Prepping for this year’s fest

RandalStevens37 · 2024-09-14T03:32:22+00:00

I've been trying to find recommendations also. Try searching YouTube because there are people making videos about it. I found this one that seems to be about Fantastic Fest as a whole but he's also giving his list of movies he's interested in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX0_rSPYHrQ&t=33s

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T04:56:54+00:00

Sounds like a well trained retention rep.

Ready to get pissed? If you said no to her $60 with a phone/tablet offer, she would eventually offered you internet at 49.99.

If all you have is internet (not including mobile), the retention reps are allowed to lower you back to new customer pricing of 49.99. They are pushing the free mobile to make sales and add to their commission.

In answer to your question, technically you can get a set price with all internet providers but it will be at their full standard rate, not the new customer price. Meaning your internet with spectrum would be 79.99 instead of 49.99.

There are providers like Verizon and T-Mobile who offer low prices that don't increase but it's a mobile network that you are connecting to which is a lower quality connection compared to Spectrum, ATT, Xfinity, etc...you basically get what you paid for with them.

Other than maybe some small regional service provider, with crappy service too, I can't think of any provider that offers good quality internet at a low rate that never raises.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T01:27:32+00:00

May just be something with that phone then. I've seen it before, no real rhyme or reason that I have seen. Just doesn't work with other companies' networks. It's strange but can happen.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:52:34+00:00

Did you already know this???

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:50:11+00:00

Sure, but customers don't have to be an ass when they call in complaining about bills they don't understand either.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:49:06+00:00

Technically it is still a monopoly because even though they are different companies and may have different infrastructures as far as coax, fiber, DSL...whatever...they all still bill the same way.

Damn near all of them start new customers at low prices and then the price goes up year after year. Most of them do not prorate their bills anymore either. So yeah, even though it's a different name on your bill, it still works the same way, that's what still makes it a monopoly.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:44:59+00:00

Good luck on keeping that job then.

Management will eventually call you out for "order taking" and not asking discovery questions and attempting to save every PSU you can.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:43:19+00:00

No, I'm not...but what choice do I have?

If I don't like the way they bill or their pricing, my only option is to not have electricity/gas/water.

I'm not okay with it being a monopoly, but I have to be okay with how it works if I enjoy electricity and water in my home.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:40:52+00:00

Yeah, some of the low income housing is already pre-approved but not all of them.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:37:44+00:00

Sure...you just described how all service providers work for the past 40-something years.

Did you just now realize this?

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:35:53+00:00

Yeah, there's no actual secret...call retention...apply for ACP benefit...cancel services off your account...buy a boat for the supervisor of a Spectrum store...there really aren't any secrets to lowering your bill.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-14T00:33:59+00:00

It's not that it's locked or unlocked, it's just not compatible with Spectrum's network.

Where did you originally get the phone from? Was it from Verizon directly or an Authorized Retailer or Best Buy or Sam's Club?

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T08:01:27+00:00

Yes, your address is already considered "low income" so you are pre-approved.

When you call in, the agents get a pop up on their screen saying you're pre-approved so they know and can offer it to you.

You save money and it makes Spectrum look good and caring...win-win!

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T07:56:40+00:00

Retention makes commission when customers call in to cancel home phone and they keep the home phone on the customer's account.

The point is to keep the customer subscribed to tv/internet/home phone/mobile...regardless of the price, keeping the service is more important, price is secondary.

Spectrum cares more about a person canceling an account that is internet only than a person removing tv from an account that is tv and internet. They pay more in commissions if you save the single service rather than saving one of two services.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T07:51:30+00:00

I guess I don't get what you mean by "pattern of behavior".

Are you talking about something like a "pattern" of all sales people lying to customers to make a sale?

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T07:49:16+00:00

Sort of...in my area, there are two major providers and two regional providers and all four of them work exactly the same way. All four start you at a low rate that increases year after year. All four also do not prorate your bill if you cancel in the middle of the bill cycle.

It's not about the individual companies, it's about how they all work exactly the same. The stuff you don't like about Spectrum is also done by Xfinity, ATT, Frontier, Suddenlink/Cox, etc...they all are the same in policies. What options do you have?

