I'm not one to raise a stink about minor issues with large entities -- I'm not going to, say, sue the USPS for not delivering my mail -- but I'm having serious issues with TWC botching my bill and I've gone about as far as I can with their retention department.

I have a much longer, more well-documented version of my issues if anyone wants me to post that, but the "short" version of the story is this: I signed up for roadrunner in September 09, I was told I would be offered one promotional price for six months, once that ended I would have another promotional price for the next 12 months. After the first promotion ended, the second was unsurprisingly not honored. Lots of phone calls and faxes eventually straightened that out.

In the meantime I added cable service. My bill for all services once everything was corrected was $71. Last November I received a bill for $114, called in and eventually worked out a new 12-month deal, same services, exact same price.

The next month I get a bill for $100, call back and I'm told that in fact I was given a different, much shittier promotion, one that was never mentioned during my call in November.

I've now spent hours on hold, spoke with six or seven different folks in the retention department (they tell me they can't connect me to anyone I've spoke to previously), and they keep telling me it'll be fixed "tomorrow". This morning I wake up to find they've disconnected my service due to non-payment, and additionally there was a late fee tacked on there. This all because it has taken them 20+ days to come to some resolution.

I've never had a late payment, usually I pay weeks in advance, and I've put up with incredibly shitty customer service, lots of outages and service appointments not being met. And, of course, they've fucked my promotion twice now and it's becoming apparent it's going to take an incredibly long time to get anything fixed.

So, I want to know what resources I have to put any kind of pressure on them. At the end of the day, it's like $20/month, but pulling a bait-and-switch twice seems like enough to complain about. I've looked over the NC Consumer Protection department site and I'll submit a complaint there unless I'm told it's not worth a damn. Any other avenues I should explore?

1/10/2011 6:29:31 PM

Get satellite and DSL, where there is actual competition for those services and a reason for companies to actually try and retain customers.

If you can't get satellite, then just keep bending over and taking it.

1/10/2011 7:04:24 PM

Not that this helps you any, but when I set up cable here I got mildly fucked. The renters before we bought the place left the service up. I brought a cable modem from my in-laws and it worked. I called a local TWC person and told them the deal, that the internet was working, I'd stop in and get my own cable modem, we have Dish Network so no need to do a truck roll or if they need to filter the TV then that is fine. Guy says "no problem, I'll note it to the technician that you have your own modem and they don't need to come in and set it up".

I get a call on the set up day from my wife saying the cable guy was there and he was moving the cable modem because it wasn't set up right.

I call TWC and get a guy that tells me We have to come in and verify that the setup is working because you can call us back months later and claim it never worked and ask for credits....THE FUCK?! The guy then tells me I have to charge the $25 installation fee because the technician came in your house and set the modem up. I went apeshit. If there was another reasonable alternative here in Carteret County, I would have refused the fee and told him to send his fucking tech back out there to disconnect the damn line.

As far as resources for fighting unfair practices, the better business bureaus and any organization that would be for the consumer is just too small to take on a behemoth like TWC. Switching really is about the only realistic option as bad as that sucks. Perhaps send a letter to your local congress critters.

[Edited on January 10, 2011 at 7:14 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2011 7:12:47 PM

call 5 on your side. WRAL will call the motherfuckers out.

1/10/2011 7:14:09 PM

Quote :

"Ernie: This morning I wake up to find they've disconnected my service due to non-payment, and additionally there was a late fee tacked on there."

This is the worst part. Day after day of sitting on hold/being lied to/having people get sassy...it's all wildly infuriating. Then they cut everything off and demand money, and you realize you are powerless and have been totally wasting your time. That's when you gotta dig in and go mad...

Good luck!

1/10/2011 7:28:32 PM

The consumerist has stories of people getting results with an email executive carpet bomb. If you can get the executives email addresses, then you can probably get some results

1/10/2011 7:44:46 PM

Sounds like you need to go above their heads. Aim for executives. The Better Business Bureau might be worth a shot, but I don't have experience in anything like this.

1/10/2011 8:23:58 PM

Carpet bomb deployed

1/10/2011 8:43:21 PM

read this

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4479012/

Quote :

"The state Attorney General's Office will handle all consumer complaints for areas where the local cable franchise has been canceled."

1/10/2011 8:55:07 PM

Quote :

"Mr. Rash: Thank you very much for your letter. I am sorry about the issues you have had. I would be glad to help you. Tomorrow either I or my direct representative will contact you. Sincerely, Sam Howe Chief Marketing Officer"

Kapowee

1/10/2011 9:30:22 PM

Quote :

"issues with TWC"

THE

HELL

YOU

SAY!

TWC is the worst company on the face of the earth. Can't really offer any help on the original subject other than to say this is about par for the course for TWC.

What about filing a complaint with the better business bureau. Honestly, I doubt you can do much without a written agreement on what the original deal was. It will be your word vs. theirs....

[Edited on January 10, 2011 at 9:35 PM. Reason : ]

1/10/2011 9:35:29 PM

re: BBB

The last place I worked was pretty small, like 10 people. Angry customers called all the time and threatened to call the BBB, the owner would just laugh and laugh.

It's my understanding that it's like the Who's Who yearbook of business complaints

--

And it's not really my word versus theirs because the call was recorded. That's what's taking three damn weeks for them to do, pull the call and listen to exactly what was said

[Edited on January 10, 2011 at 9:38 PM. Reason : ]

1/10/2011 9:37:43 PM

Yeah in all honesty BBB won't do shit in this situation. Everyone already knows TWC sucks. That's why I went with any company but them when getting my internet.

1/10/2011 10:28:09 PM

Say what you want, but contacting the BBB has worked for me numerous times.

1/11/2011 7:22:31 AM

Email carpet bomb was 10000% effective, I highly suggest using that tactic in the future

Within in an hour of sending the email I had three responses and got a call at 9am this morning. A ten-minute conversation and the guy had my monthly bill down to the rate I had previously agreed, reset the promotion for 12 months beginning today and cleared my previous balance so I effectively got a month free.

The issue turned out to be that I was actually still under a $29.95/month promotion for digital cable from when I initially started service (I was told several times that this was applied after my call in November) but I was being charged the full rate. My bill has been a mess from day one because they've been screwing up my rate left and right, but maybe TWC isn't so bad after all.

The guy also left me his direct contact info for any future issues, so if anyone wants that I'll be happy to pass it along.

1/11/2011 11:40:25 AM

That's awesome, gg

1/11/2011 7:17:28 PM

^^ good proof that TWC on the low end just doesn't have their shit together / operate in that way to keep a slightly higher rate going for most people, but as soon as you get past the low end they actually perform better. (which is why they are still a pretty good company overall but the public perception isn't all that great)

Quote :

"call 5 on your side. WRAL will call the motherfuckers out."

would probably work

[Edited on January 12, 2011 at 12:03 AM. Reason : s]

1/11/2011 11:59:06 PM