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NFT: Cancelling Optimum/Cablevision

EricJ : 1/9/2018 8:15 pm
After a lot of back and forth between Optimum and Fios, I decided to switch to Fios. It all happened today.

During my discussions with Optimum, I asked the rep on the phone was there a particular time I was permitted to cancel without paying cancellation fee or anything. The rep said no fee and i would just owe based upon the days that I had the service.

Today, I find out that is not the case. I owe through the end of the billing cycle. The rep on the phone tonight was nice enough and he truly tried to find a way for me to pay a pro rated amount. Supervisors would not permit it.

So, I am thinking about blowing it off. Ignoring the payment notices and possibly only paying the pro rated amount if anything.

Has anyone else dealt with this before with Optimum? Anyone get collection notices? Not that I care about that.
Yes, owed them $200 once  
DennyInDenville : 1/9/2018 8:20 pm : link
Let it goto collections

Got a bunch of calls from some loser company that optimum sells the debt too for pennies on the dollar. Couple vague threats voicemails etc..

I blocked like 25 numbers and it all just went away

Never showed up on my credit report either

Screw them. Good service provider tho imo and > Fios
Numbers started with 914-219-45##  
DennyInDenville : 1/9/2018 8:23 pm : link
So if you see those numbers , it's that loser company that's all talk, zero bite.

If you can't block them feel free to fuck with them
Funny timing  
Danny Kanell : 1/9/2018 8:42 pm : link
My bill with optimum for tv, internet and phone is $258 before taxes ($277 after). I called today and asked to set up a cancellation of all service and that I’m going to Direct TV (no intention to) and they offered me the exact same package I have with faster internet for $194. No questions asked.
Simple answer. Fios pay will that amount.  
LarmerTJR : 1/9/2018 8:44 pm : link
Pay the Cablevision bill, but, if Fios is still paying cancellation fees after you switch, which they did in November for me, submit the amount of the last bill as the cancellations fee reimbursement.
I actually told the billing department this...  
EricJ : 1/9/2018 8:50 pm : link
I am willing to pay the pro-rated amount (9 days of service) today. If you try to force me to pay the entire thing or send it to collections, I will not pay anything.

So, they are going to let it play out like this. They don't have my social security number. They dont even have my e-mail address anymore because the optonline.net e-mail just got disconnected today. My phone was just disconnected today (switched the phone number when I went to Fios).
Why risk it if Fios pays for it?  
LarmerTJR : 1/9/2018 9:05 pm : link
Seems like an easy solution.
Optimum has no contracts  
UConn4523 : 1/9/2018 9:18 pm : link
you can cancel at any time, I don’t understand why you have to pay anything. I’d call again and ask why they advertise no contracts if they are indeed holding you to a cancellation fee.
RE: Why risk it if Fios pays for it?  
EricJ : 1/9/2018 9:29 pm : link
In comment 13780864 LarmerTJR said:
Quote:
Seems like an easy solution.


I have no problem asking but the problem is that I already had fios installed today (before this billing issue occurred) so it was not part of the deal. I will call and ask though
RE: Optimum has no contracts  
EricJ : 1/9/2018 9:31 pm : link
In comment 13780887 UConn4523 said:
Quote:
you can cancel at any time, I don’t understand why you have to pay anything. I’d call again and ask why they advertise no contracts if they are indeed holding you to a cancellation fee.


They are pointing to some fine print on the last page of their bill which indicates that you need to cancel before the bill is issued. So, my billing period was 1/1 - 1/31. They expect me to pay through the 31st.
Altice which bought Cablevision a couple years ago...  
jnoble : 1/9/2018 10:01 pm : link
..is going to be phasing out the "optimum" name brand and replacing with Altice USA sometime soon
EricJ...there is a form to fill out and submit...  
LarmerTJR : 1/9/2018 10:39 pm : link
On the Fios website. And the contract they quote is on the bill. It was added last year or the year before.
RE: Funny timing  
Knineteen : 1/10/2018 1:01 pm : link
In comment 13780846 Danny Kanell said:
Quote:
My bill with optimum for tv, internet and phone is $258 before taxes ($277 after). I called today and asked to set up a cancellation of all service and that I’m going to Direct TV (no intention to) and they offered me the exact same package I have with faster internet for $194. No questions asked.

