[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by cgilcreast

Love the Xfinity internet (over 100mbs) but got roped into the "triple play" on contract. Way too much money but I guess I need to wait until the contract expires to change? I really only want internet and use Google Tv or another service. Has anyone left a contract with Comcast and what are the penalties? I really hate their CS but love the technology. It has been perfect but pricey. BTW I use Xfinity Mobile which has been super and really inexpensive. Two phones sharing 3 gb for $30. $12 per gb if you go over. (You need an unlocked phone)

No, you don't need to wait until your contract term expires, as long as you are going to keep at least one service, such as internet. I would go online and make an appointment with the Xfinity store on Rt 441 near Best Buy. Take your cable boxes and any other equipment you are renting, except your modem, with you. They will downgrade your service and they won't charge you the early termination fee. For internet service, you can rent a modem from them for about $14 per month, or you can buy your own modem.

[Pinball wizard]

Comcast $50 200mb

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Originally Posted by Nucky

I just upgraded from the Comcast Starter package at 25 Jiggawatts at $20 Per Month to the 100 Jiggawatt plan at $40 per month because I'm letting the next-door neighbor use our Jiggawatts to Stream. I feel like George Jefferson. Moving on up! They didn't screw up the upgrade but the first bill will certainly be a story.

A Jiggawatt must be something very new! 😂

[Viperguy]

I really am upset with the way they upsell their plans. When my contract is up, I guess it's time to play hardball. Just hate to go through the hassle of changing providers every year. I too want to switch to Youtube TV as we pretty much only stream stuff now anyway. Nothing, good on most of the channels anyway.

[stancella]

We have Spectrum. We upgraded to their higher BW package. Still internet only, no bundles. Cost $65/mo. We stream everything including: Disney + $7; CBS All Access, $7; Prime $10 ; Netflix $12...all streaming channels are per month. So about $100/mo for everything.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by cgilcreast

I really am upset with the way they upsell their plans. When my contract is up, I guess it's time to play hardball. Just hate to go through the hassle of changing providers every year. I too want to switch to Youtube TV as we pretty much only stream stuff now anyway. Nothing, good on most of the channels anyway.

Everyone upsells. When you buy a computer or laptop or cell phone they upsell. Always. You get a case for the phone, ear buds, a "protection plan" for all the devices, custom set-up, a laptop case, a printer, a monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse (and batteries), a couple of thumb drives, ink, paper, etc. etc. etc.

They are even selling bathingsuit tops and bottoms separately now, which is actually very practical because many women are not the same size on top as they are on bottom. But you still get upsold - by buying both pieces.

If you buy a good pair of walking shoes at a quality shoe store, they will always try and upsell you the orthotic inserts. And waterproof spray. And socks.

That's called salesmanship. If they're doing it right, you'll either buy, or you'll already have bought whatever they're trying to upsell, on a previous visit - which means - they did it right.

As for Comcast, that's their business. They sell internet, phone, home security, and TV services. They want you to buy all three, so that's what they'll focus on first. Even their website defaults to the bundle when you try to check on pricing - you have to UNcheck the things you're not interested in order to get the prices for just the one or two things you want.

You don't have to play hardball with them at all. They're pretty good about it actually, once you get someone to answer their phones. Just tell them your year is up, you see that new customers are being offered a promotion just like the one that just expired for you, and you'd like to take advantage of the new promotion.

If they give you ANY hesitation - just suggest to them that you could just ask them to cancel the service, at which point you'll be a new customer, and you'll get the promotional price anyway. And that you'd like to save both them and yourself some time and effort, and please just give you the new promotion. And thank them for being so pleasant about it.

It took me 20 minutes on the phone to get the same pricing after the promotion *I* signed up with expired. The first 15 minutes was just being stuck in the IVR system trying to get a live operator. The process itself took 5 minutes.

[Arctic Fox]

I spoke with Customer Retention on three occasions. Twice I got rolled over for another year at the "new customer" rate but the last time they wouldn't budge. I threatened to cancel and they said there was nothing they could do so I went through with the cancellation (I was going to be out of town for a few months anyway).

If anyone has a specific person with whom they speak then that would be useful if shared.

[biker1]

Yes, I have the same deal with CenturyLink: $45 per month (including all fees and taxes) for life for 80 megabits per second download via fiber optic cable to the house. If you make a change in the service the price will change but 80 megabits per second download is actually overkill for the foreseeable future. The service has been very reliable for 6+ years. The "modem" is the ONT box on the outside of your house and you only need a router, yours or theirs, in the inside.

Originally Posted by ureout

I have the same service north end near Lopez.. 80mbps $45 for life on what is called a pre-pay plan .. had it for about 4 yrs and never had an outage

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I spoke with Customer Retention on three occasions. Twice I got rolled over for another year at the "new customer" rate but the last time they wouldn't budge. I threatened to cancel and they said there was nothing they could do so I went through with the cancellation (I was going to be out of town for a few months anyway).

If anyone has a specific person with whom they speak then that would be useful if shared.

Well like all things, eventually prices DO go up. For me it was that they wanted 50% more once my promotion expired.

Whatever the newest promotion was - that's the one I wanted, if it meant paying less than the 50% increase.

I don't ever expect the exact same price year after year, that's not reasonable. Their costs go up, their stockholders demand more, their overhead increases, licensing fees go up, etc. An extra buck or two a year won't break the bank for me. But a 50% increase in a single year is a deal-breaker.

[biker1]

CenturyLink prices are fixed, year in and year out, unless you make a change to your service.

In the 25 years that I have had broadband access to my homes, via DSL initially and then fiber optic, the price has remained remarkably constant: it was about $45 per month 25 years ago and is still $45 per month. What has not remained constant are the bandwidths; we have had roughly two orders of magnitude increase in bandwidth over that period of time and 3 orders of magnitude improvement is actually available now. Considering inflation, the cost has actually dropped over the last 25 years.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Well like all things, eventually prices DO go up. For me it was that they wanted 50% more once my promotion expired.

Whatever the newest promotion was - that's the one I wanted, if it meant paying less than the 50% increase.

I don't ever expect the exact same price year after year, that's not reasonable. Their costs go up, their stockholders demand more, their overhead increases, licensing fees go up, etc. An extra buck or two a year won't break the bank for me. But a 50% increase in a single year is a deal-breaker.