OMG! Time Warner TV is a freaking POS!!

[guyver01]

I just lost all picture on my box... can't reboot or anything. I just called and the rep was like... ok.. our first appointment is for Monday March 1st. WHAT!!!!?!?!?!?!?! 1 week for no TV? Is there anything sooner? No? Put on a supervisor.

I happen to work in the industry and know that FCC requires 24hr turnaround for what's termed "Snow/No Sound" conditions. No Picture.

The supervisor gets on and tells me there's no appointments for a week but they can keep monitoring, and if something opens up sooner, they'll call me. Fine. It's a start... I ask her about the FCC regulations, and she states there's no such thing. I ask her "So if i call the FCC and tell them your first appointment for a NO PICTURE issue is 7 days away, they'll be ok with that? She proceeds to tell me that the FCC dropped that rule as of 9/11/01. OK fine. Book me for what's available, and i'll be sure to call the FCC, and your Corporate Offices to express my displeasure over waiting a week for a no TV appointment.

Oh.. wait a second sir.... i just had an opening for tomorrow morning from 8-11am.

This is such BS that one has to resort to "this stuff" to get any response.

:|


edit:

here's the section of the law:

http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/clahm/Clahm-Cable_TV.htm#Trouble%20Calls

Trouble Calls
Any trouble call should be responded to on the day it is received by the company, but in no event shall the response be later than the following business day. The cable television company must maintain a local exchange or toll-free telephone number, available to all subscribers for those who wish to obtain information or to report a service problem. Subscribers may request morning or afternoon appointments for service calls (or evening or Saturday hours where available). Missed appointments may entitle you to a free service call or installation.



Cable television is primarily regulated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent United States government agency that is directly responsible to Congress. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC?s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.

 

[SaltBoy]

Yup. I've had the same experience with TWC. When my wife and I moved into our new home, we made the switch.

<-- Now uses Dish Network and SBC DSL.

 

[SaintGRW]

look on the bright side, there's not good shows on TV anymore.

 

[Nitemare]

Bad customer service with a cable company???


Surely you jest

 

[Ameesh]

nice, love the way you beat them over the head with fcc regulations

 

[Lawrencetan21]

Does this applay to SBC DSL? I upgraded mine last week and they told me that the speed increase will happen yesterday but till today I haven't seen any improvement. I want my p0rn! Hehehe.

 

[loup garou]

Time Warner sucks ass. I wanted a second digital box for our bedroom a few months ago.

First, I called TWC. The rep said he could send me a new box for $20 (shipping charge) or I could pick it up at the TWC center. I said I'd pick it up...

So, I went to the TWC center off Park Ave South and the security guy wouldn't give me a number to wait in line until I had a copy of a utility bill with my name on it, since the cable was in my gf's name. Fair enough, I thought. Returned with that a few days later. This time, he says I need my gf's State ID as well. Ok, that's a little strange leaving my gf without her ID for a day, but whatever. I return with all the requested items, and he gives me a #.

So I wait for an hour, and go over and tell a CS agent I want an additional digital box and give him the ref # the telephone rep gave me. He types furiously for about 15 minutes, then tells me...oops, can't give you an additional box. Why? I ask. He responds that a technician needs to hook it up. I tell him that's bull and I want to speak to his manager. The manager, meanwhile has been having a heated discussion with an apparantly homeless man 3 seats down for the past hour or so. He wraps up after I wait for a half hour and flat out refuses to give me a box. I ask why, he responds, it is our policy to only have our boxes installed by trained professionals. I ask why I was told I could pick it up or even have it shipped to my home by the phone rep? Is this some new policy the phone rep wasn't aware of?? No, it's always been their policy, he said, and he stated that he doubted that I even actually spoke to a phone rep.

Now I'm pissed because he's basically accused me of lying after being given the runaround for nearly a week. I ask, why does a professional need to install the box, does it require being registered on TWC's network (digital boxes do)? He responds, like a zombie, it's policy. I ask, if I was handed a box, and had a cable jack in the area I wanted to intall it, would anything besides plugging in the power and coax and connecting it to the tv be necessary? No, he said. Then why do I need to take time out of my day to wait 6 hours (their install window time period) for some jackass to plug in a box? Policy, he responds...

