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Charter Eyeing 'Consumption Based Billing'
Though management, debt are the real problem...
by Karl Bode Thursday 19-Nov-2009 tags: prices · business · cable · consumers · Charter
After his company won approval of its bankruptcy plan this week, Charter Communications CEO Neil Smit tells Bloomberg that upon exiting from bankruptcy, the company will raise prices and consider consumption-based billing. Charter Communications hasn't been profitable since the company went public in 1999, posted a $2.45 billion loss last year, constantly ranks at the bottom of most customer satisfaction surveys, is swimming in debt, and was just forced into bankruptcy and reorganization. Of course these problems were caused by poor management, not flat-rate broadband pricing -- a model that's been perfectly profitable for most ISPs. Despite Charter's constant failings, Smit himself was paid $7.4 million in cash compensation for 2008, and remains one of the highest paid executives in St. Louis. Perhaps he'll volunteer a fresh pay cut in addition to socking his customers with higher prices? For the team?

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cooldude9919

join:2000-05-29
Cape Girardeau, MO
kudos:5

Jumping Ship

Ill go with a different provider if i have to pay anymore money for what im getting now. I am already paying a lot for 20/2 and the 250gb soft cap.

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

Re: Jumping Ship

said by cooldude9919:

Ill go with a different provider if i have to pay anymore money for what im getting now. I am already paying a lot for 20/2 and the 250gb soft cap.
Yep no shit. I hate to have to downgrade to 6 Mbps DSL, but I'd rather do that that have to put up with what Charter has planned if they do it. When are these companies going to learn they WILL NOT make more money by doing these things. if you lose even just 5% of your customer base any increase in revenue form the other 95% from the higher prices won't make up for that 5%.

Oh and if Charter is reading if I don't have your internet there's very little incentive for me to have your TV since the $10 fee for not bundling TV with your internet has been partly the reason for me not looking elsewhere. DirecTv has always got some deals going on. So I hope the loss of $1600+ a year from me is worth this bullshit.
Big Dawg 23

join:2002-03-27
Northfield, MN

Re: Jumping Ship

Can you not get Telephone or do you use Cell only? I have phone and internet only. I kicked TV to the curb a year ago. Directv was the best move I ever made.

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

Re: Jumping Ship

said by Big Dawg 23:

Can you not get Telephone or do you use Cell only? I have phone and internet only. I kicked TV to the curb a year ago. Directv was the best move I ever made.
I don't need phone service since I use cell. So that's not an issue. at&t offers naked DSL. I've had their DSL before it's not bad, it's just that it's not 20 mbps or even 10 mbps. The 10 mbps tier has 2 Mbps upload. At&t 6 mbps tops out at 512 kbps. Right now Charter 10 Meg tier is only $2 more than at&t naked DSL 6 Meg tier. So it's currently a better deal. If Charter continues with their metered billing shit then I'll have no choice but to leave.
hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH
Reviews:
·WOW Internet and..
·Time Warner Cable

Re: Jumping Ship

and when ATT expands those trials they have what are you going to do? Cry some more and post about it on Stopthecap.com ? LMAO!

Don't like the ISP you use, build your own and stop bitching.
--
www.two-pugs.com www.2pugs.etsy.com
sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
kudos:1

Re: Jumping Ship

said by hottboiinnc:

and when ATT expands those trials they have what are you going to do? Cry some more and post about it on Stopthecap.com ? LMAO!

Don't like the ISP you use, build your own and stop bitching.
If there was a low barrier to entry I`m sure he or some other entreprising individual would try. Too bad there`s a huge barrier of entry.

BF69
Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
said by hottboiinnc:

and when ATT expands those trials they have what are you going to do? Cry some more and post about it on Stopthecap.com ? LMAO!

Don't like the ISP you use, build your own and stop bitching.
Am I crying? No. Do I as a PAYING cusotmer have a right to complain? yes. Do I as an AMERICAN have the right to change my sevices to another company if the one I'm with doesn't satisfy me? yes. It's amazing you are geting on my case for contemplating switching companies. Now why would any freedom loving, capitalism loving American be against CHOICE?

Why is it you logic that if you don't like the company you have that the ONLY solution is to put up with it or run your own company instead of trying out their competition. I really don't understand your logic.

