Man gets a text from Xfinity. Then he realizes he didn’t read the fine print

An Xfinity customer was miffed to learn that the free router upgrade offered by the internet service provider came with some fine print stipulations. The man, who goes by Scavvy (@sirscavvy) online, shared how he was hoodwinked by the promotion. Although many who replied to his video didn't seem to think so.

"A little piece of advice here, for anybody living on their own moving into a place for the first time. Thinking about getting Xfinity for your WiFi. They're great, whatever you get is great," he says.

There's a "but" coming in his video, however, which he then says come in the form of a text message sent to customers from the internet service provider. "If you get a promotional text from them, saying hey we wanna send you a new router you're still using the router from 1995. On us, no worries, no extra charge, read the fine print."

He urges folks to look at what accepting a new router entails, which he only learned after the fact. "I got the new router. As soon as it got here, I open it up, what's the first thing I read on the new package? Please send back old router or else your WiFi bill goes up," he says to the camera.

"What?" he says repeatedly, astonished that the company would ask for the old equipment back. "And I didn't know this until I got the f***ing ... new router. And then a month goes by and I get a reminder that my WiFi bill is higher. Xfinity, you need that ... box that bad?"

People who replied to Scavvy's video had varying opinions on his router woes. One person wrote: "Son they told you," stating that the man was well aware the company was going to upcharge him if he didn't give his old router back.

Another didn't seem to have empathy for the gentleman, writing: "You didn't fulfill your contractual obligation. Learn the lesson man," they said. Another reminded Scavy: "It's their equipment you're just renting it. You don't own that," they stated.

Someone else said that they should just mail the old router back in the new box it came in. However, a different TikTok user said that neither of these options were the right choice. "Send both back and bu your own modem," they told Scavvy.

Many internet service providers today send customers modem/router combos, like Verizon's monolothic cubes. However, as one of the aforementioned commenters stated, these routers aren't given to customers out of the kindness of ISP's hearts.

Rather, they're rentals that could cost you money in the long run, as this YouTuber states. And there's no law stating that you have to use a router provided to you by whoever you're purchasing your internet from.

Although, an ISP can dictate whether or not it allows customers to use routers on their networks, as some internet customers have reported. Generally, you can bring your own modem and router to an ISP, and they're not allowed to charge you any additional fees for doing so — this practice was made illegal in 2020.

So if you want to get out of router rental fees, then you can foot the bill upfront for a modem and router and then configure them to work through your ISP. From personal experience, I've preferred this way of doing things for years.

I never have to worry about renting equipment or sending back routers. Additionally, I noticed that the router I purchased was much more reliable than the new one given to me by Spectrum, which timed out every 35 minutes or so.

Instead of waiting on a phone call or drawn out chat session to determine the problem with Spectrum's equipment, I used to same router I'd been enjoying for over a decade without issue. Working, streaming, video calling, all worked completely fine.

In addition to saving money over the long-term, you'll probably end up with better quality internet service and greater range within your home, depending on the type of router you purchase. Additionally, having your choice in router could leave you with a piece of tech that's better at supplying WiFi to multiple devices at once.

What's more is that if you move or go into an area with a different set of ISP companies routers/modems you buy tend to work with almost any company. So you don't have to worry about waiting for equipment installations when you move in.

In most cases, all you have to do is connect your modem to the available jack in your home, and if it's the same router, you won't have to worry about inputting or setting up a new password for your devices either. Then, after you've signed up for your service, let them know that you have your own router, go through any necessary troubleshooting, and you'll be on your way.

It sure beats having to wait for an appointment window for someone to come into your home and set up your device for you. Of course, there are some downsides, like in the off-chance there's compatibility issues with your router.

Additionally, if you're using third-party hardware, if something goes wrong with it, don't expect someone from your ISP to know how to troubleshoot that particular router. That being said, my personal unit I've had since 2014 is still going strong at my home — and it's the fourth place I've lived in since I first got it.