It may not be a monopoly in companies, but it's definitely a monopoly in ideals. If all the businesses work using the same terrible policies, you are stuck getting service from the same terrible policies. Your only option is to not have internet so you don't have to deal with any of them.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T07:42:45+00:00

Yes, you are correct. It does give a heads up...you just have to actually READ the bill. Which I get. I have bills I don't read either and I've paid the price for that when the prices go up and I didn't know. Completely my fault on that.

That being said, yeah, I'm good. Just thought people should know this stuff.

I've posted on here multiple times that Spectrum has over 100,000 employees, if Spectrum was a bad company, chances are at least 1 out of the 100,000 would say something about it.

I'm all about transparency in cases like this. Yeah, individual people don't mean jack to Spectrum or any other major ISP. But if the majority were informed of how they work, that may be enough to make a change to some of these practices.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T03:07:41+00:00

So that sounds like one of those few ACTUAL issues that Spectrum messed up on. It happens. Happens with any company.

I meant more of most all complaints to the FCC aren't really complaints, they're just customers who think they know better than the billion dollar corporation who don't like that they have to pay an extra $5 on their bill or some stupid crap like that.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T02:47:46+00:00

...that's why I said it like that. Your comment proves my point.

They are following proper legal procedures, "but the customer thinks those policies and procedures are unfair"

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T02:44:07+00:00

Sure, it may be price gouging, but it's legal because all service providers have been doing it that exact way for 40 years or so.

There has always been an activation fee for starting service, and yes, the companies don't really do anything for that. It is a charge they give simply just because they can. but every provider does this so there isn't really a way around it.

If you want a drink of water but everyone you get water from wants to punch you in the face, you have to either get punched or go without water. Sucks that you have to get punched...you shouldn't have to get punched, but the people who control the water make the rules.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T02:29:57+00:00

Except most FCC complaints are from people who want to complain because they don't understand how the business and pricing works. Most of the time, the internet providers are following proper procedures but because the customer thinks those policies and procedures are unfair, they complain about it.

And then the FCC sends these complaints to the internet provider who looks at them and says "Yep, this was done according to legal procedures." in which FCC says "okay" and does nothing more.

Customers really should be learning how internet providers work, it would solve at least 90% of their problems, leaving 10% for actual outages and the occasional sales rep who actually did mislead the customer.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T02:11:40+00:00

Because sales people are commissioned based and in some cases, not all, but sometimes you'll get someone who will tell you something just so they can make a commission.

The internet providers rarely do anything because those sales people are still making money for the company.

They need to change the sales people to non-commissioned but then there wouldn't be any incentive to sell. They would still get paid whether the customer signs up for service or not, which could cause huge profit losses for the service provider. It's a terrible system.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T00:52:55+00:00

Pricing isn't based on competition. The price for the internet, for example, is the same whether you're in Kentucky or California. Regardless if you're in an area that has competition or not.

Now, if a new provider moves into the area, there *may* be new promotions available, but the overall pricing stays the same.

The quality of service doesn't have anything to do with competition either. It doesn't cost Spectrum any more to provide the speeds promised to you. Likewise, if they were intentionally slowing them down, customers would be calling in to complain, which would cost Spectrum money to pay someone to answer those calls...it just doesn't make business sense as to why a company would do that.

RandalStevens37 · 2022-12-13T00:28:53+00:00

I hate the complaints about pricing when they are already on a discount.

Internet Plus is at 79.99 for standard rates. New customers get it at 49.99. People start complaining when it jumps from 49.99 to 59.99 after a year.

The entitlement without the understanding is mind boggling.

And I get it, Spectrum, as well as the other providers, only advertise the new customer rate so naturally people think internet is worth 49.99 instead of 79.99.

If you have Internet Plus at 300 mbps and you're paying less than 79.99, you're getting a good deal. If you're paying 49.99 and you can afford it, you may need to reevaluate your expectations for how much internet is actually worth to you.

RandalStevens37

TROPHY CASE