How to deal with cable, internet bill increases

Our Comcast bill doubled in January. Chances are, your bill went up, too.

When I called to ask why our internet bill jumped to

$70 a month, I got a doozy of an answer.

Comcast had tried to contact me in December to renew the promotional rate I had been receiving, the customer service rep explained, but since they were unable to reach me to get my consent, my bill went up.

Wait, what?

So, Comcast needed my consent to bill me at the lower, introductory rate, but no consent was needed to double the bill. That logic is a bunch of hooey. I swear, I think the reps just make things up as they go along. Plus, they never called. This is exactly why Comcast is so reviled.

After a 30-minute phone call, the company allegedly lowered our rate back to

$34.99 a month and promised to give us a credit for January. But I’ll believe that when I see it. I say allegedly because I haven’t seen the adjusted bill yet (they claim it won’t be available to view online until paper bills are mailed in February) and I am skeptical they will do what they promised. That’s exactly why I cut the cable cord with Comcast a few years ago. The company kept promising a lower rate, but never delivered.

Beth Pastorino also got a shock when she opened her January Comcast bill. It had increased $65.

The Boynton Beach office manager had been paying $113 a month for internet, phone and basic cable. Her January bill came in at a whopping

$178.

Why the increases? Fees are one reason. Cable and satellite companies may offer a guaranteed rate for one or two years, but increasing fees on equipment rentals is the sneaky way they get you to pay more.

Pastorino’s equipment rental prices shot up. Others report they saw steep increases for DVR, modem and digital adapters, and regional sports fees, among others.

Once promotional rates expire, consumers are pretty much screwed.

Cable companies aren’t the only ones monkeying with service prices. Satellite companies do it, too.

My colleague, business writer Ron Hurtibise, had an AT&T DirecTV promotional package bundled with internet that expired in October. His no-contract month-to-month bill (including the NFL Sunday ticket) progressively went from $194 to $255 to an eyepopping $323 by the end of the year.

After calling each month and getting the runaround, he finally canceled in January. And meant it. Ron then climbed up on the roof and installed an old-fashioned

antenna.

But wait! DirecTV called a few days later and offered him a new deal that was even better than his original 24-month contract.

Ron’s now paying just

$42 a month for service that includes the NFL Sunday ticket, which normally costs about $300 extra a year. He is paying AT&T $85 a month for internet, but is now considering switching to Comcast Xfinity to get a cheaper, introductory rate for internet like I did.

Perhaps AT&T was ready to deal after it lost

658,000 pay-TV subscribers in the the fourth quarter, as reported by Bloomberg. Roughly

400,000 DirecTV satellite and 250,000 DirecTV Now customers cut the cord in the last three months of 2018.

As with Comcast, which is also bleeding TV subscribers, it’s likely people are fed up with the vicious cycle of yo-yo billing. It’s infuriating.

That was why I told Comcast to take a hike a few years. I have never looked back. I love my antenna and the free TV I snag out of the air. The picture quality’s fantastic.

Of course, internet is a now basic necessity, so I’m never going to be able to get out of paying that bill, but it’s nice not having to deal with ever-increasing cable TV bills.

The moral of the story: Call your provider to negotiate a better rate and threaten to cancel service. Mean it. Companies know that once a customer walks away, they rarely return.

Another option to further control bills: Buy an internet router and Digital Video Recorder (you’ll need a Comcast-supplied cable card and you may even be eligible for a $2.50 a month credit) and stop paying monthly rental fees. Go to Xfinity.com/ equipmentpolicy to learn more.

Better yet, buy a cheap antenna and cut that cable cord. You’ll save at least a thousand bucks (or more) a year and you won’t have to play these silly games.

Netflix up, Hulu down

Even cord-cutters who use digital streaming services are not immune from higher prices.

Netflix is raising prices between 13 percent and 18 percent, the largest in its history. The basic plan will go from $8 a month to $9. Standard and premium plans will increase $2 a month to $13 and $16, respectively. Last year, the company raised prices by a few bucks, too.

New subscribers will be charged the updated prices, while existing customers will see the rise roll out over the next few months.

Meanwhile, Hulu is going to the other way. It is lowering prices on its ad-supported entry-level subscriptions from $7.99 a month to $5.99. The no-ad version is $11.99 a month.

Amazon’s IMDb launches FreeDive

IMDb has launched a new free streaming video channel called FreeDive.

Stream hit movies and TV shows on the new ad-supported channel on the Amazon-owned internet movie database site. Hit movies include Brad Pitt’s epic “Legends of the Fall,” “The Ides of March” starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, “The Mask of Zorro” with Antonio Banderas and “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. TV shows: “Without a Trace,” “The Bachelor,” “Heroes” and vintage episodes of “Dallas, “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Rifleman.”

There are documentaries, sci-fi, family fare, original content and more, too.

To go FreeDive.com to create a free account.