Topic 'Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe' in forum 'Charter Internet/TV' - dslreports.com

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:39:13 EDT

howardfine posted : That's what I'm getting here. 50/4 on the 30Mb plan.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:00:37 EDT

cork1958 posted : As said by howardfine:
"Charter is just shooting themselves in the foot."

They sure do seem to be trying their best

Hey TheTechGuru,
Want to share some of that upload over here?! :o

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:53:02 EDT

TheTechGuru posted : Wow, all this crap Charter is pulling lately makes me feel a lot better about the $73/mo my ISP charges.

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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:03:41 EDT

whoaru99 posted : In todays litiguious society I have a hard time believing a cherry as ripe as you imply would go unplucked, therefore I think it's non sequitur.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:57:00 EDT

howardfine posted : I feel the same way about ISP hopping and have stuck with Charter for over a decade. 30Mb was good enough now that the boys have left the nest but one is moving back home for a year or so and I was considering upping for that time. No way now.

But this is affecting my loyalty. I despise ATT but I'm struggling with the DVR situation. Number of recordings at a time, and the need for adding another box. I've fought off the wife and son about switching but, as I said, I think this has tipped me over the edge where I feel Charter no longer cares about me/us and the gouging is beginning again in earnest.

Therefore, I'm going to visit the ATT site for U-verse tonight and probably switch on Monday but keeping Charter internet. However, I know the fibre CO for ATT is directly across the street from me so I might look for a deal involving 24Mb service with them.

I really like the opportunity of having 100Mb available though. Charter is just shooting themselves in the foot.

Help us Google! You're our only hope!

EDIT: Just got off chat with ATT. While they claim you can record 4 programs at once, that's only SD channels and it's not possible to record 4 HD channels at the same time. Also, you cannot add more DVRs. So my opinion of ATT is still the same.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:51:07 EDT

nunya posted : It just hasn't been tested in court (yet).

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:57:22 EDT

cork1958 posted : So, this went into effect 10 days ago now.

Anyone know anyone that has gotten suckered into this yet? Or, better yet, does anyone know anyone that has told Charter to shove that where the sun doesn't shine!! :o
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:10:13 EDT

AlexPAdams posted : The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890 and no court that I know of has made the ruling that it applies to caps. Just because you think something should be illegal doesn't make it so.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 11:03:13 EDT

BlakePaulson posted : I'm sure the sweet spot is their 30/4 plan because it costs a good amount and those who don't need the speed will end up paying for it (Think grandma's who email and check weather paying $50 a month and using a few hundred meg per month.)

They can offer 100/5 but realistically if they deter people away from it with these stupid fees, then in the end it's more money for charter as their profit margin is probably best at the 30/4 range (also less worry about node overload and infrastructure issues.)

I have the 100/5 tier and it's $74.99 (must be some promo?)... I was paying $34.99 for 15/3...

I don't agree with anything the new CEO has done...

BF69 will tell you about modems being included... the thing you have to remember about that is that you now have a piece of charter equipment that you have to remember to return if you switch service/be responsible for. Should you forget to return it or your puppy chews the power cord, you're going to be paying a lot more for said modem than what you would have paid in store. I owned the same surfboard 5100 for over 10 years on 3 different cable systems and never had any issues. I have an SB6120 right now that's mine and love it.

Only offering two tiers? Well there you're either forcing people to pay $49.99 for internet or go without it... if you use it sparingly and don't need the speed, then you're forced to go with DSL (if it's available) which will happily provide nice slow speeds for a cheap price.

Finally... no promos... I was happy to sign a two year contract to get a decent price on internet! Charter then knew I'd be a customer for two years or would get money if I left. It was a win win for both of us... now however if there was a competitor who did come into the market with a better deal (highly unlikely for 100/5) I would switch.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 07:08:41 EDT

cork1958 posted : I totally agree with you 1000%, horseathalt7

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 22:29:57 EDT

horseathalt7 posted : Plain and simple money grab

The interesting thing will be how many folks will bend over and accept the charge. I bet LOTS of potential subscribers for this service will say thanks but no thanks.

The new BOZO of a CEO at Charter, Tom Rutledge, seems to be at the root of all the IDIOTIC ideas over the past couple of months or so.

I ASSume he is trying to put his " mark" on the company.

What a jackass!

I think Charter should FIRE Mr. Rutledge and rehire Mr. Lovett!

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 13:54:14 EDT

BF69 posted :

said by nunya:

Actually, if you'll read the Sherman Act, they have no right to manipulate the market to prohibit access by a competitor.