So according to you if the grocery store I normally go to raises it's prices instead of just shopping elsewhere I should just put up with the high prices or open my own store.
viperlmw
Premium
join:2005-01-25
said by BF69:

said by cooldude9919:

Ill go with a different provider if i have to pay anymore money for what im getting now. I am already paying a lot for 20/2 and the 250gb soft cap.
Yep no shit. I hate to have to downgrade to 6 Mbps DSL, but I'd rather do that that have to put up with what Charter has planned if they do it. When are these companies going to learn they WILL NOT make more money by doing these things. if you lose even just 5% of your customer base any increase in revenue form the other 95% from the higher prices won't make up for that 5%. ~snip~
I think the industry attitude towards your point about loosing 5% and the other 95% not making it up has shifted into a 'least effort' mode. These companies seem no longer interested in working for their money. If they loose 5% of low margin customers, but can then fire 5% of their workforce, that is a win to them.
viper3431

join:2003-04-21
STL, MO
Reviews:
·Charter
I'm sure glad there's been talk of U-verse coming to my area. Every outlet in my home is already home run and wired for any service I use so I welcome the competition.

Someone should tell this CEO he's going the wrong way on price if he's looking to make a company profitable and retain subs...

S_engineer
Premium
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

Re: Jumping Ship

Be careful what you wish for. The utopia that you envision with AT&T has alot to be desired itself. "Competition" is useless when they're all in some sort of collusion!
--
BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils!
mlcarson

join:2001-09-20
Las Cruces, NM
I suspect most of Charter's subscriber's have no other internet offering aside from satellite or dialup available (both normally nonstarters). They have a lot of rural customers.
nasadude

join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

morning humor

"Perhaps he'll volunteer a fresh pay cut in addition to socking his customers with higher prices? For the team?"

hahahahahahaha!

that's a good one, Karl.

I doubt this bozo even realizes how it looks for him to be sucking up the big bucks while the company falls around him. He's probably doing this to increase his salary some more.

jchambers28

join:2007-05-12
Alma, AR

Re: morning humor

good one karl! I could not have said it better my self.

BabyBear
Keep wise ...with Nite-Owl

join:2007-01-11

Re: morning humor

I always thought it was the other way around. Layoffs/Price increases mean more money for the bosses to give themselves raises.

canesfan2001

join:2003-02-04
Hialeah, FL

2 edits

Mo' money, mo' problems...

I could easily run a company into the ground for WAY less than $7.5 million per year.
Tell you what Charter investors, I'll do it for half that!
djhexer

join:2002-10-07
Reno, NV

Re: Mo' money, mo' problems...

said by canesfan2001:

I could easily run a company in the ground for WAY less than $7.5 million per year.
Tell you what Charter investors, I'll do it for half that!
I'll do one better I'll do it for 1 million a year AND show you profit!!!!

DownTheShore
Just Say No To Newts
Premium
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ
kudos:10

Re: Mo' money, mo' problems...

No! Pick me! Pick me! I'll run the company into the ground for $500,000!
iansltx

join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2
Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon Online DSL

Re: Mo' money, mo' problems...

$300k and I'll turn it around! Or run it into the ground. Your choice...running the company into the ground will yield quicker ROI though

Seriously, Charter could get ahead of the competition by:

1. Deploying DOCSIS 3 like Comcast is doing (putting it everywhere)
2. in FiOS areas, bump upload speeds on all tiers to be close to FiOS speeds.
3. Pay attention to customer service/tech service
4. Adjust pricing to be a few dollars lower per month for the same service than competitors, where competition exists. When competition doesn't exist, use DSL + POTS + sat service from the nearest city where available as a benchmark, but allow internet pricing to be higher since cable has better upload speeds.
5. If profits start showing, switch to all-digital ASAP.

This might result in price increases for customers again, but it will mean the company stays around and can actually offer decent service to its customers.
Lazlow

join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO

Raising prices?

Last I checked they were charging $65/month here for stand alone 5Mbps service(off special) and they are going to raise prices. It is no wonder that this country's broadband value is dropping like a rock when compared the rest of the industrialized countries in the world.

Flibbetigibb

@lmco.com

That's why I fired Charter months ago.

Charter's pricing is ridiculous, and I'm not about to put up with any variety of metered billing. So I fired them, and I haven't missed their "service" one damn bit.

I'll cheer the day they go under for good.

