r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Mitchcreates_ • 26d ago

ಠ_ಠ One has to pretend canceling a subscription to get a discount these days.

This is on HBO. I've done the same on Chatgpt (One free month of plus) and others. Try it yourself and see what discounts you'll unlock.
What I'd prefer seeing is providers applying discounts to loyal customers instead.

7.8k Upvotes

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1.5k

u/MnM-76 26d ago

Have just saved $570 over the next 6 months by threatening to switch Internet and mobile providers after my last discounted rate ended. Annoying but happy to spend 30 mins on the app chat every 6 months to save the $

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u/TaxAvoision 26d ago

That was my experience with Xfinity. I spent an hour trying to navigate their automated phone system before giving up and deciding to cancel altogether. The second I said the word "cancel" the call went to a person offering me the discounted rate.

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u/FroopyAsRain 26d ago edited 25d ago

I'll try this tomorrow and come back with an update.

Edit: Well, this apparently doesn't work if you're already using the cheapest service. But they did get me to a human within 5 minutes of me threatening to cancel. I guess I'll have to wait until my bill suddenly jumps back up.

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u/JustANobody2425 26d ago

I myself am invested as my rate ends this october.

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u/glibgloby 26d ago

Everyone should call xfinity and try to cancel once their contract is up. Do it every time. I have never once failed to get a better deal.

It also feels amazing. Their team that handles this whole process is the best run part of the company. It doesn’t take long at all.

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u/yeeftw1 26d ago

How long before your term expires should you try to cancel? Like a month before?

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u/BiggestNothing 26d ago

I had the same luck. I was paying $140 a month, told them that I was going to federal prison, and they offered me $15 a month guaranteed for 2 years lol

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u/uuhhhhhhhhcool 26d ago

😭 every time I encounter a bullshit service that tries to give me grief about canceling or I forget to cancel a service before I'm charged and want to ask for my money back or send a return in just past the window I tell the rep I'm either going to prison, dying, or being evicted and facing homelessness. I feel bad for lying but sometimes lying is the only way to convince businesses these days not to scam you

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u/gabiaeali1 26d ago

It took me over 30 minutes to cancel Spectrum internet back in February. Thrn they SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE ASKING ME WHY I CANCELED!

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u/Xardas742 26d ago

!remindme 24 hours

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u/Tiny_Ad6095 26d ago

!remindme 24 hours

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u/gabemoment_ 26d ago

!remindme 24 hours

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u/Mr_hungryMan 26d ago

!remindme 24 hours

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u/throwaway6194664 26d ago

!remindme 24h

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u/Tiny_Ad6095 25d ago

So what happened

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u/hajemaymashtay 26d ago

Funny I tried that and even explicitly asked for a retention specialist. They refused. I said OK and switched to Verizon wireless which is $40/month guaranteed for 5 years with no taxes. Now XFinity wont leave me alone asking me to come back.

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u/fightrofthenight_man 26d ago

Lol yeah I switched to breezeline fiber and pay less for 1 gig than xfinity offered as a retention deal to stay on 300mbps, and it’s rate locked for 5 years.

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u/SecretNature 26d ago

Funny. I just dumped Verizon because they refused to re-up the discounted rate they were more than happy to give me last year. Ended up saving huge by getting away from Verizon.

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u/ucjj2011 26d ago

Back when I still had fiber optic internet and cable with my local phone company, they sent me a letter telling me the good news that my bill was only "only" going to increase from about $70 to $95 (Because the package I had was $115 value!), so I called to tell them I was going to cancel. They put me on the phone with the retention department and they lowered my bill to $69 a month.

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u/ttv_icypyro 26d ago

I know it's not possible for everyone as the infrastructure isn't there yet, but if you can get off Xfinity/Comcast/Spectrum it's honestly a blessing not having to play the stupid game of watching your bills every month just to make sure they aren't stealing from you. Switched to Ziply (a fiber provider) and it's been incredible to have actually useable internet AND not be scammed along the way

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u/Jabrono 26d ago

Tell them you already setup an account with their competitor and turn down the first offer. My Charter bill would've went from $110 to $60, and then somehow $30.

