Thursday, February 26, 2009

Let Me Count the Ways I Hate Time Warner

So we haven't had on demand for a week. I called and they gave us a free month of Showtime, except we can't use it because the on demand doesn't work. The woman told us that it would take a day to get fixed. When it wasn't fixed (duh) I called again and they said they had to send someone out. That took 2 days. The guy came today and changed the wire and now we HAVE NO TV AT ALL.

And what do they blame? THE SUN. Yes, the sun is the reason we have no TV. Not because we had TV and the guy changed the wire and now we have no TV. But it's the sun's fault. Global warming gone wild.

So tonight I call to make another appointment. The first guy tells me the appointment department is closed. The second guy disconnects me. The third woman tells me the first appointment is MARCH 17. I am now on hold. The story won't end and Time Warner wins again. Yay monopolies.

I hate them.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fios. Direct TV.

Just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

hello Jill, I feel ya. I have been encountering the same problems but not to the extent that you have. I am sure that they put you through the drill, but when I pulled the plug out of the back of the cable box, waited 15 seconds and then plugged it back in, my on-demand came back. But,it was still spotty last night and would end the shows abruptly and send me back to the main menu. Something is up in the system, but we both know it is not the sun.
However, a few weeks ago I called time warner with the intention of cancelling my cable TV altogether. HBO seems to only be showing bad films from 5 years ago and Die hard flicks. The woman that I spoke with asked me if I would reconsider if they would reduce my bill for one year. How much, I asked? She then knocked over $40 off of my monthly bill. Really.
I would call them, tell them you are thinking of canceling the TV portion of your service, and see what they say.
I have digital phone/hi-speed/tv with them so they definitely wanted to retain me. I'm sure a lot of people are cancelling/switching these days. At least you might be able to get a chunk taken off of your monthly. Showtime is not really a bonus as they are even lamer than HBO.

Jill said...

Anonymous: Fios is Verizon. Have you ever dealt with them? Horrible. I think I ranted on Verizon here fairly recently. If not, then I meant to! Direct TV requires the satellite dish and our landlord would never allow it if it is something that would improve our lives.

Hntr: I know our 'hood has been having problems, it's always in their prerecording, right up there with the sun excuse. I think something might have actually blown out, given what's been going on. I am well acquainted with the reboot, and actually the on demand came back after the reboot, but then by the 2nd or 3rd show(I was trying to watch the entire season of Weeds while I had the free Showtime) it would stop working, and had to reboot again to make it work. Then, it sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.

I too was thinking of cancelling HBO since they have very little on, and even the movie selection sucks, but the husband makes a sad face when I mention it. He's sentimental like that.

The latest is the cable fixer guy came again yesterday and we have TV again, but only a few channels and we got a new box so lost all the DVR recordings. I had recorded 5 or 6 movies from the free Showtime and a few old Offices that I never got around to. On our 2nd TV it works (supposedly) but that one doesn't have the DVR and I haven't watched a live TV show in years so it's like not having a TV. They are coming back Wed to work on the roof. We'll see.

One more interesting note: of all the people I know in my building, and I know quite a few, I am the only one with cable.

Anonymous said...

my sincere sympathies regarding the ever inept Time Warner. Did u try the price reduction? I gave the same advice to a friend and he just told me they knocked $35 off of his monthly bill as well.......