The Days of Getting a Cheaper Cable Bill by Threatening to Leave May Be Over
- Charter, Comcast shares rise despite surge in cord cutters
- Profits grow as providers show low-profit customers the door
The silhouette of a technician is seen performing maintenance on network poles in Leonia, New Jersey.
Photographer: Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
When Joshua May learned recently that his TV bill would increase by about $40 a month, he called Charter Communications Inc., expecting his cable company to negotiate a better price.
His previous provider, Time Warner Cable, had extended a cheap promotional rate several times so May wouldn’t cancel. But that was before Charter took over the company. When he called this time, the rep wouldn’t budge on the 29% jump for his bundled TV, internet and phone service. So May cut the cord.