Xfinity plans and questions

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I'm trying to get my mom's bill down. She has Xfinity and has TV, internet, and phone. Paying $172 a month. Kind of high if you as me since she isn't even getting any HD channels and internet is 10mps.

She is paying the $5.99 ea for three extra TV's. Going to try and talk her out of one of them since she hardly uses it. My sister and I got her a new TV when hers went out. But the picture stinks being standard definition. I never thought HD would make a difference but it does and with the new TV it is a waste to watch in SD. Netflix is great since it is in HD.

I see she is renting her modem. Is there a good choice out there that I can buy to replace it to save her the $10 a month?

I also was looking at getting her a HD DVR. Yes it adds to the price but like I said the SD is just plain terrible. Also her VCR, yes she still uses one, went out. It was what she recorded her day time soaps on to watch. I figure if I get her a DVR that would solve the VCR issue and not have to get a new one of those.

Anyone have any suggestions that is using Xfinity? I was going to get the DVR and pay a full years worth of service for her as a Christmas present since she is so hard to buy for and enjoys her stories so much.
 
Renting the modem is a scam. Arris makes good modems. (Previously Motorola). I just recently signed up for service from Xfinity and I refused the modem rental. It will pay for itself in less than a year easily.

A lot of people are just cutting the cable and going with a streaming service. If your mom uses Amazon regularly, their Prime Video at $99 a year is a good deal. You also get Prime membership and free shipping too.

Lots of choices. As for tv, I just bought a 50” Vizio at Wally’s. Like you said, high def is a nice change from SD and there is 4K as well. You could get a HD set for cheap since many are going 4K now as I did.
 
I had 3 TV's, boxes, modem, HD and HBO (only HBO) and my bill was about $280 per month. Try as I might, I could never make Xfinity tell me how much the TV part was versus the Internet (it was a bundle). So I dropped all TV services including the modem. Purchased an Arris SURFboard SB6183 modem and a Netgear Nighthawk X8 router from Costco and my coverage and speed are 5x faster than before. I had upgraded the line speed a few times, but Xfinity had never upgraded the modem/router so the equipment was the bottle neck.

As for the TV part, I already had Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon Prime so I bought a Roku Premiere+ and there were quite a few other free channels on it. I stream everything and have been very happy with the reduction of cost, which was over $200 per month (my Internet bill is now $74.10). Overall, I have been happy with the Internet only service from Xfinity, but as always, YMMV.

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The first thing I'd do is renegotiate the fees...especially during periods when specials are being offered to 1st timers. Ours got up to $174 with the same service and we got it dropped back down to $141. Then over the past 2 years they slowly jacked it up and we were looking at a renewal of $189! We told them we were leaving. And it was negotiated back down to $161. Still too high imo. So we're going to be cutting the string in the near future if we can't get a consistent rate under $150. They have a resolution team where you can avoid the sales people that not allowed to give in very much.
 
All good info, thanks. The problem I have is mom is not very tech savy. She will not get rid of her house phone, doesn't like her cell other than when she is out.

So going to a Ruko box and such makes it even more complicated. Yes, how could that be, but trust me on this. I'm trying to make it as simple as I can.

Looks like i will get a cable modem. That will at least cut $10 a month from her bill.

Thanks again. Since dad passed her income has been cut big time.
 
How is she spending that much? I pay $135 for 2 rooms, digital starter HD, 150 meg internet. I own my modem and router.

She doesn't need a DVR for HD. Just a regular box and she can get a basic DTA for the second and 3rd tv's for $2.99/ea per month. Her bill should be right around $100-$110 if done right.
 
Call up the cable company and say you’d like to cancel, that the bill is just too expensive. They’ll get you on a new plan and the bill will go way down.
 
Originally Posted By: 14Accent
How is she spending that much? I pay $135 for 2 rooms, digital starter HD, 150 meg internet. I own my modem and router.

She doesn't need a DVR for HD. Just a regular box and she can get a basic DTA for the second and 3rd tv's for $2.99/ea per month. Her bill should be right around $100-$110 if done right.





I suspect the varmints in the sales division have been hard at work enticing her with “great deals”.

Mom should make a list of her favorite channels. That might be useful.
 
The last time I tried to get my bill down they wouldn't budge much so I dropped them. When I return my equipment to the store the guy asked me why I was dropping them. When I told him he said I should have came to them and they could have gave me a better deal than the people on the phone could

But I decided to go with a package from DirecTV with TV, phone and internet that was a lot cheaper and locked in for 2 years
 
For phone I use MagicJack, $40 for a year of service. VoIP, so it uses the internet.

Router, look at Goodwill, they have dedicated stores called Techworks.
Craigslist also works.

TV I use over the air broadcasts, free,

My internet is $40 a month...
 
Originally Posted By: Rat407
II see she is renting her modem. Is there a good choice out there that I can buy to replace it to save her the $10 a month?


Yes, the Motorola MG7550. I'm using it with my Xfinity and it's excellent. It's a cable modem with WiFi.
 
Comcast has a list of modem in your area that is approved, check it and buy one. I'd avoid used one if it is for your mom because comcast screw up transferring the "vetting" of the modem between accounts. Took them almost 2 weeks to fixed mine after 5 calls, the chat agent is useless. I'd not want anyone's mom to go through that, just buy a new one and be done with it.
 
Well she pays this.
TV
Internet
Voice
$119.99

Digital Preferred 220+ Channels

Performance Pro Internet Performance Pro Internet

XFINITY Voice Unlimited US & Int'l Calling

Plus $5.99 for each of the three other TV's, one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom and one in the exercise room AKA cellar.

Plus all the taxes and fees and the $10 a month for the modem. It all adds up to $172 a month.
 
Here's a sad tale of woe..
So, I get on Xfinity's site to see if can change my plan. A window pops up saying I have to talk to a rep. I also get on the chat and the agent also tells me I have to talk to an agent on the phone. So, I call the # and start talking to an agent. I tell her I want to see about changing my plan or or going to internet alone. She asks me for the last 4 of my social. I give to her and she says it wrong. I said I have had the account for 5 years and no one's ever asked me for a soc. and why is wrong. She went into a script on how they just changed the verification process to social alone. They can't use any other means to verify. The only thing I can do is drive 15 miles to the nearest store. So, I asked to talk to the supervisor. Same thing. So I ask the supe if she knows people are dropping cable like a hot rock and all they can do is tell me to do is to drive 15 miles to the store. Of course, reading from the script, she said I could just step into my car and go to the store.
I am not even going to go into the state of Customer Service these days.
I honestly think they are trying to dissuade me from dropping, by telling me I can only go to the store.
 
Yeah, it is a joke on customer service these days. The closest store to my mom is 40 miles away. She lives near Johnstown Pa. One would thing as big an area that is there would be a store in that location, but no, I have to drive to Greensburg. I don't want to have to mail her modem back and pay that shipping but looks like that would be the cheapest route.
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
How long did she pay the monthly rental fee for the modem? I’m afraid to see the answer.


Just about 2 years.
 
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