Why Am I Being Punished for Not Watching TV, Comcast?

I hate all cable companies. The fact that they're a monopoly does not
improve their customer service or prices.

We have Time Warner Cable (just internet, we don't watch TV either)
and a few weeks ago the internet just stopped working. We tried the
normal tricks and nothing worked. So finally we called in... it took 2
days but a guy finally came out and told us that a tech thought our
hookup was illegal and disconnected it.

He said if we ever heard noises out back we should go out and tell the
tech that we have legal cable.

Thanks a lot, TWC!

You can infact have just internet. There is a way to seperate the
signal so you have just internet. I know this becasue I work for them
as a tech. Its called an internet only trap that only allows the
internet frequency pass through a filter. You will get nothing if you
hook a tv to the line, which is what you want but I assure you there
is a way to seperate the signals. I do it all the time in my system
for those who want just internet and nothing more. Hope this helped!

Do you currently have "internet only" service from Comcast? While I
haven't tried this myself, I've heard that they price it this way
because they can't actually separate the basic cable and internet
signals. In other words, if you have "internet only" service with
them, you would get basic cable TV for free since they can't separate
the signal.

If you have a cable ready TV, trying plugging cable into it. If what
I've heard is true, you would get the basic channels for free without
being billed for TV.

Charging extra for "internet only" is a way for them to discourage
people from this setup.

This makes sense!

The answer to this is retention. These companies KNOW through
extensive research the more services you have with them, the LESS
likely you will be to switch.

They ALSO know through research that once a customer leaves... it
costs them much much more to win them back...

when I worked for Verizon, they had it all figured out... again
through research they had it figured out that once a customer left
Verizon, and then once they came back and took a bundle of either 3 or
4 services, it took on average of 8-12 months for the company to bring
in revenue from that customer, due to the expense of trying to win
that customer back.

therefore, it is in these companies best interests to provide the best
prices for their best customers. because they will be less likely to
switch companies... in the industry that is a term known as "churn",
the less customers switching, the less they are spending trying to win
them back, and it is continued revenue.


on the flip side.... they want to keep EVERY customer, so call them
up, explain the situation... NICELY... the CSR's are empowered to do
all kinds of things to save a customer from switching to other
companies... always worth a try!

i know some areas have Verizon DLS packages for 17-19 a month with
basic broadband and a phoneline.

However, I also noted that you said you recently lost a job...
Although the internet is nice, it's not a basic survival item (except
for job searches). It might be something to reconsider having until
you find yourself back on solid ground.

things are simply cheaper in bulk. our local cable company, Mediacom,
gives a great deal for bundling tv, internet, and phone. it's about
money and making money is why they are there in the first place. we
can say it's about the customer, but businesses fail or succeed on
dollars and cents.

39.95 after a year is up...It's not TOO bad of a deal.

Comcast is ok for when you want it all though, like the triple play
bundle...but you then have a trade off because their CSR's never are
consistent with what they say and they lie through their teeth.

We need a stronger willed America. If people would be willing to live
without services from Comcast and similar compaines, they would be
forced to charge less and not use teaser rates. It is unfortunate that
you have to pay more for less service, but thats how it works,
everywhere, example:

KFC 3 Strip Meal 5.99
Strips- 3.99
Side 1- 1.00
Side 2- 1.00
Plus Bonus Biscuit

Strips and 2 side ordered separately
Strips- 3.99
Side 1- 1.39
Side 2- 1.39
No Biscuit
Total- 6.77

It makes no logical sense but the vast majority of Americans are
willing to go along with it so i doubt anything will change anytime
soon

Comcast is the worst company. Every two months I have to call to get
my bill straightened out. Unfortunately Verizon is just as bad.

I see it not as you are being punished for not using their cable
service, but that other people are getting a deal because they do.
That's the deal with bundles. The Internet service is $62. You get a
price break for getting other services.

Howdy neighbor (St. Paul here).

I'm on your side. Comcast SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS. I have absolutely
nothing positive to say about them. I even saw one of their drivers
going the wrong way down a one way street on Saturday, because he was
too lazy to go around the block.

Bundling is, as others have pointed out, a way to capture more of your
money. If Comcast can be your cable, internet, and phone company,
they get more from you than if they just provide internet. And, yes,
there is an economy in providing multiple services to a single
customer.

What isn't true is that it should cost less to offer you
cable+internet than it does for internet alone. It should cost them
more. Or, at least, the same.

So, if it's $62 for internet alone and $52 for cable+internet, that
makes no logical sense.

It does, as you've pointed out, make it easy for you to solve. Sign
up for the $52 package and save $10/month. Watch out for taxes and
other fees, however, as the math might not work out as you'd hoped.

The other factor here, though, is promotional pricing. Cable
companies offer big discounts of bundles... for the first few months
(or year) only. I have a cable+internet bundle. My bills doubled
jumped after the first year when my internet changed from $20/month to
$45/month. Why? Because the $20/month was a teaser.

So, don't compare promotional pricing to what you're paying. Instead,
find out what the normal pricing is for internet service (when
bundled). If may not be the $62 you're paying, but it also might not
be the $42 you're seeing advertised.

But, if this is not limited-time pricing, then you should definitely
go with the bundle that ends up costing the least. If that includes
cable that you don't use, so be it. Luckily, cable unused isn't like
throwing away the extra butter pats that come with bread rolls. There
is no waste.

One other thing: since I'm willing to bet this is promotional pricing,
you could try negotiating for it. For example, call them (don't
write) and say that unless they give you the promotional pricing, even
though you are a current customer, you want to cancel. Not "I'll
think about canceling." You actually need to be prepared to go
through with it, right there. That way, when they say "no," you can
say "OK, then please cancel my service effective today." If they
don't transfer you to a retentions specialist, and simply cancel your
service... they are saying that they don't need you as a customer.
That is, until you get a "we want you back" promotion a few weeks
later.

You have to keep in mind that when you pay your cable bill, this this
covers a whole host of things like line maintenance, telephone pole
leasing, reps to answer the phone, technicians, vans, tools...the list
goes on and on.

The cost of all this is built into your price. When you bundle, the
can give you a cheaper price because some of these are fixed cost.

Then you will have to pay the normal price ($62) for the internet
access, and not the discounted price ($42) that your cable
counterparts pay to add internet to their service.

You seem to understand how bundling of services, and discounting
additional services, works. It sounds like you just don't like the
prices they charge. You can look elsewhere and see if the rates are
better, I suppose. Other than that, it sounds like Comcast is
discounting their bundled services like all other cable companies.

You say that you understand the concept of bundling services, but then
berate (and curse) them for doing it.

Yes, you are a loyal customer, but customers who have 2 or 3 services
with them are cut a better deal because they are offering all their
telecom needs to one carrier.

I can't imagine ComCast is that much faster than a major muni ISP. If
it's not dial up, it's going to be a decent speed. Save yourself the
money and cut ComCast loose!

You know of no other subscription service that works this way? They
all do. The more services, the bigger the savings.

Well you mention you get the concept of their bundling, and you also
have a solution. I think the problem is solved.