Time Warner Cable Consumer Reviews - Page 6

Let me start by saying I was a Customer Service Rep. so it drives me nuts when I call their Customer Service for anything. I seem to always get "new" reps that don't know what they're doing, talk in circles and send me into what my old co-workers used to call the "transfer circle of hell." Every single time I call I'm polite, patient and clear with what I need because I remember what it's like to have someone scream at you because you represent the company. That being said I feel like they don't give a crap if you're polite, you're still a burden, they're still overly defensive, and sometimes rude.

I get transferred an unreal amount of times, the talking over me and in circles drives me INSANE.. Basics of customer service, solve the situation in ONE CALL whenever possible, and DO NOT talk over the customer. I could understand if I were cussing and acting like a fool but when I had to demand to talk because he was saying the SAME THING over and over I almost lost it.

Emails are pointless. More often than not I've tried to email them to avoid calling, all I get is what seems like a generic copy and paste answer that doesn't even answer my question which means yaaaaay I get to call. I had complained about my internet 3 or 4 times (being nice) and it was always "escalated." I got no call back. I finally tried online chat because calling and emailing were obviously not working... I don't know where they find these people.

I know I've typed a lot on this review but when I contact any customer service I'm clear, direct and to the point. I've never had any situation resolved by the original representative I talk to, I'm ALWAYS transferred. If it's an email the response doesn't even make sense and if it's online chat they have always referred me to a number to call and then that number transfers me to another dept. and so on until I eventually give up and just live with the problem.

Time Warner cable is making deceptive business to their customers. I am a victims of Time Warner deceptive service. On June 2010 they sent to me mobile roadrunner device without my consent. Then I called several times Time Warner company and told them, "I do not need this device." One customer service representative told me, "OK, we will send you return box and send it back with your device."

I was waiting for their return box for two week, but nobody send it to me, then I returned my own box. They send me monthly statement and charged mobile roadrunner fee and service charge. I called several times to the company and asked cancelled my road runner service charge. They never cancelled the charge and also said me, "if you not pay, your Internet service would be suspend."

After a week, they cancelled my service. My kids doing school projects, so I need be high speed Internet. I called Time Warner and asked reinstate my service. They told, "you have to pay your balance and reconnection fee." I paid all balance and I got connection. 2 to 3 months OK, then they sent to me monthly statement and charged early termination fee for mobile roadrunner service.

I spoke to the employee at the customer service and said I returned that device. She said, "We got, but, you returned after one month." I explained, "I called your company within month and spoke to the representative for return box, but nobody send it me, that is why the device late for one week."

Anyway, you have to pay early termination fee plus each month late fees. Otherwise, your service will suspend. I paid, the all money and I requested "send me old statements from last June 2010 to December 2010 for verify my extra charge." The company said, "we do not keep old statements before six months."

How is their business. I paid around unnecessary 500 dollar for this deceptive company for their deceptive service due to the consumer harassment. (Even I did not open the mobile device and also I scare their service.) So, be careful. I requested refund my money but Time Warner do not. The company never consider customers right.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- We all enter knowingly into contracts for cable, internet, and phone services that we are being scammed a bit. One price to start and then up it in a few months or loads of channels and then charge you different prices later, but this time I seriously don't even know what to do. I had Time Warner cable internet services in San Diego for a bit over 2 years. I was not informed that after one year my price would go up from 40 to 56 dollars a month. I was on the automatic payment system and they just upped it without so much as an email. I called and said I was going to jump ship, they offered it to me at 47 a month so I stayed.

3 months later without a word, back charging me 56 a month again. Well we finally decided to move away and I canceled their every more expensive services and mailed them back their modem. I looked online to see if it arrived and according to the tracking number no one was there to receive it and it was at the post office. Called Time Warner, was informed that it was my problem to get it there. Called the post office, was informed that the sender could no longer do anything, only the receiving party could get at the package now. So back to Time Warner, pleaded to talk to a manager and gave them a number to call to have the package redelivered.

Time Warner calls back in an hour and says that they did receive the package had it there already and it was not the right modem. Not possible. I say, "How did you get a package redelivered to you in a hour?" "Oh it was here all along." "So the US post office is lying then?" "You owe us 81 dollars" say Time Warner or the right modem. They sent me back "my modem". It arrived today and is not the modem I put in the box. I'm not a techie or whatever but I know the size and color of something I sent out a week ago. So what do I do? Is there anything I can do? Time Warner cable has duped me.

Let's see. I was delivered terrible service this past weekend and needed more service on Monday which meant a return visit. My appt was for the 8a-11a window. NO ONE EVER SHOWED! I called and support said they'd transfer my ticket to the department which escalates issues and they should call me within 30 mins. NO ONE EVER CALLED! So, I called again to tell them no one has been out to my residence and it's hrs after the window plus I told them about the promise support made in saying someone would call me back in 30 mins but never did.

STILL NO ONE EVER CALLED! I had to make a 3rd call and was told the tech whom has my ticket noted he was out of modems and will be out tomorrow. I asked why wasn't I told this via email or telephone since they have both. He said he was sorry! Time Warner customer service stinks but I'll tell you what they really do well. LIE to their customers!

