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Internet Service
The bill for my Xfinity package for TV, internet, and landline phone has become obscene. After doing a little homework I decided to try the T-Mobile 5G internet. Went to their store in Burnsed and signed up. They had my information except for payment method. Early in making out paperwork they asked for last 4 of my social security number which I gave them. He brought out the equipment and then asked for the first 5 numbers of my Social Security number. I told him I didn't give that to anyone unless they were hiring me. I was told I could not sign up for their service without giving them the entire number. We said goodbye at that point. Am I to believe customers in The Villages turned over that information to do business with T-Mobile? If so I understand why scammers like us.
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Yes, T-Mobile requires an SSN so they can do a credit check.
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“ It is normal for companies that provide internet, cable or phone service to ask for a prospective customer's Social Security number so they can run a credit check. They are, in a way, extending credit to you, in the form of service that you haven't yet paid for.”
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Thank you for replies. It seems I'm in the minority for refusing to give out my SS number but I'm good with that.
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If I don't want to turn over some kind of funds then I won't have a beer at the square tonight. If I don't want to turn over bank account information then I won't use Zelle or certain features of Venmo. If I don't want to show my driver's license then I won't be purchasing alcohol in some stores or states. If you don't want to give your SSN then you won't get most mobile phones or plans (or a new car or a new home or DirectTV or anything else that requires a credit check). |
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T mobile requires it. Their way or the highway as they say.
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Spectrum
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Same problem.
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Don’t waste your time with T-Mobile. We had a two week free trial and it bombed. The service coverage for cable was very spotty.
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I use Spectrum for my internet service. I don’t have a landline phone. I dropped cable years ago and use the Amazon Firestick to access streaming services. I select what I want to watch and add or drop what I want to watch each month. Total for all of the above averaged less than $125 per month |
Like you we felt that Xfinity had become far too expensive. After a bit of research we felt the way to go was streaming. Went into the Xfinity store and told them we intended to leave.
They asked to see what they could do. Long story short - bill cut by $80 per month and internet speed increased from 300mbs to 1 gb. If we had stayed with 300mb we would have saved over $100 per month. Always worth asking. And yes we got all the same channels and premium ones we already had. |
Yes, very normal not only in TV.
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Well personally I don’t think you seen the last of it. What does your S. S. # have to do with getting signed up with getting a phone. Guess they didn’t want your business to bad. Crazy world!
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If you think withholding your SSN protects you from identity theft, then you would probably be mistaken. The fact that you are able to secure credit and transact other business without giving your full SSN should tell you that someone does not necessarily need your full SSN to use your identity. There are many ways that you can be violated by a thief without them having your SSN.
I'm not saying you shouldn't protect your SSN and other personal data, but if you don't trust major, known companies such as T-Mobile you may be restricting your ability to obtain goods and services that you may want or need. If you've bought a home, a car, a golf cart, or have credit cards you've probably given your SSN to obtain those goods and services. If your SSN is out there it can be obtained by other methods than your giving it to a company like T-Mobile. |
I had Xfinity bundle with 5 TVs in the house, I dropped the cable and am streaming the equipment rental alone saved me a ton of money. The streaming package saved me more money, besides using my own modem, it easier to add and drop extras like HBO. I did keep the internet and cell phones with them which is $30 a month for 2 phones. I suggest before you leave Xfinity see what you're willing to do and what they will let you keep and at what price.
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Xfinity Service
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If you are considering alternatives for Internet service south of 44 in all the new areas.
First, there are Comcast/Xfinity and Spectrum using cable technology. In Marsh Bend those are the only wired options. Some newer areas on the Sawgrass side, I understand there may be some Fiber options. Price promotions for the first year or two to draw you in. Goes from $$ to $$$$ after those first years. I have Spectrum, and have been happy with internet. I stopped the cableTV from Spectrum and switched to YouTube TV. Half the cost and much better. If considering internet and/or TV service using cellular tech from AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile... South of 44, AT&T provides the best for me in Marsh Bend. I have used my hotspot capability at times for TV, as there are limits to performance, even though it's unlimited. They do not offer TV service. Verizon and T-Mobile both provide cellular Internet for streaming, but the signal isn't as good. When I tested, Verizon was OK, and T-Mobile wasn't strong enough for us. Best to ask for trial to see if it's going to work for you. No comment about SS. |
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You're lucky - do not go with T-Mobile. Horrible coverage and you're stuck for 2 ye.
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Freeze your credit. It is free. People do not need your social security number to steal your identity, not that I think your not wanting to give it out is inappropriate. No one can get any credit in your name when you credit is frozen. I can top this story. I wanted to open an account at one of the credit unions and they required all three credit reports for me to DEPOSIT money in their institution. Say bye bye whenever you feel they ask too much.
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Perhaps the Credit Union intended to send you offers for their credit card or other services that depend on clean credit reports. It would be easier for them to pre-screen members using reports from the big three then have to find out later you were a risk. |
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We negotiated with Xfinity and now pay a total of $235.00 per month for TV 200+ stations, fast internet 400+ speed, home phone and 2 cell phones lines. One stop-shop bundle. |
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We live between 466A and 44 and CenturyLink home Internet no longer working for our streaming tv service. We are trying T-mobile because that is our cellphone carrier but the 2 routers they gave us have not worked. T-mobile is sending a third one but my guess is it won’t be any better. Customer service assures us they service our area but I remain skeptical. |
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No internet today, so far. Tried to get on my premarket show this morning and no internet. Thanks Xfinity.
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we have same problem with Spectrum,we now pay$70 for internet, have you found any other options south of 44?
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Other than a few (3-5) minutes here and there I've never had any issue with Xfinity internet so I don't know what their customer service is like. Their phone app has some troubleshooting steps you can try. Perhaps it also has an outage map or a way to report a problem. |
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My wife and I have xFinity internet, plus two iPhone 13s that are on the xFinity plan for $30 per month each, unlimited text, data, etc. I'm not too knowledgeable about other phones but our iPhones have a feature where they can become your "hotspot" for internet service. If our internet service decides to take a short vacation the phones are our backup: iPads, Apple Watch, etc. all connect to it. A bit slower than our regular xFinity internet but not much. I don't know if our TVs would run off the phone hotspot or not but I'm not much concerned about that anyway. Excellent backup in an emergency. |
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