How are caps and $200 activation fees preventing a competitor access?

All businesses want to, and try to, manipulate the market. Where Charter crosses the line is the caps. By instituting caps, they are driving people away from their newest form of competition - IP video.

Not even close. Online video is not even a real competitor to cable. The CONTENT owners are making sure of that. Charter's caps do not prevent you from accessing online video. I watch online video. How can that be I have a cap? Also if one really needs cap free internet you can always get a business account which doesn't have a cap.

Let's say Charter were to, oh I don't know, lower their prices

You mean like they already have? You know how the 30 meg pla nis $8 -$15 cheaper than what it was depending if you owned or rented a modem.

or offer a-la-carte video services; those would be perfectly legal forms of competition.

You really think ala carte will be much cheaper? Sure if you get 4 or 5 channels maybe. You think if they offered channels ala carte you be able to get access to those channels for 25 cents those channel currently get per sub. Here's the problem, if said channel only gets 1/10 the subs under ala carte then they will raise their fee by 10X. Thus you'd be paying $2.50 now. These networks are not going to take a 80%, 90%, 95% loss. Like ESPN? Be prepared to pay $15 for it.

Using (limiting) their ISP services to prop up their video services is where they get in trouble.

while I agree they need to get with the times you are way off base on your theory.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 13:31:13 EDT

nunya posted : Actually, if you'll read the Sherman Act, they have no right to manipulate the market to prohibit access by a competitor.
All businesses want to, and try to, manipulate the market. Where Charter crosses the line is the caps. By instituting caps, they are driving people away from their newest form of competition - IP video.
Let's say Charter were to, oh I don't know, lower their prices or offer a-la-carte video services; those would be perfectly legal forms of competition. Using (limiting) their ISP services to prop up their video services is where they get in trouble. Much like AT&T using RBOC services to prop up Long Lines.
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 12:48:52 EDT

markopoleo posted : Because charter is a business, and they have every right to charge/do what they please. Its not like the US government is giving you internet so nothing illegal about it.

Besides charter has no monopoly on a majority of a area so they can have caps.

Its not a big deal anyways, Charter does not enforce any caps, so its a non-issue.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:52:44 EDT

cork1958 posted : »stage.results.speedtest.comcast.···4512.png

Powerboost!!

Partially why flash speed tests are junk, also! :p

Generally, always get over 30M download anywhere though.

Getting off topic though. Do a search on here about people's posted speed. Usually over on the download.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:30:29 EDT

Jammers posted : How are you getting 50.24mbps with a 30 meg connection?

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:41:30 EDT

cork1958 posted :

said by Jammers:

Is there any kind of activation fee for the 30 Mb speed? Also if i get the 30 Mb package what speeds will i see? For instance i get around 90% of the speed i pay for with DSL.

My typical speeds on the 30/4 plan. I have the upload speed controlled with QoS due to having Vonage phone.

I was using Opera on that first speed test and it's NEVER as fast as my 2 other browsers there.

Edit:
Also included a test using IE at Charter's speed test site. Very typical result.
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:37:15 EDT

cork1958 posted : Once again that sounds like typical bassackwards logic from Charter!! :p
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:18:08 EDT

Feramors posted : Now...I'm certainly not defending Charter's decision to charge its customer's $200 t oactivate the EXACT same piece of equipment that is used for a 30 meg connection, but just offering this example:

If you call in and place an order for all three services(TV, internet, and phone) to be installed, you'll be charged 149.97 for the installation. If you order the 100 megabit connection, you're charged the $200, but none of the other installation charges are applicable.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:41:13 EDT

Jammers posted : Is there any kind of activation fee for the 30 Mb speed? Also if i get the 30 Mb package what speeds will i see? For instance i get around 90% of the speed i pay for with DSL.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:36:51 EDT

BF69 posted :

said by nunya:

Caps are illegal due to the Sherman Act I already cited in the post.

Sorry saying "Sherman Act" without explaining doesn't cut it.

There is no "bandwidth crunch" on Charters network, and there wouldn't be one without the caps. It's a big made up lie. The caps are clearly instituted as a way to keep people from replacing their CATV content with sources such as Netlflix, Hulu, Vudu and other sources.

Listen we all know why they are doing this. And As I stated many time there are better ways to manage bandwidth than monthly cap. So you're preaching to the choir.

