For anyone who hates their cable provider as much as I hate mine

[Mike Buckley]

I will drop my cable television provider in a heart beat once the games of the local professional baseball team are broadcast by any other provider. Until that happens, I'm stuck with Cox Communications.

The following transcript of the chat I had just now reminds me of the hysterically funny Bob Newhart monologue decades ago about a telephone conversation he had with a department store receptionist.

Me: What is the easiest way to save this chat for my written records?
Agent: Near the bottom of this Chat box there is a plus "+" icon, if you click on it you will have the option to print this chat session or receive it by email.
Me: There is no such icon. I'm using Windows 10.
Agent: Near the bottom of this Chat box there is a plus "+" icon, if you click on it you will have the option to print this chat session or receive it by email.
Me: AGAIN, THERE IS NO SUCH ICON.
Agent: There's the option to take screenshots as well. Before you go, is there anything else I can help you with?
Me: It is impossible to take a screen shot of the entire chat. I would have to make a series of screen shots. It's clear that Cox has tried to make it difficult to save a written record of a chat.
Agent: This is the way to save this conversation: Near the bottom of this Chat box there is a plus "+" icon, if you click on it you will have the option to print this chat session or receive it by email. Before you go, is there anything else I can help you with?
Me: How many times do I have to tell you that there is no such icon. I've now told you three times. Would you prefer that I tell you ten times, 20 times, 100 times? For your information, the only two icons are a paper clip (used to attach a file) and the arrowhead that adds the text I type to the chat.
Agent: Near the bottom of this Chat box there is a plus "+" icon, if you click on it you will have the option to print this chat session or receive it by email.

 

[MikEm13]

You talking about the Cox that says it won't raise you rates until next year ?

 

[Mike Buckley]

You talking about the Cox that says it won't raise you rates until next year ?

That wouldn't surprise me that they said that.

I have some new equipment scheduled for installation November 1. I've gotten quotes over the phone from different Cox representatives that my monthly bill will increase anywhere from $3 per month to $20 per month, a difference of 567%. I wanted a quote in writing from Cox but they won't provide it. So, I now have a transcript of the chat indicating that the increase will be $3 per month. Not that anything their chat representatives would type would be binding. Nah, that would never happen.

 

[MikEm13]

Here is one of their famous statements that I used to get.

Cox: This special discount is good for one year.
Me: What happens then?
Cox: Just ask the Rep to find you the same deal for another year.
Me: What if they cant find one?
Cox: Oh don't worry we always have a discounted plan. All you have to do is ask for it.

You know whats funny..... I fell for it twice.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

Were you talking to a recording? Comcast is about as shady to deal with!

 

[Mike Buckley]

Were you talking to a recording?

No, though considering the details of that part of the chat, you would think I was talking to a recording.

 

[rick_reno]

Mike, you're on a roll. Do what I did this morning and call Paypal. You will talk to a recording, let us know when your head explodes.

 

[Mike Buckley]

call Paypal

Soon after PayPal launched, they screwed up my account. It took way too long and way too much of my time for them to correct their errors. Yes, errors, not error. Never used them since. PayPal probably wonders how I can possibly have such a productive, rewarding life without them. I would be happy to provide that information in return for an adequate consulting fee. Payment, of course, would not be made in a PayPal account.

 

[Terri French]

We just cut the cord. We are trying YouTube TV since we have unlimited high speed Internet. So far it has been great.

 

[Mike Buckley]

People might also be humored by the first part of the chat:

Agent: The system shows me the monthly rate for the Contour 2 service with Prefered 150 Mbps is going to be $179.90 tax included
Me: I asked for the increased monthly amount after the work is done. You didn't provide that information. Please provide it.
Agent: That is the amount as I already mention above.
Me: Are you saying my monthly bill will increase $179.90? If so, be aware that I've been told it will increase less than $3 per month.
Agent: That is correct. The total rate will be $179.90 once the installation is complete.
Me: I'm NOT asking for the total rate. I'm asking for the increased amount.
Agent: It's $2.77.

 

[Mike Buckley]

We just cut the cord.

