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rate increasehere we go again...another rate increase...do I have to take out a second mortgage to pay for cable...this is getting crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!... |
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Where did you see a rate increase? |
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to DarthSaruman
Yep, got my letter today. Gonna have to cut back for sure. Bye bye HBO. May have to check out some other options, too. |
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to DarthSaruman
Wonderful just got my note, going up $17.25 a month. I guess its time to get the wife to finally dump the land line and that will save us some money. |
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Netgear CM1000
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ER-4
Ubiquiti U6-Pro
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to DarthSaruman
It's just the promo rate expiring. I got a letter also. Additional $10.00 a month plus extra $4.00 for some fee.
All you have to do is call WOW up and threaten to leave. They will drop it back down again.
This knowledge isn't new. No need for all the drama on these forums lol. |
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said by Body Count:It's just the promo rate expiring. I got a letter also. Additional $10.00 a month plus extra $4.00 for some fee.
All you have to do is call WOW up and threaten to leave. They will drop it back down again.
This knowledge isn't new. No need for all the drama on these forums lol. No drama, and it's new knowledge to me. Can't afford $19.00 more a month. |
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to Body Count
I can typically get my package discounts reinstated when they expire but has anyone got these new fees ($4.00 in this case) waived? Seems like at minimum you pay those new charges. |
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In Collectio to Body Count
Anon
2013-Nov-28 9:06 pm
to Body Count
I called twice and threatened to leave if they did not lower my bill. WOW still would not lower my bill, so I called in for a disconnect after I got other service.When I called for the disconnect, they offered to lower my bill, but I refused at that point. My account was up to date when I disconnected and they shut off my service immediately so I could not access recorded DVR programs. They then sent me another bill 2 months later stating that I owed them $260 and I explained that I owed nothing, so they lowered the amount to $130. I argued with them but they would not do anything but apologize and say I owed that amount.I refused to pay it and they sent it to collections. I am getting calls all day everyday for a debt I don't owe.This is crooked business. STAY AWAY from WOW! Their service if far below that of AT&T. |
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TebTeb
join:2009-01-28
Reynoldsburg, OH |
to DarthSaruman
I got mine in the mail. Internet only 50/5 going up $2 in January. Might be a good time to see what TWC is offering price wise for their 50Mbps service. |
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to DarthSaruman
Got my letter today. Package going up $10, also the new $3.75 surcharge and HBO up by $2/month. But they are "pleased to inform me" that they will extend my free equipment for three months.
So really after those three months I'm looking at more than a $25 month increase or close to 33% more. Sorry WOW but I can't afford it. And what is even worse, unless they change their new subscriber rates I, a subscriber with WOW from day one in this area, will pay more than a new subscriber.
Like it says in the first paragraph, "unlike customers in many other communities across the country, you have a choice of providers in your area". I guess I'll see what they have to offer. |
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to DarthSaruman
Promo pricing is crazy. Nobody wants to keep switching providers to keep getting a reasonable price, but hey, if that's what you have to do... |
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to DarthSaruman
I also have only the 50M/5M internet and just got my letter yesterday saying it's going up $2. I only have internet and not cable/phone as well because wow charges a fortune and does dirty sh**t like this. I just signed up a few months ago for the first time and my rates were supposed to be locked in to 2016. What a big fat lie. And yes, currently the promo prices for new customers is much lower.
Out of all the options in the Eville area, wow does have the best services. Time Warner/Insight has always been crap. Satellite dish networks will never have fast internet like cable can by virtue of the technology itself etc.
Why not roll out some fiber to residential neighborhoods, WOW? If you're going to charge everyone an arm and a leg, let's see some actual improvements. Does Google Fiber have to come to town before you finally improve something and stop raising rates all the time just because you can?
I know they and some other companies like Wind Stream and AT&T already have fiber lines for businesses in the area. They already have a start, but they're not interested in expanding it to the masses in the slightest. It's more fun to charge us money for doing nothing better. |
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sanoja
join:2000-04-05
Streamwood, IL |
to DarthSaruman
Yes, I got my letter too.
I only carry Internet nowadays. My bill is going up $2 a month from $55 to $57. (15/2)
But, I really have no choice.
I've had WOW for five mostly trouble free years. Before that, I had Comcast for two at the same address, and it was a nightmare. A lot of downtime and terrible connection speeds. They sent so many technicians and none could find the cause.
When WOW came to do my install, the tech found the issue Comcast was having right away. A squirrel had been chewing on the cable from the pole to the house. Why Comcast in two years never figured it out?
