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GrandMstrBud
join:2005-05-25
Davenport, IA

GrandMstrBud

Member

[IA] Internet only gets penalized for not having TV service? WHY

I have had Mediacom for a good 8 years and I went to the online max and got my bill and it was around $75 bucks for just Internet service. When I called and asked they said it's because I don't have cable service so they charge me an extra $15 per month just because I don't want their cable TV service. Does anyone else think this is complete BS that they are basically penalizing you for not having more of their services? I can deal with $60 per month but $75 is pushing it. I would go with QWest but they don't have the higher speeds at my location yet.
drslash (banned)
Goya Asma
join:2002-02-18
Marion, IA

drslash (banned)

Member

Re: [IA] Internet only gets penalized for not having TV service?

The bundled pricing has been in effect for several years. I, too, think it is BS. For the most part, it is standard practice industy/nation wide.
Iowa VIP
join:2006-11-17
Dubuque, IA

1 edit

Iowa VIP

Member

I can understand why you give a discount for having more then one product via the same cable line. It probably doesn't cost MediaCom much to add internet to the cable service.

You also get that discount if you just add basic cable. In some areas the basic rate is only like $18. So, with the discount you could basic for like $3. A friend of mine in central Iowa does this. He has direct-Tv but has basic cable for his three secondary TVs. He saves like $15 on his direct tv bill because he only needs one receiver. So, by adding basic cable, his direct-tv bill goes down $15 and his intenet mediacom bill goes up like $3.
GrandMstrBud
join:2005-05-25
Davenport, IA

GrandMstrBud

Member

Yes it may be standard practice and it worked for me when I didn't have Directv but since Mediacom does not have NFL ticket, NFL network, or the BTN I have no use for them. If I could get online max and digital for 60 per month I'd get it just so I could get the cheaper rates. It does look like QWest is working on getting fiber to more areas here in the Quad Cities so hopefully it will be soon. I'm not concerned about the download speeds as 8 MB is plenty but now that I have a slingbox the 1 MB upload helps out a lot on that.

marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO

marigolds to GrandMstrBud

MVM

to GrandMstrBud
It's all because cable internet is such a poor money maker. Basically, VoIP has a huge margin, TV next, and cable internet generally loses money. The almost sole purpose of cable internet is to sell the other two services.
wth
Premium Member
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City,IA

wth to GrandMstrBud

Premium Member

to GrandMstrBud
said by GrandMstrBud:

they said it's because I don't have cable service so they charge me an extra $15 per month just because I don't want their cable TV service.
You don't get penalized, you just don't get the $15/month discount because you only carry the one service.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

said by wth:

said by GrandMstrBud:

they said it's because I don't have cable service so they charge me an extra $15 per month just because I don't want their cable TV service.
You don't get penalized, you just don't get the $15/month discount because you only carry the one service.
Bingo. Mediacom isn't penalizing, they're rewarding you for purchasing additional services.
cfossy
join:2007-04-05
Ottumwa, IA

cfossy to GrandMstrBud

Member

to GrandMstrBud
This isn't just a cable thing, Qwest along with most DSL providers also do the same thing for not having other services with them. I had standalone Qwest DSL, and it was a $10 price difference, so even if you go with Qwest you will see this same things, that is, if you don't have phone with them...

burner50
Proud Union THUG
Premium Member
join:2002-06-05
Iowa

burner50 to openbox9

Premium Member

to openbox9
said by openbox9:

said by wth:

said by GrandMstrBud:

they said it's because I don't have cable service so they charge me an extra $15 per month just because I don't want their cable TV service.
You don't get penalized, you just don't get the $15/month discount because you only carry the one service.
Bingo. Mediacom isn't penalizing, they're rewarding you for purchasing additional services.
Not really, because there is an EXTRA charge on the bill...
Last i knew there was. I'll have to see when I get my first bill in the mail...
GrandMstrBud
join:2005-05-25
Davenport, IA

GrandMstrBud

Member

Yes there is an extra charge on the bill so if you just have Internet then you will see 2 charges for one service.

burner50
Proud Union THUG
Premium Member
join:2002-06-05
Iowa

burner50 to GrandMstrBud

Premium Member

to GrandMstrBud
so they're more like punishing you for only having internet...

If you only had tv this would not be the case.
wardfan
join:2007-08-14
Moline, IL

wardfan to burner50

Member

to burner50
said by burner50:

Not really, because there is an EXTRA charge on the bill...
Last i knew there was. I'll have to see when I get my first bill in the mail...
I agree, if it shows up as an EXTRA fee then it is a PENALTY NOT a lack of reward. And it F-ing sucks.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Ok, so it's a penalty. Subscribe to a second service if it "sucks" that badly.
Iowa VIP
join:2006-11-17
Dubuque, IA

Iowa VIP to wardfan

Member

to wardfan

There has to be some cost/expense advantages for MediaCom to have customers with multiple services. (one bill to mail out, only one house to service, etc...) I would also guess that a customer with multiple products is more likely to stick around longer the a customer with a single product. Since TV is MediaCom's primary business, it would makes sense to give the discount to the secondary service. It is the same reason why the 2nd phone on a cell phone plan is only a fraction of the cost of the first phone.

