Topic 'Re: Makes the cable company happy' in forum '' - dslreports.com

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:11:35 EDT

Ericthorn posted : We have to pay 24.95 for basic cable (btw I live in a house - our whole town is subjected to this) in order to get internet. Our internet is 62.95/mo for a 4mb/1mb connection, and that is what they call their 'business' class. It's one of the worst services and pricing in the area, but we like our house and the location, so we deal with it.
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Re: Makes the cable company happy

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:52:50 EDT

r81984 posted :

said by MovieLover76:

I wouldn't move into an apartment that forced me to use one service, I know it is legal but I'm not sure why it seems that it should be illegal to me.

If it was Verizon FIOS I'd probably make an exception because that's my current service and it's great.

Good luck with finding that.
Originally the apartment cable was cheaper than anyone else. The cable internet always sucked, but you could get ATT dsl so that was not an issue.

Now that ATT has caps, I am screwed no matter what.
$100 a month for cable is insane, so my only option would be a dish.
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Re: Makes the cable company happy

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:26:19 EDT

fiberguy posted :

said by 25139889:

It's not about what they charge for basic. It's about the extra fee they charge for not having TV.

And I have Buckeye. CMST does NOT charge $21 a month for not having TV with HSI. It's more like $10-12 extra. The same as TWC and the others.

What "extra fee" do they charge you for internet when you don't subscribe to TV?

Let me correct you. Internet service is about $54.95 a month. That is the price. That is how it's rate disclosed. That's the normal price of internet. If you subscribe (bundle) then you get a DISCOUNT.. say that with me.. "DISCOUNT" on internet service.

I never ceases to amaze me how everyone looks at the lowest printed price and believes anything above that is a penalty.

However, as you call it "a fee".. I have yet to, this day, ever see a line item that says "Non-TV subscriber FEE" on the bill.. do they? Is there a rate disclosure line item that says "Non-TV subscriber FEE"...?

I just can't get it in my head this society we live in where discounts are some how evil.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:18:59 EDT

BiggA posted : So that's $16/mo, or $1 more than Comcast's de-bundling fee. Don't get me wrong, I think those fees should be illegal, but they all do it.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:14:09 EDT

Morac posted :

said by BiggA:

Actually, Verizon has plans at around $6 and $12, plus taxes and fees. Very, very basic plans, but they would work to get DSL. So it pretty much is the same thing.

Verizon doesn't advertise those plans and will barely acknowledge they exist if you call them. Also it's the taxes and fees that make POTS expensive. The fees can be upwards of $10 a month.
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Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:26:29 EDT

BiggA posted : FIOS is amazing. Where else are you going to get a 25/25 connection? And their TV service is the best, so bundling it is no big deal.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:36:53 EDT

MovieLover76 posted : I wouldn't move into an apartment that forced me to use one service, I know it is legal but I'm not sure why it seems that it should be illegal to me.

If it was Verizon FIOS I'd probably make an exception because that's my current service and it's great.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:30:11 EDT

MovieLover76 posted : Verizon FIOS does the same thing but like cable, but worse. internet access only is very expensive $55 a month for the lowest tier

But when you bundle it with TV it drops to $35 and that's for the second teir 25/25, TV Costs $60 for the second rate plan Extreme HD.

The real kicker is at least for the first two years if you choose not to take the phone service the entire package is $10 more than if you take it because of all of the triple play savings, I figure their idea is that you take the home phone and then after your promotional savings are over your more inclined to keep the home phone service for $30 a month since you already have it.

Still I wanted both TV and Internet so I just took the phone to save $10 and it's a good deal for what I wanted.
I might just drop the phone after two years.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:57:06 EDT

BiggA posted : Actually, Verizon has plans at around $6 and $12, plus taxes and fees. Very, very basic plans, but they would work to get DSL. So it pretty much is the same thing.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:14:37 EDT

dvd536 posted :

said by 25139889:

not really the same thing. POTS is a LOT more than that extra $10 a month that the MSO charges.

yup. thats why they want it and all the unfees associated with it!

