jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH | Ditto
Ditto |
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odog
Cable Centric Vendor Biased
Premium
join:2001-08-05
Norcross, GA
clubs: | forced bundling
makes sense.
my only complaint is the deceptive issues requiring contracts and bundling to get the advertised price.
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disclaimer: my opinions are my own, my employer is not responsible. |
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clevere1
Premium
join:2002-01-06
Vancouver, WA
 ·Qwest.net
| Amen!
Those extra fees are just nuts. The same thing happens with your phone bill. I pay 36.00 for my telephone, after all fees and taxes and crap, it's almost 50.00 a month!
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I picked up a Magic 8-Ball the other day and it said 'Outlook not so good'. I said 'Sure, but Microsoft still ships it.' |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
|  Don't want to know?
I disagree entirely with the idea that "we don't even want to know about them!"
I want to know exactly what fees are being charged, even if the charge is a $2 increase in my price to balance out the $4 fee in the next town over. Believing that any business is going to just eat a tax or fee without a corresponding price increase is simply naive. Better to know what level of government is responsible for the tax and the magnitude of the tax. That way, you know exactly who to hold responsible for the proper use of that money.
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telnet://whip.isca.uiowa.edu
Member: American Association of Geographers, American Geophysical Union, American Water Resources Association |
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sharksfan3
Premium
join:2004-02-16
Poughkeepsie, NY
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
 ·Optimum Voice
 ·Optimum Online
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable
2 edits | Hidden Fees
VZW contracts state that they are allowed to charge you certain recovery fees that are not taxes, or government related charges (or in similar terms).
The problem is that you do not find out how much these 'recovery' fees are until you receive your first bill, which is usually after your trial/return period is up. While VZW isn't a broadband provider, I understand that these same fees are now being charged to VOL customers.
The cost of doing business is just that. Prices need to be set to account for these costs. You can't advertise $1.50 for a ham, egg, and cheese on a roll then tack on a $1.27 'cost recovery fee'. Most people understand the concept of sales tax as it is added on to most everything we buy, and the percentage rate is well known. |
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mdurkin
join:1999-08-11
San Bruno, CA
| USF
The best hope ISPs have against USF is itemizing it and getting their end users upset with their congresscritters about it. ISPs don't like it any more than end users do. It's a percentage fee assessed on the underlying telecom revenue (wholesale circuit costs), administered by the FCC, that goes straight to the fund, not retained by ISPs, and it's still rising.
Hiding USF in one total service charge would make it politically easier for USF to go up, which no matter how you slice it is going to lead to higher end user rates. Sure USF and other charges shouldn't be buried in the fine print, you *should* know your total cost of service before ordering, but a single charge will work against end users in the end. BBR has also done a disservice to ISPs in the past by repeatedly claiming USF is a fixed fee to the ISP regardless of speed when it's a percentage of telecom revenue and faster DSL circuits tend to cost more from the same wholesale circuit provider; it's not fixed, and it's not based on one per phone line... it's %age based and just went up again. |
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Speedy8
Premium
join:2002-08-22
Alliance, OH
clubs:
| I agree
It's not even paying most of the fees, it's the deceptive practice of not including the fees in the price that annoys me. Can I start offering a service with a 1 year contract for $10 a month then put $800 a month in fine print fees in? Somehow I don't think I'd get away with it. |
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jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH | Darn it...
What ever happened to the governments plans to bring broadband to all of america and also push for next-gen?
Seems like the government just makes everything harder to do.
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- "Techie" Jim |
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Phil
Rojo Sol
Premium
join:2001-06-11
Camarillo, CA
1 edit | Silly...
Nevermind. |
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VoxxitDesign
join:2003-07-26
Fort Lauderdale, FL | bah
How come a pizza place can divi out their price to include taxes, etc. But, a Internet service provider can't?
I don't understand that :P
Josh |
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FTCXtreme
join:2005-03-14
New Braintree, MA
| reply to mdurkin
Re: USF
Exactly what I thought, $5 is about the most in USF you'll probably get or see, $5 Is not much considering what you get, Its the the companies fault for the fees, Its the FCC complain to them. If you dont like it get dial up. Quit b1tching, Atleast you can get broadband, I wouldn't mind spending $5 at most in taxes for fast service.  |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY
Host:
IPv6
Business Connectiv..