Anonymous88
Premium Member
join:2004-06-01
IA

Anonymous88

Premium Member

The extra item on the bill is "HSD BASIC" and it's a $15 fee. Some people may describe it as a penalty, others as a discount for having another service. Either way you get better rates with bundling.

It does not matter what they describe it.

Example - phone service only is $49.99, with one more service it's $39.99 and with two more services it's $29.99. They don't add additional fees they simply state the price on your bill.

I guess they should do this for HSD to so people would not complain?
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2 to marigolds

Premium Member

to marigolds
said by marigolds:

It's all because cable internet is such a poor money maker. Basically, VoIP has a huge margin, TV next, and cable internet generally loses money. The almost sole purpose of cable internet is to sell the other two services.
I know this is a little late of a post to this, but have been gone for a month. However, the internet is a HUGE money maker, not a loss. It costs about $5 a month per provide the internet to the consumer in the long run. (It's why ATT Broadband wanted to get rid of @home years ago. This information was published in the news at the time)

The reason why they give you a "bundle discount" on internet when purchased with TV is because of Wall Street. There is money in numbers. Investors like to see "VIDEO" numbers, not necessarily broadband numbers. A video 1 basic customer is still a video customer to the investor. Video 1 customers count as video and compare to other competition such as DISH and DIRECT.

VoIP is about 2nd in line for profit. It's HSI, VoIP, then Video. In video, cable providers care about Basic 1, Pay Channels, Dish WinBacks, HSI and Basic phone service. When digital switched phone service was offered, it was all about the calling features too.
drslash (banned)
Goya Asma
join:2002-02-18
Marion, IA

drslash (banned)

Member

said by fiberguy2:

VoIP is about 2nd in line for profit. It's HSI, VoIP, then Video. In video, cable providers care about Basic 1, Pay Channels, Dish WinBacks, HSI and Basic phone service. When digital switched phone service was offered, it was all about the calling features too.
Based on what I have read over the years in the news and financial statements, phone service has the highest profit margin, followed by TV service, followed by HSI.
pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA

pabster to GrandMstrBud

Member

to GrandMstrBud
Either take basic cable service, or (better yet, IMHO) take the Phone deal for $19.95/12 months. You'll be paying only $5 difference but you'll get something for it instead of throwing away money NOT to use their television services.
wardfan
join:2007-08-14
Moline, IL

wardfan

Member

said by pabster:

Either take basic cable service, or (better yet, IMHO) take the Phone deal for $19.95/12 months. You'll be paying only $5 difference but you'll get something for it instead of throwing away money NOT to use their television services.
The phone service if you only have one other service, ie. internet only, is $29.99.

burner50
Proud Union THUG
Premium Member
join:2002-06-05
Iowa

burner50

Premium Member

said by wardfan:

said by pabster:

Either take basic cable service, or (better yet, IMHO) take the Phone deal for $19.95/12 months. You'll be paying only $5 difference but you'll get something for it instead of throwing away money NOT to use their television services.
The phone service if you only have one other service, ie. internet only, is $29.99.
Last I knew phone was 49.99, Bundle 1 it goes to 39.99, bundle 2 it drops to 29.99
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2 to drslash

Premium Member

to drslash
Then we disagree. Having as many years in the business, and having been invovled in the area of finance, I will disagree.
wardfan
join:2007-08-14
Moline, IL

wardfan to burner50

Member

to burner50
said by burner50:

said by wardfan:

said by pabster:

Either take basic cable service, or (better yet, IMHO) take the Phone deal for $19.95/12 months. You'll be paying only $5 difference but you'll get something for it instead of throwing away money NOT to use their television services.
The phone service if you only have one other service, ie. internet only, is $29.99.
Last I knew phone was 49.99, Bundle 1 it goes to 39.99, bundle 2 it drops to 29.99
You're right, I'm sorry it is 29.99/39.99/49.99

My point is still valid, it's not an "almost free" service to add to internet only.

burner50
Proud Union THUG
Premium Member
join:2002-06-05
Iowa

burner50

Premium Member

if it is added as a special like the 19.95 deal it would be "almost free" for 12 months...

the only one that qualifies for the "almost free" is the broadcast basic channels.... when my promo rate is up that's what i'm getting...
GrandMstrBud
join:2005-05-25
Davenport, IA

