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Comcast Exec: "We Are Losing Huge Numbers Of Subscribers Because, Uhhh Harvey And Irma!" Login/Join 
Official Space Nerd
Picture of Hound Dog
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by comet24:

I was paying more for less than new customers would get. They all play that game.


Cell phone companies used to do this until they got smart and realized that they were losing customers. My wife and I would jump between cell companies every 2 years for the 'new customer incentives.' Somewhere in the 2004-2008 timeframe, they wised up and we've been with the same company ever since.

If this is what they are doing now, Comcast management doesn't seem to be too smart.



Fear God and Dread Nought
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
 
Posts: 21838 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Now in Florida
Picture of ChicagoSigMan
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I am actually a big fan of Comcast. They are expensive for sure, but their Xfinity system is fantastic. I am amazed at the technology and the options I have for viewing. The on-screen Operating system is easy to use and powerful . I can watch shows from my DVR on my iPad anywhere in the world. I can stream on demand movies the same way. They have free wifi hotspots all over the country. I pay about $250-300 per month for voice, internet (150mbps) and cable. It's definitely expensive (plus my wife watches a lot of rented movies), but I feel like I get a lot for the money. Yes it would be nice to be able to cut out ESPN and other expensive channels I don't watch, but overall, I get a ton of value for the money.
 
Posts: 6063 | Location: FL | Registered: March 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ol' Jack always says...
what the hell.
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Hound Dog:
quote:
Originally posted by comet24:

I was paying more for less than new customers would get. They all play that game.


Cell phone companies used to do this until they got smart and realized that they were losing customers. My wife and I would jump between cell companies every 2 years for the 'new customer incentives.' Somewhere in the 2004-2008 timeframe, they wised up and we've been with the same company ever since.

If this is what they are doing now, Comcast management doesn't seem to be too smart.
When my Verizon contract was up I contacted them about going from 25Mbps to 75Mbps. They said they could do it if I signed a new 2 year contract. I'm not big on shopping around for the best deals ever 2 years so I figured it would be a good enough deal, easier just to stick with them. So after turning in 2 HD boxes and tripling my internet speed I was paying $5 more per month. Only the internet speed wasn't faster at all. When I started shopping around I found that Verizon was offering 1gig internet speeds. For the same price as I was going to go to Xfinity for 100Mbps. When I called them they said that's only for new customers. Roll Eyes

I'm guessing they bank on most people not wanting to switch it up regularly to get the best pricing every two years.
 
Posts: 10188 | Location: PA | Registered: March 30, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Cogito Ergo Sum
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Came home and the internet is down again. 20 minute wait for service agent. Unlimited Verizon is looking better.
 
Posts: 5693 | Registered: August 01, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Just try getting a credit from these jerks when your cable is down for two months. They are almost as bad as health insurance companies.


AT&T sucks too. There is a problem when third world countries have more reliable and faster internet than many of us.
 
Posts: 17221 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by comet24:
... I had been a long time customer over 10 years. Had no contract and wanted the current deals that new customers could get. I was willing to sign the two-year contract but they wouldn't give me those deals or anything close, only for new customers.

I think sometimes it depends on the CSR and how you talk to them.

The first time I went to renew with Comcast the CSR had a bit of an attitude, so I did, as well.

Fast-forward a year or so. Beginning to have regular, persistent problems with our Internet connectivity. Called them about it. They thought it was the cablemodem. CSR says "You know, you could save money by getting back on contract..." Told him what had happened last time. "That isn't right," he replied. I agreed to give it another go and he transferred me. The renewals CSR and I went back-and-forth, did a bit of bantering. Got over $20/mo. knocked off my tab for a two-year contract, price locked-in for the first year.
When she asked if there was anything else she could do for me I said "Well, up me to 50mb/s for the same price, and lock the price in for the full two years?" with a smile in my voice. "I don't think so," she replied. <pause> "I wonder...?" she said. "Can you hang on a minute?" "For you I'd hang on forever," I quipped. She laughed. Came back in a couple minutes. In the end I got over $20/mo. knocked off the bill, bumped from 16/3 to 50/12, and a three-year lock-in on the price. And a newer cablemodem. No charge for the truck roll, either.

Lesson learned: If the CSR you're talking to isn't treating you right, terminate the call (politely!) and call back. And never, ever be hostile to the CSRs. They don't make the rules, but they sure can use them. Treat the right one right and he or she may just use what they know to your advantage.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
St. Vitus
Dance Instructor
Picture of blueye
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Unless Matt Strauss started the company himself he doesn't give a flying fuck. Over the top salary,bonuses in place and a very good golden parachute on the back end. He really believes the steaming pile he told them is the truth.
 
