Finally cut the cord - almost

[dreadnut]

We haven't had a landline for years, but we still had Xfinity internet and cable tv. We just ditched the cable tv - the stations pretty much all sucked and they were more than 1/2 commercials, and I'm not exaggerating.

So we still have their internet service. If I had called them, we wouldn't even have that. My wife waited 40 minutes on hold (something I would have not done) only to be told she needed to be transferred to the "Customer Loyalty Representative." At this point, I'm losing my mind. Fortunately, after only about a 5 minute hold, the Customer Loyalty Rep came on the phone. From there, it took another 45 minutes to simply cancel the tv service, because this guy was trained to offer every other conceivable option other than cancelling.

I am actively searching for an alternate provider. Stuff like this drives me nuckin' futs!

 

[GAD]

LOL - you think other providers will behave differently?

 

[Westerly Wood]

We haven't had a landline for years, but we still had Xfinity internet and cable tv. We just ditched the cable tv - the stations pretty much all sucked and they were more than 1/2 commercials, and I'm not exaggerating.

So we still have their internet service. If I had called them, we wouldn't even have that. My wife waited 40 minutes on hold (something I would have not done) only to be told she needed to be transferred to the "Customer Loyalty Representative." At this point, I'm losing my mind. Fortunately, after only about a 5 minute hold, the Customer Loyalty Rep came on the phone. From there, it took another 45 minutes to simply cancel the tv service, because this guy was trained to offer every other conceivable option other than cancelling.

I am actively searching for an alternate provider. Stuff like this drives me nuckin' futs!

we are also ditching the cable and just keeping the internet and land line phone. saving me $80/mo and like you said, there is not a lot of good on cable these days

 

[Nuuska]

About ten years ago they renovated our street - sewerlines - waterlines electric cablest etc. While at it, the phone company pulled out all copper wiring, because everybony uses GSM. Until that point internet came via telephone line. ADSL or sumpting like that. They were naturally lying about it telling us they were forced to pull the coper lines out. They put fibre optics in. Saying it costs about 1800€ to join . . . plus monthly fees. Topping that they were unable to tell what speed etc we get for that monthly fee.

I went shopping - got me a little USB-dongle for 30-50€ - that served for years. Eventually we got more computers into house - and now I have a Zyxel-box - size of beer can - ethernet cable from that to first Apple Airport Extreme - another cable to second. Now we have fairly good-quality WIFI-network in entire house and garden. Couple units are connected with ethernet for better connection ( MacMini has lousy WIFI-card )

I pay about 20€ per month for 100Mbps connection without data limit. Actual speed varies between 30-125Mbps - anything steady over 5 is enough for my needs. Plus I can plug any operators SIM-card in. Usually we make one year deal to get lower price.

So nice not to be dependent on one operator landline. Worst I ever had in old landline times was almost one week without internet. They suspected this and that - until one night I was on phone with a buddy who understood something about network structure. He listed to my problem and immediately said - "It sounds like DSLAM is broken." DSLAM is last final box before individual household - next day I called the company and told them - in half hour it was fixed . . . Now if there is problem, I can use my phone as hotspot - we have another operator in another phone + third operator in our travel netbox. They can never all be kaputt at same time - famous last words . . .

 

[davismanLV]

We got rid of our cable provider. We'd had DirecTV and after we moved it was giving us trouble and just getting the stuff I used to watch was such a pain I just stopped watching so then we kept our Cox Communications internet, ditched the cable TV, and now I get Neflix and Amazon Prime Video through the internet and that works just fine for me. I don't watch news or any regular network shows at all. It's fine. I don't need to be any more connected than I am.

 

[fronobulax]

Hehe. Since Verizon rolled out FiOS I have lived in an area where it was available. So I have just learned to call the cable company, start out with asking for a retention specialist and the first words out of my mouth have been "FiOS is available at my address". It's a big bluff since FiOS hs not been price competitive if you actually include equipment rental. But my bill goes down,

Pay close attention because there have been times when the bundle of phone, cable and internet was actually cheaper than just two.

The quasi-monopoly status may make competitive options difficult to find. If I rule out Comcast and FiOS I can get anything approaching the same internet speed.

 

[dreadnut]

So last night I watched like six episodes of Twilight Zone on Netflix, with zero commercials, so much nicer!

 

[FNG]

Hey dread, do you have a TV antenna?

 

[silverfox103]

Now this topic gets under my skin real quick!!

Unfortunately, I go back with cable a long time. I moved from East to West (WA state) in 1978. First experience with cable, $8 dollars per month. I couldn't believe it. It had tons of stations on it ESPN, movie channels, plenty of networks and perfect picture. Thought I died and went to heaven.

So fast forward about 6 years I moved back East, well actually we moved back east, as I brought a wife and young child with me. We moved to NH and bought a KOA Kampground. From that day we did we have had cable 37 years. We sold the campground but stayed in the same town. Same provider all these years, although they have been bought and sold several times. We have been loyal to our provider. I think the last bill was like $167 for phone, internet and cable.

I debated for quite a few years about cutting the cord, but could never bring myself to do it. Always irked me how they would treat new customers better than old ones.

About 3 years ago, after much research, I put on the big boy pants and cut the cord; sick of the added fees, boxes for each TV and all the other crap that goes with it. I went with YouTube TV for $40. We go down south for 3 months in the winter, I bring my Apple TV box with me and I have all my local stations and everything else with YouTube TV. Couldn't be happier.

Then less than a year ago, they raised the rates to $50 per month. Didn't bother me much as they threw in a few new stations. Then last week we received notification rates were going up to $65 per month. Add that to $87 for internet and phone, we're about the same as what we were. Don't know what but things will be changing.

Back up a few paragraphs, when I cut the cable, 3 years ago, within 2 weeks I received the "introductory offer" that they were giving out. I never bit and didn't answer calls or emails from them. I still get them at least every 3 weeks. Now, I contemplating playing the game. I can get cable and internet for @$90 per month. which is almost less than I am paying for internet.

Probably like most of us, I don't watch that many stations, but the ones I do watch I can't find them other places, yet.

As of tonight that's where we are, but I'm looking.

Tom

 

[dreadnut]

Nope, no TV antenna, but no desire to watch TV anymore anyway. 5 minutes of content, 10 minutes of commercials, repeat...

 

[gjmalcyon]

100Mbit internet so we can stream Netflix, Roku, Amazon Prime, Disney+, PBS Passport, plus a digital antenna in the attic for the 30 or so over-the-air channels I care to watch (as long as I remember to periodically re-scan), and that seems to be all we need. We've never had cable. Ever.

 

[FNG]

I get a whole bunch of broadcast channels via antenna. Nice for sports, the local news and weather, etc. Great HD picture. I get 4 public broadcast channels which have a great weekend line up of some killer cooking shows. Nice option to have for pretty cheap.

 

[F312]

I've had cable since the early 70s from the town I lived in . Just the local Chicago channels. We were to far from Chicago to receive a strong signal. later they started adding other programing.

Ralph