How To Cancel Spectrum Service
by Daniel Smith | Updated 1/2/24
The only way to cancel your Spectrum internet service is by calling (833) 267-6094 and starting the process by saying “Disconnect Service”.
You can’t cancel your Spectrum internet service on the website or by chatting with an agent online. Spectrum wants to make canceling as difficult as possible.
Don’t want to cancel Spectrum but want to save money on your monthly bill?
Sign up for BillSmart by clicking the link below. We save our clients $352 on average on their Spectrum bills and our success rate is 83%.
Cancelling Your Spectrum Internet
To get started with canceling your Spectrum internet service, call (833) 267-6094.
(833) 267-6094 is not some special retention line. It’s the number that Spectrum has reserved for calls from existing customers.
Fortunately, unlike other service providers, Spectrum is open 24×7 so you can cancel at any time.
When you’re ready, call (833) 267-6094 and ask for your account to be disconnected.
You’ll be transferred to a retention agent that will ask you to verify that you’re an account holder/manager by getting your name and your 4 digit security pin (this is on the first page of your bill).
Once you’re in the account, the rep will start trying to get you to stay with Spectrum. They’ll start with probing questions asking why you’re canceling your Spectrum internet account.
Some of the options that they’ll provide you include changing your plan to a cheaper service, pausing your plan if you’re going on vacation for a couple of months, and eventually just giving you a $20 discount on your plan not to leave.
Reject all these offers and ask for your account to be closed. Once they realize they can’t convince you, they’ll start doing their job.
They’ll read out terms of service such as the requirement that you need to return your equipment and ask logistical questions such as when you want your account to be turned off.
These are important questions that you should have the answers to.
When that’s done, verbally accept the cancellation of your account and get a reference number so you can check the status of your cancellation request later.
This can take a while. The fastest that we’ve gone through this process is in 90 minutes.
Spectrum Equipment Return
Once you cancel your Spectrum internet service, you’ll need to return any equipment that they specify you were renting or were included in your plan.
The most common types of equipment that need to be returned are modems and routers. You don’t need to return any of the remotes or cables that were included when your service was installed.
You’ll have a 30-day window to return your equipment without a fee from Spectrum. This window is extended to 60 days if you’re quarantining due to COVID (they don’t want sick people in their stores).
If you don’t return your equipment, you’ll be charged between a $60-$150 fee for each piece of missing equipment.
Looking to pay your Spectrum bill? This article could be helpful. If you want tips on how to lower your Spectrum bill, we made this great guide.
We’ve also written guides on how to save money on your Cox bill and cut your Xfinity bill in half.
Where To Return Your Spectrum Equipment
You can return your Spectrum equipment at UPS, FedEx, or a Spectrum store. There’s no way to avoid a trip to the post office.
Spectrum’s preference is that you return your equipment to a UPS store. Spectrum has a partnership with UPS for customers to drop off their equipment for no charge and for UPS to return this equipment to Spectrum.
Be careful to make sure you’re actually going to an official UPS store. There are 3rd party UPS stores and franchises that are not integrated with the UPS system but use UPS branding and logos.
You can use the UPS store finder to make sure you’re going to the right location. Make sure to keep the receipt from UPS in case there are delivery problems.
If there are no UPS stores around you, Spectrum is okay with you returning your equipment via FedEx.
You can’t drop off your equipment at a FedEx box. You need to go to a FedEx store. The process to return your equipment is exactly the same as UPS.
Another option is returning your equipment to a Spectrum store. They accept returns at Spectrum stores but it’s not heavily promoted because the point of the stores is to get more people to sign up for Spectrum rather than to help with customer support and canceling their service.
If and only if you’re disabled, a Spectrum technician can pick up your equipment at your residence. You’ll need to schedule a pickup appointment online or via phone for this option.
Looking to cancel other bills? We wrote a guide on how to cancel Directv. You can also learn about index funds like VUG vs QQQ here.
Cancelling Your Spectrum Bill: Other Considerations
It’s important to take a close note of when your service ends. Spectrum bills are no longer pro-rated so if you cancel on the 3rd of the month, but your billing cycle starts on the 1st of the month, you’ll need to pay for the full month.
It didn’t always use to be this way but Spectrum has really turned up the focus on revenue generation.
One especially bad thing about the removal of the pro-rated policy is that if you don’t schedule your account to be turned off at a specific date, you can end up with no internet and cable but still be paying for the service because of the removal of proration.
Always check your billing data to see the optimum time to cancel so you don’t have two services at once. You can schedule your account to be canceled but the onus is on you to schedule the right dates.
Lower Your Spectrum Bill With BillSmart
Spectrum hasn’t been and is getting worse in terms of being consumer-friendly. The biggest evidence of that is not allowing customers to cancel online and by changing their prorated final bill policy to more heavily favour them.
Another exciting thing Spectrum been doing is tacking $21 a month with silly broadcast fees.
If you’re unhappy with Spectrum but can’t cancel your Spectrum internet service yet, you might as well pay less on your monthly bill.
Sign up for BillSmart and save up to $352 by clicking the link below.
Our negotiations are free if you don’t save money.
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