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Untangling my folks' Comcast
Athenor
Battle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
Battle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
Good lord, does Comcast overcharge... and make it super difficult to cancel.
My mom is finally starting to come around to the idea that we need to ditch Comcast. Thing is, there are some complications in terms of what she uses, and I want to make sure I can fill those gaps - or at least present alternatives. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me untangle this?
Family situation:
Mom and dad are both in their 70s. Dad is in the mid to late stages of Parkinson's and Dementia, and is essentially non-communicative. Can't call anyone, can't talk to anyone, is aware of his surroundings but essentially has no agency. Mom's healthy, as far as I know. My brother lives with my parents in their basement, as he is on file with the VA as the primary caregiver for dad, and therefore gets a pretty generous paycheck each month to take care of dad and keep him out of a nursing home.
My brother is also a gamer, and does streaming and other creative works that are heavily impacted by how sucky the Comcast service is. It doesn't seem to matter if he's hard-wired in or running off the wifi - the download/upload speeds are just horrid.
A few days ago, my bro paid to install our local fiber company's services, and go from 300mbps down and *shrug* up to 1Gbps down/up. It's been.. noticeable, even over wifi. Quite frankly, it could easily handle my mom's internet needs on its own. However...
The Comcast Shuffle
Mom's bill for Comcast right now is approx. $275 for the cable/internet, and $35 for 2 phone lines. This breaks down as follows:
* $150: X1 Preferred Double Play - the primary package: The invoice says this is "Digital Preferred, Epix, Streampix, HD Technology Fee, and blast internet. They also are including Peacock Premium.
* 14.99: HBO Max - Mom uses this on occasion, as I know she watched all of Game of Thrones.
* 8.99: STARZ - I don't think mom ever uses this?
* $18.50: DVR / TV box - Dad used to record things like Sunday Morning and 60 minutes to the DVR. I don't think this is being used, and can be dropped.
* $8.50 x2: Additional TV boxes - One of these was for the bedroom, but dad doesn't use it. The other was for the basement which mom wanted to set up as a home theater thing, but with dad's limited mobility that never really played out. They are thinking of keeping 1 of these.
* $13.99: Netflix - I don't think anyone ever uses this.
* $18.70: Broadcast TV Fee - Technically I guess this is used, because Wheel of Fortune and local news is turned on pretty frequently.
* $15.75: Regional Sports Fee - No one in our family regularly watches sports, other than the Olympics and figure skating.
* $9.95: Franchise Fee - ... Uhhh.
* $0.08: Regulatory Cost Recovery - ... what?
* $7.22: Sales Tax
If mom tries to deviate from this plan - such as choosing less TV channels or a slower internet, the website says her baseline costs go up by at least $50. With her current plan, she can't drop TV or Internet.
If I look up that same basic bundle, I could get it for $114 (before fees and all the other junk).
In terms of cable channels, Mom pretty much only watches HGTV, Hallmark, Lifetime, Syfy, TBS, FX... wherever Outlander is, a few other things like that. The vast majority of channels are not only ignored, but are not even really reached. She does watch CNN on occasion, but we've managed to cut it out after it was making her depressed.
To my knowledge, Mom never watches TV on her iPad or phone.
The Complications
* Mom's @ comcast email address is tied to most of her online identity. Sign-ins for dozens of websites, her professional credentials and communication, and all sorts of other things. While she does have both a Google and an Apple email, they are not used. While the prospect of her getting overcharged by Comcast enrages her more than the prospect of having to change all this, I'm more pragmatic and know it would be a pain in the ass to get everything set up and migrated over unless we find something substantially better.
* Mom and dad's cell phones are through Comcast, as I mentioned. I haven't gotten details on how exactly that breaks down yet, but I know that Dad's phone is never used. Mom has access to all his email accounts, and has often talked about wiping and selling dad's phone and apple watch. I know there are family plans out there, like through my personal provider, that might save money in the long run. I am worried that their low cost on phone is because of their high cost for internet/cable.
* There's also the possibility that Comcast may have a smaller/cheaper deal that just gets the cable channels mom wants. Their "Basic" package only offers 10 channels + locals, which is.. horrible in the modern era. The difference between the 150 and 180 channel packages is pretty negligible.
* Mom's primary TV is a gorgeous LG OLED 4K model. Almost all the other TVs are much smaller 1080p models. I don't think mom needs a 4K plan, but.. who knows.
* The fiber provider does offer.. some channels? Not sure. I doubt they'd have all the packages Comcast would.
