Why Does Time Warner Cable Suck So Hard?
Hi guys,
I rarely use this blog for matters of this sort, but trying to get my cable television to work is rapidly becoming my full-time job. My HDTV box doesn’t work. I call Time Warner, and they’re like, “Well, clearly there’s a problem with your box.” (Insert my friend Shannon, who, when presented with this problem, responds, “You need your box to work if you wanna get some play. Get it? Play?” She’s funny.) My box was just installed a couple weeks ago, and I haven’t done anything like drop it off my balcony in the meantime, so this is obviously their fault. “What can I do about this?” I ask. “Well,” responds the helpful lady, “you need to bring it in and exchange it for a new one.” This seems doable enough. “Except,” she says, “we don’t accept HDTV boxes in our centers. So you’ll have to set up an appointment to have someone come in and replace it.” This, of course, requires that I take time off work — which I already did several weeks ago to have the first one installed. “Are you serious?” I ask. “Very,” she responds.
So here’s the question I pose to you, dear readers: What are my options? It seems very unfair that, in the year 2007, my one and only option for acquiring MTV is Time Warner Cable. I hear murmurings about IPTV, DirectTV, etc. I live on the Westside in LA. What else is available here? Has anyone had any positive experiences with a cable company around here? Help would be much appreciated. Leave it in the comments or shoot me an email at evilbeet@gmail.com.
xoxo
Beet
April 20th, 2007 at 10:12 am
I live on the Westside as well. Since Adelphia went bankrupt and Time Warner bought them out, there are no other cable options that I know of. I guess you could check with your phone company because some of them offer cable now and bundle service, but I’m not sure. DirecTv is good and you can definitely get it on the Westside. You get all of the normal local channels and everything and they’ll even ship you a new box if the one you have sucks.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:22 am
DirecTv is a good provider…they have a lot of extra thing that they offer also like caller ID that shows up on you TV screen.. and I’m sure they are running a special on something.. check them out. Good Luck on that !!
April 21st, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Beet, I live in North Carolina. I just had to respond to you because your email was like deja vu for me. I have had Dish Network for the past 3 years. However, I was a “slave” to Time Warner Cable before that time. I cannot count the times I had to go clear across town to exchange boxes which did not work. And, I no longer have the interruptions in programming that I had when I used their service. I can truly sympathize with your frustration. Do you all not have Dish Network available there? If not, I would guess that DirectTV would be a much better alternative. I suffered through problems with Time Warner much longer than I should have (I love watching movies and hate having them interrupted!), because I was reluctant to change internet service providers. However, I am also pleased with my Earthlink DSL ISP. I don’t think that Time Warner will get any better any time soon. Good luck!
May 1st, 2007 at 8:45 pm
I couldn’t help but respond. I live in Houston, TX. It looks like Time Warner is as committed to customer service and quality in California and North Carolina as they are in Texas. I have issues with them on a monthly basis. Each “fix” is nothing more than an inconvenience to me that leads to another problem the next month. I’m switching to DirectTV next month.
June 15th, 2007 at 7:01 am
I just googled “time warner sucks” and found your site first… I AM SO FED UP!! We have been here two years and we have had at least 6 different DVR boxes! So all the recorded WEEKS of shows are GONE! PLUS we have their phone service and our phone works RANDOMLY, you never know when you are going to get a dial tone OR be cut off while talking to someone…it literally happens daily & my cell phone bill has tripled just because I have to keep calling people back so that they dont think I just hung up on them. They are GREAT at sending someone out BUT we have to be here waiting & NOTHING ever gets fixed! After they leave it just starts all over again. WE GET NO REFUND for any of this and I honestly think that if there was a lawsuit WE would win! WHY SHOULD THEY GET TO KEEP OUR MONEY FOR A SERVICE THAT DOES NOT WORK??? If three weeks of shows are erased from thier broken boxes then we should be refunded for what we have missed. THEY DONT EVEN OFFER!
Oh and we also have always had Direct TV in ONE room so that my husband can get the football package…I dont suggest it being your only form of TV…if the weather is bad, you are screwed. Every storm knocks it out…its really annoying.
sorry to vent but I am so fed up!
