Spectrum's price increases over the last 2 years

[iono1]

Two years ago I switched from Verizon Fios phone, cable & internet bundle to Spectrum when they offered about a $50+ month decrease.  I get the best TV package with the most movie stations.  I know I can find stuff significantly cheaper but the best package is what I want.  However, when I feel I'm getting ripped off it's time to move on.  I knew it would go up after a year, but I didn't know it was a 2 year tiered rate increase.  My original Spectrum deal was $175/month.  After a year they not only raise me to $210/month but a few months later took away Cinemax & EPIX movie channels with no change in rates to reflect the change in available channels.  I was offered a chance to get those 2 channels back at an additional charge for each but declined. This month, on the 2 year anniversary of my switch to Spectrum, my bill was increased to $257/month.  

Well it's back to Verizon for $227/month & I'll get back EPIX and Cinemax.  Right now the only problem is Verizon isn't coming into houses, so because I doubt I can hook the phones up from my basement, I'm waiting until they can have a complete install in my house.  They have already waived the installation fee.  

When I switched 2 years ago, the conversation with Verizon to cancel was very cordial & I remember ending it with I might be back someday.  Someday is pretty soon now.  On the other hand, I feel Spectrum wasn't honest in their dealings.  They never mentioned the rates would go up after the 2nd year (I knew about the 1st year only) and they reduced my premium channels without a rate decrease. I won't ever be going back to Spectrum.  

[Happy prose]

I hate cable companies. We switch between Verizon and Cablevision every two years. I hate them both. I'm not a big TV person, but I like some sports. I may want to try Internet only, then get Hulu live. I'm just scared it may be missing some things I want. 

[Deleted]

I got fed up with them all.  When DH and I moved 5 years ago the previous owner told us that if we got Comcast, which he had, they'd keep the rates at what he was paying for 2 years.  We signed up but they wouldn't tell us what he'd been paying- just offered us a rate that would stay constant for 2 years plus a $200 gift card.  The latter never came.  The previous owner actually followed up with us to verify that we'd signed up, which makes me wonder if HE was promised a gift card if he got us to sign up and this we didn't get one.

While DH was alive we had to have some paid service so he could watch the sports he liked.  I added Netflix as he got sicker, knowing he'd be housebound more.  After he died, the bill nudged up a bit- within the 2-year period.  The junk charge for what they paid to pro sports had gone up.  I guess that since the base rate hadn't gone up, it wasn't an increase.  Whatever.

Fortunately, Google Fiber was available by then.  VERY happy with them.  Yes, there are channels I "want"- I enjoyed NatGeo Wild and TruTV- but there's a ton of stuff on Netflix I enjoy and I can legitimately share my account with DS and DDIL (it just won't run on more than 2 devices at once).  

With team sports going to games in empty arenas for the near future, I wonder how many people will be willing to keep the expensive sports packages.

[Deleted]

iono1, I use Spectrum for internet and a house phone.  It's $98 a month.  We had to have a house phone for DH's medical device.  I still like the house phone even after DH passed away because it's easier to talk on than my Apple Iphone.  And there are five phones scattered throughout the house and basement so I don't have to figure out where my phone is to answer it.  Like you said, it was cheaper before I ended the 2-year period.  But I'm satisfied with where it landed.  Internet alone was $60+.

Tv was Directv at $147 a month with a $50 discount before that price.  We had no premium channels but everything else.  Like @athena53, it was for DH.  When he passed away, I talked to them about reducing it, but the least I could get it to with four HD tvs was still over $100 a month.  So I switched to streaming.  I already had Amazon Prime.  I added Sling at first, but I just wasn't watching it so I got rid of it.  Hulu had a $1.99 a month Black Friday special good for a year, and I jumped on it.  I will continue it after the promo ends.  I am not a huge tv watcher so it gives me enough at a good price ($5.99 a month, I believe, for what I currently get).  I get my news, etc. online.

I know the $227 from Verizon includes internet and a house phone, but that is still a lot of money.  It isn't as much as I was spending, but it isn't pocket change either.  Does that happen to include cell phone with a data plan as well?

[iono1]

No cellphone.  I hardly ever use my cellphone.  I have a Tracfone with over 5000 minutes on it that I renew every 2 years.  I needed it for football tickets more than anything else-I went to 4 games last year & the tickets were on my phone.  The only other time I use the cellphone is when I travel, which isn't happening any time soon.  I did have to use it for a virtual doctor's appointment last month. 

[Deleted]

I watch TV on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon and it costs me no where near that much money, actually about 1/5th or less.

[jkapp]

I dropped Cable TV way back in 2013...I still have Spectrum for Internet ($65/month...but with taxes and fees it comes to about $75).  I'm not crazy about Spectrum but I do like them better than when they were Time Warner.  When they changed from TW to Spectrum, I ended up getting a lot faster internet for a much cheaper price.

I currently only stream Amazon Prime and Netflix...but as I watch thru the Netflix catalog, I will probably eventually drop them and get Hulu or HBO Max for a while.  And then just flip flop between one or the other as the years go by.  This is exactly what I wanted for years: a la carte television...it isn't exactly in the same form as I'd hoped but as long as people can get over the "I want it all now" mentality, they can save a crap load of money on TV these days   With just Amazon and Netflix right now, I average less than $20/month for TV (since I would have internet anyway for my computer, I don't really figure that into the cost)!

