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Comments on news posted 2007-10-16 18:09:53: On the heels of cable TV rate hikes in Houston, Comcast today alerted customers in Lancaster, PA that they'll be raising the price of their standard cable TV package by 6.9 percent and their "bare bones" TV package by 12.5 percent. ..
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 w1zard
join:2001-12-22
Paradise, PA
| Wish I had an alternative. I have to sit down and do the math but I believe it would be cheaper to ditch comcast tv and pay the extra for stand alone hsi and switch to DTV or Dish. If I had ANY other broadband solution at this address I would very quickly be telling comcast where to shove their rate hikes. | |
| | six9
join:2001-12-03
Atlanta, GA
 ·Comcast
| Re: Wish I had an alternative. Well, let's see. I have yet to do the math so I will now.
I have DirecTV, Vonage and Comcast HSI. Is my setup cheaper than Comcast? Some of you will have to help me with that question.
DirecTV - TotalChoice Local w/TiVo (not DTV DVR) - $48.99
Vonage - 30.62 (after taxes and such)
Comcast HSI Gold: $70.95 ($15 penalty for no TV) Go figure to get the lowest video tier to get rid of the penalty is $16 plus all the taxes and fees associated with video.
Total: $150.56
Maybe it just seems cheaper for me to have it that way. Or maybe I like my NFLST too much to ditch DirecTV. I might be completely off base here because of bundling. I'm comparing "regular menu pricing" as opposed to the limited time coupons.
I actually looked at Comcast when I moved and it was a big turnoff for me to be charged $12.95 per month for a DVR. It was also a big turn off to have to get the digital package just to get the same channels I have now. I think when I priced it, the total for just TV was somewhere around the $95 range. At my other prices, that would put me at around $180.
Once I saw the outrageous price for the non-TiVo DVR, I decided that it was not worth it and kept it the way it is. I never looked into the bundles because I don't want something that I'm going to have to renegotiate in 6 months. Now, maybe when Vonage bites the dust, I will look again, but for now I just can't see joining that rate hike every 6 months. | |
| stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA
| Dang!!! Comcast is making Charter look good! We're getting 6 more HD channels next month for the same $8.00 a month. HD/DVR...$6.95 a month. We will have 12 HD channels total-WooHoo! Granted, we'll have a price increase in Jan 2008, but TWO rate increases in one year??!!
It's Comcrapstic! Jeeze, why don't you Comcast customers just bend over and grab your ankles as tight as you can. Can't wait to hear some friends of mine in Santa Maria squeal like pigs when they get ANOTHER rate increase. AND, my Santa Maria friends have Verizon as their hardline carrier-NO FiOs in their near future...hehe.
Glad my area has Charter-great for TV. SoSo for HSI-overpriced for 5/512, which is why I went with...ATT. 6/768 $35.00 monthly. 'nough said.
 | |
| flyingjoey
join:2005-11-07
Jersey City, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Boobye comcast Not only is comcast one of the more expensive providers, and yet they're planning to push up their prices.
As of this thursday, I'm moving to DirecTV. I'm tired of paying 149 dollars for only 3 premium channels, and their internet access, and only getting 14 HD channels.
I want my cartoon network in HD damn it!  | |
| 
capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA
| Call Center?
Accident... |
"I can't change channels" Put new batteries in your remote
"My cable is out" A truck had an accident | |
| 
nursemike
join:2001-10-14
Palm Bay, FL
| Guess where that money goes I wonder if their compensation has ONLY gone up 10%
KEY EXECUTIVES
Pay Exercised
Mr. Brian L. Roberts , 47
Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer $ 13.90M$ 19.92M
Mr. Ralph J. Roberts , 87
Founder, Director $ 4.45M$ 2.75M
Mr. John R. Alchin , 58
Co-Chief Financial Officer, $ 2.62M $ 2.83M
Mr. Stephen B. Burke , 48
Chief Operating Officer, $ 8.72M $ 19.04M | |
| | ebubman
join:2002-01-17
Enola, PA
·Comcast
 ·Vonage
| Re: Guess where that money goes this is called "the golden rule"----put differently, those with the gold, rule. they raise the rates simply because they can raise the rates. there is a point where many of us will say "wow---let's check that fios thing for isp and let's check dishnetwork for tv". the dumbest thing any company in any industry can do is to act like they are indispensable. while many of us rely on comcast, life indeed could go on quite well if we did verizon & dishnetwork. bub
said by nursemike  :I wonder if their compensation has ONLY gone up 10% KEY EXECUTIVES Pay Exercised Mr. Brian L. Roberts , 47 Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer $ 13.90M$ 19.92M Mr. Ralph J. Roberts , 87 Founder, Director $ 4.45M$ 2.75M Mr. John R. Alchin , 58 Co-Chief Financial Officer, $ 2.62M $ 2.83M Mr. Stephen B. Burke , 48 Chief Operating Officer, $ 8.72M $ 19.04M | |
| tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY
| What needs to be said. If YOU have Comcast Cable TV as a STAND-ALONE service.
CANCEL THE ACCOUNT. Move to an alternative provider who doesn't gouge you (satellite, or maybe to spite comcast... at&t).
Still, a basic triple play shouldn't cost over $110-120 for three entry level services, unless you get second, third, etc cable box.
Somebody's gotta pay for that smashed up keyboard, computer and monitor. Don't even dare send that lady a rate increase bill! 
Cablevision will still be offering $29.95/ea triple play deals locked in for two years with no early termination fee.
