So I subscribed to Time Warner Cable in December of 2010. The installation guy was nice enough and I didn't have to wait long for help. Once, in the Spring of this year (2011) I had to call about the slowness of my internet connection. I was able to schedule an appointment to have a technician come out and fix it. And he fixed it. (Apparently the whole building was acting funny). That was the good part. But they completely soured me in the end by trying to screw me.
I moved out of my apartment on November 15th of this year, and the next day, November 16th, I called TWC and told them I needed to cancel my service as I moved and the place I moved to already had cable/internet. The woman on the phone was very nice as I explained the situation and requested it be turned off by Friday. She said it would be shut off Friday the 18th and that I would need to return my internet modem to reclaim my deposit. She even informed me of the hours of the 23rd street office for Monday through Friday, as well as Saturday.
I then paid my november bill of $49.95 even though I cancelled the service on November 18th.
However, this was not good enough for TWC. They sent me a bill for December for $49.95! They explained to me over chat that even though I moved out, the apartment was empty, I'd called to cancel my service, was told my service was cancelled, and was not told anything about their being a contingency regarding return of the modem, they did not elect to cancel my service. They told me that it was their policy not to cancel service until the modem is returned. But isn't it funny that not only did the woman on the phone assured me that it would be cancelled on Friday the 18th, but she gave me hours for Saturday(s).
This was the first I'd heard of it. I was not told this on the phone, and I don't believe it was on the papers I originally signed. Clearly, I'd have gone and cancelled my service in person immediately rather than do it over the phone if I'd have known. And since I had absolutely no use for their cheap modem, I would have definitely not let myself get trapped by their silly 'policy". I'm not the smartest guy, but I'm not a fool either.
I'd just moved to Queens and was working from home, so it was not very convenient to get down to the TWC office to return the modem. Since there was no rush, and since they had my deposit ($25) anyway, I simply planned to return it before the end of the year.
I returned the modem on Friday (Dec 17th) and they tried to get me to sign a receipt acknowledging that I had an outstanding balance and that they'd receieved the modem. I refused. I explained to the - rude, by the way, - lady that I was not going to pay their unfair bill.
I will fight them on this, I will go to small claims court if I have to. I will challenge it if it ever shows up on my credit report. I will not let some jerks rob me. But I'm never going to pay this bill.
Honestly, it is crap like this that makes President Obama's Consumer Protection Agency necessary.
Time Warner Cable - if you are reading, you have time to make this right. The "bill" is "due" at the end of December. Cancel it before then and I will forgive you. Keep billing me and I will never do business with you again and I will use social media as much as possible to dissuade people from contracting with you. You are not the only game in town.
