Comcast increasing monthly rate !

[RainyEye]

We just got our new Comcast bill and our rate is going up $21.00 per month. We have high speed internet coupled with their digital phone service for our land line. We were paying $ 66/ mo. and now they want $87!

We switched from Comcast cable TV to Direct TV last January and are happy with Direct TV and I know that Qwest bundles with Direct TV, so what I'm wondering is that do any of you have any thoughts about having Qwest for high speed internet service or do any of you have a Qwest bundle that you like?

Any other thoughts would be appreciated as to how to save some money and have good service also. Thanks guys!

[DTro]

35% increase?

Something doesn't seem right.

[rtwills]

I only have comcast for internet, I used to have the bundle for everything but after their trial period it is too expensive. I siwtched to vonage phone and have been very happy.Vonage runs about 25.00 per month and all the extra features are free. Also free long distance. No issues in 2 years with them and no price increases.

Brother has quest for internet service and it is not as fast as comcast. I will pay a couple dollars more for a faster internet but wish someone could compete with comcast because I hate their customer service.

[jwhjr]

Did you have an introductory rate that expired?

[Grainbelter]

Depends on the speed of dsl you choose. You can get anywhere from 256k to 20Meg service depending on where you live. I believe there are some deals as well for the 1st year ($15 for 1.5meg and $25 for up to 7meg)but I don't think it will ever cost much $100 for all 3 services even after the intro period is over. I have mediacom and my 1st year just ended and she jumped from $100 to $150 and that's still including $30 worth of discounts so needless to say they will be getting dumped soon.....again.

[SomethingFishy*]

I would go with the Qwest service. Silver speed (1.5mb) is $14.99 for the first year and goes to $29.99 after the first year but stays at $29.99 for LIFE if you sign a 2 year commitment. Platinum speed (up to 7mb) i 24.99 for the first year and goes to 36.99 after that but will also stay at $36.99 for LIFE if you sign a 2yr commitment.

30 day satisfaction guarantee and coming soon (estimate October) you will be able to bundle bill your Verizon Wireless service with your Qwest home services.

So you can have:

Qwest Local and Long Distance phone service

Qwest High speed internet

DirecTv Satellite

Verizon Wireless (soon)

All bundled on 1 bill.

There are a lot of great specials going on, check with your local Qwest Solutions Center located in most metro area malls, also in St. Cloud, Duluth, Rochester, and Fargo.

[BigWadeS]

I wish Qwest would broaden their base for DSL, I know part of the city I live in has it the other hasn't for 2 years now, very frustrating, if you want high speed, you have to pay Comcast for their monopoly

[witgey&water]

Just switched from Comcast to Qwest/Direct TV. The day I am switching (well the installer is there) Comcast calls me to tell me they would match the Qwest price for 1 year??? I told them I would stay with them if they hold the price for life. The guy just laughed and said we can't do that sir. The main reason I switch was price and the fact that Comcast HD channels tile all the time. One bad thing with Direct TV is that if you have an HD box with the DVR you need to run 2 coax lines to it.

[Sandmannd]

I have comcast high speed, is that the price the raised? Haven't noticed yet. I go with Vonage for my phone and love it. Then use Directv.

[DTro]

I also use Comcast for my IP and cable.

I dumped my landline phone about 10 yrs ago. Have used a mobile phone ever since.

I have been happy with the Time Warner/Comcast network. Very stable and good speed. As well as Verizon for my phones. You know what they say about it not being broken…..

Although I sure wish Verizon offered their FIOS network in my area :sad:

Like I said, I would be very surprised if I found out my bill just went up 35%.

[RainyEye]

Thanks for all of the info everyone! This gives me some options to think of. When I did bundle Comcast internet and digital phone they said nothing about a 6 month introductory offer, if they had I certainly would have gotten a quoted price for after the initial 6 months.

Vonage sounds like a good option for a land line and then maybe we'll keep Comcast internet if they don't hose us for that, too. Or maybe it's worth waiting to see what Qwest will come out with in Oct.?