December 27th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Time Warner Cable sucks because the is little in the way of common sense running that company. Today they turned off email accounts to anyone that was usining adelphia.net email addresses with no warning for many months. Some assumed because no date was given and no further information that this would not happen, at least not suddenly and without being able to ever get the email that is sent .I cancelled today and do not ever intend to willingly do business with this company again.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Time Warner Cable is the devil, I swear! I live in good ole Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Just built a new home, new subdivision. Have no choice but to role with TWC (Verizon DSL, DirectTV or Dish not available out here….yet!)…so, got the 3-in-1 deal. VOIP phone, RoadRunner, and cable with HD package…..well, it BOMBS, big time, my so-called HD-DVR Receiver has a “glitch” that they make you re-boot in a 2 step process until your “problem” is fixed! Deleted shows, not able to purchase HD movies, can’t rewind, etc. etc., ….I am on m 5th DVR…..it sucks so bad…I can’t wait until other service providers are available in my area, I never, NEVER had any problems with DirectTV or Dish Network in the past at my old location. Good luck and continue through the struggle with Time Warner!
January 11th, 2008 at 3:50 am
Its 2008 and I am reading posts that about how time warner sucks and 9 months agos these boxes started going out and tw still hasnt fixed it. JohnW is right, there is no commen sense running this part of the company!!! I am on my 10th box in 2 1/2 years and ready for a new one. Dam thing skips and they tell me this is their only box style now, fuckers!!!! Direct TV here I come
January 15th, 2008 at 2:49 am
seriously fuck time warner cable…i spent 3 weeks screaming at different reps on the phone daily bc they installed 2 boxes in my house and the “premium” broadband box…neither of which worked. 3 weeks for them to come and fix it when it was supposed to be fixed in the same day. AND our damn internet constantly goes out…so much for the premium service.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I hear you! I’ve had TW, DVR for years and never had a problem, but then we switched to HD and got the package deal w/phone, internet, etc. We have been through 4 boxes in 2 wks! Plus, we went ahead and can canceled the phone because it never worked. They never even gave us our new phone number! We are switching back to the regular DVR and see what happens.
January 17th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
they just “suspended” my cable,phone and internet because I made the mistake of shorting them $5 last month, my bill for jan was due 5 days ago, they tacked on feb and said I was a month behind. I will take them there stuff and switch to at&t on jan 31st when I get paid. they suck so hard it hurts!!
January 19th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Why does Time Warner suck so bad:
1) cost too much
2) phone line always going out and when it does work has a lot of static
3) cable box always malfunctioning and loses my saved shows
4) road runner cable bogs down and can’t play online games
5) When they send out a tech he is usually an independent and doesn’t know squat about fixing problems. All they know how to do is change out a modem and call the mac number in to the office. Heck I can do that myself and not have to lose money being away from work waiting for the yahoo to come out.
6)
January 19th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Why does Time Warner suck so bad:
1) cost too much
2) phone line always going out and when it does work has a lot of static
3) cable box always malfunctioning and loses my saved shows
4) road runner cable bogs down and can’t play online games
5) When they send out a tech he is usually an independent and doesn’t know squat about fixing problems. All they know how to do is change out a modem and call the mac number in to the office. Heck I can do that myself and not have to lose money being away from work waiting for the yahoo to come out.
6) Can’t watch some of the NFL because they don’t have the sports package option
7) they charge you for channels you don’t even want.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Same Story in San Diego, New HD DVR Box was released to meet new fcc regs and they are writing the software on the fly doing hotfixes every so often. It just doesn’t work, they won’t refund money and we can’t even get through a show without having to reboot which takes 10 minutes! Totally fed up.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I just got Time Warner here in NC, and like many of you, was lead here by Google. I haven’t had any problems to speak of with the cable service, but have had serious issues in a short time with the internet and phone service. The internet could be described as intermittent at best, and the phone drops in tandem with it.
I initially thought at least part of the problem was my use of a wireless router (even though there’s no way that would effect the phone). However, I did a little troubleshooting and went direct to the hard line, with the same pitiful results. I’ve been on the phone numerous times with their service department, and all they can suggest is to reset their box. Now, I’m fairly technically proficient, but resetting your connection 12 times a day (it doesn’t work as a method most of the time anyway) shouldn’t be something you have to do.
I live in a condo complex, so there are a lot of people using wireless within range. I have noticed if I check for available wireless connections when roadrunner is working, there are about 15 available. If I check when my Time Warner has dropped, there’s only 3 or 4. Imagine that, it seems like they have a generalized problem here.
This is garbage though. I think I’m going to drop the phone service immediately and give them a few more months to fix the internet problem while I evaluate my options.
It’s not like the connection slows down at peak hours, it drops completely off. I’m curious if any else is having similar problems, in particular during peak evening hours.
P.S. The connection dropped and reset twice just while I was writing this message. What a POS company.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Fuck Time Warner. Get Dish Network. I did !