ARGH! So, finally I give up on this zombie and say fine, I'm leaving. He says, goodbye, thanks for coming. And with a smirk says, oh and by the way, even if we didn't have a policy of not giving out secondary boxes to customers, I wouldn't have given you one since your name isn't on the account. I give him a deadpan stare of utter contempt, after jumping through hoops to prove that the account is at my place of residence, and proceed to call him every word in a sailor's dictionary, as well as a few describing his mother, sister, and family dog. About now is when the security guard comes over and escorts me out...

So that night, my gf calls them with a bit of a cooler head (she wouldn't let me call) and bitches out everyone she can speak to about how I was treated. Finally, they agree to send out a tech after hours so we don't have to take time offf of work to wait for this jackass. They have the gall to try to charge us $59 to get someone out to do it as well, which she responds to with some choice words that even I hadn't though of when berating the manager. Eventually, they agree to not charge us for the visit.

So finally, weeks after my initial conversation with the TWC phone rep, the tech comes over and plugs in teh box and we're all set up. A few weeks later, we get our bill.....and there's a charge for the visit. I give up.

:disgust: :|

 

[loup garou]

Holy crap, I was so pissed thinking about that, I didn't even realize how long of a post it was...:Q

 

[samgau]

Charter is not much better IMO. The quality of their digital channels was poor and everytime it rained it would go out. So when we moved, we got Direct-tv, and in terms of quality, things are way better now, and unlike whats said in the charter commercials, I've only lost reception during the heaviest of storms, and only for a few mins at most.

 

[MaxDepth]

Webcam pic of guyver01, as he talks to the cable company.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: SaintGRW
look on the bright side, there's not good shows on TV anymore.

I think the amount of good tv shows on now is higher than it's ever been.

Off the top of ny head: Navy NCIS, CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Survivor, Big Brother, Real World, Road Rules, Jag, King of Queens, Yes Dear, Still Standing, Jeopardy, Monster Garage, Monster House, American Chopper.........

 

[Doggiedog]

I've had nothing but a great experience with TWC in NJ. They have been very responsive and proactive about problems.

TWC in NYC I hear is a different story though.

Good luck.

 

[MaxDepth]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: SaintGRW
look on the bright side, there's not good shows on TV anymore.

I think the amount of good tv shows on now is higher than it's ever been.

Off the top of ny head: Navy NCIS, CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Survivor, Big Brother, Real World, Road Rules, Jag, King of Queens, Yes Dear, Still Standing, Jeopardy, Monster Garage, Monster House, American Chopper.........

Like he said, no good shows on TV....

 

[Lifer]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: SaintGRW
look on the bright side, there's not good shows on TV anymore.

I think the amount of good tv shows on now is higher than it's ever been.

Off the top of ny head: Navy NCIS, CSI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Survivor, Big Brother, Real World, Road Rules, Jag, King of Queens, Yes Dear, Still Standing, Jeopardy, Monster Garage, Monster House, American Chopper.........

was that sarcasm?
the amount of reality tv on your list makes it appear to be.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Webcam pic of guyver01, as he talks to the cable company.

 

[moshquerade]

i have been having trouble with TW, too. i have cable and internet through them.
i was told this has been a colder than average winter and it's messed up a lot of their lines. after 4 visits by a tech i think they have my probs cleared up.

 

[Saulbadguy]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
i have been having trouble with TW, too. i have cable and internet through them.
i was told this has been a colder than average winter and it's messed up a lot of their lines. after 4 visits by a tech i think they have my probs cleared up.

Its going to take quite a bit more than 4 visits to clear your problems up.

 

[VictorLazlo]

What brand of cable box is it? Is it a digital cable box?
You should see if you can get into diagnostic mode. We need to know if the box is the problem, or the incoming signal. Connect a tv directly to the cable, and see if you get analog stations.