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My AT&T Triple Play $99 per Month Offer Expires Next Month: And The Phone Company Is Not Budging on Price

Back in late December, I managed to negotiate a pretty dramatic reduction in my triple play AT&T services from $169 to $99 per month.  

This lead to some pretty amazing media coverage with my story being told in The Wall Street Journal, NPR and even an appearance on Good Morning America.  

In telling my story my goal was to help save the American consumer millions of dollars, especially during this economic downturn.

When the nice people at AT&T lowered my bill, they did so only for six months.  

Well now, my contract is getting ready to expire and after a couple of phone calls to AT&T, they don't seem to budging on price.

So, I have made the decision that if they don't negotiate with me, I am going to kill U-verse Voice and possible U-verse TV, and just keep the Internet service so I can get WiFi and use my big screen TV to watch.... YouTube and Hulu.

Don't get me wrong.  I really like AT&T as a company and what they have managed to pull off and execute in bringing a really high quality and reliable service into my home. 

But I'm not prepared to pay they price they want for the services they are offering.  

I'd rather save my money, and either save it or do something with what would be about a $1,000 a year savings.

Stay tuned.... 

AT&T U-verse TV HD Lineup Keeps Gettin' Bigger and Bigger

Even with financial markets imploding, there is some good news out there. 

I just learned that AT&T now has more than HD Channels in every market they are in when compared to the old school cable company.

With recent expansions to the U-verse TV HD lineup, customers can now enjoy ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD, Disney XD HD, ESPNews HD and ESPNU HD as part of their existing HD service subscription, depending on their programming package. With the additions, U-verse TV offers 100 or more HD channels in every U-verse TV market.
 
AT&T U-verse TV has two HD subscription options.

HD service is included with the U450 programming package and available for $10 a month with any other U-verse TV programming package. U-verse HD customers can get even more HD-exclusive channels with the HD Premium package for an additional $5 a month. All U-verse TV packages include HD-ready equipment, and most packages include an HD-ready Total Home DVR, which gives you the ability to record your HD programs from a single DVR and watch them on any connected TV.

For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit http://uverse.att.com. Customers can get more information about U-verse TV programming and television events by visiting http://uverse.att.com/uconnect.

 

AT&T Lowers My Residential TV/Internet/Phone Bill By Almost 50% By Just Asking. Call And Tell Them Alan Sent You.

I just saved almost 50% on my AT&T U-verse TV / Voice / and Internet service.
 
No, they don't promote this.  And no this is not a bail-out.  And no, this is not part of Mr. Obama's promise of change. 

You just have to call 800-288-2020 and ask for a discount by telling them you are thinking of switching to your local cable or satellite provider.

U-verse Voice went from $35 to $25
U-verse 400 went from $99 to $59
Yahoo Broadband Elite went from $30 to $10

My bill went from $164 to $94 per month by just asking.

Another tactic:  if you're a guy, tell them you're wife thinks you watch too much TV and the family has to save money so AT&T's gotta go.

And if you're a gal, tell them your man done left you--- or just come up with a Jerry Springer like story saying that you gotta cut back on the household overhead.

I am in San Antonio and your market may vary, but press hard and you just might wind up with some pretty amazing savings. I did not cut back on services.

Note:  the deal they offered was only for six months.  I told them to note it on my record that I was going to call back in May to ask for the same thing again.

Tell them Alan from 3Screens sent you.

Share your story with me with comment on the blog or email:  alan at weinkrantz dot com.

2009 Predictions and Recommendations to AT&T....

As we approach the new year, you're going to start seeing all sort of "expert" predictions and pontifications from analysts and consultants in the telecom world about what is to come in 2009 with AT&T.

Here's my take, based on the point of view from a real live consumer.

My 2009 predictions and recommendations to AT&T, including a proposed milk shake meeting at the Olmos Soda Fountain in San Antonio or the Mecca Cafe in Dallas with Chairman & CEO, Randall Stephenson.

Read all about it here in my column appearing in the San Antonio Express News.

What if Apple Joined Forces With AT&T To Make a True IP HDTV?

I recently read a story in the UK Edition of CNET about Jason Calacanis' prediction that Apple was working on a networked television.

The key word here is networking.

If it was a networked TV, then it would need a truly networked IPTV platform.

The use of the iPhone as a true rem0te control for your AppleTV and TV in general could come into play.

Imagine, if you will using your current MacBook or MacBook PRO as an adjunct TV receiver off of your U-verse TV Service. 

AT&T is the only only true IP-based provider in the U.S.  Verizon's offering is not true IP.

Apple could join forces with AT&T Labs and further disrupt the TV broadcasting space.

Comments?

AT&T to Sell U-verse Services at Circuit City and Wal-Mart Retail Stores

Attention WalMart (and Circuit City) customers....

AT&T today announced agreements with Circuit City and Wal-Mart to sell AT&T U-verseSM TV and AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet in more than 600 retail locations beginning this month.

DVR Ownership Increases, But Recordings Not Priority Viewing

New consumer research, from Leichtman Research Group, reports that 27% of TV households in the United States have at least one Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and 30% of those households have more than one DVR, and that 87% of DVR owners would recommend their DVR service to a friend. 81% rate their DVR 8-10 on a 10 point scale (with 45% rating the service as 10).

Read more here.

AT&T Brings the Enterprise Network into the Home

As a contributing monthly columnist to the San Antonio Express News, I have a chance to rotate between the subjects of Social Media and the consumer's view of AT&T's three screen strategy.

In today's column, I wrote about my take on having a small enterprise network in my home.

You may read the piece here.

AT&T Launches Total Home DVR in San Antonio

While Total Home DVR has been released in other markets, it's being officially announced today in San Antonio, where I live.

I've had Total Home DVR for 4 days and works as advertised.

Today's edition of our local newspaper, the San Antonio Express News the story here.

Here's a demo shot last week at an AT&T store in San Antonio.  I have a broader opinion piece in the San Antonio Express-News which I will post tomorrow.  (Be sure to click the option to watch in higher quality video on the lower right hand side of the video).

New Cisco IP Set Top Boxes Spotted at AT&T Store

Spotted in the wild:  Cisco's new IP Set Top Box for AT&T's U-verse.

I happened to be meandering in an AT&T store in San Antonio and spotted this display.

It's bird.  It's a plane.  No, it's a Cisco IPT V set top box for AT&T's U-verse offering.