We have Spectrum Internet & TV, and also a service plan for two cellphones.

We have been using Spectrum's cellphone service (riding on the Verizon network) for $14 / phone, and have experienced no problems. The cable / TV package (lowest cost, most basic TV plan) continues to increase in cost, but we kept it in order to get cellphone service -- in order to get mobile service at this price from Spectrum, you must be an internet subscriber with them.

Just got the monthly bill from Spectrum for the cellphone service. Significant increase in cost, no explanation.

Spectrum website does not offer any way to contact Spectrum other than a telephone number, which is totally useless to me because hearing aids. I use my cellphone for written communication -- text and email. The website does not show an email address for customer NO-service. It does not show a postal mailing address. There is a "Chat" option but there is no apparent way to get past the idiotic mechanical robot that just takes me in circles.

I'm going to have to find new provider(s) for home internet, cell phone service plans, and TV -- I do not watch, but my wife does.

Just came here to vent and blow off steam, the situation is aggravating, I need more BP meds.

So the phone deal is only good for how long? A year? The problem with switching to new phone providers every few years is that prices only ever go up and you lose any grandfathered deal you may have had before for a plan that may not be permanent.

I like T-Mobile for my phone service but my plan is twenty years old and grandfathered. If I had to switch services I don't know who I would pick because most discounts are for multiple lines, usually at least 4 it seems and I only need 1. There is a 55+ plan on T-Mobile for 2 lines but I don't know if all the features would suit your needs at the most affordable level.

As far as Internet and TV service, I would probably stick with Spectrum for the convenience of the TV interface. The alternative would be either streaming or satellite service. Although I am tempted to switch to an app for streaming TV channels, I am hesitating because I've always hated the interfaces of streaming services.

We have Ting for two cellphones and the monthly bill for both together is just over $30, but that’s because we typically use very little data (< 1GB) over the cellular network. Data over the house wifi link isn’t charged and since that’s where we use most data, it works for us. No contract, it’s pay for what you use. Just fyi.

quote:

Originally posted by Paten:

So the phone deal is only good for how long? A year?

The phone deal is tied to Spectrum Internet service. It is good until you discontinue their internet service, or until they arbitrarily decide to raise the price, whichever comes first.

In this case, Spectrum decided to raise the price of the phone deal by 43% with no advance notice, in addition to the increases in the cost of their internet service, which seem to come along every few months.

My main gripe here is that Spectrum makes it damn extremely difficult for me to contact a human. There is no mailing address available on their website. There is no email address. The chat facility is a robotic thing that just takes me in circles; typing "human" or "agent" or "representative" just refers me to the website, which is inane, because I'm already using the website to access the chat thing.

The website does offer a phone number, which is useless to me because hearing aids. Not sure whether this is an ADA violation, it might be, because Spectrum is making it extremely difficult for a hearing-disabled person to receive a similar level of service that is offered to non-disabled customers.

Can your wife or someone else do the talking on the phone for you?
Maybe just ask CS if there is an email option for you use?

I think you may just have to go to the local Spectrum Store to talk to someone then.

There is an Accessibility Options page but don't know if they list a contact option that you can use.

Spectrum.net Accessibility Options

quote:

Originally posted by tsmccull:

We have Ting for two cellphones and the monthly bill for both together is just over $30, but that’s because we typically use very little data (< 1GB) over the cellular network. Data over the house wifi link isn’t charged and since that’s where we use most data, it works for us. No contract, it’s pay for what you use. Just fyi.

Bingo! I am now in the process of switching over to Ting. Their website "chat" is actually connected to a live person (imagine that!) who speaks (types) English, is based in North America (some in Canada, some in U.S.), and is polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. Spectrum could learn something from Ting.

Hmmm, I must be getting great service from Spectrum.

I get at least one call a week to check on, fix and upgrade my service from someone from India name Ed, Roger or Bill.

... AND I don't even have an account or use Spectrum nor is it available in my area.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:

Can your wife or someone else do the talking on the phone for you?

If the company cared at all about customer service, that would not be necessary. That is the essence of my gripe.

quote:

Spectrum website does not offer any way to contact Spectrum other than a telephone number, which is totally useless to me because hearing aids.

I have had good luck simply calling and repeating "I want to speak to a representative," but I can see how that would be a problem for you. This is, you have to admit, kind of an "outlier" situation that they don't know how to handle. They do have a link to send them feedback. Perhaps you could avail yourself of it. It may or may not help, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Spectrum website does not offer any way to contact Spectrum other than a telvephone number, which is totally useless to me because hearing aids.

you have to admit, kind of an "outlier" situation that they don't know how to handle. They do have a link to send them feedback.

Do they really not know how to handle it? My belief is that they choose not to handle it. Compare with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Consumer Cellular, Ting, Visible, and just about every other service provider that I have looked at. Every one of these others has "chat" on their website and / or email address for customer service published on their website. Spectrum is the only provider that I have noticed, that seems to be telephone only.

Re the feedback link that you mentioned -- when I saw your post, I looked at the Spectrum website again, but I did not see this link. If it's there, I missed it.