Murdoc
Premium
join:2009-02-08
Manitowoc, WI

Thought they were suppose to go under last fall

I thought they were supposed to be going under last fall! Someone sure has been stalling big time!
slcpd6469

join:2003-09-25
Saint Louis, MO

Future EX-HSI Customer

Lets see horrible customer service, high prices, automatic autopay enrollment, double billing and now this. Its time to jump ship. When I moved I switched to Directv and haven't looked back. I'm just glad I have other HSI options even if its AT&T.
watts3000

join:2002-01-21
Birmingham, AL

Re: Future EX-HSI Customer

Uverse is being put in my neighborhood as I type
hottboiinnc
ME

join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH
Reviews:
·WOW Internet and..
·Time Warner Cable

Re: Future EX-HSI Customer

just because its being installed at the VARD doesn't make it available to you nor your neigborhood. They posted before they were more interested in signing up customers where they already have service available than lighting up more networks.

And did you forget ATT has caps too. IF they expand you'll be back in the same spot.

Like i said before, instead of bouncing around, build your own ISP. Resell DSL and make it unlimited.
--
www.two-pugs.com www.2pugs.etsy.com
sonicmerlin

join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH
kudos:1

Re: Future EX-HSI Customer

said by hottboiinnc:

just because its being installed at the VARD doesn't make it available to you nor your neigborhood. They posted before they were more interested in signing up customers where they already have service available than lighting up more networks.

And did you forget ATT has caps too. IF they expand you'll be back in the same spot.

Like i said before, instead of bouncing around, build your own ISP. Resell DSL and make it unlimited.
You`re an annoying troll, you know that? It`s too bad this forum doesn`t have a slashdot style moderation system.

k7baw
De gustibus non est disputandum
Premium
join:2001-11-25
Phoenix, AZ

Smucky Charter Prexy

If he prevails, I dump. Don't really want to use satellite and Qwest, but Charter is not worth more than I currently pay.
--
My perception is REALITY
Edward1978

join:2007-07-23
De Soto, IL

Repeat?

I thought charter went bankrupt a few years ago?
BlakePaulson

join:2008-08-06
Alexandria, MN
kudos:1
Reviews:
·Charter

Where's the plank... I'll be ready to walk it.

I'll jump ship and tell everyone else to as well....

I went to DirecTV ever since I bought my house and love it... love every bit about DirecTV over Charter.

Unfortunately Charter's internet here is rock solid and at a good price so that I would miss but... no way a greedy SOB (err CEO) who loses money for the company needs to stick around... kick him out and find someone new.
Poetique

join:2007-08-05
Birmingham, AL

Re: Where's the plank... I'll be ready to walk it.

They're welcome to go ahead and do it.

I barely have they're cable sevice (basic package) and I won't hestitate to drop my problematic internet services either.
KoRnGtL15
Premium
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

1 edit

Follow like sheep.....

Customer service should be much better and service more reliable. Better prices as well. Fix that and do not follow with others with metered billing. With no caps as well. Things would turn around. If any one thought for 1 second since Charter filed for BK. They would not raise prices or any thing. They are very wrong. The CEO will never "get it". He is only out for himself and wants more money. I agree with him taking a pay cut as well. Charter just keeps on passing its debt problems on to consumers even after BK. Pathetic.

RTS

@nuvox.net

Charter Issues

I have had Charter in our area for several years. I got it when they signed the contract with the city and upgraded all the equipment in the town. (much needed). I am on the 20/2 package as the price was only $2 more than the 10/1).
If they raise if any more I'll switch and drop my phone service all togther.

However, if they keep raising prices it will eventually be cheaper to contact an overseas provider and have them run a line for their high speeds.. which are faster.

Van
Premium
join:2009-07-08
New Orleans, LA

If they thought business was bad now....wait

until they try this brilliant strategy.

I don't know a single person happy with Charter

See 7 replies to this post
Unidus822

join:2005-11-28
Haltom City, TX

Fire the CEO

A small price increase will piss me off but I can live with that. BUT! If they start metered billing then they can kiss my Fing money goodbye.

dataice
Premium
join:2002-10-27
Crisfield, MD

Charter eyeing consumption based billing

Well said Karl.

uther

join:2001-12-04
Saint Louis, MO

...

Just another BS money grab from a company that has failed and should have been gone a long time ago.

Nothing more to see here. Move on.
--
Someone set up us the bomb!
emak

join:2009-08-28

Re: ...

I think AOL gave up on metered billing about 12 years ago.

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