Can't Fight The Cable Company?
@CRK109 (14558)
United States
July 16, 2017 4:48pm CST
It's always an uphill battle. I know money is the reason they do everything they do. Why our world had to turn into money making leeches instead of good people helping one another is beyond me. I guess it makes sense if you believe that money can save your soul.
Anyway, my Fios bill has gone up the last two months. I'm in the middle of a contract that, at first, had been affordable for me I called them last month to see why my bill went up, and I was told that I'd been given some special discount for a few months because of the contract. But now, that discount has ended. And this month, it happened again.
Living alone with no one to speak with most days, a TV is important and so is the internet. And if I try to break my contract right now, it will cost me around $150. They seem to have me where they want me.
And then something happened yesterday. I'm not sure what this was all about. It could have happened to everyone, but I got an email from them saying that, because of my troubles, they are giving me HBO free. Normally, I wouldn't even care. But Game of Thrones begins tonight. So, there's that.
I've done quite a few surveys trashing Verizon for their practices. I thought a contract was a contract, but these companies find ways to use the contracts to their advantage. I have to find a way to keep my TV and internet when my contract ends. I'm just not happy having this kind of service. So I'm doing my research and figuring out what's best for me going forward.
Claudia
13 people like this
14 responses
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
I know and I hate it! My bank account has to come first so I will be ready to leave Fios once my contract is up.
@FourWalls (62111)
• United States
16 Jul 17
I fired them when my bill his $160 a month. Now I have Apple TV and all the baseball I can watch. 
4 people like this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
I don't use Apple products but I do have a Roku right now. I'm just trying to figure out what the best plan will be for me once i'm ready to get rid of Fios. I still need internet and my TV and I'll get rid of my landline. I have to read up on cutting the cord a bit more and see if there are ways around the cable companies.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
16 Jul 17
You can get Roku for about $10 a month as well as Hulu for about the same price. There are a lot of options now. I read recently about something called Tick Box TV that I'm interested in when I move in February. It's a one time charge to buy then you have it for life.
I got a good deal from DirecTV because I told them I was fed up and wanted to quit. It so happened my contract was up. I got a great deal, no premium stations but a good affordable price with no contract. They don't want you to quit because millions are quitting in favor of NetFliz and Roku and things like that. You can bluff and say you want to quit but be prepared to do so if they call you on it. But you will probably get cheaper prices. Remember that they are the one that needs you, not the other way around. And you can also get internet from another company cheaper.
3 people like this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
I do have Roku and I love it. I will have to find internet for a better price somewhere. I'm not sure what companies we can use in our apartment building, but I'll find out. I use Netflix but only for the dvds in the mail. I'm a total movie nut. Will I still need a dvr or is there a way to be able to use my tv and internet with just an internet company? Do you know?
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
26 Jul 17
@CRK109 Roku and another I recently found, Tick Box, both use the internet to stream shows and movies so you don't need anything unless you want a DVR to avoid commercials, I think. Tick Box, you buy the box but it's yours for life and there is no monthly charge,
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
16 Jul 17
Wow that stinks. We have comcast but not fios. We pay maybe $120 a month but thats cable, hbo, and internet.
I hope you can find something cheaper and that doesnt screw you.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Jul 17
Cable companies are killing themselves with their attitudes and rising costs. They haven't grasped the concept of cord cutting.
3 people like this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
17 Jul 17
I usually end up threatening to switch to satellite which doesn't do me a bit of good. Right now I've got satellite television and the cable company for my Internet. I hope you find an affordable solution in your area.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
Thanks! I hope so, too! We can't do satellite in our apartment building so I have to figure something else out! I'll check around for internet and then figure out how I can still use my TV rather than having to watch everything on the computer.
@celticeagle (158997)
• Boise, Idaho
18 Jul 17
I had some negative dealings with Verizon back 2010. I stayed on it and won out in the end. I have also called my cable company every six months and they have found a way to bring my bills down a bit each time. I hope this continues. I love the digital cable but it sure is expensive. Every little bit of savings helps.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158997)
• Boise, Idaho
22 Jul 17
@CRK109 .....I may try that with them my next go around. I have been calling them and telling them I don't know how long I can continue with them because it is costing too much and I have too many other options. They have taken some off for a six month period.
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 Jul 17
The practices of all such groups are terrible @CRK109
In fact, there are a few that need to be blasted by me during the next week.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
17 Jul 17
I complained to Direct TV many times over the years and often to appease me, or shut me up I guess, they gave me either a discount or free channels. It doesn't hurt to speak up.
2 people like this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
That used to work with the cable company but with Fios, they just keep telling me that I have a contract so they can't do anything. Obviously, they can raise my bill at will! They have no idea how badly they are hurting me with their practices. I can't wait to say goodbye to them once and for all!
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
17 Jul 17
They are all guilty of doing this. It annoys me that they rip of existing customers whilst enticing new customers with massive discounts and then once hooked in hope you will stay with them. Many people can't be bothered with the hassle of changing to different companies. it is about time we all moved with our feet and once the preferential term is over move to another company!
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
29 Jul 17
@CRK109 Good on you! If more people did this then they would have to be more competitive especially for loyal customers but they rely on people not being bothered to change. It is the same with car insurance. Here if they bump up the prices we just bounce to another company who offer discounts sometimes so good it is cheaper than the original insurance quote from the previous year!
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
oh Gary,, I SO agree with you! They have not only angered me, but they have wounded me deeply. I need my money for food and bills and yet they just take it with no thought to the pain they are inflicting. I'm doing some research on what to do once my contract ends so I can still have internet and use my TV, but tell Fios where they can take their business!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38652)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jul 17
Were you paying for your HBO service up to that point?
Our service increased last year too and we couldn't get them to lower it to the best price so we cancelled our tv service since we're mostly on the internet anyway. Since then, they've sent me flyers almost every week saying they'd give me the price I wanted in the first place. I'm throwing them all away. For now anyway. I like my lower bill even though we can't watch TV.
My daughter took her digital tv so we'd need to buy another one to watch it with cable so that won't happen for a while either.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38652)
• Midland, Michigan
27 Jul 17
@CRK109 My daughter is paying a bill for her ex-boyfriend for similar reasons. The cancellation fee is high, and higher than her just paying the monthly fee even though she's not using the service. It was in her name, so that's why she's still doing that, plus the fact that maybe the ex wouldn't have moved to the other side of the state had he known that she wouldn't stay.
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
26 Jul 17
No i've never had HBO at all. Can't afford it. My problem right now is that even if I cancel them tomorrow, because of my contract, I have to pay an extra $100 something. Can't afford that either. They have me over a barrel right now and I'm pretty miserable.
1 person likes this
