Time to talk with Comcast again

Wednesday, 8:02 pm

Aug

06

2008

A year ago, I told Comcast that I wanted to cancel their phone service and their television cable subscription because I thought that paying $175 per month for a combination of broadband, phone, and cable television was outrageous. That was after my return-from-Verizon first year bundle rate of $99 expired. The person I spoke with seemed rather alarmed at the whole idea of me canceling anything, so she sent me over to their Retentions Department where I was offered a package of internet broadband and telephone for a much more reasonable $65 (plus taxes) per month. Then, the woman said, she could add basic cable (local and public access stations) for just $5 per month. Sounded reasonable, so that’s what I took. That deal was good for a year.

Well, the year is up and my latest bill says they are now soaking me $91 per month for internet, phone, and basic cable (which includes 4 network affiliate stations, 2 public broadcasting stations, and 2 public access stations). That seems pricey for what I’m getting. Especially since there’s hardly any television viewing in this house...the cable has been unplugged all summer and most of my television viewing last year ended up being on the internet because I could never remember to turn the TV on when the programs I wanted to watch were on. (And then the networks cancelled 3 of the 4 programs I liked, anyway.)

So, I think it’s time to tell Comcast to keep their television service. It’s a waste of money if I’m not using it.

The telephone is also a waste of money. They’re charging me $40 per month, under the new contract, for something I hardly ever use. Mostly, it serves as a voice mail service for all the sundry solicitations that come my way. I check them about once a week and delete. I think that’s ridiculous. Why shell out that kind of money for someone else’s privilege to leave crap in my voice mail? The people I want to talk with call me on my cell phone. And even at that, I very seldom use all of my allotted 200 anytime minutes per month. I also have 911 service on my cell phone, so I don’t need to keep the landline for that.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, I’ll don my armor and make the call to see what negotiations will yield for the next year.  I know there is a LOT of leeway in what Comcast can and will charge, depending on which customer service rep I get and how determined they think I am in eliminating services. The thing is, I really only want internet broadband from them, but they are so into their bundle mentality. In order to get the good rates, they want customers to bundle at least two of their services. I’d be a happy camper if they’d just agree to give me internet broadband for $35 per month and call it a contract. They’d have me forever. It is so annoying having to negotiate with them every year. A little competition around here would be a very good thing.