February 24th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I just threw my hd dvr box of my third story balcony. Its only my third one and I’m not wasting anymore of my time with there technians or on the phone when all they ever do is reset the box. Thats their fix for everything!! Same as everyone eles before I got my HD box everything was fine. I’m fed up with the inexperianced ass holes that work at Time Warner. Direct TV is installing my dish tomorrow. Good luck with anyone whos keeping it because its sucks a big fat one!!
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:08 am
Wow im so happy i found this site. TW fuckin blows! I live in Northeast Ohio and i just bought my 32″ Panasonic HDTV about 2 months ago and it took them two weeks to deliver my hd box. I bought an HDMI cable so I could use it for my new hd box but they sent me an old scientific atlanta explorer 3100hd box! thats at least a couple years old and is not HDMI compatible! WTF?! So i was like whatever this will do for now and it had a good picture but the channels would always skip every 2 or 3 minutes and I called and asked for a new box with an HDMI output and the lady told me I had to physically go there myself and pick one up before 10am because they go fast. So i skip school one morning and go to get one and guess? THEY’RE SOLD OUT! So im of course pissed and now my old POS hd box goes haywire and I cannot ANY cable HD or not…this company blows dick and I am fed up. Can anyone give me some advice on how to get the newest box available and does anyone know the model or brand of that box?
Thanks,
BeauJanglez
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
we have had time warner cable for a couple years now, and we just recently switched to the new HD DVR set top box. It worked fine for about 6 months then it just all went to hell. We can be right in the middle of a F-in show and the screen freezes up. then shortly after that the whole screen goes out and the DVR boxes screen has a bunch of numbers come up that dont mean shit. then you have to unplug the dam box and wait 10 minutes for it to reconfigure or whatever the hell it does. then after that the cable comes back on and you are all happy, then guess what happens it goes out again. we have had them come out to our house 3 times and they havent fixed it yet, why arnt i surprised. they replaced our HD DVR box twice so far and we are working on our third. NW ohio
April 10th, 2008 at 11:03 am
I have had TW cable and internet for quite some time and i have not experienced many problems. My channels flicker in and out ever now and again. I am debating whether or not to get their digital phone service or not. i was told that if the cable goes out because of storms or etc. that your phone also goes out. Thats a risk I could not take, I have to have a phone at all times. I am also here to tell anyone who thinks direct Tv is any better that they are wrong. I had Direct TV and it was horrible. They promised my monthly bill would stay the same and over the period of a year and a half i ended up paying over 50 dollars more a month than what i was supposed to. If my bill was like a half of a day late they would shut my service off and then charge me with a 20 dollar reconnect fee to have it turned back on. Not to mention that when it snowed or rained hard I would be sitting there looking at a blank screen for hours. so, don’t let anyone fool you, Direct tv is just as bad as TW, if not worse!
July 20th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Three cities in Ohio sued TW over poor service and using cable lines almost 20 years old. all of their reps are independents like infocision and their repairmen are also all independents at least in ohio they are. I called them to come out and fix my Internet and a guy in a white beat up and rusted van showed up wearing a wife beater shirt and blue jeans holding a box saying hear was hear to fix the cable. Oh and heres the kicker he was mexican and I could not understand him very well.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
OMG. Totally agree with you.
Internet keeps going off at the most annoying times, have to reconnect to go back onto the game, and what’s worse, I have to set up the connection manually. Sad thing. 2Wire won’t detect TW wireless! Want to throw it out a balcony, but the bad thing is, I live in a house! Gotta live in it. Besides, I’m just 13. What’s a teen gotta do to have some good internet so you can play some good old online games without being disconnected every 20 minutes? Oh yeah, and guess what? Sometimes I can’t even repair my connection when it’s down. Gotta wait for another day, repair it. Also, the internet sometime won’t work even if it is listed as a completely excellent connection! Down with Time Warner!
PS-My internet connection just dropped and I had to just repair it. What crappy connection!
If anyone else has the same kind of problems as I do, tell me. LOLZ.
I bet if any one of us sued TWC, we’d win!
July 31st, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Sorry for double posting, but…
Beet, you do know AT&T has a lot of channels, right?
I used it before my family moved. Really fast internet and good servicemen. They actually know what they’re doing. I do believe AT&T has MTV, but if they don’t, I’m sure you’ll find some other channel you like.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Hello everyone,
Fuck time warner cable. I just bought 2 web-sites about time warner, because of all the hype on the web. it will be free for all. I bought
screwtimewarner.com and screwtimewarnercable.com
It will have forums and everything you need to get the word out all over the web about time warner cable. its time to stop the monopoly and take back our freedom.
What I hate the most is that they will remove channels that you have been paying on from the beginning, but will not reduce your bill and not even tell you that they removed these channels. Now we cant even get the NFL network, because they hate time warner and think they are scam artist.
