jrgreene6
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 17, 2021 22:22:56 GMT
I’m sure most of us here pay a good little chunk of money each month for our television, internet and some of us, myself included home phone service.
Ours is through Cincinnati Bell and we’ve had a package through them for decades now offering all three.
While I certainly understand rising costs affect them just like the rest of us, it is simply amazing the hoops I have to jump through every year at about this same time to keep my monthly nut on these services at a manageable amount.
When they first started offering Fioptics (television), we got every channel they offered, including every movie package for HBO / Cinemax, Showtime, Starz, etc. Our entire bill including high speed WI FI & home phone was around $165 a month.
They don’t have contracts, but every year the “rates” change so we have to go through this “negotiation” to renew for the next twelve months.
I just got them “down” to $214 a month which is still fairly ridiculous but a far cry from the $250 + they initially offered. What really pisses me off is their ever changing “fees & taxes”.
Last year, we agreed at $202 and some change which we paid for the first few months. Then it would inch up a buck this month, two the next and by December, was up almost $10 a month than our agreement.
So I call and get the usual “we can’t control governmental taxes and broadcasting fees” speech to which I say BULLSHIT! If those “fees” go up - YOU EAT THEM!
I didn’t agree to $202 a month only to be charged $212 five or six months down the road. I told the guy today we’ve been with T-Mobile for several years now and agreed to pay $70 per month for our two cell phones with unlimited everything. When I added my mom to our plan, it only increased our bill by another $20 monthly.
And that’s EXACTLY what we have paid. I’m sure they get increases in taxes and fees just like Ma Bell, but they know if I get a bill that’s one penny more than the $90 we agreed on, which is lifetime until WE decide to cancel, I’m going to be on the phone with them in a New York minute and they’re going to lose the account and $1,000 + annually.
$2,500 a year is a huge chunk of money to be paying for services I know I can probably get for close to half that, with all the streaming and other options out there.
But then there’s the complete hassle of changing systems, wiring, learning new channel numbers, etc. so we’re locked in for at least another year with the current clowns.
Sad thing is, I’ll be right back in this same boat again this time next year!
GO DODGERS!!!
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 18, 2021 20:43:57 GMT
I pay $263.00 + some change for Spectrum. At least I hope it hasn't gone up again. I'm looking for someone to hook me up with pirating.
I don't even use the landline anymore. Don't know what list I got on, but SO many spamming phone calls. Maybe I'll change the greeting. It's just automated now. My cell phone has my voice. "Hello. This is Lt. Sean Patrick Kelly of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Please leave your name & number after the beep. If this is an emergency, call 911."
Those annoying calls stopped right quick.
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jrgreene6
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 19, 2021 20:30:50 GMT
I pay $263.00 + some change for Spectrum. At least I hope it hasn't gone up again. I'm looking for someone to hook me up with pirating. I don't even use the landline anymore. Don't know what list I got on, but SO many spamming phone calls. Maybe I'll change the greeting. It's just automated now. My cell phone has my voice. "Hello. This is Lt. Sean Patrick Kelly of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Please leave your name & number after the beep. If this is an emergency, call 911." Those annoying calls stopped right quick. I pretty much have to keep a land line due my job and working from my home. Cells are still not 100% reliable and a call or message that I may not receive could lead to a pissed off customer and decrease in workload. I can’t begin to count the number of shit calls I get on BOTH numbers, even though my land line is unlisted and both lines are on the Do Not Call registry. I got one the other day that completely blew my mind. It was for a credit card and asked that I hit “1” to speak to a representative. Dude didn’t get two words out of his mouth before I went into my “This is a BUSINESS line - please remove me from your call list” speech. Dude went COMPLETELY NUTS!!! Kept screaming “ WHY” ala Nancy Kerrigan and how I was wasting HIS time when all I had to do was hit “9” to be removed from their call list. Told the dumb ass THREE times I was not offered that option but he just kept going on and on and on. I finally told him to go F himself and slammed the phone in his ear. I had over 2,000 blocked numbers on my cell from robocalls but unfortunately I had to reinstate all of them because I had blocked the number(s) that sent faxes via my email for my job and I had no idea what these numbers were. Faxes were either not getting to me or were going to my junk / spam file and luckily I discovered it before any of them got deleted. Technology sucks!!! GO DODGERS!!! |
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Post by Blunashun on Mar 5, 2021 17:09:16 GMT
I screwed up yesterday. This guy from Direct TV shows up on my doorstep. I swore when I wiped those guys off my feet a few years ago that I would never go back. But this kid was so persistent. But you know they'll say anything to make a sale.
He can get me the same thing I currently have with Spectrum for $150.00. Wow. That would save me over $100.00 a month. Still, there has to be catches.
Can I get the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, Kings & Bruins?
Yes.
Same movie channels?
You'll get all the HBO channels.
I have three landlines in here. That's included?
He checked & the bill went up about $11.00.
He calls it in. I get a representative on the phone. She mentions autopay. I really hate autopay. You're giving someone else access to your bank account or credit / debit card.
"No."
I hand the phone back to Eric.
He tells me she doesn't know what she's talking about. When the guy shows up to install just tell him you'll be paying in cash. At this point I KNEW Eric was lying, but he was so persistent.
He calls that person back & I agree to those terms, per Eric's advice. It's now $171.00 before taxes, etc. So we're probably looking at $200.00.