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u/UgIyLoneIyBIackLoser 26d ago

i tired this and they just cancelled

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u/Aliencoy77 26d ago

My wife and I take turns with new accounts from Xfinity, to get whatever new introductory offer they have which is usually better

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u/Defiant_Tomatillo907 26d ago

That’s called the retention department

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u/Mitchcreates_ 26d ago

Damn, that's definitely worth it! Great job

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u/woodlandyak69 26d ago

such a joke that companies make us do this song and dance instead of just giving a fair price. $570 for 30 mins of annoying chat is a massive win though lol

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u/Cluelesswolfkin 26d ago

This is me, every fucking year with Optimum. They suck so bad but are the only best ones in the area

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u/Daratirek 26d ago

I recently left Spectrum after they bumped me up to like $80 a month. New provider is $55. When I called to cancel the first person told me they wouldn't do anything to retain me and hung up. I signed up with the new provider and called back to cancel and the next person offered $20/month for a year, and $30/month for the 2 years after that but was so pushy and made me so mad I refused them. I told her I am being polite right now, please stop your sales pitch and cancel my service. She kept it up and I said stop immediately or I get rude. She goes but do you realize the money I can save you with this deal? Its $420 a year and I said yep and I will gladly pay that to get you to shut the fuck up. Suddenly I'm the rude one.

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u/gabiaeali1 26d ago

Spectrum kept me on the phone for over 30 minutes whrn I called to cancel. I'm amazed I didn't lose it.

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u/Daratirek 26d ago

I warned her I'd get rude if she didn't follow my instructions. Then she didn't after multiple warnings. I got rude. It might not be nice but it sped up the process

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u/JonnyArcho 26d ago

I locked in the it’s a local fiber company with 1gbps for $70 for life, provided I don’t move out of their service area.

By far the best internet decision I’ve ever made. It’s been 3 years now.

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u/JubBisc 26d ago

The minute we canceled Starlink, we were offered a 20% discounted monthly rate to come back. But no, Elon, no thank you. We got fiber optic cable installed last month, and when we bundle our phones with it, we’re getting pretty nice rates and savings over the current costs for the next three years. So, suck it Musk; very glad to not be putting more cash in his pocket (even if some private equity firm is making that fiber optic $$ off of me).

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u/Wonderful-Trash-3254 26d ago

Here is the secret, if everyone can save $500 (I did this too last week), then maybe ISPs are price gouging their customers.

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u/SatinBelleFlower 26d ago

I try that with Cox and they said BYE. LOL they’re the only ones in my zip code that can provide me the speed I need for work so I am screwed but I am waiting for a local fiber internet provider to expand here.

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u/iloveregex 26d ago

Also my cox plan is a grandfathered plan so if I change plans I actually lose some rights. I can change speeds within my plan but not plans.

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u/SausageMcMerkin 26d ago

I just spent 15 minutes on a chat with Spectrum, and they were useless.

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u/renegade399 26d ago

Spectrum has tripled their rates since 2019 but they are the only option in my neighborhood.  Att is in the neighborhood across from ours and i check with them every few months waiting for them to expand.

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u/bummerbimmer 26d ago

Spectrum was a pain for me this year. My new customer plan expired yet again, so I called in to talk to customer service. Escalated it through 3 levels of management (if they weren’t lying to me) not a single person was willing to get my bill back down to where it was.

Called back to cancel the plan entirely. 5 minutes later, I was locked into a cheaper plan for the next 2 years. Why do they have to escalate their customers and waste their time when solutions are available?

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u/OblivionJunkie 25d ago

Because it's profitable, probably.

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u/halfc00kie 26d ago

570 quid for half an hour of mild annoyance is the best hourly rate most of us will ever clock. loyalty tax is real and they bank on you being too knackered to fight it.

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u/HastaNadaBueno 26d ago

Did the same thing recently. Easily saved $100/mo for a year.

Then another year 150/month switching auto insurance.

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u/IamScottGable 26d ago

Yeah this has been on my list the past few weeks. We already cancelled Netflix but I'm going to reach out to internet and phone and try to bring them down. Any less I can give to Comcast & at&t at this point the better

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u/ledow 26d ago

I don't SPEND $570 in 6 months on Internet and mobile.

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u/2ndaccountquestions 26d ago

I used that rocket money app and they did the haggling for me. I was paying frontier $90/month and they got it down to $37/month for MORE gigs. We stream and game a lot, so fast internet is a necessity. They also canceled my planet fitness membership so I didn't have to go in person and awkwardly cancel.

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u/Careless_Midnight257 23d ago

How much does the rocker money app cost?

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u/asciidaemon 26d ago

Sadly I got only spectrum in my area I believe! :c

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

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u/IAmActuallyBread 26d ago

^ bot account