Cable Dance

[Guest072323]

Are any of you fortunate enough to do the FIOS/TWC dance?

About 5 years ago, I moved from one location to another. I had been a TWC customer for 25+ years at the time, but they wouldn't give me a "new customer" rate, and in fact, wanted to charge me an installation fee at the new apartment.

I called FIOS (which was luckily available at my new address).
Fios beat the TWC rate by about 20 bucks a month for two years.
After 2 years, they jacked me up about 30 bucks a month.
Called TWC and they beat FIOS by 20 bucks.
Two months later, FIOS calls me and has a great deal that is equal to the FIOS deal, but includes a $100 Visa Gift card!!
SOLD....
Fast Forward (Thanks MC) two years and my bill jumps from $130 to $155, so I call the FIOS sales rep.... who pretty much tells me... you might as well do the dance and order Time Warner because the best I can do is get you down to $145. So I call TWC, and I get a deal for $120 a month which is ten bucks less than I was paying.

And the best part is yet to come --- As soon as I return the Verizon equipment... they'll send out the salesguy I just talked to... and he'll give me the Time Warner rate... and a $300 gift card to switch back....

And both companies are OUT the free installations and salespersons time and effort... This stuff simply amazes me.
You would think that these companies would invest in customer retention departments.... unless they know that the American Public is too lazy to make a phone call or two.
As LAZY as I am... I'll never get THAT lazy.
Rant over.

[woodywouldpekher]

I was a TWC customer for over 25 years. Got divorced and moved so I qualified for the "new customer" pricing after a little haggling. After my 1st year "new customer" rate my TWC bill went from 89.99 up to 165. A friend told me to tweet TWC retention department. I did and they adjusted me back down to $110/month. They also gave me a credit for the 165 I paid in the meantime. So I got a free month. too!
In the past three years my bill has gone to 115/month. I'm happy with that.

[clearwater86]

They make all kinds of offers to get you as a customer but do NOTHING to keep you once they have you. Seems like both sides would benefit by keeping the low rate.

Someone should offer a great rate and guarantee it long term and then do a commercial using the song, "Save the Last Dance for Me" - The Drifters.

[Guest070916]

Originally Posted by Paulwantsya

Are any of you fortunate enough to do the FIOS/TWC dance?

Your lucky to do that. I'm stuck with TWC.
Would love to do the same but deadbeat Verizon has NO plans for new FIOS construction this year for heavens knows what reason they have for dragging their sorry fat corporate arses on this!

The USA is falling behind here. Many countries now have Super FIOS running 4 times FASTER than what Verizon FIOS offers! Japan is almost 100% wired for Super FIOS costing ~50 bucks/month. South Korea is 95% wired for Super FIOS. France, England, Germany and a few others are almost that high. Yet no Super FIOS in the USA!!! Why???....

[jokacz]

I had FIOS internet about 10 years ago, 50 up/ 50 down, it was OK. But they never offered TV because the Town won't let them. TWC must be bribing big time. Anyway, went back to TWC and every year I have to renegotiate when they try to raise my rates. I've been able to keep it around 120 bucks a month, but I keep losing bandwidth. Down to 15 down and 1 up, but that's enough. This is with an HD DVR and I own my cable modem. No premium channels except Encore. The free WiFi hotspots come in handy, allowed me to shut off the data service on my Virgin Mobile plan and knock the rate down to 20 bucks a month. Yes, I'm a cheap old bastard, especially when I know they are fucking me.

[offshoredrilling]

wonder if i can get a better rate from my hitting the airwaves
they should be paying me to watch the crap they transmitting

[Guest072323]

Sooooo.....
I returned the FIOS equipment.
The girl at the counter wanted to know why.
I told her that I just received my $25 good customer penalty and my bill went from 130 to 155.
She ifddled on the computer and told me she could get my bill down to 145.
I told her Time Warner was 123.
And I aslo told her that within a week, FIOS would call and offer me a deal for less than the 130 I was previously paying...and that I'd be getting the latest and greatest equipment upgrades with the DVR box that lets you record six shows at a time with a couple of TB's of space etc.
She said FIOS hates customers like me that are not afraid to play the switching game.
She called me three days later with a deal for 120.
I told her she'd have to come up with some gift cards as well before politely hanging up the phone.