They note accounts well in attempt to convince customers they're right on top of things when in reality they're bombarded and haven't put in a system to handle demands. They're likely cutting corners and purposely not hiring enough personnel to properly handle customers and thus increasing the demands on current personnel. How many times have we all seen this style play out?

I've talked to several personnel in support {top and lower tier} and these people are lying on daily basis to customers. If and I do mean IF because Time Warner may have already done some backroom bargaining and you may not have any choice but to deal with them but IF you have another choice or choices I highly suggest you try them out instead of dealing with Time Warner Cable.

Oh, I not being totally fair when I say their service stink. The company whom they're contracted with that's in charge on burying the cables do a great job. Their field techs and installers are pressed and most are incompetent. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- Since late August of this year, we have had to have TWC send out service techs because we keep losing our signal. The first one that came out spent 3 hours here and finally got another tech here that figured out the problem in 15 minutes. The first tech did some work in one room and I did not see it until after her left. My 8 year old son could have done better. A couple of weeks later, we had the same problem. This time the tech seemed knowledgeable and even commented on the other tech's work. WE even spoke to a supv. about it as was told that he would send out a supv. to look at the work.

WE were also told that the 6 days of service we missed would be credited to our bill. TO date, no one has come out to inspect the shoddy work and we still have not been credited for the 6 days of missed service. Since all of this has happened, I found out that a friend who has TWC is actually getting more services from them and paying less money. NO, it is not a promotional price. We have both been with TWC for years. I have spent 2 hours today trying to speak with anyone at TWC that can provide some answers about my issues. So far all I have gotten are low-level employees that read from scripts that can't help me.

Doesn't TWC empower anyone to make decisions and help customers? Does TWC even care about customers? I am sick and tired of lousy service, high bills and a company that simply does not care about the people it serves. I am through. I will be looking at DISH, DIRECT and AT&T U-VERSE. I will find one that is NOT TWC.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA -- Unfortunately they don't have "worst service ever" in the drop down box on their contact form. After conceding to sign up for their bundle package to include my telephone service, I was sent to the Third Party Verification "service." After wading through all of the electronic instructions and answering every question, I was told there was a problem and sent to someone less personable than the computer... much less. Bordering on rude. I had to repeat the ENTIRE tedious process - was given a confirmation number, and was promptly hung up on.

The next day I received a message on the home phone to say that the TPV did not take and I had to call back. I spent 20 minutes in queue, I was sent to the number without anyone pressing the right buttons (I figured out which ones and did it myself). I go through the idiocy for the 3rd time and got another confirmation number.

Last night some poor woman had to call me back and tell me that I had to do it for the 4th time. She was very nice (not her fault) and agreed to stay on the line while I did this thing again so I would have a witness to the confirmation. She did. All done. Scheduled for a week from yesterday. "You don't have to do anything, we'll handle canceling your account with AT&T." They handled it alright... someone from TWC had called AT&T the night before scheduled my service to be disconnected last night. Which it promptly was.

I have a young daughter in the house and now a week with no phone, no fax. I know unfortunately that this is the sort of service that I am to expect from that company. The incompetence is bewildering to say the least. While, with the exception of the TPV lady, everyone has been very nice.

The best part is when I sent this same summary to the Customer Service Chat detailing everything I have just written above including my contact info, the CSR actually replied with, "So you want to confirm your install, correct?" He then sent me some prewritten canned responses and told me he would escalate my problem to a "higher department" who would get right back to me in 2-3 business days! What the heck is going on with these people- it's like they don't even try to give customer service!

Summary: Time Warner Cable withheld details of the dispute from its customers, deliberately set up a 1 sided poll (What customer wants a price increase??) and used that poll decision to back up its dispute with Fox. The fact they did not disclose the details of the dispute implies that they knew it was not the decision the public would make but wanted public support regardless.

Full: When I first heard about the campaign I thought it sounded great. A similar event took place in the UK a few years ago, Virgin Media lost Sky (which was showing Lost at the time) due to pricing disputes. They decided to get tough and as a result lost the network. They did keep their customers informed of the decision and the transition and provide us with a new On-demand service with a large amount of programming. In my opinion they covered the loss very well.

When I looked into this campaign the first thing I noticed was that the only information about the dispute was that the price involved was up to 300%. So essentially they asked the public "Do you want to pay more for what you are receiving right now?" The obvious answer is "NO!" and that's what they got.

What they did not disclose is what networks were involved, what prior contracts existed, how much the price increase was, how much fees would increase by for the end user etc. If it's an increase of 50c a month that's not a huge deal and if the network had a fixed rate for 5 years it's probably time for a price increase anyway. Prices should increase with inflation regardless.

I'm not advocating either side of the dispute, I don't even get TV from Time Warner so the outcome won't (at least..it shouldn't) affect me however I don't like seeing companies manipulating people. Time Warner Cable set up a 1 sided poll and used the result to back up their decision to get tough with Fox (as it was revealed after the poll was closed).

