I’m moving to Lafayette Indiana (47904) and am looking to get ONLY internet. However, the pricing model for various providers strikes me as insane. There’s usually a reasonable introductory rate, followed by some nonsense price gouging.
For example, Comcast is $39.99/mo for 6 months, followed by 6 months of $45, followed by a year of $90. That is robbery, in my opinion.
Has anyone had any experience negotiating with ISPs as a new customer? Anyone living in Lafayette know of a good service? Is Comcast the only game in town? Any luck with DSL plans?
You may have success negotiating with them at the outset, but even if you don’t, you can just take the introductory rate and then threaten to cancel once it’s expiring and they’ll give you a new promo rate. It might not be as low as before but it’ll be a lot better than $90. I did it with Comcast every year.
If you are paying your bill regularly, they take you for granted and will continue increasing the price. If you threaten to leave, they transfer you to a “Customer Retention Specialist” who is empowered to promise you anything up to and including a pony.
In the case of Comcast, the only way to get the “low” intro rate is to sign a 2 year contract. With the threat of leaving off the table I’m reluctant to agree and then try to negotiate later.
I cannot believe people will pay that much for internet. That averages out to $66 a month + taxes/fees, which in my experience range from $5 to $10.