Fusion price increase and fiber expansion

[duncan mccandless]

I AM A VERY DISAPPOINTED SONIC CUSTOMER.
I DID NOT KNOW I WAS SIGNING UP FOR A PROMOTIONAL.
NOW I AM PAYING MORE THAN DOUBLE FOR MY INTERNET-ONLY
SERVICE AND IT IS WAY OUT OF LINE.
I THINK IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT THERE IS NOT ONLY A BIG PRICE
INCREASE ONCE CUSTOMERS ARE ON BOARD BUT THAT YOU
CHARGE, EVEN AT THE ORIGINAL SIGN-UP, MUCH MORE THAN
ONE PAYS FOR BETTER SERVICE OTHER PLACES.
I HAVE SPECTRUM INTERNET ONLY SERVICE IN PALM SPRINGS
FOR $23.00 A MONTH AND IT WORKS BETTER THAN YOURS.
PLEASE CONSIDER ADJUSTING THIS OUTRAGEOUS CHARGE
FOR MY INTERNET ONLY SERVICE OR I WILL END UP CANCELING
AND USING THE LOCAL LIBRARY FOR MY INTERNET NEEDS.
DUNCAN S. MCCANDLESS

[pockyken007]

I AM A VERY DISAPPOINTED SONIC CUSTOMER.
I DID NOT KNOW I WAS SIGNING UP FOR A PROMOTIONAL.
NOW I AM PAYING MORE THAN DOUBLE FOR MY INTERNET-ONLY
SERVICE AND IT IS WAY OUT OF LINE.
I THINK IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT THERE IS NOT ONLY A BIG PRICE
INCREASE ONCE CUSTOMERS ARE ON BOARD BUT THAT YOU
CHARGE, EVEN AT THE ORIGINAL SIGN-UP, MUCH MORE THAN
ONE PAYS FOR BETTER SERVICE OTHER PLACES.
I HAVE SPECTRUM INTERNET ONLY SERVICE IN PALM SPRINGS
FOR $23.00 A MONTH AND IT WORKS BETTER THAN YOURS.
PLEASE CONSIDER ADJUSTING THIS OUTRAGEOUS CHARGE
FOR MY INTERNET ONLY SERVICE OR I WILL END UP CANCELING
AND USING THE LOCAL LIBRARY FOR MY INTERNET NEEDS.
DUNCAN S. MCCANDLESS

your caps lock is stuck ...

[macwrite\]

Hey Dane,

I am a customer in SF, on a limited budget. I just called to discuss the $10 increase on my bill, to find out why it jumped a full 25%, plus additional taxes. The services like "voicemail" that I do use are the exact same (i.e. distinctly unimproved) as they have been since I started using Sonic. Like other commenters, I use my land line well less than an hour a month, and store maybe one or two voicemail messages at a time. I do not use and never have used "International Calling" or even long distance US calling, so any improvements made to those systems are complete mysteries.

I asked how I could reduce my bill, perhaps by eliminating phone and just keeping the more important internet connection. Sorry, I was told, we only do "bundled services." The result is the customer is stuck no matter how you slice it: eat Sonic's dirt sandwich or move on. Sonic's informational website says they will not do price reductions for customers who object to this price heist/hike/whatever it is supposed to be called. Any lower rates ("$40/month!" on vans all over town) are for "new customers," while their longtime customers get shafted for 25% so they can lay "fibers" somewhere. It is such a pleasure to be treated with a complete lack of consideration after being a longtime customer, I really cannot express how appreciated I feel.

Welp, as "unpleasant" as it is, I will definitely be looking for a lower cost internet connection and living without a landline if that's how it has to be. Sonic makes it clear how they feel about the customer. Even evil corporate giants like PG & E have programs for the less economically advantaged to be able to keep the lights on. Sonic.net says, "Tough."

(Just noticed someone in the forum says they have only internet service, good to know. Thanks again, Sonic.)

[pockyken007]

[quote="macwrite\"]Hey Dane,

I am a customer in SF, on a limited budget. I just called to discuss the $10 increase on my bill, to find out why it jumped a full 25%, plus additional taxes. The services like "voicemail" that I do use are the exact same (i.e. distinctly unimproved) as they have been since I started using Sonic. Like other commenters, I use my land line well less than an hour a month, and store maybe one or two voicemail messages at a time. I do not use and never have used "International Calling" or even long distance US calling, so any improvements made to those systems are complete mysteries.

I asked how I could reduce my bill, perhaps by eliminating phone and just keeping the more important internet connection. Sorry, I was told, we only do "bundled services." The result is the customer is stuck no matter how you slice it: eat Sonic's dirt sandwich or move on. Sonic's informational website says they will not do price reductions for customers who object to this price heist/hike/whatever it is supposed to be called. Any lower rates ("$40/month!" on vans all over town) are for "new customers," while their longtime customers get shafted for 25% so they can lay "fibers" somewhere. It is such a pleasure to be treated with a complete lack of consideration after being a longtime customer, I really cannot express how appreciated I feel.