[SomethingFishy*]

The only thing that is going on in October thru Qwest is the ability to have your Verizon Wireless service billed with your other Qwest services.

[Dellfin]

You might want to check out ViaTalk for VOIP phone service. I had Vonage and found a deal for ViaTalk where you pay for 2 years up front and it turned out to be less than $10/month with all the bells and whistles. I've had the service for 2 lines for well over a year and it has been fine, with occasional bugs that will be there with any VOIP phone service. Their customer service is extremely helpful.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Yeah guys, you need to read the fine print on these things. Almost all of the "deals" I've seen are only intro's. After that, LOOK OUT'

[Sandmannd]

One word of advice on going with only the High Speed internet through comcast. Here's what I do. Internet is $60/month if that is all you have. BUT, if you get basic cable ($8/month) then the internet is $50/month so you save $2 a month and have basic cable on all the TV's that you don't have Directv on.

[Lindyrig81]

I work for a company that builds comcasts service trucks, and let me tell you, they are making money, they have bought apprx 60 F550s aerial units in the past year.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

We are getting Qwest installed on thursday. Of all the searching we did we found bundling our phone and web along with the price for life got us the best deal we could find.

I can let you know our first impressions in a few days...

[fisherman-andy]

Comcast has been increasing their rates for years.

My digital cable tv/internet package use to be $75. That was 8mbps internet, digital cable package encore movies, w/hbo & cinemax & on demand. They called it the Silver Package then. That was like 3 or 4yrs ago. Today the bill goes over $130 for the same service. And no it was not a savings starter package. The thing is if you miss 1 month and pay the next bill you get in the mail full you find charges like up to the $500? I was like what the heck? Their like charging for the months ahead already without it even being used.

The price finally became too unbearable and I cancelled them back in early Spring. You should always call in first if you want cable tv or internet and ask for promotions or better pricing. Another way to lower your bill is to call and talk to a comcast rep. Threaten to cancel because you say you can no longer afford their services at that level. You will find that they will usually try to bend the rules to find a package price to fit your needs.

[croixflats]

With the vonage what is that 911 emergency operating differantly all about.

[Sandmannd]

With the vonage what is that 911 emergency operating differantly all about.

I set ming up a couple of years ago, so I may not have all the facts yet. But what I had to do was go on the Vonage site and register my number with 911. That was it. Took five minutes and it's always worked.

[BoxMN]

FWIW, I tried Vonage, and I really wanted it to work. I have all the correct equipment and pipeline. My wife almost threw me out of the house for it... I used my cell phone almost more than the Vonage line due to poor quality, dropped calls, and other issues.

I know some people don't have problems, but trust me, there are many who do. If you use your phone for work at all, when calls really count, I would recommend anything but Vonage, IMHO.

But I agree on the Comcast pricing. It costs a lot, more than I would like to pay. But my upload and download speeds are incredible with the Tier II service, and the phone is clear and consistenly perfect. If I didn't use it for work, I would possibly look at cheaper alternatives.

And I agree, call in every once in a while and ask about prices and what they have. I hate that you have to do this, but it will save you money, and probably get more services.

good luck,

[RainyEye]

Thanks again to all you FM'ers, this is a great site for all sorts of information! Box, you're right in that sometimes you get what you pay for, I think I'll contact Comcast and see just what they will offer if they know I'm looking elsewhere. I certainly have no problems with the Comcast internet or their phone service.

[Ralph Wiggum]

How does Comcast's digital voice service work? Is it run through your existing phone line?

[witgey&water]

no it is run into your house on the same coaxial cable as your TV and then into modem that connects to your phone system in your house.

[Ralph Wiggum]

no it is run into your house on the same coaxial cable as your TV and then into modem that connects to your phone system in your house.

Ah, then that explains their outrageous installation fee! Thanks.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I called and talked with a Comcast rep today because I noticed that the price they list for their "Triple Play Starter" package is $99, which is less than I am paying for just cable and internet right now. Apparently, that is only for new service. If I want the package, it is $135. Needless to say, I told them where to stick it.

I'm not a business owner, but that is not the way to treat a good customer.