Make sure you start asking for your yearly 10-15% yearly cost of living increases at your jobs to pay the cable bills! | |
| | 
N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: What needs to be said. Another bill that went up 3X faster than my rate of pay...
I don't think Comcast gets it, and it's going to bite them in the ass sooner than later.
I'm one of those aforementioned people that's going to look elsewhere. I was waiting for Fios TV, but the deployment is going a little slow. The trenches have been dug, and the conduit is coiled up on the pole, but no Fios yet (my wires come in from a pole, not under ground).
Now, do I wait for Verizon to get me TV, or do I jump to DirecTV until Verizon comes...
Decisions decisions.
6% increase, fucking ridiculous..
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… | |
| | | 
ExitWound
Porsche Snob
join:2001-12-13
State College, PA
·Vonage
| Re: What needs to be said. I am already looking elsewhere. If i can get a satellite package for less, I will. We have no hopes of Fios ever coming here and no other cable packages either. There's also the idea that direcTVs beams are on MY property. What I do with them should be my own business :-P
--
»www.theexitwound.com | |
| chomps
join:2005-09-28
Salt Lake City, UT
| Comcast rates and the industry While it is true there are other providers and varying rates we need to look at several points. The first point being that The content providers--providing the feeds to Comcast have been raising their rates to companies such as Comcast, Dish Network, and Directv. I used to work for Directv and they had at least a yearly fee increase, if not more. Also, here is something else to add into the mix. These companies do have their own call centers, however they also outsource many of their calls to outside vendors such as Convergys. When the outside vendors experience increasing calls compared to the year previous, they also demand a price increase. Plus on top of that let's add inflation which nobody can deny happens. Utility companies raise their rates which increases the bottom cost lines of Comcast and the others to provide service. Then lets ad the fact that the FCC requires all TV stations to be digital. That also increases costs as these companies have to obtain new equipment to provide digital signal. For those with analog TV you will have to get a digital converter as the analog signal is going to be gone soon. Many companies have to hire private contractors due to a increased workload, ie installers. They do the basic install nothing else. Now if you have problems with the services then they send a actual employee of the company to fix the problem. These specialists are more highly trained than the private contractors thereby increasing the bottom line costs. Now I will agree that sometimes customer service can be crappy as it has happened to me. But when this has happened I have noticed most times I am not talking direct to Comcast or Directv or others, but the 3rd party companies. These people get basic training and uses scripts to troubleshoot your problems. They are also the least paid of anyone yet the main company, ie Convergys maintains these high earning. So Comcast and the others are not the only ones to blame for the high costs. Comcast, Directv, Dish network and others like it are luxuries. Let's get that fact straight here. If you want a luxury then you are going to pay for it. How many of you are complaining about the increasing prices of TV's or other related items?? Not one of you I am sure. And how many of these items are no longer being manufactured in the good ol USA?? Much of it is being built overseas where these places make it cheaper and sell it to us for a higher prices. All of this adds to the cost of operating the company. Most people don't realize that grocery stores have a average markup on their items of between 15% to 40%. So who is gouging who? Yes, rates need to start coming down I will agree. And as more and more companies enter into a market this will happen. But in the meantime if you want the goodies be expected to pay for it. If you experience problems with your service and the initial tech call doesn't resolve the issue--then get the tech supervisor name and number and call them. I had to do that with a problem I have with my HSI. Original techs didn't get it fixed but once I start calling the supervisor on a daily basis--guess what? Another tech came out and was instructed to start testing the line at the pedestals. And guess what--there is a problem in the feed going to it. They are now fixing the problem. | |
| 
catvstream
@verizon.net
| There are alternatives to the cable-tv monopoly Plenty of TV streams are available over the internet these days so, the necessity of being a cable-tv subscriber are slowly falling by the wayside. Movie / TV show dvd rentals as well as online subscriptions are becoming more mainstream than you might think.. Once people figure out a way to conveniently program a TIVO with IMOVIE/IVIDEO through their broadband connection-- cable-tv's days are NUMBERED. Rate increases won't be so easy to get past savvy computer literate broadband enabled internet subscribers. They'll get their tv, just not with a paid subscription.
What P2P did for music, will do the same or WORSE to a multi-billion dollar cable industry, sooner or later. Don't forget, the cable industry only controls ONE pipe into the home, the other is controlled by a telco, who is quite pissed off they lost phone subscribers over the past decade. Bring on those symmetric streaming rates, TELCO!
Woo-Hoo! | |
| cowsgonemadd
join:2007-02-24
Ware Shoals, SC
| lol Do what we do,stick a antenna on the outside of the house and get FREE tv. Watch your favorite season shows on dvd by either buying them or renting them from netflix or blockbuster online. Movies too through netflix.
Saves lots of money.....You just have to wait for the new shows to get on dvd....
Or do the next best thing "watch at a friends house" | |
| | sava700
join:2005-03-08
Buena Vista, VA
| Re: lol Well I'm really pissed off.. 59.95 is what i'm paying for 8/768 and now I'll be paying 67.95 for the same damn speed!!!! If your going to jack my bill up at least give me 10/1meg or something. If FIOS was here I'd jump on it in a heart beat! WE have dsl in the area but its worse than Comcast for stable connection not to mention price is a little higher. I just can't understand how they can jack prices up like that without someone doing something to limit how much like states limit electric rates. | |
| dwfull
join:2007-10-21
Vincentown, NJ | comcast rates hikes comcast has to raise its rates again to pay for its 60 story new hq in philly plus they are getting a ten year tax abatement for moving into this new facility | |
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