So yes, $57 a month for just Internet is pricey, no doubt. But I do need Internet and most of all I need dependable and fast Internet and so far, WOW has come through. |
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 Vchat20Landing is the REAL challenge
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Columbus, OH |
to DarthSaruman
I don't mind it that much. The alternative is other providers and their 'promos'. I am an internet only person as well with 15/2. Costing me $58/mo now and going up to $60. Despite being on a tight budget, it is worth it not having to deal with promos and special deals constantly to keep the price low. WOW is more or less 'set it and forget it'. I just pay my bill at the expected rate every month and never worry about it. And the service has been great. I've only had one very short outage in the 9 months I've been here. |
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to DarthSaruman
Post here if you successfully got your promo rate back. Let's hear about all the success stories. |
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to DarthSaruman
From WOW's website:
Effective March 1, 2013, WOW! will impose a Broadcast TV Surcharge on those customers who subscribe (whether alone or as part of a bundle of services) to any WOW! cable television service (except limited basic). This surcharge is not a government mandated tax or fee and is subject to change. The surcharge is in addition to other charges associated with the WOW! cable television services.
$3.00/month in Illinois, Michigan, Cleveland
$4.00/month in Columbus, Evansville
So how come starting January 2014 I'm being charged a "Broadcast TV Surcharge of $3.75 a month"? Apparently it went up already.
Essentially isn't this just an additional charge for having their cable TV service? Why is it separated out as a surcharge? Seems a bit sneaky. We pay a certain price for cable TV but then they impose an additional fee that has no reason for existing other than they want to charge a fee.
And based on the fact it has gone up since this was first announced it seems like it will continue to go up too. |
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to DarthSaruman
I just got my letter today too. My letter says that my bundle price is going up $6 in January and that the Broadcast Surcharge is going up to $3.50 (I think it's $3.00 now). We're currently paying $95.change for 15/2 internet, 2 HD boxes and 1 SD box (free with our bundle). I had to call a few months back to get our $10/month discount restored.
If I lived alone, I would have ditched cable a few years ago and gone internet-only and go OTA for my broadcast channels since I get decent reception here (I work during the week and watch little TV, even on weekends). But my elderly mom is home about 80-90% of the time and relies on TV to keep her company. She really likes the program guides on the WOW boxes (the older non-Ultra-TV boxes) and doesn't want to ditch them. Too bad there isn't a cheaper, or free, substitute for the WOW program guide that is just as simple for both of us to use and setup/maintain.
I don't think there's a streaming substitute for the major cable news channels?
Time Warner is running a promo for $34.99 for 15/1 internet or non-promo $14.98 for 2/1 internet... I just wish I could ditch cable and go for the TWC 15/1 internet. |
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mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI |
to baess
While I too detest the fact that costs, like Broadcast TV Surcharges, aren't included in the advertised price. Cable providers really aren't to blame, blame the ota networks and their greedy local affilates for the the ridiculous pricing. The really bad part is that a cable system can't switch to a different affilate located outside the local DMA if the local affilate charges too much. |
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to slyphoxj
said by slyphoxj:I just got my letter today too. My letter says that my bundle price is going up $6 in January and that the Broadcast Surcharge is going up to $3.50 (I think it's $3.00 now). Apparently WOW can charge me (errr...surcharge me) $0.25 more a month than you. I look at the channel listings and they seem the same. |
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to lesmikesell
Providers love to see people switching, because they know eventually those customers who jumped ship will be back. |
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baess
Member
2013-Dec-2 10:49 am
I think given the choice they would rather keep their current customers. It's documented that it costs more to attract a new customer than keep an old one. Maybe the Internet/Cable TV industry is different.
As an update I did speak with WOW. I supposedly got my discounts extended. I'll still pay the new surcharge and HBO increase plus a bit of extra tax. About 8% more, which isn't small in my book.
If anyone got their discounts increased to cover those please post. I was told I am at the max for discounts. |
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Netgear CM1000
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ER-4
Ubiquiti U6-Pro
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said by baess:I think given the choice they would rather keep their current customers. It's documented that it costs more to attract a new customer than keep an old one. Maybe the Internet/Cable TV industry is different.
As an update I did speak with WOW. I supposedly got my discounts extended. I'll still pay the new surcharge and HBO increase plus a bit of extra tax. About 8% more, which isn't small in my book.
