Time Warner fail

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
I recently moved and it was far enough to put me into a new Time Warner area. I'll skip the part where they failed to make the appointment and I killed a day off work. When the guy does show up he was nice enough and got the cable and internet installed. He brought a cable card but didn't bring a Tuning Adapter, said they didn't carry them. :rolleyes: After explaining to him that they do he calls his boss who confims they do but don't have any. They come to the solution that they will go to the warehouse and bring it to me the following day. Whatever.

Next day comes and they bring out. I hook it up as they don't have a clue what they are doing and it doesn't work. The Ceton tuner won't read the card. Try another card, same thing. At this point they are saying my tuner is bad so I order another one just to make sure but don't believe it is. The guy leaves and so do I as I had other shit to do. Go home later and mess around with it and find the problem. Both cards were old tech cards and not compatible with modern tuners. Now I've got to wait until Monday for the guy to come back out and I have 0 confidence he will have the correct card.

They can make this as irritatiing as they want but I will not give in and pay $40 a month for their craptastic DVR's. I'll take my $2.50 cablecard thank you.

clifffs
Time Warner can't keep apt
Tech uses old shit and tries to blame my equipment
No HD sports this weekend :thumbsdown:
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,764
347
126
So your stuff isn't compatible with their's and you're blaming them...


HI! I ordered a scanner... and these jerks they keep sending me a USB scanner and i'm using a thunderbolt interface. I know I chose to order from them and I know they offer a USB card if I don't have one... but I have a thunderbolt interface and I REFUSE to pay more to be compatible with old technology.
 
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God Mode

Platinum Member
Jul 2, 2005
2,903
0
71
Meh. Better than ripping old coax off your apartment walls and taking big chunks of plaster and drywall out with it.
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
This is almost as bad as when the TW tech put my cat in the microwave.

Actually, he didn't, but using their DVR boxes is an experience that feels a lot like that.
 

Pardus

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2000
8,197
21
81
Meh. Better than ripping old coax off your apartment walls and taking big chunks of plaster and drywall out with it.
Cable companies don't do in-wall wiring, you'll have to hire someone for that.

I recently moved and it was far enough to put me into a new Time Warner area. I'll skip the part where they failed to make the appointment and I killed a day off work. When the guy does show up he was nice enough and got the cable and internet installed. He brought a cable card but didn't bring a Tuning Adapter, said they didn't carry them. :rolleyes: After explaining to him that they do he calls his boss who confims they do but don't have any. They come to the solution that they will go to the warehouse and bring it to me the following day. Whatever.

Next day comes and they bring out. I hook it up as they don't have a clue what they are doing and it doesn't work. The Ceton tuner won't read the card. Try another card, same thing. At this point they are saying my tuner is bad so I order another one just to make sure but don't believe it is. The guy leaves and so do I as I had other shit to do. Go home later and mess around with it and find the problem. Both cards were old tech cards and not compatible with modern tuners. Now I've got to wait until Monday for the guy to come back out and I have 0 confidence he will have the correct card.

They can make this as irritatiing as they want but I will not give in and pay $40 a month for their craptastic DVR's. I'll take my $2.50 cablecard thank you.

clifffs
Time Warner can't keep apt
Tech uses old shit and tries to blame my equipment
No HD sports this weekend :thumbsdown:
If you can't afford $40 for a DVR, you deserve to use a crappy cable card. Problem seems to be all you.
 
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boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
So you're stuff isn't compatible with their's and you're blaming them...


HI! I ordered a scanner... and these jerks they keep sending me a USB scanner and i'm using a thunderbolt interface. I know I chose to order from them and I know they offer a USB card if I don't have one... but I have a thunderbolt interface and I REFUSE to pay more to be compatible with old technology.

They carry the correct cards, they just didn't bring the right one when I told them specifically what I needed. I had the set-up working perfectly at my last house.

If you can't afford $40 for a DVR, you deserve to use a crappy cable card. Problem seems to be all you.