No offense, but get with the program already. They ALWAYS give promotions. Far too many people just accept these absurd prices and never demand a discount. I mean, $277/ month is NOT a reasonable price.
RE: RE: Funny timing  
DennyInDenville : 1/10/2018 1:08 pm : link
In comment 13781606 Knineteen said:
Quote:
In comment 13780846 Danny Kanell said:


Quote:


My bill with optimum for tv, internet and phone is $258 before taxes ($277 after). I called today and asked to set up a cancellation of all service and that I’m going to Direct TV (no intention to) and they offered me the exact same package I have with faster internet for $194. No questions asked.


No offense, but get with the program already. They ALWAYS give promotions. Far too many people just accept these absurd prices and never demand a discount. I mean, $277/ month is NOT a reasonable price.

Very true

I get Optimum again and it's just $69.99 for two years , includes hbo, showtime, Netflix , and 100mbps Internet and phone

Verizon was charging me $177 for all 3 and offered to go down to $95 but I decided the $25 plus $12 Netflix was worth the switch back to Optimum assuming they didn't want the old debt they sold off

If you live in an area where they compete?? You'll get the same or similar deal less then $100 per month..

If you live in an area where it's 1 ISP vs A dish, you are fucked and will pay minimum $150 per month if you are lucky. Maybe that's DKs case
RE: RE: Funny timing  
Danny Kanell : 1/10/2018 2:13 pm : link
In comment 13781606 Knineteen said:
Quote:
In comment 13780846 Danny Kanell said:


Quote:


My bill with optimum for tv, internet and phone is $258 before taxes ($277 after). I called today and asked to set up a cancellation of all service and that I’m going to Direct TV (no intention to) and they offered me the exact same package I have with faster internet for $194. No questions asked.


No offense, but get with the program already. They ALWAYS give promotions. Far too many people just accept these absurd prices and never demand a discount. I mean, $277/ month is NOT a reasonable price.


I never said it was and i've tried a few times without luck.
RE: EricJ...there is a form to fill out and submit...  
EricJ : 1/10/2018 2:36 pm : link
In comment 13780937 LarmerTJR said:
Quote:
On the Fios website. And the contract they quote is on the bill. It was added last year or the year before.


Found the spot to fill out the form. They expect that my last bill with Optimum will have a line item that says "Early Termination Fee". Optimum does not have that. They expect you to pay your full month's bill. So, any days you pay where you did not have their service "IS" the early termination fee... it is just not spelled out that way. So, I filled it all out with an explanation, send a PDF of my bill and hopefully will hear back within two days
RE: RE: RE: Funny timing  
Knineteen : 1/10/2018 11:42 pm : link
In comment 13781731 Danny Kanell said:
Quote:
I never said it was and i've tried a few times without luck.

Try the disconnect or retention department. They seem to have more authorization to provide promos.
Or just leave them entirely and give it a month...they'll come begging for your patronage.
RE: RE: RE: RE: Funny timing  
EricJ : 1/11/2018 7:49 am : link
In comment 13782376 Knineteen said:
Quote:
In comment 13781731 Danny Kanell said:


Quote:


I never said it was and i've tried a few times without luck.


Try the disconnect or retention department. They seem to have more authorization to provide promos.
Or just leave them entirely and give it a month...they'll come begging for your patronage.


I play this game with Sirius radio every year...
I have a promotional price and then my promo period is ending. I call them to discuss pricing and they say they cannot extend my current deal. I say that I am going to end my service. They dont counter. Then, to actually cancel you have to answer a series of questions. It takes a few minutes. At the end, they ask ok so this is it? by saying "yes" you are officially asking us to terminate the service. I say "yes" and THEN they agree to extend the current pricing.

I suppose that is their way of playing the game of poker until I have shown my cards. There may be customers who fall short of actually going through with the cancellation after initially threatening it.
I actually just called to cancel myself  
UConn4523 : 1/11/2018 11:41 am : link
my next bill is on 1/14 and I am moving out of my house on 1/19. They told me I can cancel before the bill is generate or pay the next bill in full. Told them its ridiculous and that on 1/13 I am going to call and downgrade my service to just keep internet and I'll go 5 days with no cable (maybe I'll keep basic).

I have no interest in paying $209 for 5 days of service especially with most of those days being the work week.

