Cable TV companies have been working overtime to make cable look like a better deal than cord cutting. They have been using both new and old tactics to trick cord cutters into wanting to go back. So, today, we are going to look at the top 5 ways cable TV tries to trick cord cutters into going back to cable TV.
#1 Misleading Number of Channels
You have likely seen the ads: $80 for 200+ TV channels vs YouTube TV with 70+ channels for $50. The truth is you are not really getting what you think you are. For example, Comcast lists both SD and HD versions of channels like ESPN separately. If you scroll through the list of channels from Xfinity you will see a ton of channels but if you look closely you will see many of the most popular ones are listed twice for HD and SD.
You will also find many of the channels are music channels. There are a flood of these channels that are nothing more than a static image with music playing—something you can get from the Pandora app on many streaming players for free.
#2 The Price Lock
You have likely seen promotions that promise no price increases for two or three years. If you read the fine print you will see that the “no price hike” only applies to the base package. That means your price can still go up as fees like device rentals, HD fees, sports fees, broadcast TV fees, etc. keep going up. Who knows, they may even find some new fees to add on soon. Recently, Spectrum raised the fees on their subscribers twice in just four months.
#3 Setup Fees
This one got me once. You sign up for cable and think, “Wow, what a great deal.” The tech comes to the house, sets it up, and you get this huge bill for the costs of the tech dropping off the DVR. This is one of the fees that is often hidden.
Comcast is charging $90 in some areas even if you do the setup yourself and bring your own modem, according to Ars Technica.
#4 The Channels You Want Cost a Lot More
With YouTube TV for $50 a month, you get ESPNU, ESPNews, FS2, SEC Network, and more. You can’t get these channels with Comcast unless you get the higher Preferred plan. With the Xfinity Basic, Extra, and Starter packages you often see pushed as why cord cutting is cheaper do not include many of the channels that are offered in cord cutting services like Hulu and YouTube TV.
#5 The Advertising
The great thing about cord cutting is the price you see is the price you pay minus local taxes. With cable, often the price you see is only half the price. How many times have you seen an ad for a triple play bundle of phone, Internet, and TV for $39.99! Yet when you look closely, it says “each” in small print, plus taxes, fees, etc… That $39.99 price in big numbers will cost you $119.97 before the fees, taxes, etc.
So, keep in mind when you see the cable TV ads that seem too good to be true, they are. Do your research and make sure you know what you are paying for.
#6 Internet Speeds
One big trend I hear recently is how cable phone support will try to convince you if you want to be a cord cutter you need a crazy expensive Internet plan. I have even heard of people being talked into business class Internet plans. The truth is you don’t need a 1 Gbps connection to stream Netflix. Be careful of phone agents trying to scare you into overpaying for Internet.
Well, there you go… Five ways cable tries to trick cord cutters. What would you add to this list? Leave us a comment and let us know.
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