Anybody?
Charter Cable has made it there mission these past few months (phone calls, letters, more letters, more phone calls) to tell us our current TV, Internet, Phone deal is coming to an end. They keep saying the prices were just for a year (on things like the HBO, Starz, Cinemax bundle)... I keep telling them, that's funny because we've had that deal for a lot longer than that.
Anyway, the people on the phone keep say things like 'we have deals that your local office can't offer. I ask them what they are and there the same thing that the local office or the same letter we get several times a month with the same package everytime being shoved towards us.
Verbatim: The package is $154.97 + about $22 in taxes & fees. Locked in for a 2 year contract: For that we would get.
1)
Internet
=
Internet Express up to 12Mbps Internet (WAY MORE THAN I ACTUALLY NEED) but the next lowest plan they offer (intentionally) is 1Mbps.
2)
TV
=Basic, Extended Basic, (+) the Digital View Plus Tier.
=Premium Channel Package: HBO, Cinemax, Starz/Encore, Showtime/TMC channels
=A DVR/HD Box
3)
Telephone
Unlimited Local & Long Distance - (Voice Mail, Caller ID etc. included)
I own my Cable modem so no additional charge for that...
But that thing includes STUPID extras like the $5.00 a month wire maintenence fee. I have a box of 1000' of RG-6 cable in the garage and if the box dies I take it to Charter and they replace it. So this way, I pay them $60 more a year so they can come to my house (on their own darn time schedule) and swap out the box.
So then I keep telling them well I don't need the $5.00 a month wire maintenence - "well it's part of that package" --- So I ask for more offers of other packages that they keep telling me they have but no one else does... and they don't have anything else to say??? NOT
that's all they can give me, unless I want to add more service. The problem is none of the additional services have any kind of deal... so unlike the bundles they are just a straight add on to the original bundle that they keep quoting.
I really would like some information from others. I'm determined to stay out of 2 year contract, but I would like to see what some of the other offers are that they are mailing to other people.
Please if you use are a charter customer or get offers from them could you please share them. The last lady I talked to, after telling me they we the only ones that could offer me the best deals (but couldn't list any of them other than what they've been mailing me about for many many months... she added but if you find something cheaper @ Charter.com or your local office we'll match that. I started to snort... at how ridiculous they are acting. They won't tell me any better deals, and say they people on the phone are the only ones with the best deals; failing to list more than the one most similar to the tier we currently get.
I got really pissed at one point of the last call and said something to the effect of, this is how you treat a loyal customer that has been with you for 20 years?!? You keep trying to push me and lock me into a contract that I don't want, you keep telling me that in the next few months all my packages will revert to "full price" as if I wasn't already overpaying; I might as well go over to Direct TV if this is the kind of treatment I'm going to get her at Charter.