The goal, and what I need help with
I'd like to help cut my mom's bill as much as possible. In my mind, the ideal situation would be cable only, with the packages she watches, and no internet (so the fiber can cover that)... But she gets to keep her email account. That said, I can still see that being over $100, but I have no clue. The next option would be to find streaming services that have the shows mom tends to watch. Over the years we've bought a lot of devices that could handle streaming services, and the LG has a pretty good UI baked into it. Heck, I know that I have the ability to watch my Disney + subscription when I'm over watching dad, for instance.
I know this is generic.. but can anyone give me advice or help on how to approach this? Mom is furious knowing that she's paying so much more than the entry rate, and is starting to wonder why she's been doing that and how long they've been overcharging her. Which.. well, it's Comcast. I assume since day one.
My mom is finally starting to come around to the idea that we need to ditch Comcast. Thing is, there are some complications in terms of what she uses, and I want to make sure I can fill those gaps - or at least present alternatives. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me untangle this?
Family situation:
Mom and dad are both in their 70s. Dad is in the mid to late stages of Parkinson's and Dementia, and is essentially non-communicative. Can't call anyone, can't talk to anyone, is aware of his surroundings but essentially has no agency. Mom's healthy, as far as I know. My brother lives with my parents in their basement, as he is on file with the VA as the primary caregiver for dad, and therefore gets a pretty generous paycheck each month to take care of dad and keep him out of a nursing home.
My brother is also a gamer, and does streaming and other creative works that are heavily impacted by how sucky the Comcast service is. It doesn't seem to matter if he's hard-wired in or running off the wifi - the download/upload speeds are just horrid.
A few days ago, my bro paid to install our local fiber company's services, and go from 300mbps down and *shrug* up to 1Gbps down/up. It's been.. noticeable, even over wifi. Quite frankly, it could easily handle my mom's internet needs on its own. However...
The Comcast Shuffle
Mom's bill for Comcast right now is approx. $275 for the cable/internet, and $35 for 2 phone lines. This breaks down as follows:
* $150: X1 Preferred Double Play - the primary package: The invoice says this is "Digital Preferred, Epix, Streampix, HD Technology Fee, and blast internet. They also are including Peacock Premium.
* 14.99: HBO Max - Mom uses this on occasion, as I know she watched all of Game of Thrones.
* 8.99: STARZ - I don't think mom ever uses this?
* $18.50: DVR / TV box - Dad used to record things like Sunday Morning and 60 minutes to the DVR. I don't think this is being used, and can be dropped.
* $8.50 x2: Additional TV boxes - One of these was for the bedroom, but dad doesn't use it. The other was for the basement which mom wanted to set up as a home theater thing, but with dad's limited mobility that never really played out. They are thinking of keeping 1 of these.
* $13.99: Netflix - I don't think anyone ever uses this.
* $18.70: Broadcast TV Fee - Technically I guess this is used, because Wheel of Fortune and local news is turned on pretty frequently.
* $15.75: Regional Sports Fee - No one in our family regularly watches sports, other than the Olympics and figure skating.
* $9.95: Franchise Fee - ... Uhhh.
* $0.08: Regulatory Cost Recovery - ... what?
* $7.22: Sales Tax
If mom tries to deviate from this plan - such as choosing less TV channels or a slower internet, the website says her baseline costs go up by at least $50. With her current plan, she can't drop TV or Internet.
If I look up that same basic bundle, I could get it for $114 (before fees and all the other junk).
In terms of cable channels, Mom pretty much only watches HGTV, Hallmark, Lifetime, Syfy, TBS, FX... wherever Outlander is, a few other things like that. The vast majority of channels are not only ignored, but are not even really reached. She does watch CNN on occasion, but we've managed to cut it out after it was making her depressed.
To my knowledge, Mom never watches TV on her iPad or phone.
The Complications
* Mom's @ comcast email address is tied to most of her online identity. Sign-ins for dozens of websites, her professional credentials and communication, and all sorts of other things. While she does have both a Google and an Apple email, they are not used. While the prospect of her getting overcharged by Comcast enrages her more than the prospect of having to change all this, I'm more pragmatic and know it would be a pain in the ass to get everything set up and migrated over unless we find something substantially better.
* Mom and dad's cell phones are through Comcast, as I mentioned. I haven't gotten details on how exactly that breaks down yet, but I know that Dad's phone is never used. Mom has access to all his email accounts, and has often talked about wiping and selling dad's phone and apple watch. I know there are family plans out there, like through my personal provider, that might save money in the long run. I am worried that their low cost on phone is because of their high cost for internet/cable.