In English what Time Warner did is something along the lines of "Do you want us to increase your prices at all? Nope? OK well we're going to cut 5 of your favorite channels. Bye now!" It not only shows how little Time Warner thinks of its customers but also that they thought the decision would not be popular and so withheld any useful details. If the public had known the details of the dispute the poll results may well have been different.

In conclusion while privacy is necessary for many aspects of business when you involve your customers in a decision at least keep them informed. Don't treat them like sheep, asking them a question with an obvious answer.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- We have had Time Warner Cable for ten [10] years. Once before they cheated me by false billing but this time enough is too much. They advance bills which ignore prior timely payments. I was billed $101.33 after having paid timely my monthly installments a week in advance.

I called and at first got a guy who admitted it was wrong. He said, "I don't know why we do this. You have been a perfect customer for 10 years. Just ignore it." Next day I got a call from a woman who would not allow me to finish half of sentence. She was doing a very loud, very fast motor mouth condemnation of my general character. I got in the fact that the last phone contact ended with the collection manager admitting that Time Warner Cable Los Angeles had fallen behind woefully in their posting of received payments!

She stated, even if it is true that we have fallen behind in our postings by two [2] months you should pay two months in advance!! We'll save it for you and credit your account. I got in just this: "Why should I do that when you are 2 months behind in your posting of the last 2 months payments?? How can I trust a service provider that cannot keep up with posting simple ongoing current payments and then sends out late notices for bills paid two months ago???"

I referred her to the fellow I spoke to last. She said "He's no longer with us." She was screaming at me. Finally, I blew my top and scared the hell out of her. Time Warner Cable is misusing the collection dep't to demand that people pay 2 months in advance and threatening to cut off service (which they DID do to me)!

The next thing I knew, I was receiving calls from their collections dep't daily stating that I had not paid at all! I owe them nothing. Like a PONZI SCHEME (worse in fact) the crooked part here is that they bill mindlessly then think they can call and use intimidating of your credit record as a scheme to get you to pay 2 months in advance.

I filed a formal complaint Consumer Affairs "Local Franchise Authority" **... You can do that too. They have jurisdiction. Even though the F. C.C. does not, I filed a complaint with them because when I called them they were very interested and asked for a letter.

AKRON, OHIO -- Time Warner is essentially out of step in proper management of its customer base and service. The evidence is in the service that drops out of internet applications as well as contacting customer service by telephone. The internet consistently goes to a state of no connection on a daily basis. Having to reset the modem is always a daily chore and to never know when a person is going to have to do so is always an unknown throughout a 24 hour period. If a person were to look at the wiring harnesses found on the electric poles owned by FirstEnergy, they would generally see a pile of strung wire hanging out of the main splitter boxes.

The sloppiness of this kind of setup only leads one to sense that the service management is lax in oversight for quality appearance and technical ability. The professionalism of this trade practice creates the suspicion underpaid employees with no desire or lack of training and experience for quality.

Making a phone call to their call center is a waste of time for customers needing to cover bill paying and deal with a service problem such as a disconnect due to constant malfunction. Having to have to listen to a commercial advertisement should only be an option for the caller, not a necessity. Warner needs to streamline this call service and work to install the latest well designed equipment to implement and quick answering capability for all customers.

What they have done instead is come up with a slogan of Time Warner Business Class advertisement and whatever it stands for, to cover for its lousy calling service design. Who would care to go business class if the provider cannot operate on a home service level? The precept still applies, "To whom much is given, much is required." Or when a person can handle the small things first, then they can handle larger responsibility. The Ohio Public Utilities Commission should really be making every effort to become involved with this company.

CANDOR, NORTH CAROLINA -- Okay, I've had so many different internet providers (Earthlink, Embarq) and almost every television provider (DirecTV, Dishnetwork, local cable). I'd like to start off by saying I've had TWC for a year now and do not enjoy it. First, of course from outside the view of only paying a single payment for phone, internet, and television is more simple than having two places to worry about paying. However, it is actually worse.

For instance, when TWC was set up, they had contacted our former internet/phone provider and canceled our subscription to them, which means that we could not access our old email after they made the phone call. This is a bad thing of having everything in one services.

Also, cable runs by electricity. Your phone with TWC is running through the box they give you, which is run by electricity. If the power goes out, you CANNOT use the phone 'til it goes back on. So, if you do not have any cell phones, you will be stuck without any phone in case of emergency. Also, they give you the first month free but after that, our rate went up to $140 a month, when we used to only have to pay around 100 for basic internet, phone, and the typical satellite TV.

Not only do they rip you off by the illusion of them taking care of everything, they also rip you off by charging more moolah for their services. Okay, away from the technical stuff...the internet is fairly fast. Also, you can record two shows at once, which is pretty cool, and finally they have trailers of movies coming out in theatres/on DVD.

That's pretty much all that is good. Changing channels is slow, the remotes can be used as boomerangs, and if you hit the wrong button you could be taking up to two minutes to exit the application. Also, the interface is just UGLY. The Pay-Per-View is extremely limited, and which I tried to watch the new Batman movie and it was unavailable. In the end, I do suggest you avoid TWC or any other cable providers and instead stick with two separate companies for your phone and tele provider. Cheers.