Posts: 5299 | Location: basement | Registered: April 06, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
delicately calloused
Picture of darthfuster
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Cord cutting explodes.


"Seeing the writing on this wall, several TV programmers have launched or are prepping direct-to-consumer streaming services themselves. CBS in 2014 launched All Access, while Disney has set early 2018 for the debut of a no-cable-needed ESPN OTT package (although that will exclude NFL and NBA games). In addition, five media companies — A+E Networks, Viacom, Discovery, Scripps Networks Interactive and AMC Networks — reportedly have joined forces to create a non-sports streaming bundle of cable programming to be priced at under $20 per month."

The quote above is essentially what I asked of Comcast years ago. Allow me to choose a la carte the programming I wish to pay for. They said no so I bailed. If Comcast had been forward thinking, they would have set a system up to do what I asked. No the industry has found its way around the obstacle which is Comcast. Cable will be wreckage in the wake. I am surprised that businesses don't learn from the past.



You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
 
Posts: 29681 | Location: Highland, Ut. | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
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quote:
Originally posted by darthfuster:
The quote above is essentially what I asked of Comcast years ago. Allow me to choose a la carte the programming I wish to pay for. They said no so I bailed.

They said "no" because they were prohibited from doing so by contract with some of their content suppliers. Most notably ESPN: ESPN sues Verizon over new 'skinny bundles' for cable TV

I've mentioned this before, but few seem to be getting it: Those cable bundles subsidize sports programming whether you pay for a sports channel or not. (And the less desirable channels, too.) If the sports channels lose those subsidies they'll have to start charging their customers full boat, which is estimated to be between $20 and $36 a month per sports channel. The sports content providers' fear is too few watching sports fans will pony up that kind of money, meaning they'd have to charge the remainder more, which means fewer subscribers, which means... you get the idea.

Same for the non-sports content, but not quite to the same extreme. E.g.: Disney is going to fire up their own streaming service. Are you willing to pay $15-$20/mo. just for Disney content? (We won't.)

So, yes, you will eventually get the a la carte programming you wanted, but you'll end up paying the same, or more, for less channels.

Especially, by the way, if the ISPs get their way vis-a-vis Network Neutrality. Right now you pay your ISP $X/month for bandwidth. You get to use it however you like. Let's say Ajit Pai's FCC, at your and the other ISPs' behest, succeeds in killing NN. (He used to work for the very companies he's now charged with regulating, in case you didn't know.) Your ISP then says to you "Bandwidth demand due to Netflix/Amazon Prime/YouTube/Disney/ESPN/whatever-you're-using is placing undue strain on our network, therefore you'll have to pay a small additional monthly fee to offset our infrastructure costs or no more <whatever> for you." Now your subscription costs just went up some more.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ensigmatic,



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Oh stewardess,
I speak jive.
Picture of 46and2
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Even if they had ala carte TV it wouldn't be any cheaper for most, and it's not their fault.
 
Posts: 25613 | Registered: March 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
delicately calloused
Picture of darthfuster
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
quote:
Originally posted by darthfuster:
The quote above is essentially what I asked of Comcast years ago. Allow me to choose a la carte the programming I wish to pay for. They said no so I bailed.

They said "no" because they were prohibited from doing so by contract with some of their content suppliers. Most notably ESPN: ESPN sues Verizon over new 'skinny bundles' for cable TV

I've mentioned this before, but few seem to be getting it: Those cable bundles subsidize sports programming whether you pay for a sports channel or not. (And the less desirable channels, too.) If the sports channels lose those subsidies they'll have to start charging their customers full boat, which is estimated to be between $20 and $36 a month per sports channel. The sports content providers' fear is too few watching sports fans will pony up that kind of money, meaning they'd have to charge the remainder more, which means fewer subscribers, which means... you get the idea.

Same for the non-sports content, but not quite to the same extreme. E.g.: Disney is going to fire up their own streaming service. Are you willing to pay $15-$20/mo. just for Disney content? (We won't.)

So, yes, you will eventually get the a la carte programming you wanted, but you'll end up paying the same, or more, for less channels.

