I suppose if I'm ever going to return to my lovely blog, I should make it another rant about horrible customer service. So here we go...
Thank you, TimeWarner Cable, for ensuring I will never purchase your services again. I appreciate the fact that you have made this decision so simple for me. I don't even need the $1M quoted in an article I read today about giving up the Internet - I would refuse your Internet services for free. And tell all my friends to do the same. You're welcome :)
I called to schedule a disconnect more than two weeks before we moved out of the NY house on 1 July. I was told that it was too soon to schedule, so I should just return the equipment whenever I was done with it and my service would be terminated at that time.
The final payment for services of $136.88 paid on 21 June to cover cable and internet from 12 June through 11 July.
On 28 June, Pirate returned the cable box. And TWC apparently downgraded us to Basic cable at that point. Because, clearly, with no cable box, I am happy to continue paying for Basic cable access.
On 1 July, Pirate returned the internet modem and we left the state of NY.
On 5 July, I was notified that a technician would be at the house to physically disconnect the line and a representative confirmed that I would get a refund for July 2-11 since we turned in our equipment.
On 21 July, TWC paid itself for another month of cable and internet service. At the original price, I might add, so the rep today who told me we were downgraded to Basic, apparently missed the part where we were upgraded again since this payment was the same as the June one and all the monthly bills prior.
I called Customer Service, angry, but promising not to take it out on the representative. The first person I spoke with made sure to disconnect service - since that had never been done - and then was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to speak with Billing about a refund.
Yes, please.
Billing looked at the account and said, "Oh yes, you will be refunded $93.68."
"How can that be," I asked, "when service was disconnected on July 1st? I'm owed for 10 days of service that I didn't use (approximately $45) in July as well as the $136.88 that just paid on 21 July."
Some more computing, and she came back with "$141."
Again, that doesn't calculate. If one day of service averages to $4 and I cancelled ten days prior to the end of the billing period for which I paid in advance, how is that only a change of $5 from the entire month I was incorrectly billed for plus the ten days I'm owed?
Some more computing, which I've now realized she's not very good at.
And her final answer was that $166.30 will be refunded. By mailed check. In 4-6 weeks.
It was within $20 of what I think we're owed, so I stopped arguing.
She also told me that because *I* didn't personally return the equipment as the account holder, TWC couldn't disconnect the service. Even if the person who was listed as a secondary on the account gave back the equipment. And I guess TWC doesn't call their customers to find out if burglars have invaded their home to steal then return cable equipment when the not-primary-account-holder hands them a box and modem. And I guess that first representative I spoke with on 5 July also didn't see that my service had been disconnected when she verified my service had been disconnected and let me know a tech was headed to the house to disconnect the lines and confirmed that I would get a refund for disconnecting service before the end of the billing period.
And what about that downgrade to Basic cable you mentioned when the not-primary-account-holder returned the cable box?
Yes, TWC, you have made this one of the easiest decisions of my entire life.
The final payment for services of $136.88 paid on 21 June to cover cable and internet from 12 June through 11 July.
On 28 June, Pirate returned the cable box. And TWC apparently downgraded us to Basic cable at that point. Because, clearly, with no cable box, I am happy to continue paying for Basic cable access.
On 1 July, Pirate returned the internet modem and we left the state of NY.
On 5 July, I was notified that a technician would be at the house to physically disconnect the line and a representative confirmed that I would get a refund for July 2-11 since we turned in our equipment.
On 21 July, TWC paid itself for another month of cable and internet service. At the original price, I might add, so the rep today who told me we were downgraded to Basic, apparently missed the part where we were upgraded again since this payment was the same as the June one and all the monthly bills prior.
I called Customer Service, angry, but promising not to take it out on the representative. The first person I spoke with made sure to disconnect service - since that had never been done - and then was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to speak with Billing about a refund.
Yes, please.
Billing looked at the account and said, "Oh yes, you will be refunded $93.68."
"How can that be," I asked, "when service was disconnected on July 1st? I'm owed for 10 days of service that I didn't use (approximately $45) in July as well as the $136.88 that just paid on 21 July."
Some more computing, and she came back with "$141."
Again, that doesn't calculate. If one day of service averages to $4 and I cancelled ten days prior to the end of the billing period for which I paid in advance, how is that only a change of $5 from the entire month I was incorrectly billed for plus the ten days I'm owed?
Some more computing, which I've now realized she's not very good at.
And her final answer was that $166.30 will be refunded. By mailed check. In 4-6 weeks.
It was within $20 of what I think we're owed, so I stopped arguing.
She also told me that because *I* didn't personally return the equipment as the account holder, TWC couldn't disconnect the service. Even if the person who was listed as a secondary on the account gave back the equipment. And I guess TWC doesn't call their customers to find out if burglars have invaded their home to steal then return cable equipment when the not-primary-account-holder
And what about that downgrade to Basic cable you mentioned when the not-primary-account-holder
Yes, TWC, you have made this one of the easiest decisions of my entire life.
And, oh by the way, the cable connection and service was horrendous throughout the two years I had cable. Buttons on my remote didn't work because "updates" weren't sent to the cable box on time. The DVR service I paid additional for wasn't accessible. Channels froze. The guide froze. The guide completely stopped working so I had to access it online rather than through the TV. And each time I called to complain, I was told it was because I had old batteries in the remote.
Every.
Single.
Time.
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