When you call time warner, your on hold for fucking 1 hour and then they don’t even speak any fucking english. (( I’m not racist in any matter )), but if you live in America, you better learn how to speak some fucking English, don’t come here and not learn our language. Also, I shouldn’t have to go to my own banks ATM and choose a language, get the fuck out of here with that crap, ( this is fucking America ) Now on DVD you have a setup for other language, this is getting out of hand. Just had to vent some.
Take Care,
screwtimewarnercable.com
screwtimewarner.com
July 31st, 2008 at 7:21 pm
LOLZ!
Well GJ Greg, that’ll be the first thing I go to right now!
After I post this, though…
July 31st, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Sorry about double posting AGAIN, but first of all, wouldn’t it be more convenient to have only one website, Greg?
Oh well, but I still think that’s a great idea.
TIME WARNER SUCKS BALLS
SERIOUSLY
WE NEED TO OVERTHROW TIME WARNER
Oh yeah, Greg, I think they have language selections for tourists from, say, France and they’re just total foreigners that are just visiting for like one month. Besides, movies and ATMs might have words that confuse people. My dad who’s been here for like 10 years still has trouble with English, while I’ve only been here 8 years and have really good English. And I’m only 13 :P. My mom who’s been here as long as I have sucks at her English. It’s a matter for the people who are more aged. They’re worse at adapting, if they ever do. So they need the language help.
August 1st, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Hello!
Thank you so much for your response. I do have 2 web-site, but 1 will be forward to the other soon! Just want to get the search engines going on both sites. The main 1 will be screwtimewarnercable.com It will be all forums, so when people post things, it will read all over the web. Also, I will never ask for money, this will be totally free for LIFE. I have people working on the site right now, trying to get things going within the next couple months. These people do a complete research on timewarner and will post any news update, when they come in and it will be posted right away on the site. My launch date is Sept 25, but it looks like it might even be sooner then that.
Thanks Very Much,
Gregg
August 1st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hello!
I know when you are older it takes longer to learn the language. My step dad is from Russia and it took him a long time to learn, but he did. I just think, if you cant speak that good enough English, then you shouldn’t have a job on the phone.
Take Care,
Gregg
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
The people that dont speak english usualy dont live in America!
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I sell tw services over the phone and speak english cause i have always lived here
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:27 pm
hello!
Thank you for your response. I’m just telling what has happen to me every time I call or try to get things resolved. How come your HD boxes never work most of the time. Had to exchange it 5 times already within 2 yrs?? How come it takes forever for you to pick up the phones on your end?? Half the time the on demand doesn’t even work, why should I have to call once week, because your company can’t fix the problem right the 1st time???? I can go on and on all day long with questions about your company and I can back it all up as well.
When I had COMCAST, I never had a single problem, untill time warner took over. I think you need to start paying your customers, because we have to take time off work and go through all this hassle. Also, what is going on with the NFL network as well??? We never had this problem with comcast on the NFL channels. You claim that the on demand is updated, when new releases of videos is released, I think you better check on that as well, because half the time your on demand is never update or you need to change everything on it ever week. Why do you remove channels with out even telling your customers and still charge them the same amount each and ever month??? I thought their was a message thing on the boxes before, so why don’t bring that back again, so we know what the hell is going on with our service. Also, on demand you order a movie and it’s suppose to be on your demand for 24 hrs, so you can watch it again?? Make sure you all check on that 1 everyone, because if you order a movie, I bet that it will not be on the demand for 24 hrs and you will still get charged for it, better check it out on your boxes.
Also, I have to pay for a remote which is so funny. I think it should be for a period of time. Not the whole time you have service. What happens if you have service for 30 yrs. $.30 x 360 = $108.00 for a freaking remote and thats just for 1 remote, come on now!
Also Digital Converter, $7.95 come on now.
DVR service $5.95
Also, let me ask you this as well. My dad had trouble paying his bills and didn’t return the boxes back for about 4 months and you want to charge him a freaking $350.00 for each box. We should own the boxes after so long of paying for them. I thought your company rents the boxes???? So, if you rent the boxes, then why are you sending the bill for the boxes,,seams fishy to me. If they aren’t your boxes, then that company should be contacting us and not you.
Just had to say my side, but not done yet. See what the response is now please and I’ll response to you.
Take Care,
Gregg
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hello!
Forgot a couple things as well. How much does it cost for a remote???? I can go to the store and get 1 for less then $5.00 for a cheap 1.
