Comcast raising prices

[Link]

Watching the news tonight on ABC 7 Chicago, Comcast in Chicago is raising prices by 6% in January, about double the inflation rate.

Comcast says they spent $350 million to improve service. Basic cable will be close to $50. Consumer advocates say customers could save money if they could order only the channels they want!!

[JM Anthony]

Now there's a headline I haven't seen in a while. Not!!! :lol: Jeopardy question - What do death, taxes, and Comcast rate increases have in common??

[DS0816]

How difficult is it for people to just cancel cable and go for satellite? Mitigating factors aside, there are people who act like this is the most difficult thing one can do.

[Moorebid]

But if you have Platinum Plus, you're golden. But still paying $99.99 a month…

[midnight75]

Seems like they're all doing this. I heard that my former cable provider just hiked their rates, too. Makes me wonder why they still have anyone with them, seeing they now charge $42 for 53 channels. You can go with DirecTV & get 150 channels for the same price.

[chaddux]

I dont undestand it either. I had Cox cable. My monthly bill was $46.34 and I had about 50 channels (if you include all of the in- and out-of-market locals). Now, my DISH bill is $53.13 (not including my current $15 in ClubDISH discounts) for America's Top 120 with locals and DVR service on two TVs. Even when I tell people what they can get, they don't want to switch. Usually, the answer they give is something to the effect of "I just don't want to."

And to keep my cable internet service, they were going to charge me almost $60/month. It was one of the best moments I've ever experienced to call them up: (Transcribed from the recording after I hit Record on the voicemail box)

Him: "Thank you for calling Cox Communications. My name is xxxx. What can I do for you today?"
Me: "I'd like to make a service change."
Him: "Ok. Would you like to upgrade to Digital Cable?"
Me: "No. I'd like to cancel it."
Him: "Cancel your TV service?"
Me: "No. My account."
Him: "But that will impact your ability to access the internet."
Me: "No, not really. I disconnected the cable modem yesterday when I hooked the $26.95 per month SBC DSL service. In fact, I tested the speed of my internet right before I disconnected the cable modem. Then, I tested it after I hooked up the DSL modem. Amazingly, the DSL service is half the price but was clocked at more than three times as fast."
Him: "Oh. [Typing in the background.]"
Me: "Like I said, I'd like to cancel my account."
Him: "Can I ask why you'd like to cancel your services?"
Me: "No. You can't. But thanks for asking."
Him: "We'd like to offer you a $10 credit just for keeping your services active."
Me: "Ten dollars? You're kidding."
Him: "No, I can put that on your account right now."
Me: "I wasn't shocked at the offer. I was shocked that you actually thought that would talk me out of it."
Him: "Is there something that would talk you out of it?"
Me: "Well, DISH Network was installed last week. Unless you're prepared to buy me out of my contract and then offer me free Digital Cable service for a year, probably not. I am open to suggestions though."
Him: "Does DISH Network offer you channel 3?" (Note: Channel 3 is the local government access channel which airs such thrillers as The Solid Waste News Hour and repeats of the recent City Council Meetings.)
Me: "The Government Access Channel?"
Him: "Yessir. You can only get that on Cox."
Me: "Please tell me you're joking."
Him: "No sir, it is only on Cox."
Me: "xxxx, you really need to pick up on voice tones better. I don't care whether it's exclusively on Cox or not. You can't honestly be using that channel as a bargaining point."
Him: "Well, Mr. Maddux, you would lose that channel if you cancel your service with us."
Me: "That's true. Unfortunately, I've never wanted to watch the Solid Waste News hour before and...let me check my calendar... ... ... ...nope, no plans to ever watch it. But if I ever change my mind, I'll have a neighbor record it for me."
Him: "So there's no chance you'll change your mind?"
Me: "Have you been on the phone the whole time or did you go get a cup of coffee? No, I'm not changing my mind."
Him: "Would you like to keep your internet service and just cancel your television service?"
Me: "So you did get a cup of coffee."
Him: "I don't drink coffee."
Me: "Tea? Water? Motor Oil?"
Him: "No sir."
Me: "So, I'd like to cancel my account."
Him: "If you'd like to upgrade to Digital Cable, we'd lower the $99 installation fee to just $75."
Me: "(Laughing) Is this what they tell you to say? A $10 credit, the government access channel, and slightly discounted over-priced service? Is this candid phone? Are you Rick Dees?"
Him: "No, my name is xxxx. Who is Rick Dees?"
Me: "(sigh) This has been fun and everything but seriously, let's get my account cancelled."
Him: "(Typing) I can turn off your internet service immediately. (More typing) We can disconnect your cable service next Tuesday."
Me: "Do it. You'll pro-rate my refund beginning today and not next Tuesday, right?"
Him: "I can do that if you want."
Me: "Oh wait. I forgot. When I called last week during the three-day outage, I was issued a credit for the inconvenience. That will cover all of this billing cycle so I'll get a full refund."
Him: "(Typing) Yessir, that's correct."
Me: "So we're done."
Him: "(Typing) Yessir, you're account is now cancelled."
Me: "You know what. I changed my mind. I don't want to cancel my account."
Him: "Really?"
Me: "(Laughing) No! It's a joke!"
Him: "Oh."
Me: "Alright xxxx, what's your extension so when I have the problem that I will inevitably have, I can call you back for another round?"
Him: "xxxx."
Me: "Thank you very much. And you have a great day."
Him: "You too, Mr. Maddux. We hope you'll come back soon."
Me: "I will. Wait, no I won't."
Him: (Click)