* There's also the possibility that Comcast may have a smaller/cheaper deal that just gets the cable channels mom wants. Their "Basic" package only offers 10 channels + locals, which is.. horrible in the modern era. The difference between the 150 and 180 channel packages is pretty negligible.
* Mom's primary TV is a gorgeous LG OLED 4K model. Almost all the other TVs are much smaller 1080p models. I don't think mom needs a 4K plan, but.. who knows.
* The fiber provider does offer.. some channels? Not sure. I doubt they'd have all the packages Comcast would.
The goal, and what I need help with
I'd like to help cut my mom's bill as much as possible. In my mind, the ideal situation would be cable only, with the packages she watches, and no internet (so the fiber can cover that)... But she gets to keep her email account. That said, I can still see that being over $100, but I have no clue. The next option would be to find streaming services that have the shows mom tends to watch. Over the years we've bought a lot of devices that could handle streaming services, and the LG has a pretty good UI baked into it. Heck, I know that I have the ability to watch my Disney + subscription when I'm over watching dad, for instance.
I know this is generic.. but can anyone give me advice or help on how to approach this? Mom is furious knowing that she's paying so much more than the entry rate, and is starting to wonder why she's been doing that and how long they've been overcharging her. Which.. well, it's Comcast. I assume since day one.
He/Him | "We who believe in freedom cannot rest." - Dr. Johnetta Cole, 7/22/2024
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My folks still have comcast.net emails though they've long since stopped using comcast, which is why I thought to check, but I don't know if they're grandfathered in from the olden days of the early 00s such that they don't have to do that upkeep thing or they do it and I just didn't know about it.
Yeah, request their retention group and they should be able to help you drop what you want to drop without your bill going up.
It’s annoying but that’s the only way to deal with cable companies which is why them and ISPs can all burn.
I moved to Hulu live TV with fiber internet. And it's pretty great on a fire tv stick. Some things were different, but so far it's been a vastly superior experience. However, it is sufficiently different from regular cable, that I personally wouldn't try to migrate over my parents, because they would just complain.
So, the fiber provider, if it's verizon, they offer the same sorts of packages comcast does. They are differently bundled, but they are the same channels. AT&T has a deal with direct tv stream, and I think they have a streaming box that works with that, again it's the same channels, just differently packaged.
I don't know of any other providers packages
$9.95: Franchise Fee This is the the right of way and access fees that Comcast pays the government to get the service to you.
$0.08: Regulatory Cost Recovery This is your portion of regulatory costs that the government has forced Comcast to pay.
These are not wavable fees.
Even if your parents and brother don't watch sports, the fee will be included since it's part of the basic Comcast package. Also since the major networks carry sports, it's unavoidable.
Thanks for the replies all. I sent an email breaking down things to my mom, with suggestions of what to do next, and she was like "This is too much information! I'm just going to talk to them." Which is like... okay, then.
Edit: My bro and mom were able to get the comcast bill cut in half to $135. The phone bill went up a little bit, but mom was able to keep everything they want and ditch internet.
I'm going through something similar with my parents who pay $275 a month. I swear this is how Comcast props up their business.
Your mom can call them and add you or your brother as an account holder so you can do this directly as well
I am seeing the Hulu + live TV without ads bundle as being a good starting point, at $83. Mostly because I want her to still have the local broadcast options, but a good digital antenna might cover that too. Other things she wants can plug into the normal Disney Hulu ESPN bundle, or paramount plus.
Just so wild to see this.
Edit: Mom was like... let's just do this. so I got her the full no-ad Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ as a base. I then found I couldn't add Starz to it directly, so I got the standalone (Which has a discounted first 3 months, so small win). I'm still using my Netflix for now, and I held off on Paramount+/Showtime until she wants it.
She most wants to watch Wheel of Fortune, Lifetime, and Hallmark. Dad watches This old House and other PBS stuff. The caregivers tend to watch Walker: Texas Ranger. So it sounds like getting a digital antenna + maybe Peacock would be the best route forward, though there was some differences on whether or not MAX had some of those shows.
No matter how I sliced it, it was still cheaper than Comcast. I stressed that she needs to take her boxes + remotes in to the local store, and make sure they don't mess with her mobile phone. She doesn't want to lose her comcast email still.
If your Dad likes PBS stuff, he should become a member. It's like $60 a year so he gets address to Passport which is just about everything they produce.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
Well, to be fair he used to be a number, and right now he is... Well.. unable to really appreciate anything with his mental and physical declination. That said, I didn't know pbs had a streaming service, which is sweet!