Techniques to secure a lower bill for TV/Internet?

[AstroManLuca]

Get truly basic cable, of the $10-$20/mo variety. It'll give you local broadcast stations in HD. Basically it's only good if you get poor reception with an antenna or if you don't want to bother with an antenna.

If you must have cable just get the cheapest "full" package for usually around $60/mo. No need for premium channels - they're really just vehicles for soft porn anyway, which you can get for free on the internet. The shows themselves can be purchased, rented, or sometimes even watched online for free.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: dbk
Do you get HD channels OTA? If then, drop the cable and keep the internet.

:thumbsup:

You can take 4 ESPN, Science channel HD, Discovery HD, Discovery Theater HD and food network HD from my cold dead hands.

I agree, there is no way I could go back to SD only. Pretty much everything we watch is in HD with Comcast now, other than the Military Channel.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Get rid of the premiums, drop the "speed-boost" upgrade, drop the HD service and turn in all the HD receivers. Suddenyl you're looking at ~$120 after taxes...which is still expensive as hell. Wow, Charter's prices suck.

 

[TwiceOver]

Dump it all and get the very basic of cable non-HD. Switch from their internet to whatever is the absolute cheapest solution.

 

[aphex]

I dropped our Cable down to the lowest package available, 22 channels for $10/mo. Its the best thing we've ever done.

 

[rh71]

ouch... the triple play / triple freedom which includes unlimited phone doesn't cost me more than $120 after taxes. That is one expensive premium package. I think our FIOS movie package costs $20 max if we decide to subscribe (but when we had it free, 95% of the movies sucked - the ones that didn't, we've seen before).

 

[JulesMaximus]

Jesus! That's ridiculous.

I pay about $65/month for DirecTV (HD with DVR) and $45 for cable modem internet.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: PaperclipGod

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Hah! $174/mo for all that crap? No wonder you're so obsessed with keeping your TRIPLE REDUNDANT POWER SUPPLY! :laugh: You can't frickin' afford a new one that's not from 1997.

Back when I lived without a roommate that doesn't work for the local cable company (so we now get every channel, internet, phone, PPV channels, pr0n channels...at no cost) I refused to pay more than $100/mo for internet and cable. After my promotional rates were gone, I quit cable and paid ~$60/mo for the premium internet package.

ROFL, you hit the nail on the head, buddy.

Only prob with dumping everything is that the GF loves watching the Red Sox in HD. Of course, that channel is probably only part of some overpriced mega-package. :/

I'm pretty sure NESN HD is included in the most basic HD package.

 

[tfinch2]

Internet - $40/month
Basic cable - $12/month (locals in HD) - Could probably trim this but I get poor reception in my apartment
Xbox Live - $3/month
Netflix - $10/month
Skype - $6/month

$72/month for TV/Internet/Phone

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
holy shit are you ever getting raped 0_0

Not rape if you say "yes".

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles

Originally posted by: PaperclipGod

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Hah! $174/mo for all that crap? No wonder you're so obsessed with keeping your TRIPLE REDUNDANT POWER SUPPLY! :laugh: You can't frickin' afford a new one that's not from 1997.

Back when I lived without a roommate that doesn't work for the local cable company (so we now get every channel, internet, phone, PPV channels, pr0n channels...at no cost) I refused to pay more than $100/mo for internet and cable. After my promotional rates were gone, I quit cable and paid ~$60/mo for the premium internet package.

ROFL, you hit the nail on the head, buddy.

Only prob with dumping everything is that the GF loves watching the Red Sox in HD. Of course, that channel is probably only part of some overpriced mega-package. :/

I'm pretty sure NESN HD is included in the most basic HD package.

No, it is not. I researched this a little while ago.

 

[Jadow]

I get the same package except HBO/STARZ instead of SHO/ENCORE and only 1 HD box

for like $115 from Charter.

 

[nerp]

Originally posted by: aphex
I dropped our Cable down to the lowest package available, 22 channels for $10/mo. Its the best thing we've ever done.

I have a similar service with cox. I have normal internet (5mbit down, 2 up is more than enough) and local and public access channels. I spend about $55 a month for it. Can't say not having 800 channels of bullshit is really bothering me. I don't watch much TV and now I have virtually no reason to watch TV and what I've found as I've gotten older is that the less TV I watch, the more productive and happy I am in general.

 

[Kev]

cancel it

 

[dakels]

I call comcast every 6 months when my promotional package is expiring. They always put me on new promotions. I pay about $80 for a $140 HBO/SHO + HD + NHL + 16mb internet package.

 

[OCGuy]

I broke $210 last month due to 2 UFC fights + 2 HD boxes + 10MB internet with Time Warner. I fuckin hate paying that bill.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: meltdown75
holy shit are you ever getting raped 0_0

Not rape if you say "yes".

your post constitutes cheating

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: brtspears2
Call them up. Pretend you want to setup a date to cancel service. See if they offer you a promotional rate. Most likely they will do a fixed price for 6-12 months. I tried to cancel Charter internet, it dropped from 53.99/mo to 19.99/mo for 6 months, and you can bluff them every few months you want to cancel.

This. Bitch and complain, tell them you want to cancel. Make sure they send you to reclamation. win.

also, just drop the premium and extra HD STBs. completely useless.

 

[Soccerman06]

We use Charter and have HBO/HD plus 5mbs and only pay $100/month

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: meltdown75

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: meltdown75
holy shit are you ever getting raped 0_0

Not rape if you say "yes".

your post constitutes cheating

:laugh:

 

[PaperclipGod]

For those of you curious, I called and got it down to $117 by stripping off the premium channels. Everything else stayed the same.

 

[iGas]

<---- Total cable service = $39.99 month (internet service no TV).

 

[mozirry]

the only way to negotiate with charter is to call and cancel your service. They will give you their promotional rates to keep you as a customer for at least 6months to a year. I did this every single time my bill would change, and typically they will reduce your raised amount month to the lower amount just to put icing on the cake.

If you don't do this you really need to. Just say "A competitor is offering me better rates at the packages I want, thanks but no thanks"

I ended up switching to ATT uverse because it was cheaper, even with Charter's promotional rates.

I pay 144 after taxes for 5mb charter internet, expanded basic + HD Channels + HD Receiver, + their telephone package


Be careful though, make sure your rep is reputable, I had a guy tell me XXX.XX after taxes would have been my price w/ my package and I found out a few days later my package was totally different and price was way off. I complained enough about "contract violation" that they ended up forcing negative amounts onto my account, giving me $134.99 for said package above, which cannot be matched.