First a little rant.
Internet is expensive where I live. I use a wireless provider which means I have to be close to a local tower. I have a reasonable download speed (usually around 0.5 mbps) and my package includes 2.5 gigs combined down/upload. After I reach this 'cap', my speed is throttled to dial-up speed which is hellishly frustrating. I usually buy an extra gig towards the end of the month (like I did yesterday.
For this, I pay around $65 (US) a month. My extra gig costs me about $23. So thats a total close to $90 a month for 3.5gigs
So yesterday, I went to the site to buy my extra gig, and decided to check out some other packages with more bandwidth. Seems they have changed all the packages (a year ago!) and the one I am on doesn't even exist anymore.
There is a package of 5 gigs for $70!!!!!
So for a YEAR, I have been wasting money buying extra badwidth when for all that time they have reduced their prices and just kept milking guys like me on an older contract, paying older inflated prices!!!!
AARGHH!!! I hate ISP'S!
So I called the Call centre number, and because it is after the 15th of the month, I can only effect a change to the new package from the 1st of July!
Frustrating....
My cell phone is my next project. I also pay too much for my contract because I have been on the same package for twelve years lol, and their are better combinations now... and I need a new phone.
When I picked up my new job in January I started running daily meetings at 8:30 every morning (sometimes on weekends). After a while just driving in wasn't happening, so I started calling them on my cell. I knew I was going to run up the bill... latest? US$107 (from $31).
ReplyDeleteCalled them, and they don't even offer a plan as cheap as mine any more. But for $6 more per month I can get X, Y, and ...
@Gauss... yeah my average bill is around $80 now. I am hoping to reduce that to around $45 by just being more creative around which package I choose. I spend more time on my phone Tweeting, Facebooking, reading mails, and texting than I do actually speaking into the damn thing.
ReplyDeleteThe ISP's will suck you dry, given the opportunity. Especially with the average consumer (not implying you are) - they jack up the prices and basically hoodwink people into unecessary crap.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, we've been paying an extra 10 dollars a month for "Speed Boost" on our cable connection. Which, I just (bothered to check) discovered, is basically a pointless gimmick that just pads their bottom line.
All it does is something like, increase the bandwith for the first megabyte or two of download, to make it LOOK like the download is going much faster - then it throttles back to regular speed for the rest. Sheesh. And if you try and cancel it, as the average consumer, their reps say things like "ohhh.. it will make your connection SO much slower if you don't have that". Grrr.
Have to cancel that. *blush*
I've had my same phone provider for about 10+ years - service/reception still sucks everywhere, and I pay the least I can for minutes I don't use anyway. LOL. Go figure.
Put your foot down and demand better value!!
:)