[gushi]

There will not be any FiOS builds now or in any near future. Verizon plans to sell off as much of the wireline business as they can to whoever would buy it ( frontier possibly ). They want to strictly invest in wireless service... it is in place and non-union offering a much larger profit margin. The FiOS build is an investment of billions with only a return of millions> Though the profits would eventually surpass the investments ( 6 years time I believe ) they just don't want to be in that game for the duration. This August will determine what the true future of the wireline side might be, there is a union contract for the landline side set to expire.

[Bigdaddy14606]

I call twc and scheduled a shut off, rep asked who I was going with and I told them I had not decided yet I just couldn't afford the cable. He set a date to disconnect and asked if I was willing to talk to a sales rep. I said sure but what's the point. They lowered my bill to $115 a month for a year down from $165.

[Guest072323]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy14606

I call twc and scheduled a shut off, rep asked who I was going with and I told them I had not decided yet I just couldn't afford the cable. He set a date to disconnect and asked if I was willing to talk to a sales rep. I said sure but what's the point. They lowered my bill to $115 a month for a year down from $165.

So you saved 50 bucks a month...
Fucking excellent.
Both (all four) of these companies COUNT on us to be lazy fucks.
Every time one of us calls them on their automitic "good customer" rate increases... they pay lip service until one calls them on their bluff.

I am fortunate that I live in an apt complex that offers both services....
It's unfortunate that I have to play the connect/disconnect game every year.... but FUCK 'EM... if they are gonna make me "play"... I'm gonna play.

The sales reps from BOTH companies "hate" me.... but they are both calling me as I write this.

[Guest070916]

Originally Posted by gushi

There will not be any FiOS builds now or in any near future. Verizon plans to sell off as much of the wireline business as they can to whoever would buy it ( frontier possibly ). They want to strictly invest in wireless service...

The move is to Wireless.
AT&T plans to team up with Direct TV later this year in the late Summer to offer a wireless service as fast or faster than FIOS. Heard this at both Sams Club and BJ's where Direct TV has tables trying to sign you up. Told them I'll wait and see. Hope this really happens. It's about time a third player comes along to rattle the TWC and Verizon BS!!!

[gushi]

Right now wireless is not the answer. The bandwith is just not available. Can you imagine increasing the customer base to include everyones home television on an already saturated network? Im not saying it isn't possible in the future, but technology has to either allow for more info on less bandwith OR the government has to release more of the bandwith they own. Or more of the tiny wireless have to merge with the big names and merge their bandwith but even that probably isn't enough.

[Guest070916]

Originally Posted by gushi

Right now wireless is not the answer. The bandwith is just not available.

Yup....told that to those D-TV reps but they say AT&T made some kind of breakthrough to be announced later this year. Hope so. But will have to wait and see.

Over 10 yrs ago Hughes TV had a wireless satellite DSL service that worked pretty good. Not as fast as TWC but decent speed back then. A couple buddies out in the boonies of Niagara County used it because no cable was available to them. They liked it but said signal was lost in heavy rain and snow. Then Hughes TV was bought out by either Dish or D-TV and that service was ended. They were pissed.

[USA5Way]

Green light networks are and will be installing fiber lines in select areas of Rochester. If you only need internet I highly recommend them, 10x the speed of any other ISP and half the cost.

[Highwayman64]

Originally Posted by Celso

The move is to Wireless.
AT&T plans to team up with Direct TV later this year in the late Summer to offer a wireless service as fast or faster than FIOS. Heard this at both Sams Club and BJ's where Direct TV has tables trying to sign you up. Told them I'll wait and see. Hope this really happens. It's about time a third player comes along to rattle the TWC and Verizon BS!!!

That might be a good thing. I am out in the boonies and pay $70 bucks for just internet, been through all the TWC, DISH, Directv etc. Finally pulled the plug on Directv and kept TWC only for internet. The dig bill was $100 bucks alone for a couple hundred channels of bullshit. Don't mind the internet bill as it is a work expense but 100 bucks for tv is insane. We went to Netflix and Hulu and have a wide margin of things to watch and plan on putting up a good antenna to get the locals. It's a matter of time when we can stream whatever we want to watch, the question is just how long do we have to wait?