Time Warner Engages In Extortion
In my geographic area of note (The Piedmont Triad of North Carolina), we are stuck with a veritable monopoly for our broadband services, at the mercy of Time Warner Cable’s whims.
They have selected this region as one of four “test markets” for a bandwidth cap system with absurdly low numbers and high prices.
Our pathetically inept local leadership seems unlikely to take action to defend the interests of either the small business community or the general populace here, leaving it up to citizens to either harass them into getting involved or raising enough attention and outcry to finally attract competition to contest TWC.
As has been said elsewhere… “First they came for …, then they came for…, finally they came for …. “. I am not an outright opponent of new internet pricing schemes, but this one is so particularly hare-brained and deceitful (not to mention an act of extortion in an area where they have a recognized monopoly.. I doubt they would try this in even the Charlotte or Raleigh areas, let alone an Atlanta or Los Angeles).
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Rochester is one of the other test markets. Here they have a couple competitors but there has been a huge uproar about the new pricing. A lot of people have written in to the paper saying that Time Warner is trying to kill internet video that competes with their TV channels and cable TV offering.
I suspect that is what is behind it as well. I know my wife and I hardly watch TV enough to justify the cable, save my NBA and NFL viewing now and then. I use Hulu and others to watch anything worth my time, something I would gladly pay for at a reasonable fee if it came down to it, unlike the insane $75-100 cable fees charged once your introductory period is complete.
At least they have competitors in Rochester!
I’m making an attempt to drop TW tv. They are charging me each month for 3d, which they are Not able to provide because they are out of the boxes to show 3d. But that doesn’t prevent them from charging me for 3d. This is fraud, they don’t have the boxes but are advertising they will show 3d. I have done my utmost to explain I don’t have 3d, but they have decided to charge me $12 even thought they know I haven’t ever had 3d, and I couldn’t have it because I was told they don’t have a 3d receiver to give to me. So, it’s one…fraudulent advertising..No 3d boxes, and 2 they want some 12 dollars from me or they are going to cut off my service. I have a letter from BBB and I am going to send these facts out in a complaint form. Yes, and the third complaint is extortion…cutting off the service and a charge to me to have it restored. So, if you have to use their service and want 3d make sure they have the proper box, I think the last 2 digits end in 60. If you ask for 3d they will be happy to charge you for it when they know they can’t give it, then they will say…pay or we will cut your service off, and you will have to pay to restore. I should mention TW charged me $10 a month for 3 months on the non existing 3d programming, and after much loss of time on the phone to get them to stop, they decided they would charge me with $12 so that if I did’t give in, they would stop my service. It looks as though Comcast and them have an arrangement where they divy up areas so as Not to compete. Then it’s their way or the highway. As has been said our Congress and President has No will to stop these practices for obvious reasons.