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Bill Increases
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Does Cox ever stop raising their prices? I opened this month's bill and another increase. I've been a customer for many years and I'm ready to cancel my service. I'm paying a ridiculous amount for in my opinion not that much service. I have 1 HD DVR, 3 movie channels and Internet and my bill just went up to $161 again. This company offers all kinds of deals for new customers but seems to do nothing for their current loyal customers. You have to call to speak to someone for hours to see if you can get a deal on your service. What kind of loyalty or customer service is that.
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Becky
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4.3K Messages
Ennad,
We understand your questions and concerns about Cox's recent price increases. We try hard to keep our prices as low as possible, and absorb most of the price increases we receive from TV networks and local broadcasters, but we can't absorb the total amount. As with the rate increase you mentioned, we have had to share a portion of the cost increase with our customers.
We’re required to pay millions to TV Networks such as ESPN, CNN, Fox News, TNT, Disney and MTV for their programming. Those costs keep rising. That’s the main reason for our price increases - and we're not alone. Both AT&T and Direct TV are implementing rate increases in February 2012 to offset programming costs. (Verizon and DISH raised their core rates as much as 12% last year).
We value your business, and want to be as upfront as possible about the cost of your service. Customers are notified about price increases through bill inserts, as well as in the “News from Cox” section of each monthly statement. Our paperless billing customers are notified of upcoming price changes via letters mailed though the U.S. Postal Service.
In case you missed seeing this message, I'll post a few answers to our customers’ most-asked questions:
Why do programming costs continue to go up?
Many items factor into the cost of programming, for example, professional athletes and actors continue to command huge salaries that are paid by studios, who then charge the stations and networks, who then charge cable and other pay-TV providers for their programming.
Why can’t I just pay for the channels that I want to watch? (a la carte)
Cox often negotiates with the parent companies that own multiple television networks, and the contracts often state that Cox must offer all of the parent company’s channels in its line-up. For example, Viacom owns BET, CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, LOGO, MTV channels, such as MTV and MTV2, NICKELODEON, NICK JR., NICK AT NITE, NICKTOONS, TEEN NICK, SPIKE, TVLAND, VH1 AND VH1 CLASSIC. Studies have also shown that if channels are offered independently, the cost per channel would be much higher and there would be less diversity in programming.
Why does Cox have to pay local stations? Isn’t that programming available for free?
Cox has to pay “retransmission fees” for local programming. In other words, Cox has to pay local networks for their programming, even though it is available for free when broadcast over-the-air.
Can’t Cox negotiate harder with programmers to keep increases at a minimum?
Cox negotiates fiercely with programmers to keep wholesale programming costs at a minimum. Sometimes these battles get heated and programmers threaten to pull their signals from Cox’s video lineup. This puts Cox in a difficult position, as our goal is to provide our customers with uninterrupted access to the television programs they enjoy. Therefore, Cox continues to advocate for our customers during negotiations and keep programming costs from becoming inflated while giving our customers access to the television shows they love to watch.
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CloudWalker
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Don't feel bad, I have 1 HD DVR, 1 Tivo DVR, 1 regular Box, no movie channels. I get 813 channels, including music channels, most of the channels I watch are in HD. I pay $103 a month for this service. I also pay $35 a month for phone service and $49 a month for internet. I get the channels received with the favorites menu which tells me how many channels I get.
Sum it up I pay $188 for tv, phone and internet a month!!
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Rich
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7 Messages
My cable bills have more than doubled since 2004. My issue is that we pay for hundreds of hours of ads on TV, including cox cable ads. Our TV should be free. The real program content is about 20 minutes or less per half hour.
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jazzmyn
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I have an HD DVR, an HD box, and the expanded channels like History Internation, and the internet...my bill is about $150 a month. I just called to see if there was a way to get my bill lowered and was told that I could go down to their slow internet service for $15 less a month, and return my regular HD box for another 10.00 off...I am contemplating going to another provider. It's getting ridiculous.
