Internet price increase

[Beap52 1,956]

Every year I have to call our internet provider because it creeps up.  One of the internet employees said it was best to call an ask for discount so I take that advice.  We have been with this company fifteen or twenty years and after last year's negotiations we were paying $76.41.  Last November we had an increase so I called and was given "two or three dollars" discount per month knowing that the end of February the year will reset.  Well today I checked our email and the monthly statement came in and for March the charge will be $116.41.  That's $1,396.42 a year--mostly just to jabber with you all!  (Well, that and other internet type stuff we aren't gamers or watch movies on our internet.)  We do have some of the TV stations that apparently needs internet--something my wife enjoys.  

 

We have a line item in our bill that is for "deregulated administration fee". I asked what that is and was told "So the company could offer discounts."  

 

For awhile we were having connection issues.  I called and said we were allowed 25 MB and  that we were overloading our allowance.  Our consumption of internet service did not change from one month to the when our issues started. We were told to upgrade and that would fix the problem for more coins per month.  I wasn't willing to do that.  In a few days our issues quit and we are back to the service we had before the connection issues started.  I assume someone pushed a reset button or something.  

 

Tomorrow I'll be making a phone call that may take 40 minutes or so.  

 

I did make the phone call.  Talked with a gal from Jamaica who fortunately had really good English.  After 25 minutes, my bill was reduced to $74.41 for one year.  Two  bucks less  than I was paying.   Then more than likely I'll be making a call back to Jamaica. 

 

Thanks for the responses and it looks like several of us are in the same internet boat. 

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Beap52
additional information.

[SylvanLakeWH 30,452]

It is ridiculous... 

[oliver2-44 11,198]

I play the same game with my internet provider.  Bill bounces between $75 and $125.

I just saw a new advertisement from them offering new customers $44.

I usually cant git any $ reduction over the phone. 

But when i go into the local office and ask for aa reduction or cancellation I always get a reduction.

Sad we have to play this game.  I've bee a customer for cable, now internet for over 30 years. 

[WHX?? 54,483]

You'll get no sympathy here but what are buds for if we don't let you rant. Threaten to switch providers. Sometimes works for me. 

Edited Monday at 03:24 AM by WHX??

[squonk 45,366]

My broadband connection is $39.99 a month. Been that for the 3 years we've had it.

[rmaynard 16,837]

Got tired of Xfinity, but they are my only source for internet. Now I get internet only from them. It is called Now Internet. $30.00 per month.

[Wayne0 1,475]

I had Xfinity for internet and TV and was paying around $200 a month. It was the only option in our town. 

Then fiber optic came to town! $45 a month. Told Xfinity to kiss off.

[WHX?? 54,483]

I have Bug Tussel which is 45 a month. AT&T owned ... Somewhat slow and unreliable at times but works. Now they ran no less than 3 fiber cables down my road. Gov'ment subsidized of course but now may have some high speed options. Trouble is may triple my bill and they want you to "bundle" with a land line and TV go figure. We'll see. 

[pfrederi 19,783]

"Bug Tussel" ???  I thought I lived in the boondocks. My ISP TV and phone are from a family owned small telephone company with only about 10,000 subscribers.  Been around about 100 years...Not particularly cheap but good service when needed.

[lynnmor 8,544]

2 hours ago, WHX?? said:

I have Bug Tussel which is 45 a month. AT&T owned ... Somewhat slow and unreliable at times but works. Now they ran no less than 3 fiber cables down my road. Gov'ment subsidized of course but now may have some high speed options. Trouble is may triple my bill and they want you to "bundle" with a land line and TV go figure. We'll see. 

 

There has been fiber in the ground about 300 yards down the road for years, but they never turned it on.  Now I see a fiber box installed 3 miles in the opposite direction, no idea if it will ever make it here.  My thought is that the various ISP's have a hidden agreement to not compete in order to keep prices high.  At some time I suppose they will merge into one and that will keep the price up.  Municipalities around here want a piece of the action by allowing only one cable ISP and regulating it while collecting money.  I have Xfinily (Comcast) cable for internet only and pay too much, that NOW plan mentioned above might be something I can do.

[rmaynard 16,837]

My brother-in-law owns about 500 acres of land in WV and lives at the top of a mountain near Smithville, WV. He has electricity and had phone until storms took down the lines. He can only get cellphone service standing in one spot on his property, but it is sketchy. So when he inquired about telephone service repair, they told him that instead, they were running fiber optics to everyone in the state. So now he has fiber optic internet with phone service. It costs him about $25.00 per month. The equipment that they provided included WIFI. So now he not only has internet, but telephone, and he can utilize WIFI calling with his iPhone. 

 

Not to mention, he has a couple of gas wells on his property which entitles him to free gas for life.

[Beap52 1,956]

4 hours ago, rmaynard said:

Not to mention, he has a couple of gas wells on his property which entitles him to free gas for life.

We have friends in north Missouri that utilized a gas well on their farm for 30 or 40 years.  A couple of years ago, I believe, the government shut them down.  I don't remember the exact reason but they surely miss the heated apron in front of the garage as well as heated garage and shop.