Time Warner Cable - Does anyone there know what they're talking about? Long..

[C.Ann]

No offense to anyone who works for them, but TW Cable has me thoroughly confused..

When I'm at the lake, they're the "only game in town" for cable and internet.. Can't get my phone via TW because I'm in a dead zone for cell phones, so I have to have my bare-bones landline via the local phone company up there..

Anyhow - the services I usually get from TW are the Standard Basic & Internet plan.. (Channels go up to 77, I believe..) When I leave to come back here, I go on a "seasonal plan" (to avoid the disconnect and reconnect fees every year) and for that I pay $9.95 or so a month.. No problem - I'm fine with that..

Last year when I went to have my services turned back on the Standard plan/internet had gone up to over $100 (I think it was around $105), so I told them I couldn't afford that (basically I just thought it was ridiculous) and asked if they had some kind of special they could offer me so that I wouldn't have to drop down to the Basic & Internet.. At first they said no - but when I kept insisting, this young lady came up wih a "customer loyalty plan" for 6 months cost me roughly $85 a month (I don't remember the exact amount) and then the last 2 full months I was there I paid the $105..

Last week or so I called to see what the same Standard/Internet service was going to be this year and they told me it had gone up to $115 a month.. No specials.. Was quoted around $60 for the Basic & Internet (again, I can't recall the exact amount right now) and with that, I would only receive 20 channels - plus my internet.. Since I wasn't ready to head back up there yet, I told the girl I would call a few days before I got there to let them know what I wanted..

I'll be heading up there this Friday evening, so I called to have my seasonal plan stopped during the day on Friday and to decide what plan I was going to go with.. This is where it gets extremely confusing..

Today the person I spoke to had all different numbers than what I was previously given.. Standard & Internet that I had last year is still $115 (tax included) and no specials or 6-month customer loyalty rates..

Basic & Internet (with 20 channels) was quoted as $57 a month (tax included)..

However, he then quoted me the price for digital standard (200 channels on my main t.v. - 79 channels on my bedroom t.v. - and my internet service for a total of........$86 a month - tax included.. Huh?? That's less than the Standard Cable & Internet - and it's not just a "six month offer".. The box would be free and there's a special for the serviceman to come to my place and install it for $17.99.. (I don't have a box now - didn't need one with the Standard Cable..)

I had him repeat this to me several times - went over it again ad again.. Asked him every which way to kingdom come what the bottom line was and it was $86 a month..

So the difference between the Basic (20 channels) plus internet - and the Digital Basic with 200 channels for one t.v., 79 channels for the other t.v., plus the internet is only $29 a month (plus the one-time $17.99 for the guy to bring the box)..

Could this possibly be right? It seems that last year when I was ready to drop down to the Basic, the girl was "magically" able to come up with something else I was agreeable to - so do they really have that kind of leeway?

Dson-in-law said that if the difference is truly only $29 between 200 channels/79 channels - vs. 20 channels, he'll pay the difference himself as there are some shows that he likes to watch on rainy weekends up there that are above the Standard package I had previously..

I'm thinking I should call again tomorrow and see if I get the same answers, because this deal seems too good to be true..

Anyone else out there with Time Warner paying an amount that low for the 200/79 channel - plus internet package?

I'm trying to wrap up all of this stuff (going back on my budget plan for the electric; coming off the seasonal plan for my phone; coming off the seasonal plan for the cable & internet; etc.) by Thursday at the latest because I have quite a few last minute things to do here..

I'd be interested in what others experiences with Time Warner have been recently..

TIA..

 

[kaytieeldr]

Honestly, sometimes it depends who you get on the phone. A couple of years ago when I was out of work I called Comcast and got a polite, "too bad, so sad" response. I called a few days later and a very nice man in Houston of all places fond me this fantastic $25 deal, which was probably more than a 50% discount.

 

[ceecee]

Ours went up another $6 last month...third time in a year. We called and were on hold over 30 minutes. They promised a call back didn't happen. Called again and they gave us $5 off WOW! We pay $161.xx a month for cable, HD (no movie channels)but we do have DVR (on 1 TV only) internet and phone. They called it customer loyality! For paying for almost 30 years we get $5 off. Two years ago when we moved we paid $142.xx and had no phone service or cable for two weeks because the guy didn't show up, when they did it took 3 service calls to get it to work, they sent out sub-contractors who didn't know anything. The guy also told us we had to move the furniture or put the cord up the ceiling to reach the outlet already there! We totaled over 3 hours on the phone trying to get a credit for the two weeks. Turns out they left the service on at the old house (empty!) and when we called to see where they were they didn't have us on the schedule. They finally credited us for one week.

