Interference while the microwave is running usually means your affected device is running on the 2.4ghz band of WiFi. If there is a dual band option to connect to the 5ghz band then that’s what you want to do. Unfortunately not all devices connect to 5ghz, and the range is shorter even though the throughput is greater.
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What a circus.
So this morning I called my cable provider, Optimum. After several minutes of getting through the automated menu, I finally got a real person. She then had me reconfirm who I am. When she asked why I was calling, I told her I wanted to cancel our TV service. Oh no, only the account holder – DH – can do that. So I said OK, he’ll call when he returns home.
She then called me back! She told me that actually, yes, I could do it, since I had the “access code.” Ah, but if you want to disconnect, she said, I will have to transfer you to the Retention Department. (Doncha love it?? I wanna disconnect, so they don’t send me to the Disconnection Department, but to the Retention Department.)
I told the Retention Deparment gentleman what I wanted to do – cancel the TV service. Why, he asked? Because of price, I said; it’s way too expensive. Well, he said, maybe we can lower the price for you. NO, I said; I want to cancel.
He then said only the account holder can do that!! I am authorized to negotiate a lower price but not to cancel?? What bull – ummm, nonsense.
So when DH returned home, he called. They offered him a “deal” – instead of $310 for phone, internet and TV, they’d reduce it to $164 for all three. He said no.
It infuriates me that, at the snap of a finger, they can drop their price by nearly half just because we called. I don’t trust them to maintain that cost – they will increase the cost inch by inch over the next several months.
It’s not just because of the cost that I’m thrilled to be dropping them. It’s because I don’t think they deal with their customers openly and fairly.
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You did the right thing. I went through those hoops once and took the deal but it only helps in the short term. Then prices are back up again before you know it. They’re probably hoping you won’t notice or won’t bother calling again.
Exactly. They are despicable.
This is the norm for cable/Internet providers. If you call, you can often get a large discount. I am getting 60% off my Internet, as I have for the past 2 years. One of the 2 promotions in that discount expires this summer, so this summer I plan to call again and get another discount. Back when I had cable many years ago, I’d also call to get a large discount. You can call and click to the cancellation menu like you did, or directly ask for the promotions department.
Having variable pricing like this allows them to increase overall profit. They can charge higher prices for customers willing to pay higher prices. They can reduce prices for customers who would not maintain the service without having lower prices, that are more competitive with alternative services. A similar model is used in various other services that emphasize individual sales.
It’s crazy. So that $164 would probably be temporary and require a contract. Don’t blame you for saying no. But…. they may not have any good deals for just internet/phone.
I wouldn’t assume the discount requires a contract, but I agree that it is likely temporary. The typical procedure is to apply a promotional discount for x months. It could be as low as 3 months, or it could be as high as 24 months. After that promotional period expires, you default to sticker price, unless you call and request a discount again.
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You should make sure the internet wire to your house can support a higher speed. They may need to come out to upgrade your wires for higher speed. I have 500 mbps and wanted higher speed. My provider told me that my building didn’t support higher speed. I could pay for it, but I wouldn’t get higher soeed.
@VeryHappy and others who are cutting the cord. When you do…just wait. You will also receive all sorts of phone calls and mail solicitations asking you to come back. We got them for over a year. Things like “we miss you”. “Please come back with this low rate”….that sort of BS.
I hung up on the people who called and ripped up their mail.
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It’s infuriating. Sirius radio does kind of the same thing, but you know when your special deal is ending so you can call and get a new promotional rate.
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That seems to be a YMMV situation. When I cancelled my cable a little over a year ago (for YTTV at slightly over half the cost), they didn’t even bother to send me to Retentions. The rep just said, yeah, that sounds like your best option.
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I would have been colossally ticked off if they had set me up with an upgrade that my setup wouldn’t support! But in my case, this was Fios and they did replace anything that needed to be.
I live in a large apartment building. They would need to upgrade all wires in the building. I was happy that they told not to pay for a service I wouldn’t get.
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Did they finally disconnect you? How are you sending back all the equipment? I have Xfinity and there is a store 15 minutes away.
I want to disconnect, then make sure the internet is still working properly.
Well, I don’t know if they actually disconnected me, but I unhooked all three cable boxes yesterday. I’m returning them to the Optimum place about two miles from me, when they open this AM at 9:00. Also returning the remotes.
Yes, the internet and landline continue to work as they should.
I’m so excited!! The areas around the three TVs also look much better, now that we don’t have those stupid cable boxes hanging around.
ETA: They told my husband yesterday that, for just the internet and landline, our monthly bill will be $135 plus tax. When I add on the $78 per month for YTTV, the total of $213 (plus some tax) is still way less than the $310 per month we’ve been paying – probably ~$1,000 per year. That’s enough to cover two round trips to visit one of my kids! (Sadly, no one lives close; both an airplane ride away.)
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Do you really need a landline? How much more would you save if you just had Internet? Do you have alternate ISPs like Verizon Fios?
It’s also just the thought that it’s highway robbery. Is there a reason you’re keeping your landline?
We are keeping our landline because DH needs it. I mean, needs it. He rarely uses his cell phone. He doesn’t really know how to use it, never carries it with him, and so forth. If it were just me, I’d be done with the landline in a minute. I continue to push him to use the cell phone, but so far it’s a lost cause.
Pray for me. 
BTW, when I returned the equipment this morning, I mentioned to the guy that my router is their equipment and is 12 years old. He got me a new router but warned me we will have to fix ev.er.y.thing. with a new password to – ummm – route through the router. I’m going to put off that major change for a little while.
And there is only one alternative internet provider, Frontier. From what I’ve heard locally, it’s not quite ready for prime time. Maybe another year or two.
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We have Frontier and have had no issues. But that could very well vary by location. We have a “bundle” with frontier that includes a seldom used land line and our internet. If we drop our land line, we won’t have a bundle so our monthly costs will go UP. Ridiculous.
Put choices here are spectrum…no thank you. Or Frontier.
Note that you can likely pay less. A quick search online shows that Frontier often cuts prices by more than half for customers that call and request a discount on Internet. The OP on another forum that I’m not sure I can link here mentioned cost dropping from $100/month to $40 month after holding for a long time, then speaking to rep for 5 minutes. I had similar results with my Internet. Mine dropped from $100/month to $40/month for 500Mbps, after calling and requesting a discount.
I pay $20/month for phone using Verizon network. I could pay less than $20/month with other providers, but I like the Verizon network, and I like that the phone plan also gives me access to additional perks, such as being able to phones for the following prices earlier this year. These phones were purchased in full, without contract.
- Motorola Razr+ (2023) – $0 after trade in of $10 value phone
- Galaxy S24 – $100 after trade in of $25 value phone
- Galaxy S24+ – Negative $150 (credit) after trade in of Galaxy 24 above
I currently pay nothing for TV. My credit card, gives me a $20 credit on streaming, which I am currently using for Hulu + Disney, without commercials. I also get Paramount+/Showtime without commercials for free via unlimited free trials. Prior to the $20 credit above, I never paid more than $5/month on streaming via purchasing during discounts and catching up on shows from ~2 streaming service, then switching to others, rather than subscribing to many at once.
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