Welp, as "unpleasant" as it is, I will definitely be looking for a lower cost internet connection and living without a landline if that's how it has to be. Sonic makes it clear how they feel about the customer. Even evil corporate giants like PG & E have programs for the less economically advantaged to be able to keep the lights on. Sonic.net says, "Tough."

(Just noticed someone in the forum says they have only internet service, good to know. Thanks again, Sonic.)[/quote]


BS. Sonic doesn't do internet only service so whoever told you that is lying through their teeth .

[danielg4]

BS. Sonic doesn't do internet only service so whoever told you that is lying through their teeth .

It's not BS. When Fusion was first rolled out, voice service was optional, and those who opted out of it and never upgraded were never forced to get it. Those still on Legacy DSL technically also have Internet-only service from Sonic.

[danielg4]

[quote="macwrite\"]Hey Dane,

I am a customer in SF, on a limited budget. I just called to discuss the $10 increase on my bill, to find out why it jumped a full 25%, plus additional taxes. The services like "voicemail" that I do use are the exact same (i.e. distinctly unimproved) as they have been since I started using Sonic. Like other commenters, I use my land line well less than an hour a month, and store maybe one or two voicemail messages at a time. I do not use and never have used "International Calling" or even long distance US calling, so any improvements made to those systems are complete mysteries.

I asked how I could reduce my bill, perhaps by eliminating phone and just keeping the more important internet connection. Sorry, I was told, we only do "bundled services." The result is the customer is stuck no matter how you slice it: eat Sonic's dirt sandwich or move on. Sonic's informational website says they will not do price reductions for customers who object to this price heist/hike/whatever it is supposed to be called. Any lower rates ("$40/month!" on vans all over town) are for "new customers," while their longtime customers get shafted for 25% so they can lay "fibers" somewhere. It is such a pleasure to be treated with a complete lack of consideration after being a longtime customer, I really cannot express how appreciated I feel.

Welp, as "unpleasant" as it is, I will definitely be looking for a lower cost internet connection and living without a landline if that's how it has to be. Sonic makes it clear how they feel about the customer. Even evil corporate giants like PG & E have programs for the less economically advantaged to be able to keep the lights on. Sonic.net says, "Tough."

(Just noticed someone in the forum says they have only internet service, good to know. Thanks again, Sonic.)[/quote]
If you receive either SSI or CalFresh, your cheapest route is U-Verse. If you do not receive either of those but are eligible for Universal Lifeline service, your cheapest route is getting that for your landline, opting out of long-distance service by requesting a Preferred Interexchange Carrier code of 0000 and a "PIC freeze" (You can use Google Voice for free in a pinch.), and then adding on "Standard DSL" service (not TrueStream) from DSLExtreme.

[jtgerrits]

Sonic is an company just like all the other companies they need to be able to keep their lights on in order to provide service. Furthermore, they do their best with what they have. They are building fiber in multiple areas and giving alternatives to just ATT and Comcast. Is their business perfect? No, but they are better than ATT and Comcast. Best way to put it, analyze your needs and choose accordingly to those needs. If having internet and home phone doesn't work for you then don't go with Sonic. The positives out weigh the negatives by far.

[fallenturtle]

Dane, would you consider offering a discount to those of us at the end of the line? From what I've read my neighborhood is years away from even starting to build out fiber and since I live a little over 7,000 feet from a CO I basically never see uploads past 1Mb or downloads past 7Mb. Basically I feel like I'm paying more to build out other people's fiber that I'll never see.

[jiapengjiang]

I am paying almost $70 a month for internet, i mean I don't even need a home phone line but thanks to Sonic's bundle policy, which i have to pay for $10+ for a phone line i barely used.
I was okay for that but now $70 for 15M, if it is fiber, than fine. BUT NO.
this is just ridiculous, I am getting Comcast installed this week, then say good bye to sonic...
Maybe when they have fiber in my neighborhood and their price goes down, I could rejoin, but I really don't see that happens in at least couple years.
Have fun for those who stick with sonic, the fibers users will be thankful for you.

[fallenturtle]

I am paying almost $70 a month for internet, i mean I don't even need a home phone line but thanks to Sonic's bundle policy, which i have to pay for $10+ for a phone line i barely used.
I was okay for that but now $70 for 15M, if it is fiber, than fine. BUT NO.
this is just ridiculous, I am getting Comcast installed this week, then say good bye to sonic...
Maybe when they have fiber in my neighborhood and their price goes down, I could rejoin, but I really don't see that happens in at least couple years.
Have fun for those who stick with sonic, the fibers users will be thankful for you.

Eh, as bitter as I am about all this I'd still rather be stuck in the slow lane with Sonic then be with Comcast.