In 1984, AT&T was involuntarily divested for doing the very same thing. Where's the DOJ now? Why isn't Charter being forced to either A) drop the illegal caps or B) divest it's CATV or ISP services?

totally different. You think forcing cable companies to sell off their ISPs would be benefit to consumers but it wouldn't. First how many buyers would there be? Not many. Also many places that are less populated that currently have cable internet might be without it if you were to actually do this plan. Since cable companies no longer have the revenue from internet they will have no choice but to raise prices. Not to mention the technical hurdles of doing this.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:58:49 EDT

nunya posted : Caps are illegal due to the Sherman Act I already cited in the post. There is no "bandwidth crunch" on Charters network, and there wouldn't be one without the caps. It's a big made up lie. The caps are clearly instituted as a way to keep people from replacing their CATV content with sources such as Netlflix, Hulu, Vudu and other sources.
In 1984, AT&T was involuntarily divested for doing the very same thing. Where's the DOJ now? Why isn't Charter being forced to either A) drop the illegal caps or B) divest it's CATV or ISP services?
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:54:07 EDT

BF69 posted :

said by INtheKnow :

Here is the bottom line as i see it. We live in a capitalistic economy ( at least for the time being who knows after the election )100 meg internet is a choice its like choosing to play golf at the country club instead of the public course. If you make that choice the you must pay a premium. Charter has decided to go this direction no one forces anyone to take that service. If no one pay the fee it will change. mean while when the next speed increase takes place 30 meg will probably move to 60 or 100 meg anyway. If I can can afford $110 per month then $200 one time fee isnt a big deal

Exactly. Now if 100 meg was the ONLY tier and they charged $200 for installation THEN it would be an issue.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:50:26 EDT

BF69 posted :

said by nunya:

Not sure where Charter is heading with all this pricing negativity. IMO, they were on the cusp of turning their sullied image around and just blew it.
I'm on the 100 Mbps plan now, but will probably have to jump ship when the "jig is up" in February and the price goes to $100+ / month.
I do not have the TV service, and only subscribe to the 100 Mbps service due to the illegal (Sherman Act) data caps. Otherwise, 30 Mbps would be fine for me.
I also don't like the forced modem rental. I'd really like to just stay with Charter and not play the "revolving ISP" game. But, if there aren't any new options on the table come February, I may have to do just that.

A) how are the caps illegal?

B) If you need more than 250 GB and 30 Mbps is fine for you then you could always get a business account and get 20 Mbps for $80 a month.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 09:49:02 EDT

anon posted : Here is the bottom line as i see it. We live in a capitalistic economy ( at least for the time being who knows after the election )100 meg internet is a choice its like choosing to play golf at the country club instead of the public course. If you make that choice the you must pay a premium. Charter has decided to go this direction no one forces anyone to take that service. If no one pay the fee it will change. mean while when the next speed increase takes place 30 meg will probably move to 60 or 100 meg anyway. If I can can afford $110 per month then $200 one time fee isnt a big deal

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:58:03 EDT

cork1958 posted : "So what is Charter trying to do with this 'master plan' ? "

Man!

If THAT isn't the $64,000 question, then there has never been one!! :p
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:00:17 EDT

Zappa2000 posted : Hey, don't worry, since with your $200 fee, you get a "free" modem as well! You can't beat that. :uhh:

In all seriousness, the new Charter commercials on TV say they are now offering "free" HD, and more! Now we know what the "and more" means. ;)

Argh, Cork, you got me doing it now! :)

I still don't understand their current business model, they don't do promos for old customers, (so they rather lose people to the competition than keep them) unless you find that special person that can do them...
The prices are not inline with DSL's tiers, even though you get much faster speeds with Charter, they are losing a ton of $$$ since MaBell sells people the $25 /$35 /$38/$43 plan, which Charter has no equivalent model, Charter only offers either a $50 or $110 plan ?
You can't use your old perfectly working modem, unless, again, you find that special person that can set that up for you.
I haven't even talked about the TV side of things...

So what is Charter trying to do with this 'master plan' ?

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:56:44 EDT

cork1958 posted :

said by Phatty:

said by Jammers:

Well i was thinking about jumping to Charter since my other ISP has no plans to upgrade but man $200 might be a bit steep for me. And 30 Mb isn't really that much faster then 10 Mb is it? So i might hold off for now. Just how often does Charter upgrade their speed?

I'd much rather be at 30mb than 10.... When you take into account Netflix HD streams, or similar services that 10mb would fill up pretty quick.