After he left I called Spectrum & got the same deal from them. I used Direct TV as leverage. As soon as a couple pieces of equipment arrive from Spectrum, I'm calling the credit card company & reporting that card as missing. I'll call Direct TV first to cancel. They're supposed to be here on the 18th. That gives me time. I KNOW how to get out of paying Direct TV. My thing is this will affect my credit rating. I'll be breaking that contract. I hate to throw Eric under the bus, but he & the woman on the phone gave me contradicting stories. I flat out TOLD Eric no autopay. He told me to ignore her. I checked. They won't take payment any other way.
I lowered my bill by about $40.00 & that's with a new smart phone.
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jrgreene6
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Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,438
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Post by jrgreene6 on Mar 6, 2021 2:50:00 GMT
I screwed up yesterday. This guy from Direct TV shows up on my doorstep. I swore when I wiped those guys off my feet a few years ago that I would never go back. But this kid was so persistent. But you know they'll say anything to make a sale. He can get me the same thing I currently have with Spectrum for $150.00. Wow. That would save me over $100.00 a month. Still, there has to be catches. Can I get the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, Kings & Bruins? Yes. Same movie channels? You'll get all the HBO channels. I have three landlines in here. That's included? He checked & the bill went up about $11.00. He calls it in. I get a representative on the phone. She mentions autopay. I really hate autopay. You're giving someone else access to your bank account or credit / debit card. "No." I hand the phone back to Eric. He tells me she doesn't know what she's talking about. When the guy shows up to install just tell him you'll be paying in cash. At this point I KNEW Eric was lying, but he was so persistent. He calls that person back & I agree to those terms, per Eric's advice. It's now $171.00 before taxes, etc. So we're probably looking at $200.00. After he left I called Spectrum & got the same deal from them. I used Direct TV as leverage. As soon as a couple pieces of equipment arrive from Spectrum, I'm calling the credit card company & reporting that card as missing. I'll call Direct TV first to cancel. They're supposed to be here on the 18th. That gives me time. I KNOW how to get out of paying Direct TV. My thing is this will affect my credit rating. I'll be breaking that contract. I hate to throw Eric under the bus, but he & the woman on the phone gave me contradicting stories. I flat out TOLD Eric no autopay. He told me to ignore her. I checked. They won't take payment any other way. I lowered my bill by about $40.00 & that's with a new smart phone. I finally got Cincinnati Bell down to $206 a year. I was paying $8 a month for an unlisted number, but they don’t really put out phone books anymore, so I dropped that service. Haven’t seen any difference in number of junk calls so far. GO DODGERS!!! |
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Post by Blunashun on Mar 6, 2021 9:43:39 GMT
I screwed up yesterday. This guy from Direct TV shows up on my doorstep. I swore when I wiped those guys off my feet a few years ago that I would never go back. But this kid was so persistent. But you know they'll say anything to make a sale. He can get me the same thing I currently have with Spectrum for $150.00. Wow. That would save me over $100.00 a month. Still, there has to be catches. Can I get the Dodgers, Lakers, Rams, Kings & Bruins? Yes. Same movie channels? You'll get all the HBO channels. I have three landlines in here. That's included? He checked & the bill went up about $11.00. He calls it in. I get a representative on the phone. She mentions autopay. I really hate autopay. You're giving someone else access to your bank account or credit / debit card. "No." I hand the phone back to Eric. He tells me she doesn't know what she's talking about. When the guy shows up to install just tell him you'll be paying in cash. At this point I KNEW Eric was lying, but he was so persistent. He calls that person back & I agree to those terms, per Eric's advice. It's now $171.00 before taxes, etc. So we're probably looking at $200.00. After he left I called Spectrum & got the same deal from them. I used Direct TV as leverage. As soon as a couple pieces of equipment arrive from Spectrum, I'm calling the credit card company & reporting that card as missing. I'll call Direct TV first to cancel. They're supposed to be here on the 18th. That gives me time. I KNOW how to get out of paying Direct TV. My thing is this will affect my credit rating. I'll be breaking that contract. I hate to throw Eric under the bus, but he & the woman on the phone gave me contradicting stories. I flat out TOLD Eric no autopay. He told me to ignore her. I checked. They won't take payment any other way. I lowered my bill by about $40.00 & that's with a new smart phone. I finally got Cincinnati Bell down to $206 a year. I was paying $8 a month for an unlisted number, but they don’t really put out phone books anymore, so I dropped that service. Haven’t seen any difference in number of junk calls so far. GO DODGERS!!! I think an unlisted number with Direct TV was $6.99. It was $4.99 with Spectrum. I'll give it about a month & check. Can I find myself? The White Pages are still online. You have to be careful how you word your search though. Say you're looking for a John Medford Smith, who lives in West Los Angeles. Don't put that exactly. Put John Smith in Los Angeles. Of course you'll be leafing through scores of John Smiths, but if you know enough particulars (like former addresses, age & family members) you'll find him. If White Pages figures they have exactly who you're looking for, that John Smith comes in a restricted box & you have to pay to access his information. To test that, I just looked up Chuck from ChucksDodgers.com. Looks like he moved. Same city though. |
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Post by Blunashun on Mar 7, 2021 1:11:41 GMT
You know that really hot blonde conservative talk show host? I think that bimbo is stalking me. She just told me she gets up at 4:00 AM. Like that's when she'll be on my ass.
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