It has nothing to do with being able to afford it. My HTPC ran ~$800 plus another $200 for a 360 as an extender so $1k for the set-up. Paying $40 for a slow buggy piece of crap DVR is insane. It's all about usability. The cablecard/Windows Media Center set-up is a better interface and faster performance. Plus have four tuners in one spot rather than spread between two DVR's is another reason I went this route.(they do have whole house DVR set-ups now but I haven't looked into them) I could easily afford the $40 for the DVR's but that's not the point.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
39,781
20,370
146
Sorry boomhower, Cable companies just aren't used to customers like you...and they don't like it either!
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,764
347
126
Sorry boomhower, Cable companies just aren't used to customers like you...and they don't like it either!

Seriously.... do you want to pay the wages for the level of training and knowledge needed to deal with any of us?
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
Sorry boomhower, Cable companies just aren't used to customers like you...and they don't like it either!

They don't. They have fought cable cards tooth and nail. It costs them in DVR/cable box fees plus on demand stuff doesn't currently work with them so that costs them money too. If it wasn't for the FCC mandating their reluctant cooperation they wouldn't support them at all.
 

ComputerWizKid

Golden Member
Apr 28, 2004
1,188
0
86
How about my Charter Fail
I had an appointment on Monday for 8-10AM and the tech never shows up so I called and it turns out they called the wrong number twice (Which was not even close to my number) so they cancelled my appointment saying I did not answer the phone. Luckily a tech was still in my area so I had another appointment from 1-3PM and this time the tech shows up at 1:30PM with my new modem (A Motorola SB6121, to replace the Ambit/Ubee Modem that died)
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
How about my Charter Fail
I had an appointment on Monday for 8-10AM and the tech never shows up so I called and it turns out they called the wrong number twice (Which was not even close to my number) so they cancelled my appointment saying I did not answer the phone. Luckily a tech was still in my area so I had another appointment from 1-3PM and this time the tech shows up at 1:30PM with my new modem (A Motorola SB6121, to replace the Ambit/Ubee Modem that died)

TW did the same thing. Appt scheduled for 1-3. They called at 12 and said they were running behind and it was going to be 5-7 and still never showed up, boy was I happy considering I took a day off work for it.(I had some other stuff around the house to do but that's besides the point.) Ended up coming he next day at 6:30PM.

It's the monopolies they have they keeps us stuck with crappy customer service, they have no motivation to do any better.
 
Mar 11, 2004
23,444
5,852
146
They don't. They have fought cable cards tooth and nail. It costs them in DVR/cable box fees plus on demand stuff doesn't currently work with them so that costs them money too. If it wasn't for the FCC mandating their reluctant cooperation they wouldn't support them at all.

Exactly, and they intentionally pull this bumbling bullshit (like "not having it in stock") to try and get people to cave in and go with their shit.

So your stuff isn't compatible with their's and you're blaming them...


HI! I ordered a scanner... and these jerks they keep sending me a USB scanner and i'm using a thunderbolt interface. I know I chose to order from them and I know they offer a USB card if I don't have one... but I have a thunderbolt interface and I REFUSE to pay more to be compatible with old technology.

Your analogy if straight up stupid. Its pretty well known that the cable companies pull this shit with cablecard to deliberately placate customers. They try to put the blame on the customer (for instance saying his tuner must be broken and to order a new one) so they can act innocent in FCC complaints or to screw over the customer and get them to just give in and go with their receiver setup.
 
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tooriski

Member
Sep 1, 2007
157
0
0
agree with OP, still remember the crap I went thru just to get cable and internet set up at my place, freaking 3 weeks of back n forth.
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
Your analogy if straight up stupid. Its pretty well known that the cable companies pull this shit with cablecard to deliberately placate customers. They try to put the blame on the customer (for instance saying his tuner must be broken and to order a new one) so they can act innocent in FCC complaints or to screw over the customer and get them to just give in and go with their receiver setup.

That reminds me. By the time I figured out what the issue was it was to late to cancel the order for the new tuner. Decision time. Do I send it back or keep and get a second card and have eight tuners? I really can't imagine what I would do with that many tuners so I'll likely just return it.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
39,781
20,370
146
There aren't enough words for their level of suck. Every aspect of everything thing they provide or do. Everything.

