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| GRRR! |
Face it we are captive to our TV and Internet
providers. It is a major hassle to
change from one provider to another.
Awhile back I got a price increase by FIOS. I called and expressed my frustration with
the continuing inflation of my bill.
More fees, bumping up the box payment leases a dollar or two a box. Doesn't sound like much but consider the
customer base and what a single dollar increase per customer equals. Try $9,000,000.00 for a single dollar increase.
(9,000,000 subscribers
as of 4/24/14) I called FIOS and a
service rep told me because I wasn't screaming and ranting she would talk to
her supervisor to see if she could help me.
She came back on line and told me she got my bill reduced $40.00 per
month. Wow! I was totally impressed, I called over a
$6.00 per month increase and she was going to get me a $40.00 per month
decrease. Just sign up for a two year
agreement. I would get an email that I
should ignore the prices on as the decrease wouldn't come until it was
processed. Foolishly I believed her!
Got my FIOS bill today, not only did it NOT show a $40.00
decrease, it showed a $9.00 increase. So
that is $15.00 over the August bill. I
called and got another very nice rep who said the best she could do was take me
back to the original bill I complained about.
So I am paying the $6.00 increase, not the $9.00 increase and supposed
to be relieved I am not paying more? Was
I scammed into another two year contract by the ever so friendly rep who
promised a decrease and delivered an increase?
I'll never know!
Consider the alternative, Comcast bandies about numbers that
appear to be a savings but when you add in the box fees, the lease fees, the
taxes and other mysterious fees they aren't any better than FIOS.
Face it we are being hosed.
On a flight recently from LA to Denver ,
my seat mate was from France . He said he is astounded that Americans put up
with the prices from our TV/Internet/phone providers. He has what is equivalent to triple play for
just less than $50.00 American in France . He laughed at how foolish we are to pay the
ridiculous fees that our "unregulated" vendors charged. Collusion?
Monopolies? I spent 1.5 hours
today trying to improve my communications pricing and saved $9.00/month, of
course, that will probably disappear by next month.
Yes I could drop it all and save money but sadly I am not
willing to go off the grid. I guess I
don't have to worry, I am sure I will get an increase in my Social Security
this year, Oh Wait, that isn't happening either. Addendum later that week: a different representative at FIOS found the info about the price decrease and had no idea why it had not been done. Said she would look into it and bump it up to her supervisor. In the meantime she credited my current bill the $40.00 discount I was suppose to get. She said that discount should show
up regularly as per my November bill. I won't hold my breath but I will cross my fingers.
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