Depends on how many people are using that connection and how many streams/downloads/tabs, you have open.

said by msmisfit:

said by Jammers:

Well i was thinking about jumping to Charter since my other ISP has no plans to upgrade but man $200 might be a bit steep for me.

If you're really interested in the 100M tier, why not switch BEFORE the new activation fee goes into effect on the 16th?

If you're not sure, I still think [depending on your usage] you might see a difference between 10 and 30M. :)

You will DEFINITELY see and feel the difference between 10M and 30M!!
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:15:02 EDT

megarock posted : Why the h*ll should it cost someone $200 for someone to screw a cable into the pole, one into the modem and plug the modem into the wall? It's no different in work than hooking up any other internet tier and the modem is the same irregardless now.

This just tells me that while they want to offer 100mb service they really don't want anyone using it.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:05:09 EDT

Slick Tide posted : Total BS. Charter has lost there mind.......again

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:01:16 EDT

fnord76 posted : As far as I've read, the fee is only for when an installer is dispatched to the house to install. Activation fees should not apply to upgrades since the speed change is done in office. You may also be able to bypass the fee if you do a self install.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:52:36 EDT

nunya posted : Not sure where Charter is heading with all this pricing negativity. IMO, they were on the cusp of turning their sullied image around and just blew it.
I'm on the 100 Mbps plan now, but will probably have to jump ship when the "jig is up" in February and the price goes to $100+ / month.
I do not have the TV service, and only subscribe to the 100 Mbps service due to the illegal (Sherman Act) data caps. Otherwise, 30 Mbps would be fine for me.
I also don't like the forced modem rental. I'd really like to just stay with Charter and not play the "revolving ISP" game. But, if there aren't any new options on the table come February, I may have to do just that.
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:42:04 EDT

BF69 posted :

said by Jammers:

A) $200 fee only applies to 100 Mbps tier.

B) Yes 30 Mbps is faster than 10 Mbps. Actually more a difference than 100 Mbps is to 30 Mbps.

C) lately Charter has upped speeds about once a year. 30 meg was 18 meg until February.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:25:09 EDT

msmisfit posted :

said by Jammers:

Well i was thinking about jumping to Charter since my other ISP has no plans to upgrade but man $200 might be a bit steep for me.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:13:05 EDT

Phatty posted :

said by Jammers:

I'd much rather be at 30mb than 10.... When you take into account Netflix HD streams, or similar services that 10mb would fill up pretty quick.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:50:54 EDT

Jammers posted : Well i was thinking about jumping to Charter since my other ISP has no plans to upgrade but man $200 might be a bit steep for me. And 30 Mb isn't really that much faster then 10 Mb is it? So i might hold off for now. Just how often does Charter upgrade their speed?

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 06:05:16 EDT

cork1958 posted : IMO,
$110 for just internet alone is absolutely insane! I wouldn't pay that in a million years. There is absolutely NOTHING on the net, that is that important and even if I had 84 kids that wanted to get on it at the same time, I still wouldn't pay that much!

The $200 activation fee is even worse than insane. It's something only a total freaking moron would've conjured up in these times!!

Charter has gone beyond the point of being stupid. I really believe they are trying to run themselves into the ground just so they can file bankruptcy again, or something equally as stupid!

Edit:
Man, I can see this thread becoming flame bait, if my post doesn't start it even! ;)
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Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:26:49 EDT

chaud posted : It is a good way to ensure I never upgrade! Took away that temptation really quickly.

Re: [HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fe

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:33:04 EDT

tellyguy posted : I just signed up yesterday and from what info I got, the new fee is only for customers who signed up on or after Oct. 16th. Anyone who signs up before then will not have to pay the fee. And the monthly rate is unaffected. :)

[HSI] What does everyone think of the new $200 activation fee...

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:22:07 EDT

KoRnGtL15 posted : On the 100mb/5mb ultra tier? This is for new customers and people upgrading to it after October 16th. This is Charter we are talking about. And I wanted to ask to make sure. Would current customers be hit with this some how? Ya know maybe a loop hole or something they could come up with. I was told no and it is for new customers only. I for one have been very happy with the service personally. Either way though. A $200 dollar activation fee is a bone head move. It will just push away potential customers. I would not pay it. I know others will. I would have to assume though. They are the minority and not the majority that would pay. The timing could not be worse. They announce moving headquarters in a brand new building apparently costing $10 million dollars. And then shortly announce this. In these tough times. I just don't see many folks coughing up $200 like its peanuts. Maybe I am wrong. I dread when my promo ends at $60. That $110 is a big difference full price.