For two years, I had a really great deal with Verizon. Triple play (or whatever they call it), fast FIOS, and a premium cable package that included HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc, all for $112/mo including alll taxes ($99 base.)
I got it through some combo of luck, timing, and my world class ferengi negotiating skillz. :awe:
When it expired around March of this year, I was confident I could finagle some sort of similar deal from them. No dice, not even close.
Eventually I had to go back to Comcast, a company I truly loathe, and get a similar but lesser package for significantly more money: $131.xx after all taxes and fees for only 12/2 internet that feels even slower at times, HBO and Showtime but no Starz, no Flix, no Encore, only one western HBO channel, no Military History channel (I'm still intensely interested in who won WWII), etc, plus the requisite all you eat land line.
At least I avoided a contract. Of course, Comcrap started over-billing me whenever they could, which takes valuable TIME and a fierce but patient attitude to get their phone monkeys to fix.
ENOUGH! I'm going back to Verizon, on these new terms:
$111.97/mo before taxes (rep swears it'll only be $10 in taxes more for some obscure phone related reason involving no 900#'s or collect calls, neither of which I ever use), so ~$122/mo with all taxes for phone, 25/25 FIOS Internet, HD (which I had before w/Comcast & Verizon) but only I box and no DVR (which I had before w/Verizon but can live w/o), the Extreme (mid) level package of 361 channels comparable to what I had before with Verizon, HBO, Starz, TMC, Flix, IFC, Sundance, Encore), etc.
Less money for more.
Not an outstanding deal, but better.
Cool story, eh, bro?