Wash, rinse, repeat

[IAM Rand]

I know it is all a game but, it can be so frustrating sometimes. I had Xfinity/Comcast. Before them I had Century Link. Century Link slowly raised the price (this is where the boiling a frog starting with cold water comes in). Got to the point where I moved on. Xfinity raised the price. Moved on to Roku and Youtube TV. I am saving about $100.

Now I have a problem with my trash service. Called them up. Explained that I have been a loyal customer for many moons even though the company has changed hands several times and if they would like to keep me as a loyal customer I would like a rate cut. No problem said the sales person. going to drop you waaaay down. Great I said. Got my bill and not only did it not go waaaaay down but they increased it.

I called back and asked what happened. "Oh, I see here" said the new sales person. "You were given a discount but that was before the June rate increase." Huh I told the sales person I would like a decrease to keep me loyal. I told her that I saw new people were paying less than I was. "Oh, well, those are new customer discounts. Are you a new customer?" This is where the palm hits the face.

I just told her to cancel. I was already Googleing new trash companies while I was canceling with her. "Sorry to see you leave us. Oh, by the way, could you take a survey at the end of this call?" Wow, really.

Called the new trash service and within 10 minutes was signed up for 1/2 of what the previous service was going to give me.

Now I just have to wait for the water to start getting warm.

 

[chief38]

It's always something!! Corporations are always figuring out a way to charge you more and give you less. It's a constant battle and it will NEVER end! To add fuel to the fire in these times we are living in, company's like to blame inflation. Yes, definitely part of the equation, but I believe they are taking on their part as well.

 

[grover99]

It's always something!! Corporations are always figuring out a way to charge you more and give you less. It's a constant battle and it will NEVER end! To add fuel to the fire in these times we are living in, company's like to blame inflation. Yes, definitely part of the equation, but I believe they are taking on their part as well.

Still see companies still beating that dead horse COVID for the reason they are ripping you off.

 

[LVSteve]

Choice of trash service. Now there's a concept alien to the Vegas Valley.

 

[Rat458]

Worst part is when they have no competition and they know it.
I live in a rural area that has limited service so we are at their mercy.
Tried cutting the cord for cable TV but the increased data usage fees from streaming cost the same.
And the piecemeal subscription fees for certain plans.
Sometimes you just cant win.

 

[jscheck]

Living up here in the foothills, there is no major trash company. If you live outside city limits you either take it yourself to the landfill or hire a private company. For the last two years we've paid the private company (Joe Snuffy with a dump trailer and a worn out suv). They charged three months at a time. Twice lately it's appeared they've double billed us. The amount isn't huge, but it's irritating. Finally cancelled them. I've got a pickup and the landfill isn't far away. I'm doing it myself and saving around fifty dollars.

 

[Rule3]

Trash.We don't have a choice. It is tacked on to out taxes! They can miss days and still get paid. Not pick up some stuff, still get paid. We have fighting them for years!


As to cable, we had Century Link phone, TV for years and years. Just upgraded to fiber optic.


THEN after the last hurricane, all line were gone!! Could not get any service. I understand it was a disaster but it was like 2 months later) Finally got tired of trying to get some service, I went down the street to Xfinity, they were up and running, went home with a router, remote and has service in 30 minutes (cheaper too)

 

[SMSgt]

Trash.We don't have a choice. It is tacked on to out taxes! They can miss days and still get paid. Not pick up some stuff, still get paid. We have fighting them for years!


As to cable, we had Century Link phone, TV for years and years. Just upgraded to fiber optic.


THEN after the last hurricane, all line were gone!! Could not get any service. I understand it was a disaster but it was like 2 months later) Finally got tired of trying to get some service, I went down the street to Xfinity, they were up and running, went home with a router, remote and has service in 30 minutes (cheaper too)

Same here. We have a 4-cubic-yard limit on yard waste. If it's 4.1, they don't pick any of it up. I painted a white outline on the swale equaling 4 square yards (12 ft x 3 ft). Made sure my yard waste didn't hang over or stand higher than three feet. They left a note saying it exceeded the limit. Called the trash company and asked for a supervisor to come out. He took one look and said it was too large He said it was too large. Said it could only be six feet long. I told him that is why he works for a trash company and gave him a quick math lesson in configuring 4 cubic yards into various configurations. An hour later the track came back and pick up the pile. As for Xfinity, they invented frog boiling.

