Time Warner Cable Backhanded Price Hike.

[Jon L]

I just got the November Time Warner Cable bill, which had a brand new charge for "Modem Rental," which is new and apparently a backhanded price hike. Any other Time Warner customers around got their November bill?

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/time-warner-cable-modem-rental/

[parris]

We got the same/similar thing in the form of a post card saying in effect that to continue providing the high quality service it was necessary to tack on the charge. HIGH QUALITY SERVICE?!?!?! What a freaking joke. I've had to bring back the dvr box to them no less than 3 times this year due to problems with their gear and now this 4+ dollar monthly charge. It must be nice to be a monopoly. Sorry for the rant.

[skullguise]

Comcast charges for cable modem rental as well, I went out and bought my own, it pays for itself over time. But to do it all of a sudden is a bit sleazy....as far as I know Comcast has always charged for it.

[Pars]

Yes, Comcast has always charged for that. If we didn't have Comcast voice as well, I would also just buy my own modem.

It does seem sleazy to just all of a sudden start charging for it. Too bad consumers can't just modify their acceptance terms anytime they feel like it as the providers seem to like to do....

Edited November 29, 2012 by Pars

[aardvark baguette]

Verizon raised my bill by $5 or $6 per billing cycle for about 3 months back in the spring / summer. no idea why, but its permanent.

They have me by the balls, its foolish to pretend otherwise.

Edited November 29, 2012 by aardvark baguette

[The Monkey]

All these providers are fuckers.

[Grahame]

Ain't the Free Market wonderful.*

* for small values of free.

[Dusty Chalk]

Fuckers.

[aardvark baguette]

what free market?

[robm321]

...They have me by the balls, its foolish to pretend otherwise.

Pretty much how i feel overall. its bigger than me, so I just pay and try not to get upset over what I can't control.

[Jon L]

This thing becomes even weirder.  So I got myself my own cable modem on their "approved list", called up Time Warner who promptly "activated" it and took off the modem rental charge.  However, it turns out NONE of the non-Time Warner cable modems support digital phone hookup that Time Warner uses.  So even if you get your own modem, if you have TW digital phone service, you STILL have to have TW cable modem!  

 

They suggested I go to the local TW center to pick up a "free cable splitter" so that I can have BOTH their modem and my modem hooked up at the same time, with TW modem only hooked up to the phone line.  I didn't have the time to go pick up the spliter, but lo and behold, even without my modem hooked up, the whole cable/phone works fine via TW modem like before, without my modem even hooked up.

 

This is incredible nonsense and a pathetic attempt by TW to raise prices.  On the bright side, I now have my own modem sitting around without wasting power (?) and the rental charge erased from my account 

[aardvark baguette]

lol

[Pars]

What is your TW cable modem (w/phone)? An Arris something or other?

That is why I haven't bought my own modem yet, because Comcast says they can't guarantee future compatibility if you have voice. If it is internet only, then they have an approved list and you can go ahead and buy your own.

[Jon L]

What is your TW cable modem (w/phone)? An Arris something or other?

 

 It's Arris TM602G.  One can find it for like $150-200, but even you buy the hardware, will the Time Warner voice protocol work on it? 

[Salt Peanuts]

Verizon raised my bill by $5 or $6 per billing cycle for about 3 months back in the spring / summer. no idea why, but its permanent.

They have me by the balls, its foolish to pretend otherwise.

 

I hear you.  I signed a two-year contract with them when FiOS became available in my area, knowing that we weren't going to be moving anywhere and wasn't going back to Comcrap.  Well, as soon as the contract ended, the price for the bundle we had (which no longer existed) went up.  At least FiOS provides me with the speed I'm paying for as opposed to Comcrap which never really even got close.

[Grahame]

On Comcast I use my own modem, and use Ooma for my VOIP Telephony - cheaper than comcasts digital voice. (higher up front cost but lower TCO)

[shellylh]

All these providers are fuckers.

 

Yep.

[Wmcmanus]

All these providers are fuckers.

Fuckity fuck fuckers, at that.

[robm321]

^ this Monopoly laws = fail