Why do internet providers still rip off longtime customers?

[IDGETKTFO]

I don't know if internet providers do this in other countries, but in the US they give you a new customer price for 24 months then jack the price up double. About 3 years ago we sold our old house and got the house we live in now. We were paying $80/mo after taxes and fees. Now we are paying $160/mo. We just can't do it anymore with how bad inflation is on our fixed income. We called and tried to get it down but they only offered to drop it $20/mo. But we found a loophole where we cancel and sign up under my wifes name. When its active we can go to a local office and pick up new equipment and install it ourself, then just return the old equipment and pay the prorated balance. Then after 24 months we rinse and repeat......

I just don't understand why they make you jump through hoops costing my time, and theirs. Not to mention hassle with equipment swapping, and on top of it, new customers get a $100 amazon gift card. Seems they are losing money.

/rant

 

[Sycho Sid]

You are paying 160 for Internet? Or Internet and cable?

And they do it because they can. Where else are you going to go? They don't offer you deals because they already have you.

 

[El Panteron]

Because they can.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

You are paying 160 for Internet? Or Internet and cable?

And they do it because they can. Where else are you going to go? They don't offer you deals because they already have you.

$160/mo for just internet. There cable tv isnt even "cable" anymore, its internet based Sling TV. They don't even have cable tv dvr boxes anymore.

Also, there is another cable internet provider in my area, but their prices for new customers and speeds are not as good. But atleast there is another option need be.

 

[Sycho Sid]

$160/mo for just internet. There cable tv isnt even "cable" anymore, its internet based Sling TV. They don't even have cable tv dvr boxes anymore.

Also, there is another cable internet provider in my area, but their prices for new customers and speeds are not as good. But atleast there is another option need be.

Good God. 160 is fucking criminal.

I get a gig (max available here) and it is 70.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Good God. 160 is fucking criminal.

I get a gig (max available here) and it is 70.

Yeah its insane. Max available is 1500 Mbps and its $55 for new customers ( with autopay ) not including taxes and fees. Which i think is something like $35 extra. I have 1000 Mbps since i really dont see the need for more then that. Its $45/mo + $35 ( taxes and fees ) for new customers with autopay. All my devices are WiFi that cap out at 40 Mbps.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

It’s simple: They know that any of their competition, if they have any, is doing exactly the same thing, and has basically the same service for nearly identical rates.
Also, it’s more effective to rip off a bunch of people a little bit than it is to try to land some whale accounts. Consumer protections have been getting peeled back for decades, and major corporations are taking advantage. And they have been for a while now.

The FTC, and other agencies, are supposed to regulate this stuff and find companies for these types of practices, but until now with Lina Khan, there hasn’t been an FTC commissioner who would do that.

 

[Otto!]

Because they can

 

[chardog]

mono


poly

 

[IDGETKTFO]

It’s simple: They know that any of their competition, if they have any, is doing exactly the same thing, and has basically the same service for nearly identical rates.
Also, it’s more effective to rip off a bunch of people a little bit than it is to try to land some whale accounts. Consumer protections have been getting peeled back for decades, and major corporations are taking advantage. And they have been for a while now.

The FTC, and other agencies, are supposed to regulate this stuff and find companies for these types of practices, but until now with Lina Khan, there hasn’t been an FTC commissioner who would do that.

Funny thing is after our 2 year price lock it went from like $80/mo to $120/mo then last year it sky rocketed to $160/mo so we got approved for the ACP ( affordable connectivity program ) which got our bill down from $160/mo to $130/mo but the Biden administration shut it down back in april so we have been paying $160/mo for alost 6 months, and we just couldn't afford to pay it anymore which forced us to cancel and resign up under my wifes name because even if you cancel and pay your bill, you can't sign back up for 90 days under the same name.

 

[Domitian]

Call them and tell them you can no longer afford their service and you wish to cancel. You have to bluff these motherfuckers into believing you're about to stop being their customer if you want a deal.

 

[nonoob]

they do it because they can

/thread - but will follow up.
​

Most people remain unaware of better deals available for similar performance.

​

When people see better deals not available due to their home's location.

Most people hate to change email addys, so they stay with current provider.

Most people are easily conned by slick talking "keep them here" salesmen, so they stay.

Internet and/or Phone service providers are multi-billion enterprises that do whatever they want to do.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Call them and tell them you can no longer afford their service and you wish to cancel. You have to bluff these motherfuckers into believing you're about to stop being their customer if you want a deal.

If you bothered to read, I did call them. They offewred to lower it $20/mo. I said that wasn't good enough and cancelled. I had to wait a week for the cancellation to take affect and sign back up under my wifes name. Now i have to take the equipment to a local office, pay the prorated bill, and pickup the new equipment before the service gets shut off.

It's just dumb they make you jump through hoops.

 

[Uber_Noober]

They aren’t there to take part, they’re there to take over.

 

[Domitian]

If you bothered to read, I did call them. They offewred to lower it $20/mo. I said that wasn't good enough and cancelled. I had to wait a week for the cancellation to take affect and sign back up under my wifes name. Now i have to take the equipment to a local office, pay the prorated bill, and pickup the new equipment before the service gets shut off.

It's just dumb they make you jump through hoops.

Who are you going through if I can ask? You know, you can just get an internet hotspot for like $30 a month if all you want is internet.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Who are you going through if I can ask? You know, you can just get an internet hotspot for like $30 a month if all you want is internet.

It was RCN for the past 20 years ive had them, its now called Astound. Same reliable service, but i just don't like their shady tactics to fuck over longtime customers.

10 years ago or less i was paying less then $160/mo for their best internet speed, their best cable tv package, and a landline phone. Its crazy they are fucking over longtime customers paying $160/mo for just internet.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Funny thing is after our 2 year price lock it went from like $80/mo to $120/mo then last year it sky rocketed to $160/mo so we got approved for the ACP ( affordable connectivity program ) which got our bill down from $160/mo to $130/mo but the Biden administration shut it down back in april so we have been paying $160/mo for alost 6 months, and we just couldn't afford to pay it anymore which forced us to cancel and resign up under my wifes name because even if you cancel and pay your bill, you can't sign back up for 90 days under the same name.

Close, but not quite. The GOP killed the program.
And to be perfectly honest, programs like this don’t need to exist if the government did its fucking job and regulated industries like this, in which one or two companies are basically handed a monopoly or duopoly (you can’t just go out, dig up the sidewalk and bury your own fiber optic cable to start a company if you want).

They are given this massive market power and then barely fucking regulated. But yes, that program helped mitigate some of the cost.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Close, but not quite. The GOP killed the program.

potatoe, potato. Some asshole politician got rid of it, and it fucked people like me with fixed incomes.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

potatoe, potato. Some asshole politician got rid of it, and it fucked people like me with fixed incomes.

I don’t expect everyone to pay a ton of attention to politics. But pretending the political parties are just two sides of the same coin is patently and demonstrably false.

 

[Renard]

Most people are lazy and won't make an effort to lower the price. The company gets them with the offer and they stay at the higher price forever. By doing sign up & cancel ping pong you're doing something they don't expect. Even if you called them and were like "Well I'm that 1% of customers willing to work to lower the price... Why don't we cut the shit and you give me the lower price forever?" the NPC on the other side of the line won't know what to say. If what you're doing works, just keep doing it.