 

[coltle6920]

I remember a time when our only gripe was where the trashmen tossed the lids for our aluminum trash cans or Dad pounding out the dents in the cans that were also tossed around. As a solution Dad got some discarded 50gal oil drums... Cleaned out the insides...Added handles and Voila!! Knock yourself out!

After a few months our trash wasn't being picked up. Dad called someone to find out why and was told our cans were too heavy. Dad never cussed but I can imagine how the conversation went.

Whether rain or shine and sometimes over a foot of snow I was charged with dragging the cans from the backyard to the front and down six steps to place them at the curb. I was maybe 12yrs old and the cans were half my size. Don't know what was said to the men on the trucks but we never had an issue again.

 

[Rudi]

Seems like they all suck.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Our waste/recycle provider is Rumpke (they operate in 5 states). They are a well oiled machine. Our driver is punctual and cheerful. On my Monday morning walk I shadow him around the neighborhood. He is a splendid ambassador for the company.

He places the empty bins near the top of driveways. He doesn't leave them at the curb. He has also learned who the aged and infirm customers are and he is allowed to place the empty bins back where they are kept.

On hot days JR takes a cold bottle of water out to him.

Color me satisfied.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Our trash hauler is the city. Charge added onto our water bill. We're supposedly on a Tuesday / Friday pickup schedule, but it's the city. They show up most of the time, but sometimes they don't. Holiday week? Good luck. The bins will be overflowing by the time they show up again. For three months they only picked up once a week. Claimed they had several trucks broken down and were waiting on parts. Did they charge less for half the service? Of course not.

We're from the government, and we're here to help.

 

[ladder13]

Choice of trash service. Now there's a concept alien to the Vegas Valley.

At my last residence we had a choice.

Company A or B. Both were within 20 cents of each other per month.

Both were owned by the same guy.

He was sent to Federal Corrections in Danbury CT for racketeering.
He may be out by now.

 

[45Smashemflat]

Ours is part of our water bill too. Service is so so. You can count on the lids being left open on empty cans any time it rains. You can also count on them to be somewhere between the centerline and the shoulder once emptied. The neighborhood is a slalom course on trash day.

I had to get rid of a water heater once, and their paperwork said call to schedule a pick up for appliances. I called and explained that I needed to dispose of a water heater. “Sir, white trash day is Tuesday of each week.” My reply? “Oh really, you usually pick up my trash on Thursday.” (Rim shot.). Silence…. “White trash, you pick up my trash on Thursday… get it?!? It’s a joke.” “Sir, that’s what we call appliances.”

Jeez, so I put my water heater out on Tuesday as asked…

(And why is it called a hot water heater, when hot water doesn’t need to be heated? It’s a joke!)

 

[LVSteve]

Our waste/recycle provider is Rumpke (they operate in 5 states). They are a well oiled machine. Our driver is punctual and cheerful. On my Monday morning walk I shadow him around the neighborhood. He is a splendid ambassador for the company.

He places the empty bins near the top of driveways. He doesn't leave them at the curb. He has also learned who the aged and infirm customers are and he is allowed to place the empty bins back where they are kept.

On hot days JR takes a cold bottle of water out to him.

Color me satisfied.

HA! Not only do we have no choice, but WE are required to wheel the bins to the kerb so the trucks can pick them up using a side mounted attachment and dump them. The bins come from the company, so no custom or oversize bins. The only time a trash guy gets out is on "bulk week" which I think is once a month. There are two trucks, one for trash, one for recycling.

 

[jcs266]

I cut the cable several years ago. We have an old-school TV antenna for local broadcast stations and we stream things through NetFlix or Amazon Prime for movies or TV series. I actually don't hardly watch any of them at all, my wife does. If not for her I wouldn't have any of them. I watch things on YouTube is 99% of my "viewing".

 

[SMSgt]

At my last residence we had a choice.

Company A or B. Both were within 20 cents of each other per month.

Both were owned by the same guy.

He was sent to Federal Corrections in Danbury CT for racketeering.
He may be out by now.

He probably ran the garbage collection guys while there.

 

[K-22]

Change?

Choice of trash service. Now there's a concept alien to the Vegas Valley.

Don’t know if it has changed in the past few years, but you used to be able to set out all kinds of extra stuff at no extra charge.
Appliances, many,many, bags of leaves, and yard debris.
My Folks a the neighborhood had several fruitless mulberry trees, and they were the west coast distributor for leaves.

 

[Donna K]

No trash service up here in rural far north Idaho. We take our own to the local drop station once or twice a month. If we have something larger to dispose of we have to take it down to the city to the big dump. Either way it's all 'free'... paid for by property taxes. I like the system