[Deleted]

$257/month for cable?  Ugh.  I haven't had cable in 20 years and don't miss it a bit and that just convinces me more that I'm not missing out.  All those movie channels are such a rip off when you can watch all that stuff on Netflix or Prime.  I have a Tivo box to DVR everything that comes over the air (get about 15 channels that come in perfectly).  Then use the streaming services for everything else.  I share Netflix with my ex, have Prime (but would have that anyhow and share that with my aunt) and sign up for the free weeks of other services occasionally.  I watch WAAAAY too much TV and pretty much just spend $51 for internet.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

We are pretty much hamstrung by Comcast.  They are the only player in the area where we live for internet service, and receiving any signal from an antenna is squat.  They DO provide very good service though.

Until last Dec. we paid $260/mo for internet and basic cable service, no movie channels.  We got notified that our cable box was obsolete and we needed to exchange it, so disconnected and brought it in.  Not sure how, but we now have faster internet, more movie channels, free Netflix and a cool voice command for $180/mo.  It is not for a set time and no contract (which is largely the reason we did not check further....our bad).  Fingers crossed this will last and they won’t start jacking up the rate.  Internet alone is 50% of the cost.

[souldoubt]

I dropped Spectrum cable 2-3 years ago after getting tired of looking at my bill and seeing various taxes and other fees driving the cost up along with the cost of the cable/dvr boxes.  I also got tired of playing games with them where I'd have to call and threaten to leave so that they give me their current "deal" which reduced the overall cost.  When I called to cancel cable they didn't even put up a fight and it took 30 seconds to complete the request.  They do send out current offers now at $45 a month each for internet plus cable but it's only good for x months and it still comes out to more than what I pay for internet and sling right now.  I do still have internet through Spectrum because in my area it's them, FIOS or satellite and FIOS which used to be great in my area went downhill a few years back and I have no desire to deal with a satellite connection.  The cost of sling, hulu, prime, netflix and internet cost me $135 last month while I was paying closer to $200 a month for just internet/cable.  In my opinion cable companies got away with screwing over customers for years when there weren't many options while cord cutting was the evolution and response.  I keep checking to see if google fiber is available in my area and it is in our county but not in my zip code yet.  My buddy in the IT field has recommended it and I'll make the switch unless the reviews are horrible.  After paying thousands of dollars to TWC/Spectrum over the last so many decades I'd like to get away from paying them anything with how they treated long time customers.

[andi9899]

I ditched cable years ago. Time Warner (before they became Spectrum) wanted to charge me something like $230/month for cable/internet/phone and not with all the channels. I pay $116/month for Sling, Hulu, Netflix, and Google Fiber for internet. I also have an antenna if I want to watch something local. I don't need a landline.

[souldoubt]

Good point about the antenna.  Bought a digital one for $20 that gives me 50+ local channels.  Between that and sling I have access to CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox which gives me access to most live sporting events. 

[justme]

May 27, 2020 13:12:48 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I ditched cable years ago. Time Warner (before they became Spectrum) wanted to charge me something like $230/month for cable/internet/phone and not with all the channels. I pay $116/month for Sling, Hulu, Netflix, and Google Fiber for internet. I also have an antenna if I want to watch something local. I don't need a landline.

Google fiber must be cheaper! I was using directv now until their price got higher than my internet company's internet + streaming cable TV package. Less than $10 savings but still something. But that's 120 not including Netflix and hulu.

[justme]

May 27, 2020 12:35:20 GMT -5 souldoubt said:

I dropped Spectrum cable 2-3 years ago after getting tired of looking at my bill and seeing various taxes and other fees driving the cost up along with the cost of the cable/dvr boxes.  I also got tired of playing games with them where I'd have to call and threaten to leave so that they give me their current "deal" which reduced the overall cost.  When I called to cancel cable they didn't even put up a fight and it took 30 seconds to complete the request.  They do send out current offers now at $45 a month each for internet plus cable but it's only good for x months and it still comes out to more than what I pay for internet and sling right now.  I do still have internet through Spectrum because in my area it's them, FIOS or satellite and FIOS which used to be great in my area went downhill a few years back and I have no desire to deal with a satellite connection.  The cost of sling, hulu, prime, netflix and internet cost me $135 last month while I was paying closer to $200 a month for just internet/cable.  In my opinion cable companies got away with screwing over customers for years when there weren't many options while cord cutting was the evolution and response.  I keep checking to see if google fiber is available in my area and it is in our county but not in my zip code yet.  My buddy in the IT field has recommended it and I'll make the switch unless the reviews are horrible.  After paying thousands of dollars to TWC/Spectrum over the last so many decades I'd like to get away from paying them anything with how they treated long time customers.

Ugh. Spectrum charges me $70 for internet alone. It's currently cheaper to use their streaming only service because it knocks down my internet portion by almost $25. Saved like $20 forgoing DVR boxes - which isn't much of an issue with their on demand stuff.