Home/Office setup ..
Console/Handheld g..
Console Tech
| reply to marigolds
Re: Don't want to know?
I think I mean this: if you agree to pay 39.95 and that is your bill, who the hell cares what it included!? that is THEIR problem. By putting extra fees and what not below the line they are making it our problem.
So if the ILECs and cable companies can stick to an advertised price for the duration of the contract, no, i don't give two hoots how much their janitor is charging them, etc. |
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deadi
Premium
join:2001-08-26
Perry, OH
| Standardization!!!
Have you ever tried to support a user halfway across a country?
Every provider does something different. They all have a different modems and connection methods. Some have full router/modem combos, others are plain-jane modems, but most of all the halfbreed router/modems(or whatever)! They stink! I am referring to the ones that have "partial nat capabilities" with built-in PPOE.
Might I add one brand will give you a model number on the bottom but will not tell you which revision. The revisions operate and function totally different.
--
ERROR:Bad Command Or File Name, Go Stand In Corner. |
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RJ44
join:2001-10-19
Nashville, TN | reply to jimbo2150
Re: Ditto
All I can say is, if this made the top 10 list of problems, BB is in better shape than I thought.
RJ |
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sharksfan3
Premium
join:2004-02-16
Poughkeepsie, NY | care to post your top 10 list? |
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diehardspeed
Premium
join:2003-05-14
Salt Lake City, UT
| reply to deadi
Re: Standardization!!!
Then there is always the "No Cable TV Fee" +$10 oh but you have your own modem -$3 rent fee, but you still get taxed to death on everything! +$10~$15
Oh ya and did they mention that you can add "basic" cable to your account for only $12/mo more!
Wait did i hear right? I pay +$2 more a month to get "basic" cable!!!!!! ($12 - $10 No more "No Cable TV Fee" = $2 correct?)
Well yes but then your also taxed another +$10~$15
it's insane all the hidden charges and other BS they make people put up with, it's even worse if you have no choice but to put up with it unless you want to go back to dial-up. But then you would need to get a 2nd phone line and have it taxed then your almost up to what you pay for broadband!
AHHHHHHHHHHH ok I am done! |
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clickwir
join:2001-06-21
Dickson City, PA
| reply to justin
Re: Don't want to know?
Excatly. I don't need to know what it costs them to rent the polls in my area or the fee associated with their Teir 1 connections to backbone providers.
I walk into McDonalds and order a burger, I don't expect to see a recipt with a price break down of bun, meat (is it even meat?), toppings, truck driver to deliver the stuff fee, gas bill use fee for cooking it, contractor fee for building the McD, phone bill regulator fees for their one phone they have in the back, or any other fee. I want to know what it's going to cost me. Bottom line. Local tax is understandable if it's included, state it if not, state it. That's all.
Now I would have to say that for rented equipment or something that I can take off my bill that would effect the price, should be listed. If I buy my own cable modem, I want to see that as a seperate listing. |
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froggy58
join:2002-05-07
Cape Canaveral, FL
| reply to odog
One Price on my bill
I'm looking at the bill right now. RoadRunner in FL
It has one number on it and no "additional" anything fees.
$44.95
Now I do remember when we had DSL it started at under $50 and when they added the taxes & fees it was $54.95.
Of course if I pay late there's a $5 fee and that's the only additional comment anywhere on the bill about additional $$$.
No contract, condo assoc pays the basic cable. If I didn't have the condo pay the basic cable, I'd order Earthlink Cable which will install without basic cable being paid.
K |
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barky
Premium
join:2001-03-17
San Diego, CA
|  The ISP can eat the cost
My ISP, Cyberonic, actually charges what they quote. I really haven't thought anything of the price in a long time, but its nice being predictable. I don't see any reason why other ISPs can't do this ... might as well convenience the customer since they're the ones paying you. What it comes down to is, what people choose as being important to them; I'd have to say this just isn't all that big of an issue in general, to the public (judging by their ISP choice). |
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The Folsom
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
 ·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | Local Fees?
I live in Desert Hot Springs(Palm Springs), Ca., and this locality "Local Taxes" us on just about everything. Not much can be done about this, but I like number nine...
Great feature! 
--
Who is "Roger" and why is everyone calling him on the radio?
»www.folsomtech.com |
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