Especially, by the way, if the ISPs get their way vis-a-vis Network Neutrality. Right now you pay your ISP $X/month for bandwidth. You get to use it however you like. Let's say Ajit Pai's FCC, at your and the other ISPs' behest, succeeds in killing NN. (He used to work for the very companies he's now charged with regulating, in case you didn't know.) Your ISP then says to you "Bandwidth demand due to Netflix/Amazon Prime/YouTube/Disney/ESPN/whatever-you're-using is placing undue strain on our network, therefore you'll have to pay a small additional monthly fee to offset our infrastructure costs or no more <whatever> for you." Now your subscription costs just went up some more.


Or I could recognize a fustercluck when I see one and bail.



You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier
 
Posts: 29681 | Location: Highland, Ut. | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
but their Xfinity system is fantastic. I am amazed at the technology and the options I have for viewing.


Are you for real?

The Xfinity X-1 box I have is the SLOWEST, clunkiest POS I've ever used. I had a 386 in 1990 that was faster than this thing! Seriously, why in the year 2017 do I have to wait sometimes 3-6 seconds before anything happens when I press a button on the Xfinity remote?


 
Posts: 33750 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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This sums it up PERFECTLY. NSFW because of relevant language:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMcny_pixDw


NRA Training Counselor
NRA Benefactor Member
 
Posts: 2506 | Location: FL | Registered: May 07, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Now in Florida
Picture of ChicagoSigMan
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
quote:
Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
but their Xfinity system is fantastic. I am amazed at the technology and the options I have for viewing.


Are you for real?

The Xfinity X-1 box I have is the SLOWEST, clunkiest POS I've ever used. I had a 386 in 1990 that was faster than this thing! Seriously, why in the year 2017 do I have to wait sometimes 3-6 seconds before anything happens when I press a button on the Xfinity remote?


I've never had that issue.
 
Posts: 6063 | Location: FL | Registered: March 09, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Back, and
to the left
Picture of 83v45magna
posted Hide Post
With most professional sports and now ESPN itself doubling down on stupid, expect cable companies to start really feeling it in their bottom line.

And they think it's bad now. Big Grin



I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. -Ecclesiastes 9:11
 
Posts: 7248 | Location: Dallas | Registered: August 04, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
bigger government
= smaller citizen
Picture of Veeper
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Comcast sucks. Those a-holes renewed my 75mb internet deal but insisted that I also have TV (local channels and HBO) for free. They sent me a box, and sent along an HDMI cable for full HD connectivity.

I was so enthusiastic about having TV that I plugged the box in and went through the setup menus, six months after it arrived.

So here's where Comcast sucks the everloving donkiest of donkey dick: I tried to tune to my local NBC affiliate and it told me that I needed to upgrade my account in order to receive HD programming.

Say what?

Those terminally stupid nitwits actually believe that shipping someone an HD box and then locking the local channels behind an HD paywall is smart? Does anyone still own a standard definition television?

Well at least there's HBO. I can watch Game of Thrones with my wife-

Oh. No, I can't. I can stream it in HD from HBOGO, but Comcast saw fit to lock me out of "HD" HBO as well.

Good grief what a bunch of losers.




“The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.”—H.L. Mencken
 
Posts: 9151 | Location: West Michigan | Registered: April 20, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bad dog!
Picture of justjoe
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What more can you say? Comcast sucks. I know, I have Comcast right now. I've been quite busy, but as soon as my schedule allows, I will explore Sling TV. Comcast's great good fortune has been that Verizon, which also sucks, was their competition. Now other possibilities are springing up, and they-- including Verizon-- are doomed.


______________________________________________________

"You get much farther with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone."
 
Posts: 11106 | Location: pennsylvania | Registered: June 05, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Veeper:
Comcast sucks. Those a-holes renewed my 75mb internet deal but insisted that I also have TV (local channels and HBO) for free. They sent me a box, and sent along an HDMI cable for full HD connectivity.

Let me see if I understand this: They gave you something for free and you're complaining they gave you a Taurus instead of an MKZ?



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
bigger government
= smaller citizen
Picture of Veeper
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
quote:
Originally posted by Veeper:
Comcast sucks. Those a-holes renewed my 75mb internet deal but insisted that I also have TV (local channels and HBO) for free. They sent me a box, and sent along an HDMI cable for full HD connectivity.

Let me see if I understand this: They gave you something for free and you're complaining they gave you a Taurus instead of an MKZ?


Did you stop reading at that paragraph?




“The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.”—H.L. Mencken
 
Posts: 9151 | Location: West Michigan | Registered: April 20, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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