Author Topic: DSLExtreme price jump from $14.95 to $24.95!? Won't budge on price  (Read 1863 times)

Oldsmobile

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Well, last year, I signed up with DSL Extreme for 1kbps dry-loop service here in Verizon territory.  Price was $14.95 per month, and of course, they also assess $2.88 in fees on me.  Still, $17.83 is fair price.

Just got the renewal email.  Now, they think the same service is worth another ten bucks a month.  Spent an hour on hold to talk with a rep, and they would NOT budge on their position.  They can't even give me higher speed for the additional money. 

I do NOT wish to do business with Comcast.  Had a chat online with Earthlink, explained  how DSL was perfectly adequate and asked what their equivalent service was.  They came back with a Comcast line, $39.99 25/5 for 12m, then 69.00 per month.  They told me that's all they had in my area.  So I ended that chat.

I had zero success with NetZero, as they apparently don't do dry-loop.

Not finding much else...I might be stuck with the increase in price.  Does anyone have any success in negotiating with DSL Extreme?

Daley

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Re: DSLExtreme price jump from $14.95 to $24.95!? Won't budge on price
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2016, 10:02:44 PM »
There are a few things that aren't quite adding up with your post that are confusing me, and I'd appreciate some clarification.

You state that you have 1kbps(sic) dry-loop service, where you claim that you were paying $14.95/month for the first year. Do you mean 1Mbps?

You then state that they are forcing a rate increase on you to $24.95/month, yet DSLExtreme's Verizon dry loop pricing has clearly listed out-of-contract, month-to-month billing for years on that plan right next to the $14.95 rate on the main price page at $29.95 a month. Was that $24.95/month offer for no contract 1Mbps service?

If so, they are cutting you a deal already for the monthly rate not staying under contract. If it's for a bump up to 1.5Mbps or 3Mbps with another 12 month contract, that's their standard in-contract annual pricing, yet you claim that they can't offer you a faster connection than the one you have already. Which is is?

Also, I have never heard of anyone being denied the ability to opt back in to keep the 12 month contract pricing on their service so long as they stayed under contract with DSLExtreme. Nowhere do they claim you can keep contract pricing on month-to month plans.

Finally, price increases happen. Even if these were new rates, which they aren't, we're talking about an infrastructure wholesale customer leasing line access from AT&T and Verizon to resell and provide broadband access, and the rates they're charged by the owner of that cable can and will increase rates on all their customers, wholesalers included. It happens.

DSLExtreme is not know for "hiding" their pricing structure, they are always upfront about what they charge in and out of contract, and what you're repeating does not tally with their posted rates and my own first hand experience with the company in the past. I get that all contracts stink, but some stink more than others, and there's worse things than being under contract with the cheapest option available on a service that you insist on having available from a company that is more than happy to let you out of that contract if you move and they can't provide service at the new address. Just trying to keep some perspective and reason in this conversation.

I know your reality of what a "fair price" is has clearly been distorted by the low cost you've paid for the past year, but even $30/month for any sort of wired broadband speed in this country without any contract, let alone $25/month even with $3 in additional taxes and fees that are fully disclosed is a pretty good deal in a country where the average going rate for internet access runs over $60/month per household now. I'm quite certain your complaining reads like sour grapes to many of the people on these boards who are stuck paying more than twice that for internet access per month due to zero competition in their area, or worse still, paying some wireless carrier around $10/GB for any serviceable internet access at all. So do keep that in perspective as you're still clearly paying for one of the cheapest options you have available at your location - if you insist on staying out of contract.

catccc

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Re: DSLExtreme price jump from $14.95 to $24.95!? Won't budge on price
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2016, 08:03:56 AM »
Yeah, I'd be happy to have internet access for $25/month.  I pay $49 a month, and it's a much higher speed, but it is also more than I need.  Even when I had dry loop DSL when it was available to me, I'm pretty sure I paid $20-$25 dollars a month.  And that was in 2008.

Verizon and many other companies offer initial year low pricing for a 2 year contract, and it evens out in year 2.  That's just the way it works.  Sounds like you are still getting a good deal.

mm1970

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Re: DSLExtreme price jump from $14.95 to $24.95!? Won't budge on price
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2016, 09:23:55 AM »
Cheapest internet at my house is $70/mo from the cable company. There is no other service option.