Lower your SBC DSL bill! New Lower rates!

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: RobCur
nothing beats a expert package grandfathered 6016/608 44.99 forever! i must be sbc's most loyal customer! like cable 5mb/512k woohoo! i dunno how I can live with 1500/128 when expert is at least 4 times faster :\
just to save 216 a year for crappy connection, no thanks.

We've been with them since Pacbell DSL years and we don't get grandfathered on our plans at all.

 

[Devistater]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
We've been with them since Pacbell DSL years and we don't get grandfathered on our plans at all.

Not sure what you mean. I was with them since pacbell and I did. Grandfathered just means that you keep same speed and pay same price, no changes. I was paying $50 per month for 1.5mbps under pacbell. If I had never changed my plan I would have keep that rate/price. Its only because I asked was I able to get a cheaper price.

Perhaps there's a misunderstanding what "grandfathered" means? It does NOT mean they change your pricing to lowest one. Or upgrade your plan. Or change anything.

 

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: Devistater

Originally posted by: Parasitic

Perhaps there's a misunderstanding what "grandfathered" means? It does NOT mean they change your pricing to lowest one. Or upgrade your plan. Or change anything.

We were on the same speed plan but after a year they reverted the pricing back to $49.95. Happened several times.

 

[Devistater]

Originally posted by: Parasitic

Originally posted by: Devistater

Perhaps there's a misunderstanding what "grandfathered" means? It does NOT mean they change your pricing to lowest one. Or upgrade your plan. Or change anything.

We were on the same speed plan but after a year they reverted the pricing back to $49.95. Happened several times.

Ah. Thats because you signed up under a promotional price. With promotional prices, they let you have the price for a year usually then put you on whatever the current normal price is after a year. When you do sign up under promotional prices, just make sure to get back on whatever the newest current promotion is after a year and get the best prices at that point if you dont want to go back to the normal pricing. Just be aware though, it DOES mean that you will have to have another year contract.

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

I am a current sbc dsl customer and got a letter in the mail that said if renew before June 30th, i can get the 26.96/mo for 1 year. Right now i'm paying 29.99. Kinda sucks because I'm quite far from the CO and only get 768k down.

 

[kindest]

i too am on the 6mbit and wont risk calling in.. i couldnt live w.out this speed now.
hehe

 

[RobCur]

Originally posted by: kindest
i too am on the 6mbit and wont risk calling in.. i couldnt live w.out this speed now.
hehe

is it just me or what, i thought I saw this post 2 days ago :\

 

[CrimsonKing]

I got the letter today. Says I can lower from current ($29.99) to 26.99 if I commit to another year. $200 ETF. How do they enforce that? If I move, and I don't have SBC or DSL at my new place, what can they do?

Also, it says if I don't sign their one-year contract, I'll pay the new/current month-to-month fee. Anyone know if that will be going up from $30? I get reimbursed up to $30/mo. from work, so I'm happy with the current rate if it avoids another contract. But if it's going up any, I'll sign. I just renewed my lease last month, so I'm here at least 11 more months anyhow.

Also, it said I'd be billed some other fee that's not government mandated. I've never had additional fees on the DSL portion of my bill. Has anyone else?

 

[kaborka]

The letter I got said the non-contract m2m rate would be $34.95 -- it's in the first footnote. The FUSF of 0.39/mo is already on your phone bill, if you have voice service from SBC. I don't know if they are going to start charging an additional FUSF specific to DSL. IIRC, there was some talk of that possibility recently.

 

[elkinm]

I also was offered the 26.99 rate but I would like to get the 3000/384 plan for 36.99 if I can. Does the higher speed require a specific distance or will it work if 1500 has no problems.
Also, if anyone tried will SBC be willing to go back to the old plan if 3000 has problems.

And finally, my modem is 2 years old and is not supported by SBC. Once my service went out for a week and customer support would do nothing as I had an old modem. I had to find a new one at Best Buy to find out it did not work and wait for a tech to come later and confirm the problem was at central hub and not with me. Did not get reimbursed for the modem or the down time so I returned the modem.

