Well, I get both good news and bad news from my cable internet company today. Spectrum said in their mailing that they are moving me to the Internet 100 plan. I currently have the legacy (from Time Warner) Everyday Low-Priced internet (ELP) plan and have had it for many years. The good news is that my internet speed should go from 23 mbps to 100 mbps. And the plan will stay priced at $29.99/mo. for a year. The bad news is that the standard price for the internet 100 plan is $59.99 (and I had to go online to find it). So, basically, my internet cost will double. Alternatively, I could get T-Mobile fixed wirleless internet for $50/mo., but they deprioratize. I am not in a Verizon 5G area. Looks like my days of low-priced internet are limited.
That’s a bummer. Hopefully you have multiple providers in your area. If you do, you can probably do the following:
- Note the exact day your plan will roll to the higher price in your calendar.
- When that day comes, start researching the promotions they offer to new customers
- Call them and ask for the same deal
- If they say no, hang up and call again.
- Keep calling back, you might eventually get someone that will give you a price adjustment
- If successful, note in your calendar the next time your deal ends and repeat the process
Read more from @Scottathew here:
I went through that with Spectrum after they and Earthlink parted ways. I had a lifetime 29.99/mo 50 mbps plan with Earthlink and managed to get two years continuance out of Spectrum after which it went up to full price. Unfortunately our only competition is Century Link 25 mbps DSL who charges even more after the hidden fees telcos are allowed to add.
I looked into T-Mobile’s offering but the 5g signal is not reliable here at the house. Verizon and AT&T don’t offer service for my address.
Yes, I have T-Mobile for $50/mo, and AT&T DSL (25) for $55/mo. in my area. So not much. Don’t have Verizon or AT&T fixed wireless options I am hoping in another year that there may be more competition.
Thanks for the negotiation tips! I got a good deal when I negotiated with my satellite TV provider (when I had satellite). I would think I could get Spectrum to lower the bill to at least to what T-Mobile is charging.
That is a very good article. Thanks rolandh! I never knew that you could hire a negotiator. Definitely something to keep in mind if all else fails.
I don’t rent a modem, but if I were to get a fixed-wireless option, then I would have to use their modem.
When I negotiated for my satellite TV, I did not just negotiate monthly price, I also got them to throw in a free upgrade to the Hopper. It really improved the picture quality on a secondary TV, so I was quite happy.
Credit for the article goes to @Scottathew as he wrote it. I merely pointed it out. It deserves the exposure!
You had the perfect plan in terms of mb/cost. My 23 mbps works well, but I hardly watch anything in UHD. That could certainly change.
I was dreading the letter from Spectrum because I was sure that they were going to impose data caps. They were so eager to do so only about a year ago, if I recall correctly. I think the competition from fixed wireless changed their mind.
Interesting happening recently. I called WOW to downgrade my service. The charge had creeped up and I didn’t need the speed anyway. My service started art 100Mbps, at some point they doubled it at no charge at the time. When I called to ask them to back it down to the 100Mbps service again, they reduced my rate and increased the speed to 500Mbps. Not that the speed matters my old router tops out at 200Mbps, and I don’t need even that much. I’ll watch the bill and see what happens next time I call in to reduce the speed after the cost goes up again.
One hundred mbps is more than enough for me, too. I don’t need fiber optic to the premises. But, I need the competition. I live in the city and I recently noticed large stakes in the ground, along the sidewalk, in sections of the city, stating that fiber optic cable is buried here. There is no company named. I can only hope.
Fun memory of competition effects.
Back in the day, before consumer broadband, cable TV was Comcast. No options other than an antenna. One day I get a call from Comcast and they were pitching all their new services and options and new rates. Having been paying attention to the goings-on, I asked “And when is Ameritech going to offer service around here?” There was an uncomfortable silence, then I heard “Three months.”
Three months later, I had Ameritech cable and a smaller bill.
Random unrelated note: As I was typing this, I got a note from Mint Mobile. They are asking to verify my mailing address to be sure I get this years Christmas card. This hasn’t happened before. I wonder what they’re up to now.
Yes, that was the ultimate back then–having two cable TV companies in the same city.
I wished I had that.