I just found out you don’t rent your boxes, you lease them, wrongs phrase. My next questions is how much you pay to lease them??? Why cant we just lease them from the company and not from you. I bet your making money off that as well.
I also read a article off the internet about the nfl network and how much you want to charge people and the nfl network doesn’t like it. You also want to make people pay for it no matter what. So, people that don’t watch NFL has to pay for it as well, COME ON.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY….
I know you need to make money, but not rip people off.
Also another thing I just seen as well. I know most people and I’m not saying all in this matter, but a $2.95 late fee, now thats fucking some shit (just for nothing). You probably have, I say 1/4 people are late on their bills, with the way the economy is now, but I can predict that.
But lets say you have 1 millions customers and 1/4 is late every month
Thats fucking $737,500.00 , now come on with this crap. Some one is taking all this money and putting it into their pocket on late fees.
Take Care,
Gregg
August 6th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Hello everyone,
Got another 1 for you all. Today, I called time warner, because my girlfriend is very late on her bills, when she lost her job! They disconnected her this morning. So, I called and still the same shit. On the phone for about 45 mins or so. I told the women I wanted to pay my girlfriends bill and they asked me, are you on her account and I said no, I just want to get her service back on. And get this crap this women told me I couldn’t pay on it, Now keep in mind I have been paying and helping her pay her bills for over a yr now! I told the women that I have been paying on this bill for about a 8 months now and she still told my no, So, I told her to get me a supervisor and then no 1 picked up the phone and it went right to voice mail for a supervisor. So, I hung up the phone and called back again, after being on the phone for 45 mins, but this time, I got some 1 within 5 mins and told her I wanted to pay my girlfriends cable bill and she said, O.K. Now tell me that’s some shit. These people need to learn their job or just give up.
Also, keep this in mind as well. When you call, it claims that cable will be restored in 30mins, after payment, doesn’t say it could be longer then 30mins. I have done this a couple times for her and it would be back on within less then 5 mins time.
So, after about 2 hours, the service is still not on. I’m like what the hell is going on now! So, now I call again and have to wait 23mins this time, just to talk to some one. I finally get some one and tell her the service is not on and she tells me it will be 2hrs to 24 hrs, before service is back on. Keep in mind all they have to do is press a fucking button to turn it back on. I tell her that your company claims it will be back on within 30mins time and then she has the nerve to tell me, to tell my women to pay her bills on time and she wouldn’t have this problem,lol. I was like wow, this women just told me this crap, when I don’t even live with the women and just trying to help out. I wanted to reach through the phone and rip her head off.
Also, I gave time warner the chance to buy these 2 web-sites, before I start them up and no response from them at all!
I have gotten over 500 e-mails on these 2 web-sites for offers and complaints and it’s growing every day. Keep them coming everyone, because the site will be up soon and we will let the world know how we feel about time warner, because no one can tell us how to feel.
How send me some feed back on some logos for the site, if you have any ideals. Right now,I’m think of having a guy pissing on time warners logo, but it’s up in the air right now!
Take Care,
Gregg
August 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Hello everyone,
They just keep coming in. Just right now my girlfriend called about adding me to her account. Keep in mind, I have been helping pay this bill for over 8 months now! Calling myself. These people told her that I had to go up to the main office and show ID. Come on with this shit. All she has to do is put me on the phone and I’ll give them all my information. When you call to get time warner installed, they don’t ask you to come up to the main office and show I.D to have your cable hooked up. All they ask is that a grown up is in the house, so they can hook up the cable. Time warner has to get the hell out of Ohio and stay out. These people and their rules. It’s so funny, how a big Corporation,has no clue on customer service. If you have great customer service, then I wouldn’t see so many complaints on the web. I know you can’t satisfy everyone, but with how many complaints are all over web, shows how customer support is and their service as well. I can’t wait till I launch the web-site for this. I have a team working on it and all the information about time warner as well! It will have everything you need to know about time warner.
Take Care,
Gregg
August 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
LOL.
Gregg, I think the “pissing on Time Warner Cable” is good, but maybe like a stick guy with his back turned to us pissing on the TWC logo.
Or maybe since the logo looks like an eye, maybe like a spear in the eye and the eye is bleeding…
Dunno, but I think the pissing idea is awesome.
LOL.
The site can also be like a place to refer for some scandal
August 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Sorry for double posting, but
I meant that the place would be a good place to refer to for some scandal or rumors about TWC.
Meh, oh well…
August 20th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Lol,
Sounds very interesting. We can do how the radio stations do rumors and scandals all the time about people and company’s. Like your ideals and keep them coming.
Take Care,
Gregg
P.S.
Web-site is coming along great, knock on wood, and hopefully be up soon!