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bonbowl
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4 Messages
my bill jumped from $194.47 to $215.00.. I will be calling dish this am & or at&t
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fatsid
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I mean, seriously, Cox, were you going to tell me you're jacking my price up?? Again?? I'd be willing to pay for an increase without kavetching if i actually noticed an improvement in service over the years--but I haven't.
Thanks for wasting an hour of my life now while I research other internet options.
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crappyshoes
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I wonder if anyone from Cox will ever have the guts to reply on this thread. Cable goes up yet again, same crappy cable service, same crappy internet that constantly drops, same crappy Cox that keeps going up. You're about to lose another customer Cox, and the shame is that you really don't seem to care.
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CoxSox
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Did Cox ever give us warning on this because I just saw my bill and was shocked at yet another increase.
I used to pay $18/mo with Verizon in LA but ever since moving to $24 to $30 to $35 and now $40! And for what?!?! Unfortunately, there are no other providers in my area so I'm stuck which means I'll probably just cancel my TV portion and figure a way out of here.
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Becky
Moderator
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4.3K Messages
Crappyshoes,
I'd like to specifically address your post referencing the difficulties you have with Cox cable and internet services. I want your services to work just as I expect mine to work when I get home, and, since it sounds like this isn't true to your experience, I'd like to find out more about what's happening. Please email me at coxhelp@cox.com and include your name, address, and a few details about the issues you experience. I'm happy to investigate so we can get this resolved for you! -Becky
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kathylmurphy
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I just saw that my bill went up too and have no idea why. I rarely use it. Funny too since some guy just called and said he wanted to bump up my speed for free for 3 months. I turned him down nicely thinking that I didn't want to get a higher bill in 3 months. What a nice surprise to log in and see the bill has gone up anyway. lol May have to look into another service. You all that have replied about existing customers needing a break too.
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Nargg
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7 Messages
I vote for Cox in dumping some of the channels/networks. Even if for 30 days, while the networks get their heads screwed on correctly! We already watch too many commercials. Now this?
I'd get more into Internet based TV, but now Cox limits the data I can use. Really?!?! It's as if Cox hates it's customers to have choices! At my current internet limit with Cox, it states I could only watch about 60 hours of HD TV per month over the internet. That's just wrong.
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tdrossier
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Becky, I understand your statements regarding the cost of programming, but why does that cause the internet and phone costs to increase as well?
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Michael
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2 Messages
If cox wanted to keep the prices down for their customers they would allow the customers to choose what channels they wanted. They package things so that we have to pay for channels we don’t want. And if these networks raise their prices don’t carry them. With the way things are now they should find ways to lower their cost. If it was $1.00 increase I could have live with that, but $4.00 get real.
Cox and these networks is pricing themselves out of business, only the 1% will be able to have cable and we know they will not get it. I have friends that have canceled their subscription already and I ‘am not far behind them. Cox need to partition these networks for lower prices. They think that we are addicted to all these channels, I remember when we only had 3 channels. Cox beware your prices will be to your demise.
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Michael
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2 Messages
I find it very hard to believe that you don't have any power to negotiate cost.. If and when we the customers begin to drop cox you will find ways to lower to cost are go out of business. I would advocate that we the customer cancel our accounts and start receiving what we can get over the air for 6 months, the networks and al the cable carries will do what they can to get us back. Your reasoning for your cost increase is what I've been hearing from you for years. I to have a business also, yes, the cost for what I offer does increase, but I don't pass it on the my customer, I look for those that have the product at a lower cost. If you advocate for your customers during negotiations, you must lose every time because every year your cost gos up. I have been with this company for 20 + years, that's means I was here before it was call cox. People like me are never offer a discount just for being loyal, if it;s only for 6 months. I know this can be done because you do it for your new customers. This causes my customers to know that I appreciate their business. You should do the same.
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lauraterese
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4 Messages
I am going to go to DISH network in a few weeks. Ive had enough of these increases. from November till now it has gone up 22.16 and that is not acceptable. Cox has the monopoly here, they arent hurting for money, and to not care about the consumer and to keep hiking the prices WITHOUT notice...is bad business practice.
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