If anyone got their discounts increased to cover those please post. I was told I am at the max for discounts. So how did you get the discounts back? Did you have to threaten to leave or did you just ask for them back? I know when I switched to UltraTV from the normal package, they said since I wasn't a new customer I had to pay $10 more than what the website said. Tried to fight it and they wouldn't budge. Finally after a PM to wow_dan, he took care of it and WOW customer service called me back saying they would do it for me because of wow_dan. |
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bsipe9
join:2007-03-24
Berea, OH |
to DarthSaruman
Sadly, I received my letter as well. An additional $10 for the bundle plus $3.50 for Broadcast TV Surcharge. For some reason, I've not been charged a nickle so far for the Broadcast charge, it shows on my bill each month as $0.00. So that'll mean a $13.50 (plus a some change for taxes) increase. I wish so badly that I could convince my wife/kids to drop the TV portion. Easier said than done.
AT&T comes knocking practically every month, but everyone I know with Uverse despises it with a passion. TW services my area, but I've never had them swing by, despite one of their repairmen living three houses over. Without some crazy discount, TW even with their promo pricing online would cost me more for the as close to the same content. Google Fiber cannot expand fast enough... |
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kcrupp
join:2002-02-11
Allen Park, MI |
to DarthSaruman
Sadly, my wife and I are at the end of the line with WOW. While we have had good service over the years, recently they have been nickel and diming us to death. And virtually no improvements in service. No increase in internet speeds and the single DVR is a joke with no improvement in the works. Fact is, we were considering changing providers even BEFORE the latest rate increase.
We have called WOW 3 or 4 times trying to get them to give us a better deal and they flat out refuse now.
I've had a great offer from Comcast but I absolutely hate them and we have AT&T for our cell phones so we are looking at Uverse. |
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 dde
@wideopenwest.com |
dde
Anon
2013-Dec-4 7:14 pm
totally understand wow is not a premium service, they are start in to charge like one i for one am a wow slappy, but,wow internet is super slow at night (great in the morning)so im beginning to think the dark side is the way to go(comcast) |
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to DarthSaruman
The WOW flyer that came today says "Our Biggest Deals Ever" and goes on to list prices for bundling 2 or 3 services. So on one hand they raise prices and on the other they give their "biggest deals ever"? Doesn't seem to make sense. |
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to DarthSaruman
I think cable rates going up will never end. Internet only, home antenna, and a streaming device may be the answer. |
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to DarthSaruman
^Exactly. Cable prices have risen steadily over the last ten years and much faster than the rate of inflation. Some brand-new articles on "cord-nevers", which I am one since I just graduated from college and will never buy cable: » www.businessinsider.com/ ··· -2013-11» www.slate.com/blogs/futu ··· ble.htmlIt's a combination of the rise of the internet and the ridiculous price increases that have driven a lot of people away from cable. I'd be willing to pay for cable if it was much, much cheaper or a la carte style or something. But with the internet at my fingertips, it's pointless to pay such a high price. The broadcasters and the programmers constantly seek more money, which drives more people away, which makes them charge even more to the people who are still using cable. And up and up the price goes.... |
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baess
Member
2013-Dec-5 9:53 am
said by crystalized:It's a combination of the rise of the internet and the ridiculous price increases that have driven a lot of people away from cable. I'd be willing to pay for cable if it was much, much cheaper or a la carte style or something. But with the internet at my fingertips, it's pointless to pay such a high price.
The broadcasters and the programmers constantly seek more money, which drives more people away, which makes them charge even more to the people who are still using cable. And up and up the price goes.... Bundling services make the overall cost of each service less than if you bought them alone. If I were to get internet only I'd pay ~70% of what I pay for internet and TV. Having three services makes it even more efficient. I suppose if I only went with internet I'd save the X dollars (bundle price - internet only)but it would irk me to pay so much for one service. So while we're at it couldn't we say the price for internet is too high too? The same companies we are deriding for increasing cable rates are most times the same ones providing internet. |
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to DarthSaruman
yes internet prices are not good either. But the difference is that so far people are willing to pay it because its necessary and there aren't any good alternatives. The internet is a great alternative to cable, hence why we don't need cable as much and don't want to pay that high when we don't have to. But if prices continue to rise as they have been, eventually even internet will no longer be a possibility for most families either.
I pray that one day Google Fiber or someone else will expand enough that cable companies will remember what the word "competition" means and lower their prices and increase their speeds.
Eventually you reach a point where your customers will not pay anymore because they can't afford it. |
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