 

[disprincessatheart]

I used to work for twc. Marketing controls all the special promos that are available at all times. They normally change mid month, which is why you could have recieved a different offerthis week than last. The people on the phone are incented to sell certain packages which is why they have those last ditch offers - they make mor on the ones they mentiion first but have others they are able to sell instead of losing the sale all together.

So, your deal is legit - they cant make them upand they record every call, so if somehow your bill is higher they can go back and honor that offer.

 

[PigletsPal2]

DD#1 works for Brighthouse Communications, a sister company of Time Warner, and she says this is a legit offer. She says they're able to give you a lower rate if you order bundled DIGITAL service. (Actually, she gave me a very detailed explanation, none of which I remember, but this was the down-and-dirty answer.) But she did offer the caveat that Brighthouse doesn't necessarily follow TW pricing.

Queen Colleen

 

[FergieTCat]

Consider yourself lucky.

I have Time Warner with Basic Cable HD (granted, there are lots of channels, but I don't have any premium ones like HBO, SHO, etc.), Internet and Phone for ... wait for it ... $140 a month. My building will not allow us to put up Satellite Dishes and Time Warner is the only game in town.

It is cheaper than having only cable, and then telephone and internet by another provider.

 

[SaraJayne]

We have TWC, too. We have digital cable (with HD channels, but no DVR or movie channels), roadrunner internet and digital phone.

We pay around $125 a month (for all three), which is a steal, considering our other local phone company was charging us $70 a month just to have the phone hanging on the wall (that was before we even made any calls!).

I don't know how the "seasonal" rates work, but if you're still confused call back until you are satisfied.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for the replies.. It sounds like I can believe what I was told..

Now it has me wondering though.. They're currently running that 3-bundle deal for $99.. Cable $33 (which includes more channels than the basic or standard plans) - phone $33 - internet $33.. I wonder what would happen if I called and told them I was interested - but can't go with the phone portion due to being in a dead zone for cell phone use (in an emergency) when TW goes down (which happens at least once or twice a month)?

Do you think they would give me just the cable and internet for $66?

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try - right? Or should I leave well enough alone and take the deal I was offered?

I don't want to push my luck, but I didn't realize just how much leeway these customer service people have in terms of tweaking the plans and prices..

 

[katesorad]

Thanks for the replies.. It sounds like I can believe what I was told..

Now it has me wondering though.. They're currently running that 3-bundle deal for $99.. Cable $33 (which includes more channels than the basic or standard plans) - phone $33 - internet $33.. I wonder what would happen if I called and told them I was interested - but can't go with the phone portion due to being in a dead zone for cell phone use (in an emergency) when TW goes down (which happens at least once or twice a month)?

Do you think they would give me just the cable and internet for $66?

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try - right? Or should I leave well enough alone and take the deal I was offered?

I don't want to push my luck, but I didn't realize just how much leeway these customer service people have in terms of tweaking the plans and prices..

I've had a bad experience with Time Warner myself. Even though I live in the city and there are tons of different providers, my complex seems to have made some sort of a deal with Time Warner so that they are the exclusive provider (other than the Dish networks.. don't want a dish), and we're paying $95/month right now for cable (the basic cable) and wireless internet. Seems expensive, but not that long ago they hiked up our rates to almost $130/month for internet and cable, and I was able to ask them why I shouldn't switch to the Dish Network, and they "talked" to their supervisor and lowered my rates.

 

[DMRick]

Did that include the box rental (for the main tv) and all the taxes (which are hight)? Do you have to have a digital TV (in case you don't)? I assume that is the slower internet (which would prob be fine for you), like the $33 special is. Hope you get the same special offer when you call back.

 

[PigletsPal2]

I might be reading your last post wrong, but I think the phone is a landline, not a cell, so the dead zone shouldn't be an issue. I have a text out to DD#1for clarification.

Queen Colleen

 

[DMRick]

In our area, the cable/power sometimes goes out. When it goes out, we have no phone for an emergency. When in a dead cell phone, there would be no communicationg. The landlines seldom go out, including when power goes out, so some people feel safer having a landline.Two years ago when we had a bad storm we had no power for a week, and no cable phone. The towers were also jammed the first few days, so we had no cell phone.
We now have a generator, but the first few days were hard, when no one could reach us, and if we had an emergency, we would have had to drive out of the area to use a phone.

I might be reading your last post wrong, but I think the phone is a landline, not a cell, so the dead zone shouldn't be an issue. I have a text out to DD#1for clarification.