You have no idea how enjoyable that day will be for me if it ever happens. I'm imagining how I might begin the conversation: "After 33 years of doing business with you, this is absolutely the happiest conversation I could ever have with you. Cancel my account, come pick up all of your equipment, and be prepared to leave me a signed receipt for the equipment. I'll provide the pen free of charge."

 

[Baywing]

Don't get me started on Comcast. They recently moved AMC (American Movie Classics) to a sports package. When I called, the recording even mentioned the switch so one could conclude they expected a significant push-back from customers. They did not reduce the package rates due to the removed channel. I was told that not many people watch it and the price went up so they decided to move it. I suspect they are trying to lure people into buying an extra package that isn't selling well. I never got an answer to my question of why put a movie channel in a sports package?
Even better is a story out of MA years ago that an apartment/condo unit burned. The source of the fire was determined to be the Comcast cable box. Comcast sent the owner a bill for the now destroyed cable box. The owner refused to pay (and rightly so) and Comcast started a collection action against the guy. You can't make this stuff up. If I were that guy, I'd have sued Comcast for every cost associated with the fire and add in some extra for pain and suffering.

 

[BillM]

We just cut the cord. We are trying YouTube TV since we have unlimited high speed Internet. So far it has been great.

+1

Mike, we have a 40/month internet only plan from Verizon. Cox has that service as well. Cancelled Cox 5 years ago when they told me my bill would go up to ~200. When the Cox rep told me that they were going to tell me what I had to pay, I called Verizon, hooked up thier Internet, bought a Roku and subscribed to Sling. Then when YouTube TV came along, I switched to that. Also cancelled our landline phone service.

 

[DRT730]

Cut the cord with Cox and enjoying YouTube TV...

 

[Terri French]

YouTube TV is saving us $70 a month. Cable was $120 and YouTube TV is $50. We didn't lose many channels and can DVR many shows. We didn't have a DVR with our cable. Hulu was cheaper than renting a DVR every month so we had that along with our cable. Now we dropped Hulu and Cable. But you have to have unlimited data on your Internet or it would cost a lot to stream tv.

 

[Terri French]

You have no idea how enjoyable that day will be for me if it ever happens. I'm imagining how I might begin the conversation: "After 33 years of doing business with you, this is absolutely the happiest conversation I could ever have with you. Cancel my account, come pick up all of your equipment, and be prepared to leave me a signed receipt for the equipment. I'll provide the pen free of charge."

It was a happy day for me 2 weeks ago when I took all our cable boxes into the company and said, "Please cancel my service!!" We had been with them for about 40 years.

 

[pictureted]

The worst I had was DSL for internet from ATT, since their were too many cooks in that kitchen. Whether Comcast, Cox, DTV, no one has good customer service and low rates anymore. I'm waiting for municipal electrical utilities to be buried with municipal optical cable... and I'm waiting for a lot of other things.

 

[Pa]

I'll have to say a good word for Comcast. I've been with them for about 15 years now and get good service, though I pay plenty for it. I get cable TV, internet, and home telephone service for about what Mike is paying.

For an additional $16/mo we get cell phone service for two people through their XFinity wireless service.

And I got this in an e-mail from them yesterday:

We’ve increased your Internet download speed

The download speed included with your current Xfinity Internet
plan has been increased from 250 Mbps to 300 Mbps.

 

[JeeperDon]

We just cut the cord.

Same here, three years ago. Only have Netflix. Hulu, Prime (Amazon), and antenna. I enjoy the more diverse selection of shows I get now compared to the typical US TV providers.

 

[pictureted]

I'll have to say a good word for Comcast. I've been with them for about 15 years now and get good service, though I pay plenty for it. I get cable TV, internet, and home telephone service for about what Mike is paying.

For an additional $16/mo we get cell phone service for two people through their XFinity wireless service.

And I got this in an e-mail from them yesterday:

We’ve increased your Internet download speed

The download speed included with your current Xfinity Internet
plan has been increased from 250 Mbps to 300 Mbps.

I have Comcast business for both phone and internet and it's fast, but I've averaged outages several times a year. I can sometimes get a trivial credit, but for business service it's not really adequate. As a retiree it's merely irritating.