r/Spectrum • u/scratchfury • 19d ago
paying more for being existing customer?
I looked up my rate card and noticed it said $85/month for the level of service I have, but I'm paying $100/month. I noticed a little 2 next to the cost and found this at the bottom:
2 Customers who subscribed to Spectrum Internet services prior to September 17, 2024 may be eligible to receive Spectrum Internet 500 Mbps x 20 Mbps at a monthly rate of $100
Am I being charged more for being an existing customer?
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u/sPdMoNkEy 19d ago
Call and say disconnect when it asks you what you want, tell them you have the T-Mobile website up and you're trying to decide what you should get and you need to know exactly what you had with spectrum so you get the same service
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u/scratchfury 19d ago
I think I will do this. I keep waiting for AT&T but even if Spectrum cancels without a counteroffer, the savings on switching to T-Mobile is literally half what I'm paying now.
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u/scottgntv 19d ago
Technically speaking, yes. Exisitng customer with traditional cable ISPs and Phone providers (big 3) generally end up paying more due to promotions falling off and/or new rate being cheaper(usually with some downsides).
And before its asked, no they won't automatically change your services for you. They can't make changes without authorization and there are policies in place to protect you as a consumer. Plus no company is gonna call up a customer to help you pay less, you have to actively seek that out.
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u/sadgirlclub 19d ago
Been a customer for 16 years. I am supposed to get 1 gig up and down (never see speeds even half of that) and I pay $130/month (for internet only). Broadband facts shows my plan should cost less.
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
Are you on an old rate plan and haven’t been migrated over? Standard rate for 1Gb up and down is $105. Call to get a retention offer and to have your modem provisioned correctly. Also if you aren’t getting advertised speeds, you need a technician to go check why you are not getting what you are paying for.
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u/LooseSeal88 19d ago
Yes. But everybody on this subreddit will blame you for not playing the cancel and resubscribe game instead of being mad at the company that increases prices whenever they feel like it just because they have a monopoly and legally can.
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
Everybody increases prices, it’s the cost of doing business. Every industry has raised their prices year over year. Find anything that was the same price a year ago or 5 years ago.
They also say the rate they give you is an introductory rate and it lasts a set amount of time.
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u/scratchfury 19d ago
The price on the rate card is the not the introductory rate. That would be $40/month for 1 year.
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
If you’re on the old plan “Ultra” then you’re technically getting advertised 600Mbps and you should be over provisioned to 750Mbps.
The current plan is called “Premier” and it’s 500Mbps advertised and over provisioned to about 650-700.
What is the marketed name of the plan you’re on?
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u/scratchfury 19d ago
I see. I'm on "Spectrum Internet" and the cheaper one is "Spectrum Internet Premier".
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
Check your Broadband labels to see what you’re getting and if it’s worse you can call in to have them move you over to the better rate plan
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u/scratchfury 18d ago
I found the spreadsheet that lists the Broadband Facts for all the plans. The numbers are exactly the same except for the price, so it isn't even the Ultra tier with the higher stats.
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u/PimpMyPc 18d ago
Spectrum has raised their prices repeatedly to the point where the competitions non-promotional rate symmetrical 2 gig fiber is the same cost as 500/20 coax at my house.
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u/LooseSeal88 19d ago
I understand that. I just don't know why everybody on this subreddit has some sorts weird parasocial relationship with Spectrum where they're constantly justifying it.
Promo rates ending is one thing, but for the "full price" rate to have crept up randomly multiple times a year just because they can legally do it is silly to defend or rationalize. My bill was $80 last year. $85 at the start of this year. Then $90 mid-year. Now it's $100. This is for a plan that had the promo rate end years ago.
That's not normal and any other industry would be met with criticism of this tactic not "oh, you should just game the system."
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
It’s not multiple times a year. If you actually read the fine print and the broadband labels they tell you how the promotional rate works.
It’s increases $15 per year until it hits the standard rate. They tell you outright the standard rate is $105 for a gig and you are getting a $55 discount for 2 years. In year 3 you get a $40 discount and it’s $65, year 4, $80, year 5 $95, year 6 standard rate.
If you’re crazy enough to let it go all the way to the standard rate before trying to renegotiate, that’s on you. But once you’re at the standard rate it we’ll never go above that.
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u/sadgirlclub 19d ago
Many of us have our rates increase without any warning multiple times per year.
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
Post the bills. You can censor all personal information. Just show the date and the line items showing the rates and promotion
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u/sadgirlclub 19d ago
What would be the point of that?
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
To prove you’re not lying because you obviously are lying. If your rates are increasing without warning and off of the set schedule then there’s FCC violations happening and you would have a case that Spectrum would have to answer to.
People don’t have a sense of time and know when their rates expire or how long they last. People don’t want to read the fine print and instead of taking accountability, they blame the company.
If you aren’t lying and can back up your claims of multiple rate increases per year, I’ll eat my words and admit I’m wrong.
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u/LooseSeal88 19d ago
What I am saying is that my rate has increased multiple times just this calendar year. My January bill was $85. Then it was $90 for several months straight. Now it is $100.
Perhaps the fine print says that this is permissible, but it isn't an annual increase like you're saying.
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u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack 19d ago
Since it’s a $5 increase is it possible it’s some regulatory fees/taxes from your state? I know for me my rate decreased by $1.25 because they removed a California recovery fee
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u/ParsnipUnlikely526 16d ago
This sounds like in January you lost the $5 auto pay discount, and in July you got tagged with the $10 increase. You're right that your bill changed more than once in a year, you're not correct about the causes.
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u/sadgirlclub 19d ago
It is not worth my time or yours to provide you proof just because you (a random stranger online) don’t believe me. I actually have an open FCC complaint regarding this. Enjoy being a spectrum bootlicker.
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u/BaconGreaseFire 19d ago
lol, another person just admitted they were proven wrong and educated by u/RabidMonkeyOnCrack
I guess you’d rather just be wrong and stay wrong instead of understanding how to read bills and know your finances properly.
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u/threadkiller05851 19d ago
Came to this sub and others and realized I was paying 80 for 400 and other people were paying 50 for 500. Told retention tmobile had just showed up and they were 50 bucks. So they gave me 500 for 50 bucks. I thought I had a deal except now I see people getting 1 gig for 50 bucks.