Update: A earlier version of this story under counted the total cost of the fees by $2. We updated it to correctly reflect the cost of the total fees. We also updated the Comcast fee to reflect new promotional pricing.
2017 is here and once again that means price hikes and new ways to confuse cord cutters.
Recently many readers have reported that Comcast is offering TV plus Internet for less than Internet only. Just think about that for a minute… Comcast is a business—a business that wants to make money. Do you really think it would give you more for less?
The truth is it hides the cost of TV plus Internet behind a promotional rate but shows the full cost of Internet only. It goes even farther to hide the real cost of TV behind a ton of fees.
So let’s take a close look at the hidden fees that Comcast likes to bury behind a wall of text. (Note: We are using Comcast rates out of Texas)
- Broadcast TV Fee: $7
- Regional Sports Fee: $5
- HD Technology Fee: $9.95
- DVR Fee: $10
- Adapter Fee: $5.99
In total a Comcast TV subscriber who has two extra TVs, a DVR, and a modem in their house will now pay at least $53.93 a month in fees on top of their $149.99 monthly bill. That means the real monthly bill for Comcast TV subscribers is $203.92 a month, which adds up to $2,447.04 a year. (The fees in this example include $10 a month modem rental.)
Not only does it stop there but if you want to pay for their phone service they will also add a $2 voice technology fee so on a triple play package you will pay $55.93 a month in just fees on top of the listed monthly bill. That does not even count the taxes that are added to the TV service in many parts of the United States. (Update it seems Comcast has backtracked on the $2 fee. Stating “Final plans and notices haven’t been completed yet, which is why it was taken down. We are still finalizing plans/details and will notify customers about any changes in a notice that would be sent directly to them.” So well its gone for now it seems that they are still considering the fee.)
Now let’s not forget that these listed prices are promotional rates. Sometimes we hear from readers who say the rates only lasted a few months of their 2-year contract.
So don’t get fooled by promotional offers and remember there are always fees.
Here is a screen shot of The Comcast Triple Play bundle we referenced.
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