It’s like the dot-com boom is finally over. Time Warner is spinning AOL off into its own company once again by the end of the year. AOL will get most of the terrible customer service in the divorce. [Bloomberg]
Mystery Solved? Using OpenDNS Results In Glacial YouTube Downloads For Qwest Customers
By May 8, 2009
Earlier this week, we posted an email from a frustrated Qwest customer who said he couldn’t download YouTube and other online videos at a speed equivalent to the Qwest service he was paying for. Qwest wrote to us, and spoke to the customer, and swore they were not interfering with any download rates. Instead, it looks like the problem is with OpenDNS, a free service that usually speeds up downloading, but that seems to have an issue when it comes to certain video streams.
Don't Like What Comcast Tells You? Just Call Back
By May 4, 2009
If you’ve followed Consumerist for more than a few days you’ve probably heard that 2009 Worst Company in America quarterfinalist Comcast has been known to engage in some, ahem, sketchy customer service practices.
Comcast Giveth (Fees); Comcast Taketh Away (Fees)
By April 30, 2009
Graham’s roommate is moving out. The cable and Internet are in his name, so they called up Comcast to change the name on the account. Simple enough, right? Surprisingly, it was. Until they wanted to know why there was a $10 fee to change the name on the account.
Time Warner Shuts Off Heavy User's Account With No Warning
By April 24, 2009
While they’ve temporarily shelved metered broadband plans, Time Warner is cutting off, with no warning, the accounts of customers who they deem have used too much bandwidth. One such customer lives in Austin, TX, one of the original markets slated for metered broadband. Stop The Cap has the story, and an excerpt is inside.
ISP Donates to United Way to Make Up For Internet Outage
By April 23, 2009
Reader Jon in Washington state has some issues with his ISP, Broadstripe. Namely, the periodic outages he experiences, and how the company decided to make up for the most recent one.
New York Representative Goes After Time Warner's Metered Broadband
By April 9, 2009
Rochester, NY is one of the expanded test areas for TWC’s new metered broadband program, (along with Austin & San Antonio, TX, and Greensboro, NC.) The people of Rochester are especially upset about the change, including their representative, Eric Massa, who had strong words for Time Warner.
Use Google's M-Lab To Test Your Internet Connection
By February 9, 2009
Google has assembled a suite of free tools (developed by researchers, not by Google itself) that let you measure things like BitTorrent throttling, upload/download speeds, and last mile snafus. In exchange for “free,” the test data is being made public to enable further study of broadband connections. You might want to bookmark the site for future reference when you’re trying to figure out what’s going on with your ISP.
RIAA To Stop Suing File Sharers
By December 19, 2008
The Wall Street Journal and Ars Technica are reporting that the RIAA has announced a fairly dramatic change in its strategy to fight piracy.
Most Verizon FIOS Installations Violate National Electric Standards
By August 30, 2008
A two-year investigation has concluded that most Verizon FIOS installations fail to meet national safety standards, and could cause fires or electrocutions. FIOS is famous for house fires, but New York’s Public Service Commission first started its investigation back in 2006 after several inspectors discovered improperly grounded installations.
Get Comcast Just For Wii? Flee? Fee.
By August 1, 2008
If you think you can sign up with Comcast just to get a Wii and then cancel or downgrade service, think again. Downgrade service or cancel in the first year, $250 in fees, second year, $125. Other restrictions apply. The insider says the new Wii promotion is a bunch of crap and they and other Comcast CSRs won’t be offering it to customers unless customers beg for it because of all the caveats. Frankly, they’re in the right for protecting their asses on this one. However, it’s not too hard to imagine scenarios where Comcast gets the account details wrong and customers wrongly get assessed fees… The internal document, inside…
Confirmed: Comcast Gives Free Wii To New Triple-Play Subscribers
By July 28, 2008
Just like we told you via exclusive insider leak last Tuesday, Comcast is indeed giving away a Wii to new triple–play subscribers. It says so right in their press release. You will have to sign a new 2-year contract with Comcast for “Triple Play” services. And you will have to sign up with Comcast. There is that.
AT&T Will Roll Out Tiered Internet Access In October
By July 22, 2008
“When AT&T provides broadband service by speed, it will do so in discrete, non-overlapping tiers,” Quinn said in written testimony. “We will strive to provide service within the speed tier purchased by the customer and, if we find that we are not providing service within the ordered speed tier, AT&T will take action either to bring the customer’s service within the ordered tier or give the customer an option to move to a different tier.”
Reach Time Warner Cable Executive Customer Service
By June 6, 2008
203-351-2221 connects you directly to Time Warner Cable’s executive customer care division. Jeff Simmermon, Time Warner’s Digital Communications Director, sent this number to us himself. What a good example for other companies to emulate!
Want To Spy On Comcast Subscribers? Comcast Has The Job For You!
By June 4, 2008
If you’d like to help Comcast eavesdrop on its own subscribers, you’re in luck: Comcast has posted a job listing for an “intercept engineer” on a headhunter site, according to Wired. Want ad for position of The Man, inside.
By May 20, 2008
Comcast has defended its BitTorrent blocking by saying it only does it when network congestion is high, but a new study finds that they’re doing it basically all the time. [The Inquirer]
ISPs Are Maniacal Stalkers Who Read Your Email And Watch You Surf The Web
By April 6, 2008
Internet service providers are actively tracking 100,000 users, reading every email they send and every website they visit, according to the Washington Post. The report coincides with a damning Associated Press investigation of ISP contracts which finds that they reserve broad rights to read essentially anything you view on the internet without any intervening supervision or regulation.
