said by baineschile:Of all posts, i think this is the best one. The threat of competition seems to have Comcast matching prices; before, they never had to, because the last 10 years the only real competition has been the dishes. Now, with Uverse (which covers most of the Comcast footprint here in MI), comcast will match prices and more often, keep their customers.
This is why I will NOT be paying full price for TV/Internet again. Comcast will get my business, but only as long as they continue to match what other providers are offering. These introductory pricing is just to get your foot in the door. After a year is up, they price goes up. The video providers are counting on you to keep your service at that higher rate or get locked into a contract where you have no choice but to take the service at the higher rate.
Being a smart consumer here all comes down to communication. If you call comcast or Uverse and tell them you want your service at a lower rate or you will go to a competitor, they will match that service almost every time (so long as you are not outlandish with your claims). I know many people who do this and it works well for them. The process is simple.
1. Check to see what the prices of Uverse, Dish, and directv are.
2. Call comcast and ask to match the price.
3. If they don't match, call back.
4. If they do match or lower their rates to a reasonable level, PROFIT!