Queen Colleen

 

[snowy76]

They're more than likely keeping track of the fact that you've called them more than once recently - probably flagged as someone who might drop your service. They might be sweetening the deal to get you to stay on.

I know we've called TWC a few times in the past several years to ask for comparisons when we've considered switching to Dish or Fios, and have basically had the service rep bend over backwards to get us the pricing we want. They know what the competition is offering and try to one-up it (and they might not realize you don't really have another option at the lake, so take the best they offer you and run LOL.)

 

[PatsMom]

Thanks for the replies.. It sounds like I can believe what I was told..

Now it has me wondering though.. They're currently running that 3-bundle deal for $99.. Cable $33 (which includes more channels than the basic or standard plans) - phone $33 - internet $33.. I wonder what would happen if I called and told them I was interested - but can't go with the phone portion due to being in a dead zone for cell phone use (in an emergency) when TW goes down (which happens at least once or twice a month)?

Do you think they would give me just the cable and internet for $66?

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try - right? Or should I leave well enough alone and take the deal I was offered?

I don't want to push my luck, but I didn't realize just how much leeway these customer service people have in terms of tweaking the plans and prices..

I have the Time Warner bundle and the phone is a landline. Doesn't matter to me because our Verizon cell phones work pretty good. I work from home several days a week and my office requires me to have a landline. I've been happy with TW for the phone service but as someone mentioned, if the cable goes out, so doesn't your phone.

 

[hercamore]

To alleviate the phone going out when the cable, you buy a special box with battery backup for the phone.

Thats what we have with Charter Comm.

 

[JediMaster]

I would look at Directv for service as you can use this at your home and also get an additional box at the lake for $5 more a month. Just don't hook up the phone line, and install a sat antenna up at the lake. Also look to see if there is Clear.com 4g web service for internet, and you can get the Hot spot box for $45.00 a month. good luck

 

[DMRick]

Doesn't help when the cable itself goes out.

To alleviate the phone going out when the cable, you buy a special box with battery backup for the phone.

Thats what we have with Charter Comm.

 

[seashoreCM]

I want to say that all cable boxes will work with all TV's but it is possible that the connection (yellow video jack or antenna coax jack) may be vastly inferior, picture quality wise, to what a DVD player will give to the same TV.

Some cable boxes might have only an HDMI jack (for digital TV's) and a yellow jack (for analog TV's) and those TV's with nothing but a coax jack or two antenna screws need another gizmo in between. (A VCR can be that gizmo.)

 

[C.Ann]

Did that include the box rental (for the main tv) and all the taxes (which are hight)? Do you have to have a digital TV (in case you don't)? I assume that is the slower internet (which would prob be fine for you), like the $33 special is. Hope you get the same special offer when you call back.

Digital tv isn't/wasn't necessary - works fine on the prehistoric 13" tv's that I have here - LOL.. Internet is the same as always - pretty fast in fact.. In all honesty, sometimes it's slower at DD's - not sure if that's because there are 4 computers in the house on the internet or not..

And yes - the full price (tax included - as well as the box rental) is $86.29 per month.. I checked again when I called to try to get the cable & internet for $66 the next day (no luck) and again during the installation process (the price was actually on the paper that I signed that day indicating that I had in fact received the box..) Had it installed just this past Tuesday - not impressed with the so-called "200 channels" (since most are just the same channels two and three times - or TW's own "channels" advertising what they want you to purchase per "on demand" - etc.), but since it was the cheapest price I could get (for the time being), I'll live with it for a month or so - then try again.. (Also learned from the cable guy that I will in fact still get the Weather Channel if I decide to drop down to the Basic - even though the customer reps are told to say otherwise..)

In our area, the cable/power sometimes goes out. When it goes out, we have no phone for an emergency. When in a dead cell phone, there would be no communicationg. The landlines seldom go out, including when power goes out, so some people feel safer having a landline.Two years ago when we had a bad storm we had no power for a week, and no cable phone. The towers were also jammed the first few days, so we had no cell phone.

Doesn't help when the cable itself goes out.

Precisely.. I've only had the cable and internet for 4 days now and the cable went out twice already.. Not sure what happened the first time, but the second time was due to the weather.. Since I'm in a dead zone for cell phones, the only thing that works here is the land line from the local telephone company.. I could never trust the cable company for my phone service - it just goes out far too often.. I can't recall ever having lost my land line service here in all the years I've been with this local company, so it makes sense to stick with what works..
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Next month I'll be calling the cable company to play "Let's Make A Deal" again - LOL.. Never hurts to ask..