So I was wondering if anyone managed to get a new modem with the new contract or something else I can do to prevent such long outages.

Thanks

 

[Randolphjo]

I called SBC Internet services today to try and get my $49.95/month ADSL (Static IP) billing rate lowered. I called the customer service number listed by the OP and told the rep that I was looking to lower my monthly costs - since SBC has been providing discounts to "loyal" customers recently. FYI, I was with Pacific Bell telephone company for my DSL service before SBC took them over.

I have been paying $49.95/month for DSL service (Static IP number) for several years. The SBC customer service rep looked at my account and said no problem getting me a lower rate if I signed up for a one year commitment with SBC. I was offered two discount plans:
1. $29.99/month - same speeds as I have now, just $20/month lower cost (384-1.5 download, 128 upload).
OR
2. $36.99/month for an upgrade to the SBC Pro Plan (1.5-3 download, 384 upload).

I took the upgrade in speed (the Pro package) and reduced my monthly bill from $49.95/mo to $36.99/month for 1 year ($200 early termination fee). Thanks OP!

Jim

PS: I have a Static IP number that was grandfathered in when SBC took over Pacific Bell. The static IP address costs more than a dynamic number. JFYI.

(edited to add) I tried to get a free modem (mine is over 3 years old) and the SBC rep said they couldn't just give me a new one. It would cost $99 for a new modum from SBC or $149.00 for their modem with home networking. It was still worth a try...

 

[RobCur]

Originally posted by: RobCur

Originally posted by: kindest
i too am on the 6mbit and wont risk calling in.. i couldnt live w.out this speed now.
hehe

is it just me or what, i thought I saw this post 2 days ago :\

telepatic ain't i?

 

[dennisja]

[/quote]I looked around and right now DSLExtreme is offering 1.5/256 for 26.99 (same price as sbc but better upload). Plus DSL extreme has hella better Customer Service. No circular bureaucracy, less wait time.[/quote]

SBC DSL Customers are also getting 1.5/256 for $26.95 I have been seeing the 256 upload even on RT customers for at least a month now.

 

[Devistater]

Originally posted by: CrimsonKing
I got the letter today. Says I can lower from current ($29.99) to 26.99 if I commit to another year. $200 ETF. How do they enforce that? If I move, and I don't have SBC or DSL at my new place, what can they do?

Also, it says if I don't sign their one-year contract, I'll pay the new/current month-to-month fee. Anyone know if that will be going up from $30? I get reimbursed up to $30/mo. from work, so I'm happy with the current rate if it avoids another contract. But if it's going up any, I'll sign. I just renewed my lease last month, so I'm here at least 11 more months anyhow.

Also, it said I'd be billed some other fee that's not government mandated. I've never had additional fees on the DSL portion of my bill. Has anyone else?

Some people have moved and been able to keep the service and contract so they wouldn't get penalized. Just depends. Best to call them if you are about to move and ask.
Feel free to wait and see what the month to month price is or call them and ask. You can always wait until you pay a month or 2 of the higher price, then call and change it. You dont have to change it now, you can change it at any time. EVEN if you have a contract in force, you can change it. They just reset the months to 12 at the time.
Not sure what you mean by $200 ETF.
As for the fee, yes there's a new FSUF fee, anyone who changes packages or signs up after like a month or 2 ago gets this fee. Its like a $2-3 fee. Its some sorta government mandadated fee to help subsidize people/schools who are too poor to get internet access. Up until recently it was built into the normal monthly dsl price. Now its added on top.

 

[Gerbil333]

Originally posted by: jrichrds

Originally posted by: cownipples
Only catch is you have to renew your 1 year contract, no big deal for me since i love the service!

That's a pretty big catch actually. You can call it a "Let us lock you in for a year, and we'll give you one month free" plan.

I renewed my SBC DSL service a few months ago and signed another 1 year contract...they upgraded my service from $39.99 per month for 1500/128kbps ADSL to only $26.95 per month with better speeds: 1500/256kbps!

