![]() ![]() This billing practice - giving customers a flat rate for a year before increasing the price - is typical among internet service providers, and we were totally fine with it.Īfter our first year of service ended, we saw our bill increase by $10, to $130 a month. After that, the price would increase, although TWC didn't say by how much. For 200Mbps download speeds and a limited cable package, TWC told us we'd pay $120 for the first year of service. When my fiancée and I moved apartments last year, we had Time Warner Cable install our cable TV and internet service the day we moved in. You can cancel at any time, although that's often easier said than done. Plus, you don't have to sign a contract, as you do with the others. Though I regularly check offers from the competition, Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) has consistently been cheaper and generally more reliable. In terms of the big providers, customers can choose among Optimum, Verizon Fios, and Spectrum (formerly Charter, which renamed its service after purchasing Time Warner Cable last year). When it comes to competition, we actually have a decent situation here. I've been a Time Warner Cable customer for as long as I've lived in New York City. And even that's not much of a solution, since most Americans have few choices when it comes to internet providers. Monthly bills can feel arbitrary, and customers are often left with few choices other than cancelling their service. My situation is not unique. The problems I ran into - a lack of transparency about billing practices and a lack of communication about service changes - illustrate just how awful it can be do deal with internet service providers (ISPs) in America. But that was only after I insisted on talking to a manager and agreeing to accept slower internet service. I eventually resolved the situation - finding out about a bunch of hidden charges in the process - and even got a discount on my service. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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