GrandMstrBud

Member

Why should we be forced to get all 3 packages in order to get it at the normal price? I don't know of many people that even have home phone lines anymore due to cell phones and I personally don't need home phone service and have not had it for 8 years or more. And also why would I want their crap cable TV when they lack NFL Sunday ticket, NFL network, and also the Big Ten Network. As soon as Qwest gets the fiber speeds I'll be getting that and dropping Mediacom even though I have been a customer for over 8 years. I don't have a problem with speeds at all but only with the pricing and almost $80 a month for just Internet is just too much.
pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA

pabster

Member

I agree $75 to $80 a month for internet access is a bit high, but can you find a competitor with the same offering? Qwest claims 20Mbit but we won't see it anywhere out here for a decade. The fastest they offer here is 7Mbit and they want nearly $75 for that (you must have a landline basic phone service, remember, too.)

If you can live with the slower service, heck, you can get the standard HSI 8/512 for $19.95 / 12 months as well. Just stop a tech and have him put the order in.
Turbocpe
Premium Member
join:2001-12-22
IA

Turbocpe

Premium Member

said by pabster:

Qwest claims 20Mbit but we won't see it anywhere out here for a decade. The fastest they offer here is 7Mbit and they want nearly $75 for that (you must have a landline basic phone service, remember, too.)
If you see 7Mbit in your location, you must be close to the DSLAM (remote or telco based). Therefore, I think you probably are better off seeing those 20Mbit speed than many other Qwest users who cannot get higher than 1.5Mbit due to line distance - something not easily changed.

In addition, while I'm not familiar with the 7Mbit package itself, remember Qwest was one of the first to provide "naked" or "dry" DSL - DSL service without a dial tone. There is a small charge per month for this, but you do not need any phone service to get Qwest's DSL.
said by pabster:


If you can live with the slower service, heck, you can get the standard HSI 8/512 for $19.95 / 12 months as well. Just stop a tech and have him put the order in.
You could call 1-800-Cable-TV, but I think you need to be a "new" HSD customer (one that hasn't had the HSD service for a few months) before you can get that deal. However, you could try.
pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA

pabster

Member

Turbocpe, I was citing 7Mbps. That's what the online DSL order thing *says* I could get. Somehow, I doubt it. And trust me, they won't be deploying fiber to reach 20Mbit and beyond anytime soon here. As for the Naked DSL, they do not do that here...?

On the 8/512 @ 19.95 for 12 months, you do NOT need to be a new customer. You may not qualify if you already subscribe to HSI however. It's all YMMV and really depends on who works the switches.
Turbocpe
Premium Member
join:2001-12-22
IA

Turbocpe

Premium Member

said by pabster:

Turbocpe, I was citing 7Mbps. That's what the online DSL order thing *says* I could get. Somehow, I doubt it. And trust me, they won't be deploying fiber to reach 20Mbit and beyond anytime soon here.
As for the Naked DSL, they do not do that here...?
I'm not certain of your belief that Waterloo won't be seeing fiber from Qwest anytime soon as the major/bigger cities are the ones seeing it first.

As far as naked DSL, yes, they do it. Why would they not in Waterloo? Naked DSL has been discussed in length on this website (Qwest forum and even front page). It's available and Qwest was one of the first to provide it.
said by pabster:

On the 8/512 @ 19.95 for 12 months, you do NOT need to be a new customer. You may not qualify if you already subscribe to HSI however. It's all YMMV and really depends on who works the switches.
Notice I said "new" HSD (High Speed Data) customer. You are correct you do not need to be a new Mediacom customer, but I do believe you need to not have HSD for some months before you can qualify, hence my "new" HSD customer reference. As GrandMstrBud stated he was paying near $80 for HSD, I would therefore assume he's not a "new" HSD customer However, calling in and trying won't hurt.
garn91
join:2005-01-15
Ankeny, IA

garn91 to GrandMstrBud

Member

to GrandMstrBud
said by GrandMstrBud:

Why should we be forced to get all 3 packages in order to get it at the normal price? I don't know of many people that even have home phone lines anymore due to cell phones and I personally don't need home phone service and have not had it for 8 years or more. And also why would I want their crap cable TV when they lack NFL Sunday ticket, NFL network, and also the Big Ten Network. As soon as Qwest gets the fiber speeds I'll be getting that and dropping Mediacom even though I have been a customer for over 8 years. I don't have a problem with speeds at all but only with the pricing and almost $80 a month for just Internet is just too much.
In Mediacom's defense, no cable provider has the NFL Sunday Ticket as it's exclusive to DirecTV. The lack of the other 2 are fair game.
GrandMstrBud
join:2005-05-25
Davenport, IA

GrandMstrBud

Member

No I'm not a new customer and I've had their Internet only service for more than 8 years. I could always have my wife sign up in her name but then I'd loose our e-mail addresses which we have had since we signed up.