In any event, I am taking steps to solve the problem. tsmccull mentioned Ting for cell service. I looked at their website, it looked good, I hit the "chat" button and was immediately connected to an agent based in North America who spoke (typed, actually) English, was very courteous, knew his product, listened to what I wanted, offered a good solution, and sent out a coupe of SIMs for our two phones via FedEx, at no charge. The cost for service: ten bucks for each of the two phones for unlimited voice (my wife uses some, I use almost zero) and text. 99% of our data use is via wifi, so that's free. If we use any cellular data, it will be five bucks per gig, shared between us; monthly usage might very well be zero, in which case the five bucks is not charged, and would rarely, if ever, go over one gig.

Once the cell service is switched over -- we are pre-paid with Spectrum through March 12, so will activate Ting a few days prior -- I'll be able to dump Spectrum internet with no cost penalty. WOW fiber is being laid in the area, so that's a possibility, as well as T-Mobile or Verizon internet via cellular link.

I don't watch TV, but wife does, and she wants the programs that are on her list. I'll activate YouTube TV one-week free trial and let her experiment with it. If YouTube TV gets everything she watches on Spectrum cable TV, Spectrum will then be fired for all three services that we have today: cell phones, internet connection, and TV programming.

I have Spectrum Internet and two of the $14 dollar lines. They are only 1gb per line but shared the 2gb between them. That is almost always enough for us, as we are both retired and on wifi calling at home. Additional data are 15 bucks per gb if you go over. Unlimited would be $45 each. It works well and uses the Version network. I can switch from 1gb to unlimited for one month pretty easily online if we go on vacation etc.

All that said... For ANY contact with them I find it much better to just drive the ~20 miles to the closest office and talk to someone in person...

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:

I have Spectrum Internet and two of the $14 dollar lines. They are only 1gb per line but shared the 2gb between them.

That's the same plan that we have had for several years. It is now history. As of the current billing cycle, the lowest cost plan, unlimited talk and text and 1GB data per phone, has gone up by 43%. It is now $39.98 / month for our two phones.

There was no warning, no advance notice, that the increase was coming; it just appeared on the last day of the previous month's paid bill, so there was no time to switch to another provider. They nailed me for one month, but that's the end of it.

Ting has unlimited text and talk for $10 / phone, running on the same network (Verizon). There's no data at that price, but much like you, we use almost no data at all, and most of that is on WiFi. Ting charges $5 / GB of shared data, but if you don't use any cellular data, you don't pay for any. Customer service reps in North America (Canada or U.S.) are easy to contact (asw opposed to Spectrum), which is a big plus for me. Our Spectrum service is paid through March 12, so I'll port the numbers to Ting a few days before that.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

There was no warning, no advance notice, that the increase was coming; it just appeared on the last day of the previous month's paid bill, so there was no time to switch to another provider. They nailed me for one month, but that's the end of it.

Thanks for the heads up, will watch out for that.

It says in their advertising that the current plan price is only for 12 months. It shouldn't be a surprise when special pricing expires, especially from cable companies. They've done it on all their cable packages since forever. It's one of the reasons I haven't considered changing my phone plan.

Just make sure that plan you switch to doesn't have an expiration date either. Even if it doesn't, if your new MVNO is ever acquired by or merges with another company, it will probably expire some time after that.

T-mobile is trying to acquire Mint Mobile right now. I wouldn't expect Mint's $15 plan to still be around a couple of years after that happens.

quote:

Originally posted by Paten:

It says in their advertising that the current plan price is only for 12 months.

I do not know what Spectrum's current advertising states, but there was definitely no 12 month limit on the pricing for cellular service when we started to use the mobile service several years ago.

The only reference to time-limited pricing that I have ever noticed is for Spectrum's internet and TV service, but not for mobile service.

They send billing notices via email each month, so there is no excuse for failing to give customers a heads-up notice that a billing increase is on the way, instead of just springing it as a done deal.

Why would they handle their mobile plans differently than their cable/internet plans? They just have a disclaimer in the small print at the bottom of the ads as cover for them. Nobody reads the small print.

quote:

Originally posted by Paten:

Why would they handle their mobile plans differently than their cable/internet plans? They just have a disclaimer in the small print at the bottom of the ads as cover for them. Nobody reads the small print.

Here is a link to the Spectrum web page that shows pricing. Referring to the "By the Gig" plan -- the plan that we have had for several years at $14.00 per month for each of two phones -- I do not see any reference to "limited time" or "12 months" or "introductory offer" or anything similar. If you know where to find that, please show a link or a screen shot.

https://www.spectrum.com/mobile/plans/data-by-the-gig

Small print at the bottom of the page:

quote:

Restrictions Apply

Limited time offer; subject to change; offer applies to qualified residential customers without any outstanding obligation to Spectrum. Devices excluded from offer. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Per line activation fee, Spectrum Internet and Auto Pay required. Restrictions apply. Visit spectrum.com/mobile/plans for details.

They reserve the right to change it when they want to. On the plans page it says the $15 per line for 2 lines is for 12 months.

And V-Tail reserves the right to change plans whenever he wants and dump Spectrum.

See ya, sucka....