We are moving but setting up our new account in my wife's name as it saves like $60 per month on our current package as a "new customer".
Whatever you do, don't listen to Denny..  
Modus Operandi : 1/11/2018 11:47 am : link
If you don't pay, they ding your credit each month the debt isn't paid. Eventually they'll sell it off to a collections company - which will ding your credit again.

Your option is to either pay them to make them go away, try to have the new provider pay the fee, or take your chances with collections. At that point, you may be able to negotiate the settlement for a pay for delete letter, which will slow you to challenge any credit dings.

But why bother going through all that?
RE: Whatever you do, don't listen to Denny..  
DennyInDenville : 1/11/2018 12:25 pm : link
In comment 13782947 Modus Operandi said:
Quote:
If you don't pay, they ding your credit each month the debt isn't paid. Eventually they'll sell it off to a collections company - which will ding your credit again.

Your option is to either pay them to make them go away, try to have the new provider pay the fee, or take your chances with collections. At that point, you may be able to negotiate the settlement for a pay for delete letter, which will slow you to challenge any credit dings.

But why bother going through all that?

Unless you gave them your SS# they can't do anything to your credit.

The first time I signed up, I just gave my name and signature .

RE: RE: Whatever you do, don't listen to Denny..  
EricJ : 1/11/2018 12:29 pm : link
In comment 13783001 DennyInDenville said:
Quote:
In comment 13782947 Modus Operandi said:


Quote:


If you don't pay, they ding your credit each month the debt isn't paid. Eventually they'll sell it off to a collections company - which will ding your credit again.

Your option is to either pay them to make them go away, try to have the new provider pay the fee, or take your chances with collections. At that point, you may be able to negotiate the settlement for a pay for delete letter, which will slow you to challenge any credit dings.

But why bother going through all that?


Unless you gave them your SS# they can't do anything to your credit.

The first time I signed up, I just gave my name and signature .


Right.. exactly what I was thinking about the SS#. I had a situation a few years ago with an ambulance ride for my daughter. The school called for it (not us) as a cover your ass thing on their part (it was not needed). Then, we get a bill for $3k. Insurance only paid a portion. Ambulance company asks me to pay the rest. Tried to negotiate and they refused. Went to collections. Wrote a letter to the collection agency indicating that WE did not call for the service and we were not provided with an estimate of cost upfront. They eventually stopped calling and stopped sending letters. This never appeared on anyone's credit report.
RE: RE: RE: Whatever you do, don't listen to Denny..  
Matt M. : 1/11/2018 12:37 pm : link
In comment 13783008 EricJ said:
Quote:
In comment 13783001 DennyInDenville said:


Quote:


In comment 13782947 Modus Operandi said:


Quote:


If you don't pay, they ding your credit each month the debt isn't paid. Eventually they'll sell it off to a collections company - which will ding your credit again.

Your option is to either pay them to make them go away, try to have the new provider pay the fee, or take your chances with collections. At that point, you may be able to negotiate the settlement for a pay for delete letter, which will slow you to challenge any credit dings.

But why bother going through all that?


Unless you gave them your SS# they can't do anything to your credit.

The first time I signed up, I just gave my name and signature .




Right.. exactly what I was thinking about the SS#. I had a situation a few years ago with an ambulance ride for my daughter. The school called for it (not us) as a cover your ass thing on their part (it was not needed). Then, we get a bill for $3k. Insurance only paid a portion. Ambulance company asks me to pay the rest. Tried to negotiate and they refused. Went to collections. Wrote a letter to the collection agency indicating that WE did not call for the service and we were not provided with an estimate of cost upfront. They eventually stopped calling and stopped sending letters. This never appeared on anyone's credit report.
Do they not all ask for SS# these days to run credit checks and for just this reason?
Matt M  
DennyInDenville : 1/11/2018 1:27 pm : link
Not when the compete with each other

They will do anything to set up your cable and leave you with boxes , routers etc etc because the competition between ISPs is insane when they share zones.. they ask zero questions. You just sign a waiver from
The cable guy saying you are responsible for the boxes etc, no SS# the firs time I used them a few years ago .

I'm back with them again and my name wasn't even red flagged or anything
I am not giving my SS# to anyone...  
EricJ : 1/11/2018 1:33 pm : link
other than a financial institution.
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