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:38:46 EDT

BiggA posted : That's all of Comcast.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:39:27 EDT

r81984 posted :

said by Ericthorn:

I live in hillbillyville, and our cable company forces us to have basic cable TV if we want internet service. Obviously that isn't the norm. Simply a cash grab.

What do they charge for the cableTV.
I am stuck with some shitty apt complex cable service.
2 years ago it was $50 a month, then they got bought out by another shitty apt complex cable company and they upped the bill for the exact same service to $100 a month.
The bill literally reads like $60 + $40 in itemized fees.
I canceled cable once they did this.
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Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:05:09 EDT

rchandra posted : Well...it's more like leasing the medium (the outside plant). They want to be compensated for maintenance on the outside plant, same as the phone company. It's just that telcos are IMHO a lot more greedy about it, and rake in all that FUSF money. Not only that, I was pretty sure their rates are regulated (at least in NYS). I can't imagine Verizon for example would charge less than the ceiling price.

My memory is a bit fuzzy on it, but I recall the voice service was on the order of $35 for me. But that was probably in my era where I had flat rate service, because that was when I first got DSL, and was still making modem calls. It was somewhat less for pay-per-call, perhaps $25. This was before Verizon offered dry loop DSL, so voice service was required. (Eventually they pissed me off, and I went Adelphia Power Link (which became Roadrunner).)
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Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:51:40 EDT

Calculata posted : The new "monopoly" is the duopoly ladies and gents. This is going to deter people from canceling there accounts because grandpa will die. Look at what is happening to those grandfathered ATT wireless people.

Either you stick with cable and let them rape you or you go with DSL, let VZ rape you, while they force you to rape your self.

Dust off the HTPC's and find a way to lower that wireless bill if you expect to keep paying for these services.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:48:35 EDT

bdnhsv posted : This is from the pop up window that appears when I choose "performance internet service" from their website. I cut a lot of verbiage off from the top and bottom of this that I didn't think was relevant (but you can go check it out for yourself).

*********************************************************
After 12 months, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular charges apply. Comcast’s current monthly service charge for Performance ranges from $42.95 to $62.95, and may vary depending on your area and other Comcast services (if any) received.
*********************************************************

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:04:54 EDT

25139889 posted : It's not about what they charge for basic. It's about the extra fee they charge for not having TV.

And I have Buckeye. CMST does NOT charge $21 a month for not having TV with HSI. It's more like $10-12 extra. The same as TWC and the others.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:28:39 EDT

bdnhsv posted : I don't know who your cable company is, but here where I live CMCST charges $21.95 per month for basic, and that includes about 15 channels (including local, CSAPN, home shopping, tv guide, PEG/local school/local gov't). Having said that I have their $70 or $80 tv package (digital starter I think it's called). So, I would just say that it's not a comparable amount of money to get the basic only package as opposed to a local only POTS line in some places.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:17:12 EDT

Ericthorn posted : I live in hillbillyville, and our cable company forces us to have basic cable TV if we want internet service. Obviously that isn't the norm. Simply a cash grab.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:16:48 EDT

25139889 posted : not really the same thing. POTS is a LOT more than that extra $10 a month that the MSO charges.

Re: Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:59:42 EDT

bdnhsv posted : The cable bundle is essentially the same thing - just worded differently. The cable guys first would require you have basic service, and then they changed that to you have to pay an access fee (which was the same or more than basic cable). Now they just "reward" you for having a bundle of services.

Makes the cable company happy

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:40:25 EDT

jimk posted : This will just drive more people to cable (if available). No cable company I'm aware of forces you to bundle services if you don't want to (of course they offer discounts for bundling).

I wonder if one can order a second DSL only line and use a load balancing router or just run two separate home networks (something that AT&T no longer allows for residential customers period, regardless of whether or not a land line is on the account).