Comcast modem lease is more expensive than I thought

[M A V I C]

At the beginning of the year Comcast charged me $3/mo for modem rental. Then a few months in they upped it to $5/mo month and I decided to buy my own. I got my own for $5 at a thrift store. It worked for a few months just as well as the one they provided, and I finally decided to turn in the old one. In that time they raised the price to $7/mo.

They made me take it to a Comcast location and other than having to go there, the experience there was actually pretty easy. Good thing I didn't use the equipment drop box though. The rep online said I just needed to drop it off. But my instinct not to trust Comcast was correct. I took it inside and dropped it off saying I had bought my own. I asked about the drop box, and the guy said they would have canceled my service if I had put it in there. So the online rep was wrong.

But one positive note for Comcast, they credited me for the last couple weeks of my billing cycle for the period after I turned in the modem. I figured I would have to pay the rest of the month.

Looking at the bill I noticed that they charge sales tax on the modem lease. So they were really charging me $7.67 per month for the modem. Ouch.

[freeradical]

That's a pretty sneaky and easy way for them to raise prices.

[olnacl]

The thing that ticks me off most with Comcrap (at the moment anyway) is that they charge a flat rate of $20 a month for digital service and then $7.95 a month PER OUTLET (in my case per cable card). Seems like that is something they should be called on but - good luck. I'd switch to AT&T just to pi$$ them off, but couldn't use my TiVos with their service.

[M A V I C]

olnacl wrote:
The thing that ticks me off most with Comcrap (at the moment anyway) is that they charge a flat rate of $20 a month for digital service and then $7.95 a month PER OUTLET (in my case per cable card). Seems like that is something they should be called on but - good luck. I'd switch to AT&T just to pi$$ them off, but couldn't use my TiVos with their service.

Hmmm. That makes me wonder. I'm pretty sure here they can't charge per outlet. But our basic digital service ("Digital Economy") package starts at $30/mo. That's for "over 50 channels". the "Digital Starter" package is $61/mo. That's for 80+ channels.

[silvarios]

olnacl wrote:
The thing that ticks me off most with Comcrap (at the moment anyway) is that they charge a flat rate of $20 a month for digital service and then $7.95 a month PER OUTLET (in my case per cable card). Seems like that is something they should be called on but - good luck. I'd switch to AT&T just to pi$$ them off, but couldn't use my TiVos with their service.

Yep, per box or card there is a fee. I only use clear QAM because of it.

[Racer X]

It is appalling that year after year, Comcast's licenses get renewed with the City of Seattle.

[JoeH]

M A V I C wrote:
[quote=olnacl]
The thing that ticks me off most with Comcrap (at the moment anyway) is that they charge a flat rate of $20 a month for digital service and then $7.95 a month PER OUTLET (in my case per cable card). Seems like that is something they should be called on but - good luck. I'd switch to AT&T just to pi$$ them off, but couldn't use my TiVos with their service.

Hmmm. That makes me wonder. I'm pretty sure here they can't charge per outlet. But our basic digital service ("Digital Economy") package starts at $30/mo. That's for "over 50 channels". the "Digital Starter" package is $61/mo. That's for 80+ channels.
Yeah, that is the same here, cable companies can not charge extra for more outlets. But Comcast, and probably others in the state, get around that by charges for each box they "rent" to you. With the transition to all digital service, if you want full service at more than one outlet, it is going to cost unless there is some package deal applicable for more than one box. Otherwise the clear QAM signals are strictly the required local channels, none from anything else.

[silvarios]

JoeH wrote: Otherwise the clear QAM signals are strictly the required local channels, none from anything else.

Depends on the market. I get all the music channels, TNT HD, Universal HD, and a few other stations.


Nathan

[JoeH]

silvarios wrote:
[quote=JoeH]Otherwise the clear QAM signals are strictly the required local channels, none from anything else.

Depends on the market. I get all the music channels, TNT HD, Universal HD, and a few other stations.


Nathan
If you have Comcast, that will likely change eventually. That is their company policy to be deployed nationwide. Enjoy the extras while you have them.

[silvarios]

JoeH wrote: If you have Comcast, that will likely change eventually. That is their company policy to be deployed nationwide. Enjoy the extras while you have them.

Comcast already encrypted most of the channels. I listed the ones that still come through. Project Calvary rolled through a while ago.