Internet service

[RoadToad]

I have Insight cable. $51/month for internet, which was $35 when I started. Plus I get my landline service from them, which is now $35, and started out at $25. Unfortunately, they're the only game in town for me in terms of broadband, since I can't get DSL here, or I would switch in a heartbeat, because I HATE Insight! And I just recently discovered that I can get my landline ported over to Sprint at an initial cost of $60 and they'll charge $20/month. They send you a device that you plug your handset into that sends your calls out as cell calls. Which will be interesting, because I have an Avaire device from them already, because of the crappy reception I get in my house, that works like a cell tower in the house, that captures cell phone calls and sends them out over my broadband connection. So my calls will be going from a landline handset out as cell calls, then captured and sent back out over the internet!

[artcarney_agr]

I have Insight cable. $51/month for internet, which was $35 when I started. Plus I get my landline service from them, which is now $35, and started out at $25. Unfortunately, they're the only game in town for me in terms of broadband, since I can't get DSL here, or I would switch in a heartbeat, because I HATE Insight! And I just recently discovered that I can get my landline ported over to Sprint at an initial cost of $60 and they'll charge $20/month. They send you a device that you plug your handset into that sends your calls out as cell calls. Which will be interesting, because I have an Avaire device from them already, because of the crappy reception I get in my house, that works like a cell tower in the house, that captures cell phone calls and sends them out over my broadband connection. So my calls will be going from a landline handset out as cell calls, then captured and sent back out over the internet!

Call up Insight and ask for the cancellations department. They will ask why, and offer you a much cheaper bill before you ever get to talk to the cancellations department. My wife does this about once or twice a year when they try to jack the rate with no justification. They just jack the rate because they can, and if you don't raise heck about it, they end up with more money in their pocket....it's dirty, but there are lots of people who don't fight it and just pay it....

[GeoFisher]

Call up Insight and ask for the cancellations department. They will ask why, and offer you a much cheaper bill before you ever get to talk to the cancellations department. My wife does this about once or twice a year when they try to jack the rate with no justification. They just jack the rate because they can, and if you don't raise heck about it, they end up with more money in their pocket....it's dirty, but there are lots of people who don't fight it and just pay it....

You are ABSOLUTELY right........I was up to about 250/month with insight BS charges.....Some were mine some were theirs, some were bull.

By time it was all said and done, I knocked 90 bucks off my bill.

Some things I did:

* Spent 1 month determining what I watch and what my kids watch.

* Kids use netflix more than anything else. Cancelled anything that was theirs.

* Cancelled all movie stations. Watched them 1 or 2 times a month AT 10 bucks per station they are not worth it.

* Cancelled HDPACK that added 7 hd stations that I don't watch. They are very deceptive here. You do NOT need it for HD reception.

* The dual tuners are 15 bucks or more per tuner. I have 3 of them. So that is 45 bucks plus taxes, plus all other bull they add. I cancelled the 3 dual tuners and switched to their multiroom DVR. AT 7 bucks per and 10 dollars for the service, this came up to 31 bucks. Saved 15 bucks there.

* Told them to cancel all my bundles because when I started they were x dollars and now they are Y dollars, and I don't need a home phone anyways. They cut the bundle by 40 bucks......They will try to scare you about 911 service...don't let them. YOUR Cell phone will be just fine.

I did the same thing with my Verizon phone a few months ago. The KEY to not getting skrewed by Verizon or any other provider is to MAKE a decision that you're going to lower your bill, and then don't upgrade a single phone.

THEN when all your phones are outdated and ready to be updated, make a call, and tell them you have not upgraded because you're waiting for your services contracts to ALL expire because you're not happy with service. They know you're not going to pay cancellations per phone so they can screw you if you have multi line. If you're disciplined and you don't need the latest/GREATEST, then you have control, and can take back the screwage. I knocked over 100 bucks off my cell phone a few months ago. Between the two, it was like a 3k raise.........GOTTA LIKE THAT.

Later,

Geo

[know1]

I'm absolutely shocked that so many people pay for land line phones anymore.

The only justification I can think of is if you don't have cell service where you live.

[RoadToad]

That's great, Geo, but I don't get TV service from Insight, I use DirecTV, and love it. With the hockey package, I can watch ANY hockey game I want to, all season long, and that's a LOT of games! Way more bang for your buck than with the NFL package, which I tried one year and regretted. No, all I get from Insight is internet & phone. If I had any other options for broadband I'd switch in a heartbeat, and phone I AM switching.

Silly as it may sound, the main reason I keep a land line is because of the number of places I do business with, like placing online orders, paying bills online, etc. Many of them require you to provide a phone number, and I just don't want to give them my cell phone number.