I've been very happy with them. I get nearly maximum download and upload rates, and I've had no problems except that I have to reset my modem every few days. I don't think that's their fault. I think the modem just sucks.

 

[whateverdude]

Originally posted by: RIGorous1

Originally posted by: JeffCY
I called a few weeks ago to try to adjust my plan and the guy refused saying it was only for new customers.

Confirmed... I called and SBC has no loyalty toward existing customers.... The new people get better contracts. I looked around and right now DSLExtreme is offering 1.5/256 for 26.99 (same price as sbc but better upload). Plus DSL extreme has hella better Customer Service. No circular bureaucracy, less wait time.

the reason why dslextreme is cheaper is because they are probably using sbc's infrastructure that sbc built and pays to maintain and dslextreme leases that bandwidth from sbc for a 60% discount because the gov't didnt want sbc to have a monopoly over broadband and made them share their lines with their competitors for next to nothing. so their competitors can in turn undercut them and take their customers. sbc makes nothing on residential dsl servicing. so I can hardly blame them for not going out of their way to offer lower rates to existing customers.

yes, I have sbc dsl, about 3 1/2 yrs now. I know what you are talking about, their CS sucks and have given me the run around many times.

 

[elkinm]

I want to switch to 3000/384 but don't know if my line can handle the speed without problems and I don't want to pay the full month fee. Will I be able to switch to the 1500/256 plan without penalty (I mean the $200 early termination fee) or will I be stuck. I know Devistater already answered this question but I just want to be more specific.

Also, DSLExtreme is a completely different service right? Or is there a way to keep my old email address?

 

[cownipples]

Deal still good!

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: CrimsonKing
I got the letter today. Says I can lower from current ($29.99) to 26.99 if I commit to another year. $200 ETF. How do they enforce that? If I move, and I don't have SBC or DSL at my new place, what can they do?

Under federal law they can't charge you for services they cannot render. If you move somewhere that they can't install DSL then the early termination fee must be waived. If you move somewhere and just don't take it with you then you're hosed.

I asked this when I moved into my apartment, since I wasn't sure I'd be staying there long. Fortunately it looks as though I'll be there for a while.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: cownipples
Hi, I just noticed that on the sbc dsl oredering page the service for the pro package dropped from $39.99 to $36.99 Its only 3 dollars a month cheaper but hey 36 dollars a year savings gives me a free month! All you have to do is call for the lower rate here 1-877-SBC-DSL5 (722-3755).

Do you have a number that isn't one of those f%$#ing annoying voice-navigated things?

 

[yukichigai]

And as if I didn't have enough posts in a row...

Just called. Not only did they lower my rate, they also increased my speeds since they changed the dl/ul speeds. Before I was on 1.5M~512k/256k; now I'm on 3M~768k/384k. Considering I get about 1.2M~1.3M download on the old plan I'm guessing my download speed is going to skyrocket.

Paying less, getting more. Go me!

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Gerbil333

Originally posted by: jrichrds

Originally posted by: cownipples
Only catch is you have to renew your 1 year contract, no big deal for me since i love the service!

That's a pretty big catch actually. You can call it a "Let us lock you in for a year, and we'll give you one month free" plan.

I renewed my SBC DSL service a few months ago and signed another 1 year contract...they upgraded my service from $39.99 per month for 1500/128kbps ADSL to only $26.95 per month with better speeds: 1500/256kbps!

I've been very happy with them. I get nearly maximum download and upload rates, and I've had no problems except that I have to reset my modem every few days. I don't think that's their fault. I think the modem just sucks.

where do you live? i don't see that speed listed on the site. i'm stuck with 128kbs upload in the bay area. damned sbc said they'd double that like last year though.

 

[quikah]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

where do you live? i don't see that speed listed on the site. i'm stuck with 128kbs upload in the bay area. damned sbc said they'd double that like last year though.

You can get 3M down/384k upload with the pro package for $10 more. Also look at other ISPs, for ex sonic.net and dslextreme offer 256 up on their standard dsl package in my area (sunnyvale).

 

[thawolfman]

holy old thread batman! :Q