Verizon Kills Cable Contracts As TV Sector Finally Starts Listening To Cord Cutters. Kind Of.
from the the-customer-is-always-right dept
Remember cord cutting? The trend that cable and broadcast execs and countless sector analysts spent years claiming either wasn't real, didn't matter, or would most certainly end once Millennials started procreating? It set records in 2019, and despite some wishful thinking among cable TV executives, there's no real sign that the trend is going anywhere thanks to the continued rise of new streaming services.
While many cable companies have simply doubled down on the behavior that brought them to this point (price hikes and comically terrible customer service), there are some indications that other companies are finally starting to listen. Like Verizon, which last week introduced a number of new internet and cable TV packages that eliminate the long-term contract entirely, and at least make a fleeting effort to cut down on hidden fees:
"Customers don’t want to be forced into bundles and contracts. They don’t want surprises on their bill at the end of the month,” said Frank Boulben, SVP of consumer marketing and products at Verizon."
Yes, incredible insight. Under Verizon’s new "mix and match" plans, users can subscribe to three FiOS broadband options: 100 Mbps for $40 per month, 300 Mbps for $60 per month, and a gigabit connection for $80 per month. It's also offering a number of cheaper ($50 and $75) options for cable TV, as well as bundling in YouTube's Live YouTube TV service for $50 a month for those interested.
Verizon is, in effect, getting rid of both contracts and contract promotions, shifting more toward advertising the actual price, something consumers have been bitching about for the better part of two decades. Of course Verizon wouldn't be Verizon without at least a dash of disingenuous nonsense and hypocrisy, such as claiming you're getting rid of annoying fees before saddling your users with... annoying fees:
"Verizon’s new option includes a $12 per month set top box rental fee and a $15 per month router fee for some subscribers, tacking an extra $27 on to the final bill. Users also have to sign up for autopay and paperless billing to take advantage of the offers."
The new offers also seem geared largely to lure in new customers. Existing customers, like Ars Technica's Jon Brodkin, tried to sign up for the new options only to find he wasn't allowed to sign up for them at all. Even if he had been able to get the new bundles, he found that the final offering would have not only come with obnoxious fees (like Verizon's misleading "broadcast TV fee," the final bill would have been higher than what he was already paying Verizon under his existing subscription.
So on one hand it's nice to at least seem companies like Verizon acknowledge that they should start listening to consumers, even if the end product of that revelation still leaves much to be desired.
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Filed Under: cable contracts, cord cutting, tv
Companies: verizon
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They seem to think people are still boomers who don't pay attention to what they are spending money with and are incapable of doing simple economic analysis.
At the very least they recognized cord cutting is a thing. Even if the solution proposed is more of the same.
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"They seem to think people are still boomers who don't pay attention to what they are spending money with and are incapable of doing simple economic analysis."
I know several people that are within the age range of that stereotype and they are fully capable of keeping track of money spent, in addition to being capable of simple economic analysis.
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Re: Re:
Congratulations to those people within your bubble. It's good that more people are waking up and voting with their wallets.
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Heh, how do you like my 30€ per month for 400 Mbps? Better come to the EU, we also have no cookies!
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or my 1gbit/s + phone (no call costs) + cable tv and 2 optional channel packages for €44 / month
I would detest living in the USA
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Not all of the US is that bad. The community I live in installed their own fiber service. I never want to move from the city now. $75 for 1gbit/s flat no extra fees. All included hardware (modem & backup power)
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I first read the title as "Verizon Kills Cable Contractors" and thought Verizon had lost their creativity and slipped in to mundane criminal behavior.
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"comically terrible customer service"
Nothing really comical about it. Isn't it more like a graphic novel?
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Re:
Laughing at them, not with them
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Interesting Read
I really enjoyed this article! Thanks for publishing it. I am looking forward to reading more of your work.
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Give credit where due
I actually was able to take advantage of this new plan and cut the cord. Previously, I had a gigiabit plan and single cable box with a few channels and it was costing me $128 per month since the initial discounts had expired. I own my router and was only paying the $12 fee for the cable box. I was able to switch to the new plan with gigabit only, no tv package and buy the newest router separately for $300 (not bad for a WIFI6 router). My new bill is $80 per month. Yes Verizon sucks and the website didn't let me do this but I'm happy with the new situation and no contract.
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The same thing occurred when cell phone providers switched to contract free. Cell phone prices jumped up as did the carrier fees. As such it wasn't a win for consumers.
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50 year old tech
Some of this leads back along way.
The Old tech thats been around along time, and still works with your TV.
Finding out that 1/2 of the programming you wanted is FREEEEE.
the First time you goto a friends home and see Some strange programs you cant get on your Own TV, and ask Which cable corp are they with. And they take you out and show you $100 worth of tech, thats so old tech its strange.
Then comes the HOA, and demands you take it down and you send them a bill for your new cable..aas they are forcing you to Use something that costs 100 times more then FREE Broadcasts.
And still.
Is there anyone that can show us all the pricing that Cable charges for their service to broadcasters? We know Cable Pays the bigger broadcasters, but I cant see all those channels being paid for by broadcasters. I would think Some, at least a few, are Paying to be on the system.
And I Love it when Sat dishes tell us they get Local broadcasts, and you have this Cheap Builtin Antenna, that cant get 50 miles coverage. And gets PBS, and a few locals...NOT the 50+ channels that are available..
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Re: 50 year old tech
Digital OTA isn't "50 year old tech". Its analogue predecessor, on the other hand, has been around since the late 1930's... and the correct antennas are often the same today as they were when 82-channel tuners were first offered in 1952.
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Re: Re: 50 year old tech
what became a real problem, is Digital, on an analog signal.
The power needed and the amount of data sent is HUGE..
There are still smaller companies that cant upgrade, yet.
And the requirement of needing extra hardware to Receive the signal means there are a few more things to break, as well as its harder to get a SIMPLE signal in case of emergencies..
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Caveat Emptor
Users also have to sign up for autopay and paperless billing to take advantage of the offers."
autopay can be a very convenient payment option but allowing any corporation/person access to your checking/savings account to deduct autopayments from your balance entails a great deal of trust as it only takes one fat-finger oopsy to turn a $50.00 payment into a potential $500.00 (or more) gouge.
Imagine attempting to claw-back your autopay over payment with your telecoms service depatment.
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Re: Caveat Emptor
Imagine attempting to claw-back your SANITY with THIS: https://babylonbee.com/
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Re: Re: Caveat Emptor
You do know that you endorsing a site isn't actually a positive thing?
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Re: Caveat Emptor
That has happened and banks are happy to charge those fees.
They want your money now, but are rather slow to return the ill gotten gains.
At least make them push rather than pull.
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Re: Caveat Emptor
Make any auto-pay pull-payments go through one of your credit (NOT debit) cards. MUCH easier to repair over-payment "errors."
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Digital Marketing
Someday we'll be able to have a long thread that is about the article instead of someone's fantasies about himself and the world. Maybe.
visit the website <a href="https://www.highonrank.com/">Digital Marketing</a>
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Digital Marketing
Someday we'll be able to have a long thread that is about the article instead of someone's fantasies about himself and the world. Maybe.
visit the website https://www.highonrank.com/
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Best Way To Go
Verizon for internet and phone. Cable company for TV.
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Anyone got Pluto TV? The way they throw ads in my face and the frequency with which they shove them in my face is stressing me out totally. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?
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Just to add to that, if there is a good reason to plug the cable back in, it is the absolute rudeness of the Pluto TV app on iphone.
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