deal. Once, I think they wanted to see if I was bluffing. I waited until my services were all disconnected. The next day, THEY reconnected by mobile phone in order to call me and ask what it would take to get me back.

I'm paying less now for better phone and internet plans than I had five years ago. I intentionally downgraded my cable just because all those movie channels were not worth my while at any price they could offer (but I am missing Game of Thrones )

[Crackpot]

I tried that and then they royally fucked me over when I moved. I raised hell accepted thier unbelievably cheap service for three months and then promptly changed my service.