Subscribe
Just in time for the summer fireworks, Comcast’s own rate explosion may be arriving in your mailbox. The cable company is boosting rates on cable television and broadband service in several regions, including higher Broadcast TV surcharges and, for some, the introduction of a new compulsory sports programming fee. Comcast customers shared their rate increase letter with Broadband Reports.
The original notification letter was littered with grammatical and spelling errors and obviously was never proofread. Maybe they are using the extra money to hire someone to help out with that. We’ve translated the text into the English language:
At Comcast, we are committed to constantly improving your entertainment and communications experience, and we continue to invest in making your services even better. Due to increases we incur in programming and other business costs, we periodically need to adjust our prices as we make these and other investments.
Starting on July 1, 2015, the prices of select XFINITY TV and Internet services and equipment will change. We’ve included the changes in this notice. Among these price changes, we have itemized a Regional Sports fee for customers receiving Digital Starter service tiers and above to offset the rising costs of distributing regional sports networks.
In the Atlanta area, a sample of rate changes include: a Limited Basic rate hike between $1-3 a month, a Standard Cable increase of $1 a month, a $2 hike in HD DVR Service (was $8, soon to be $10), a $1 Regional Sports fee, a $1.75 a month increase in the Broadcast TV Fee (this varies widely in different Comcast markets), and a $3 increase in the cost of Blast! With XFINITY TV or Voice Service (was $67.95, now $70.95). The modem rental fee remains unchanged at $10/mo.
Rates are unaffected for customers on term contracts or promotions until those plans expire. It will also not affect customers who have previously received a notification of a rate hike during 2015.
Promises since the onset of cable to ‘reduce prices once costs are met’ (heard this since 1968 or before) have been as dependable as our present POTUS’s words. BS with music will make a brass band!
Who allows them to continue raising the rates to unbearable heights? I feel like my blood is being sucked out of me… I’m sure many others feel the same.
How do we stop this price gouging?
The only way this is going to stop is for 70% of their customers to cancel their service.
70% cancellation would burn Comcast to the ground along with the sports and Hollywood empires that constantly increase what the cable companies have to pay them. When debts could not be serviced, that would be the time to demand changes for consumers such as no more TV packages that require you to pay for sports channels if you are not a sports fan.
I am on a fixed income whereas I have to be frugal with my money. There are many months that I have to decide food is going to win out over utility bills. If utilities win my month’s food is limited and if food wins,can you guess what happens, comcast and Emails and texts me to death. I would down grand my service but comcast says that I am obligated to pay their charges. My last upsetting comcast unrealistic and inappropriate fee is having US to pay service fee to fix THEIR broken equipment. When will comcast start take care… Read more »
If you are really hurting that much financially, you should not be spending any money on something like cable television, which is nothing more than entertainment and is a pure luxury. Cancel your cable subscription. I do not mean downgrade, as you suggested, I mean cancel altogether. If you absolutely need some TV, get an HDTV antenna, and make do with what you can get for free over-the-air.
How is the choice between food and TV even a decision?
You are an idiot.To tell someone that cable is a “luxury” when they are old and,perhaps,disabled.I am 65 years old and on a fixed income and,I am housebound.I would lose my mind,cooped up in my apt prison 24-7,if I did not have cable t.v. and the internet. Comcast is grossly overcharging its customers and getting away with it because they’re the only game in town. The first time I had cable was in S.L.C. 1987; it was $14. a month. Comcast is robbing us blind.
Yes, Comcast and friends are royally ripping us off when you consider that the buy legislation banning municipal service and real competition. Europeans get much better service than US customers for a much smaller price, so US consumers do have a right to be upset, especially when they live in an area with no alternatives. I was lucky enough to find a low priced competitor for my internet, but realize that not everyone has a viable choice.
Oh oh.
The “holier-than-thou” club has found Stop the Cap!
How do you cancel cable when you live in a rural area with no OTA signal? It’s all well and good to cancel cable tv IF you can put up an antenna and actually get something. But a lot of us live in rural, mountainous areas that get NO signal whatsoever. It’s not a “luxury” for us. Furthermore, most of us in rural areas are served by only 1 provider, so it’s a monopoly, and they can charge whatever they damn well and there’s nothing we can do about it. In 1991 my cable bill for basic crappy analog cable… Read more »
Shutup Dollup!