Review by gg555 
UPDATED: 59 days ago
member for 59 days, 0 visits, last login: 59 days ago
 Los Angeles,Los Angeles,CA
 $35 per month
 AT&T
 "Don't have to wait long on hold for customer service, not AT&T"
 "Bait and switch pricing, customer service run around on pricing, weird delays"
 "In the end they're giving you the run around on prices, even if they're the little guy"
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(ratings below consensus)
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Sadly after a year with Sonic they've completely disappointed me.
It turns out the prices on their web site are considered "promotional" and after a year they bump you up to outrageous prices that even AT&T is not shameless enough to try to charge. I went out of my way to get a land line I don't need so I could go with the little guy for DSL and in the end I feel betrayed.
I signed up for the $30 3Mbps service a year ago. Since that price is considered by Sonic to be "promotional," after a year they bumped me to $60 for the same 3Mbps (something they completely failed to disclose or clearly explain when I signed up). After I called to complain, they said they could give me a new $35 "promotional" rate (meaning they can again change the price whenever they want). So now I'm paying the same rate for 3Mbps that new customers get with 6Mbps ($35 is also what DSL Extreme and AT&T charge for 6Mbps without a contract, with no special punishment for being a long time, faithful customer).
When I told Sonic that $60 for 3Mbps is outrageous and no one charges anywhere close to this. They said, well everyone has initial promotional prices. Of course, what that statement leaves out is that AT&T has a 3-month $20 promotional price and then their *normal* price for 3Mbps is $30. Or DSL Extreme charges $25 with a 12-month contract and then their regular price is $28. No one has a "normal" price that's anywhere close to $60. I had cable for years, before going to Sonic, and the price was $42 for 6Mbps and the price never changed. To be clear: Sonic's "promotional" prices are the same as everyone elses normal prices (once the promotions are over). Sonic's regular prices are an astronomic rip-off that even a giant Telco wouldn't try to stick to you. I guess Sonic is just hoping after a year the price change will slip under your nose and you won't notice it on your credit card bill.
I found this slippery argument about promotional prices to be particularly disheartening, because its the kind of car salesmen double talk I expect from AT&T. When I pointed out how it was a completely misleading way for Sonic to compare itself to other providers, I got the usual bureaucratic "There's nothing I can do about it. I don't make the policies." Suddenly I felt like I was back in the AT&T customer service mumbo-jumbo black hole.
I did early on notice on my bills that I was being charged $60 with a $30 credit and called about it. The person I spoke with said that's just how the billing works and not to worry. They didn't say that's because I have a promotional price that will expire in a year. I also looked on Sonic's web site today and they really don't make it clear there either. It's actually easier to find good information on AT&T's pricing and how their promotions work on their website, which is not saying a lot. It's hard not to conclude that Sonic is being deliberately misleading.
Sonic billing also said they would refund me $25 for the month I was charged $60, but it just goes on my Sonic account, not back on my credit card. Sonic makes it difficult for people to pay other than by automatic credit card billing. So if you have a dispute, you'll likely be fighting to get your money back, rather than disputing a bill that you haven't paid yet. I didn't like this aspect of Sonic when I signed up and now I'm regretting that I let it slide. I'm going to be moving soon and not using Sonic anymore (after my experience with the pricing), so I likely won't see this money again. And I really don't have a lot of money.
Another downside to Sonic, at least in Los Angeles, is that there is often a one to two second delay before web sites load up. On speed test sites the bandwidth looks fine, but there's almost always this delay before connecting. I have a friend who got her DSL directly through AT&T and experiences the same thing, so I suspect it's just the underlying system, which after all is AT&T even if Sonic is reselling it.
Anyway, if you don't want the run around and bait and switch with pricing, I'd steer clear of Sonic. I never thought anyone could make AT&T look better, but Sonic manages to have accomplished that.
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