DSL Extreme $10/month price increase: do they back down?

[chackman17]

Greetings, smart people! Here's my question:

Used DSLextreme on contract for a year. Now that my contract's up for renewal, they're raising the rate $10/month, because the first year's rate was "promotional." If I don't renew the one-year contract, I roll over into the month-to-month rate. I called Customer Service and asked, really, can't you just leave it as is? Nope, they said. Fine, I said, I'm not renewing my contract, I'll just go month-to-month until I find a better provider.

Tomorrow's D-Day. Any chance they're going to offer me the promo rate again? Or do I have to cancel altogether to get offered that?

Thanks!
--Christine

[MikeBear]

Do you have any options of going with any other company at all? If not, you could still try asking them to drop their rate, but don't threaten to leave if they don't back down. That is, unless you are willing to follow through and dump them.

[Daley]

I'm a little confused. DSLExtreme's month-to-month on their Verizon DSL pricing has always been $10/month more than their annual contract pricing. Are you saying that they're not giving you the annual contract price discount for another year contract over the month-to-month rate?

IIRC from your situation, I think your line was struggling with really fast DSL, which means you probably went with the 1.5 or 3.0Mbps Verizon package. Granted, prices can vary in some areas, but even at $35+ taxes a month (their month-to-month rate), it's still well below the current national average cost for a broadband connection.

I know contracts suck, but if you're planning to be in the same place for the next year or more and need/want internet access, and they're still offering the same rate for another year term and the $10/month savings matters that much, take the contract rate! What changed between a year ago and today? You obviously still want internet access. It's still cheaper and lower hassle than dealing with Verizon directly. Was service and quality somehow worse than your time with Verizon?

Here's something else about the contract rate to consider, if you do move while under contract and they can't provide service at the new address, they release you from the contract. If they can at the new address, they're still likely going to be cheaper both short and longer term than Verizon or AT&T or any other DSL or cable ISP (especially under contract), and no monkey dance price negotiations. They have their annual rate and their monthly rate, that's it.

It's good to be concerned and frugal, but don't get so used to the lower prices that you undervalue what you're actually paying for. You can't be afraid to pay for what you need. If you need your internet as cheap as possible, you'll likely have to be under some form of contract no matter who you go with, and most of the primary carrier competition stealths in a two year contract with only a one year price discount. If not having a contract on your internet connection is that important, you are going to have to accept that your internet costs are simply going to be higher.

[chackman17]

Hi all - thanks (quite belatedly) for the replies. Sounds weird, but I'd had a year-long (slow-download) contract that billed monthly at $14.99 + fees, but when it came time to renew, they would not re-offer that contract - would only offer an annual contract that billed at $24.99/mo plus fees.

But you are correct, it's def cheaper than Verizon.

Thanks again, and have a good weekend.