[The_Ancient]

lol, that is great

I am sure I will get the same comical retoric when I call comcast Dec 13th to do the same thing

[Paul Secic]

Watching the news tonight on ABC 7 Chicago, Comcast in Chicago is raising prices by 6% in January, about double the inflation rate.

Comcast says they spent $350 million to improve service. Basic cable will be close to $50. Consumer advocates say customers could save money if they could order only the channels they want!!
I was at my doctor's office & was talking to a lady about TV and she said Comcast is raising basic 6.6% and I asked her why she doesn't she get satelite. She said Thats lots of work. I explained that satelite is cheaper. Oh well.

[midnight75]

The CSR at my former cable company was not as fun as yours was when I called to cancel. All she asked me is if I was moving & I told her no, we just switched to Direct. She cancelled it as of that day & that was that.

[chaddux]

The CSR at my former cable company was not as fun as yours was when I called to cancel. All she asked me is if I was moving & I told her no, we just switched to Direct. She cancelled it as of that day & that was that.

She didn't try to talk you out of it?

[crkeehn]

She didn't try to talk you out of it?

When I had cancelled Comcast to go to DirecTV, the customer service rep acted like he couldn't care less why I was cancelling. He took the request and I asked, "wouldn't you like to know why I'm cancelling?"

"No" he replied.

When I turned in the converter box, I made sure to tell them why I was cancelling.

[midnight75]

She didn't try to talk you out of it?

No, she didn't. I was not surprised at all that she didn't. My co-worker was saying when her mother called them to cancel because she had just gotten a dish, they did not ask her why she was cancelling.

[chaddux]

No, she didn't. I was not surprised at all that she didn't. My co-worker was saying when her mother called them to cancel because she had just gotten a dish, they did not ask her why she was cancelling.

Maybe they know, and are accepting, the inevitable. :)

[Bogy]

Why don't I go back to DBS? Because since I have digital cable, internet, local and long distance telephone all through Cox I get a good bundle rate. I don't pay the rates some of you are quoting, and it would be a hassle to change it all over. The service is great, including customer service and I am very happy. Sometime in the next year I will be moving and then its all up for grabs again depending on where we go and what's available.

[Jacob S]

I had a customer complain to me that Dish Network would not shut their service off without a reason. He told them that he should not have to have a reason. I bet that sure would make him want to go back, probably not an option now.

[DS0816]

Watching the news tonight on ABC 7 Chicago, Comcast in Chicago is raising prices by 6% in January, about double the inflation rate.

Comcast says they spent $350 million to improve service. Basic cable will be close to $50. Consumer advocates say customers could save money if they could order only the channels they want!!

The Detroit News had this report about Comcast, and the Motor City will be hit just like Chicago with the rate hike. Wide Open West -- which bought Americast a couple years back and originated in Lakewood, Colo. -- also offers service in the midwest areas of Chicago, Cleveland, an additional Ohio area, I believe one in north-western Indiana, and Detroit. WOW Internet and Cable will be doing the same thing as Comcast.

Basically, it goes like this: If you subscribe to analog cable in any of these areas -- expect your monthly bill that's, say, $42, to jump to, say, $46. (Rough estimate, of course. And another reason that has me thinking the only reason to have cable is for high-speed Internet service. Thank goodness, I'm with DirecTV.)

[pez2002]

well for me it was


$82 a month for 2 digital boxes with hbo @ one point i had hbo/starz and it was $72 for both of them then it jumped to $93 a month so then we just kept the hbo then got rid of greedcast :lol:

[Brian Rector]

I just had enough of seeing my cable bill with Digital Cable and HBO (three rooms) soar to 114/month!! I have the AT 180 with WWOR and KTLA and my bill is only about 62 bucks without taxes. When the time comes, I am gonna get HBO again (probably when the Sopranos air again in 2006).

[Bogy]

I got a notice from Cox Omaha yesterday that they are LOWERING my bill. The cost for additional digital boxes has been lowered $2 a month. Nice to see a bill heading in the right direction for a change. And by a nasty old cable company to boot. :D

[pez2002]

I just had enough of seeing my cable bill with Digital Cable and HBO (three rooms) soar to 114/month!! I have the AT 180 with WWOR and KTLA and my bill is only about 62 bucks without taxes. When the time comes, I am gonna get HBO again (probably when the Sopranos air again in 2006).



now do you have internet with that too ???