Comcast jacking up cable rates 4.6% on average

Don't even think about saying we didn't warn you. Just as we expected at the first of the year, Comcast is gearing up to hike rates on unsuspecting cable customers, and it's consoling us all by stating that the increase is still well below the rate of inflation (wait, for real?). Beginning on November 1st, the carrier will be raising rates on most cable TV services, DVRs and HD STBs on the average of 4.6%. Interestingly, we're told that high-speed internet and digital home phone services won't see bumps, and neither will bundles. You know what that means? Bundle up or switch out.

[Via ABC, image courtesy of Flickr; thanks Garst]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 7:26PM]

But I want to save El Moolah!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 7:30PM]

Nice. Their prices go up, while their services (internet) goes down. Thank God I don't have to deal with Comcast.

[CaseV7 Posted Oct 8th 2008 8:08PM]

I am about THIS close to switching to Dish. Since all I watch are the HD channels anyways, might as well save a few bucks and grab a turbo HD package...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 9:20PM]

I do installs for Dish in San Antonio. Give these folks a call. 1-877-643-3474 Promo Code# AM5967 Even if you don't live in the San Antonio, they should be able to get you a better deal than if you call Dish directly.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2008 3:44PM]

I would DirecTV over Dish.

But now that I can get Netflix, Youtube, and Hulu on the 360 I am seriously questioning my need for subscription television.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 8:55PM]

I guess it's worth it to be in a fixed-price contract. I opened up the flyer they sent out, and wasn't very happy. Then I opened a separate letter they sent saying anyone in a Triple Play bundle contract wouldn't be affected by the rate hikes.

But hey, 4.6% isn't bad compared to the 77.5% hike we've gotten from BG&E for energy, thanks to our Democrats in the MD government.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 9:07PM]

So with prices going up on just about everything we are "unsuspecting" that the cost of cable would go up? Thanks Engadget...glad the smartest guys in the room are around to write ten sentences about something and link everyone to the rest of the story...Q

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 9:08PM]

Here in Seattle our rates on cable have already gone up. Basic cable went up $1, HD service went up $1, equipment went up a little, and the franchise fee and taxes went up.

As mentioned in the article, my internet price didn't budge.

This sucks! My overall bill is like $10 more now. Guess it is time to threaten to leave so I can get a better price.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 9:15PM]

Prepare for a dose of inflation coming, this is not the 1st nor the last.

I know it's not directly CE-related as such but you don't think our Govs are (now repeatedly) throwing hundreds of billions of $ around and it's not going to effect the value of our money/currencies do you?

Just as property prices have taken a dive so the value of money itself is going to take a dive to reflect the losses on the commodities (like property) on which it and our economies were valued.

Take a little advice, try to owe little or nothing and have what you need now cos prices are about to make life a lot tougher for many of us.
Seriously, hold on to your hats tight, this one is going to be lengthy, painful & messy - and it's yet to really even get going.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2008 8:52AM]

OTA-HD FTW!!! no cable here... just a good ol dose of OTA, Hulu and Netfrix!! WEEEEE!!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 10:35PM]

They are raising prices because they are millions under their set profit goals. Apparently they thought they were going to keep selling their phone to everyone. Of course when their techs drive around all day it might cost them a pretty penny for gas.

Rob Dib
http://www.generatefate.com

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2008 11:31PM]

I am a bit confused with the jack of prices. They say people with the Digital Preferred will be transferred to Digital Classic, and I have the Plus plan. Does that mean that I will be getting a third premium channel for the less of the price of adding one individiually?

All in all when I crunched the numbers I figured my bill for Baltimore County will be $183, down from $186.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2008 7:55AM]

Comcast is tagged as the company with one of the worse customer service records ever. They have millions of subscribers to their cable television service. Its the best example of cowsumers that I can imagine.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2008 7:57AM]

Comcast is tagged as the company with one of the worse customer service records ever. They have millions of subscribers to their cable television service. Its the best example of cowsumers that I can imagine.

[ArhcAngel Posted Oct 9th 2008 10:07AM]

Last month in preparation for Hurricane Ike I asked my next door neighbor if I could tap into her cable (I have Dish). I expected to lose signal during the 70+ MPH winds, I didn't. I was amazed. My neighbor's Comcast however has been out since the storm and has yet to be restored. All Comcast will say is there is an outage and they're sorry for the inconvenience. I did hear they just hired a boatload of contractors to get the service back up. Maybe that's why they had to raise their rates?

[oldmanhorton Posted Oct 9th 2008 10:56AM]

COMCAST SUCKS ASS!!!!!!!!!!!
Im serious, one commenter said that they had one of the worst customer service records and i couldnt agree more. Not to mention horrible HD, and high rates already......Im begging my parents for Dish or DirecTV already.....hopefully this'l get em to switch

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2008 7:51PM]

I like how they keep raising my rates but they do not do anything for me. All I want is more HD channels to suffice for the higher rates. I don't get how some areas get lots of new HD channels weekly, some get a few channels, and in my area (union county nj) we have not received one since they got rid of nfl hd and put sny hd in its place back in march. Its funny. I was paying $130 a month with HBO Starz and Showtime. I decided to get netflix instead of paying for channels that I do not watch and when I lowered my plan to just get HBO they were like "oh your going to save a lot more money now" I was like yea I could use it. Wouldnt you know I got my bill and I saved a whopping $10 a month. I dont get how they charge $15 a premium channel but in the end i should have just kept them. I wish I could get direct tv but in my apt complex they dont allow it..

[Galley Posted Oct 9th 2008 11:13PM]

Proud to be "cable-free" since 1997.

[Garst Posted Oct 10th 2008 3:29AM]

It's times like these that I'm "glad" I'm in a Mediacom market. Comcast lures people in with glitter and fool's gold; and once you have it, you realized just have much you were ripped off. I only watch a few network show, so why should I pay to watch it? But at least Mediacom doesn't lie in their ads. Quite frankly, the only ads I see for Mediacom is the one flyer that they send out each quarter; sometimes it's two. But they give more information than Comcast's commercials, and you don't need to be a speed reader with laser eyesight to catch everything. I've also haven't heard any news that they will be increasing pricing due to "inflation" either.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 10th 2008 7:17PM]

Ask ESPN or Fox Sports how much they are raising prices to Comcast.

Programers always rape the cable companies because they can. Comcast is just passing the raping on to you.