Uverse Promotional Period End and No Good Promotion for Existing Customer

Bear in mind that those new customers are going to be in the same boat as you at the end of their promotional period.

A lot of the new customer rates are so good because those new customers have to pay to get out of their current contracts. What they're really doing is paying (in a roundabout way) the new customer to get out of their old contract.

For what it is worth, we have been with AT&T U-verse since April 2010 in one way or another. For about a year, we had TV and internet, and then for about 1.5 years we had to drop down to just internet to match our budget. In October 2012, I ramped back up to TV at almost full retail. I think we had $15 off for 6 months. By May 2014, due to typical increases, the bill was ramped up to an uncomfortable level. So I called and mentioned that I had been paying full retail for almost a year and would like to receive their best offer. I asked for a contract period since I am very satisfied with AT&T U-verse and do not plan on switching.

Long story-short, by proving 4 year loyalty to U-verse and by asking to locked in to a 1-year contract, AT&T graciously dropped our bill from $160 to $120 with a small bump to $135.

After my current promotional contract expires, I plan on riding full retail for about 12 months and then asking for a long term contract again. Maybe, riding full retail for a while and then asking again is your best bet.

I hope you have success in your endevors.

Spaz,

I think I want to try this. I'm don't even want a promotional price, but I would at least like a price lock for a year.

djames82,

I mistyped. It wasn't a true "price lock" of total bill as the base retail rates did increase, as is typical. I have noticed base retail rates increase about every 3 - 6 months. Maybe $1-$5 each period. However, we received promotional discounts for a full 12 months on both tv (promo - $21 off ) and internet (promo - $15 off). Of course, this might not work anymore, but I think it was kind of AT&T to offer the promotional rates at the time.

AT&T is no different than any other provider, they all do it. I had TWC for over 10 years and when the rates got too much to bear they offered me a whopping $10 off for 6 months. So I switched to U-verse. I will probably do like a friend of mine does and when the promotional price ends with U-verse I will switch back to cable and when that ends switch back to U-verse. One uses coax (TWC) while the other uses Cat5 (U-verse) so just a matter of switching out equipment.

OK - Starting in May 2015, I am going to let my bill roll to full retail rates and I antipate a few increases in the base rates over the next 12 months. In May 2016, I plan on asking for a discount for existing customers. Come back in May/June 2016, and I will try to let you know my results.

My monthly bill is going from ±$135 (or now ±$145 with recently added HD stuff) with discounts to ±$180 w/o discounts, and I am guessing my bill will be ±$200/month within 12 months based on past experience of increases. So, unfortunately, I am paying an additional ±$35/month. Oh well. I hope your bill doesn't double like you mentioned, but if it does, I would definately call and ask for a small discount.

@spazbq02 -- I just came across this thread. I've been with U-Verse since 2008. Every year, I call into the retentions department and threaten to cancel. I've gone from just under $100 with U-200 with one extra STB and 6.0Mbps internet to U-300, two extra STBs and 12.0 Mbps.

If you cancel the TV, that basically resets your account. However, because I've been a loyal customer since 2008, I am able to do the following.

Discount on internet.

Discount on U-TV service.

Free HD ($10 tier) for one year. Actually, I called in at the start of last NFL season to get RedZone for free and I think I did it that Sunday. They had an advertised promotion of one month HD Premium for free, but the rep was able to give me the year of the $10 HD tier for free...a MUCH better deal. When my main discounts were up in January, I asked if they could re-configure my year of HD to expire with the other discounts...they took that end date from September 2016 to January 2017.

I also get TWO extra STBs for no fee.

As I said before, new customers get a better discount in order to "pay off" their contracts from their old providers. The current customers, myself included, don't get a guaranteed rate, but get a certain amount off. New customers might get $125 for TV and internet whereas current customers get $30 off TV and $15 off internet.

It is what it is. If you don't care about your saved shows, you could probably cancel entirely, wait a few days and then schedule a new install, but you may run into install fees, etc...and if you have saved shows, they're gone. They'd make you mail back your current equipment and the tech would install whatever he has on the truck.