I went through an ordeal just trying to cancel. Long story short...they continued to bill me, after the 2nd month I reported them to the BBB because I know after the 3rd month it goes to a collection agency and brings your credit score down. Problem was solved within 3 days, and they sent me a check for 7 cents. I never cashed it :)
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,124
12
81
Here too. In wall, attic and crawl space are all done.

I don't let anyone do my in-wall wiring except for me or a pro I hire (two houses so far).

The cable guys just take out the biggest drill bit they can find and make holes.

MotionMan
 

basslover1

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2004
1,921
0
76
You should have just went and picked one up yourself. Since Nov. the FCC started forcing Cable Cos to allow for self installation of Cable Cards except for when using a TiVo.

You just have to call them to activate it when it's all set up. At least that was you can see what make/model they're trying to give you and you should know whether or not it will work for you instead of waiting for an appointment just to find out the tech has no clue what you're talking about.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
I love how some people attack the OP like it's his fault he went the route he went.

I had to deal with the same issue (currently not since I don't have my own place/cable like I had during school) when I used my Moxi.
SDV (swiched) is a pain for anyone not using standard equipment from the provider/ISP. Thus the whole concept of Tuning Adapters (which work great, though you still sacrifice cable-offered services like PPV and VOD) came into play as SDV started to make its presence.

Of course, this all stems from the fact that the FCC and Cable Labs royally fucked up the whole concept of the cable card and cable service standards... like they fucked up the entire cable industry in general. And they came out with great ideas for replacements, and none of it has made any splash because the FCC has been slow to make decisions about how to best approach two-way services. Slowly, the cable card industry is getting a make-over, and more importantly, finally even possible to use in non-closed devices.

But it's such a rarely-used product, that most technicians for cable companies have no clue what the hell they do or how they work, let alone how to install them and get non-standard devices registered. It's the very rare person, even among the higher-tier help support and technicians, that actually knows the most efficient and easiest way to get the whole M-Card (multi-tuner CableCARD) and Tuning Adapter package, alongside the user's CableCARD-based device of choice, actually up and running in one smooth session. It's something they do so rarely that it's essentially luck of the draw, finding someone who simply is interested in these things and, quite likely, has even played with that equipment in his own for his home or for whatever reason has taken an interest in the technology.
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
You should have just went and picked one up yourself. Since Nov. the FCC started forcing Cable Cos to allow for self installation of Cable Cards except for when using a TiVo.

You just have to call them to activate it when it's all set up. At least that was you can see what make/model they're trying to give you and you should know whether or not it will work for you instead of waiting for an appointment just to find out the tech has no clue what you're talking about.

None of the offices around me carry them. When I did it last time I had it directly shipped to me since I already had service. This time since it was a new installation I though it would be easier to just let them bring it, guess I was wrong.

I love how some people attack the OP like it's his fault he went the route he went.

I had to deal with the same issue (currently not since I don't have my own place/cable like I had during school) when I used my Moxi.
SDV (swiched) is a pain for anyone not using standard equipment from the provider/ISP. Thus the whole concept of Tuning Adapters (which work great, though you still sacrifice cable-offered services like PPV and VOD) came into play as SDV started to make its presence.

Of course, this all stems from the fact that the FCC and Cable Labs royally fucked up the whole concept of the cable card and cable service standards... like they fucked up the entire cable industry in general. And they came out with great ideas for replacements, and none of it has made any splash because the FCC has been slow to make decisions about how to best approach two-way services. Slowly, the cable card industry is getting a make-over, and more importantly, finally even possible to use in non-closed devices.

But it's such a rarely-used product, that most technicians for cable companies have no clue what the hell they do or how they work, let alone how to install them and get non-standard devices registered. It's the very rare person, even among the higher-tier help support and technicians, that actually knows the most efficient and easiest way to get the whole M-Card (multi-tuner CableCARD) and Tuning Adapter package, alongside the user's CableCARD-based device of choice, actually up and running in one smooth session. It's something they do so rarely that it's essentially luck of the draw, finding someone who simply is interested in these things and, quite likely, has even played with that equipment in his own for his home or for whatever reason has taken an interest in the technology.

At least I'm not alone. My tech had never seen a HTPC before. Said he had done a Tivo but had never seen a HTPC before. I give it 70/30 chance they bring another S-Card