As the FCC winds down its lip-service commenting period on Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to roll back net neutrality rules that stop internet service providers from interfering with the things you do and see online, we wanted to remind you of that time we challenged more than a dozen cable companies — all of whom publicly claimed to love the core ideas of neutrality — if they would put those rules into a legally binding contract; not one of them said yes. [More]
time warner cable
Charter Disconnects Some Former TWC Subscribers Mid-Day, Demands More Money
By 5.19.17
When Charter bought up Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016, customers who suddenly found themselves paying Charter bills knew they were in for a few big changes. One of those was an inevitable price increase, which for some customers began even before the merger was formally approved or completed. But even though you might expect your cable bill to creep inexorably upward, you probably don’t expect it to happen in the middle of the afternoon with a sudden channel blackout. [More]
AT&T, Feds Settle Dodgers Lawsuit Over SportsNet LA; Blackout To Continue
By 3.24.17
The Department of Justice and AT&T settled a lawsuit claiming DirecTV — which AT&T purchased in 2015 — colluded unlawfully with other carriers about their negotiations to carry SportsNet LA, the only cable channel in Los Angeles to air most Dodgers games. But that doesn’t mean the cable provider will be adding the channel to its lineup anytime soon. [More]
Cable Company Sends Refund Check That Bounces, Bills Customer Twice For Service He Doesn’t Have
By 3.13.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When Consumerist reader Andy canceled his Time Warner Cable service back in November he expected to get a small refund. But he got more than he bargained for: a bounced check fee, followed several months later by bills for service he no longer had. [More]
Time Warner Cable Customers Unable To Access TV Apps After Charter Merger
By 2.23.17
It’s been nearly a year since Charter officially acquired Time Warner Cable, but TWC customers — now “Time Warner Spectrum” — say they are no longer able to access an array of TV apps that require their pay-TV logins. [More]
NY AG: Please Send Us Your Broadband Speed Tests So We Can Investigate Providers
By 2.16.17
Some things, you can measure centrally. Some, you can survey with a sample group. But sometimes, what you really need is a giant crowdsourced effort — and that’s what New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is asking Empire State residents to help with. [More]
DirecTV Asks Court To Throw Out Justice Dept. Lawsuit Over SportsNet LA
By 2.13.17
It’s hard to be a baseball fan in Los Angeles. For what feels like ages, the LA Dodgers have had an exclusive deal with Time Warner Cable — now Charter — to air their games in the area. Other carriers reportedly have tried to get access to the games but were stymied, eventually leading to a complicated court case where the Justice Department sued DirecTV over allegations of colluding unlawfully with other carriers in negotiations with SportsNet LA. Now, DirecTV is fighting back. [More]
Charter’s Univision Blackout Ends With Court Ruling
By 2.3.17 — Updated: 3.7.17
Charter-Spectrum customers now have access to TV networks owned by Univision, after a judge granted the cable company’s request for a temporary restraining order against the media company, effectively ending the blackout that started Tuesday night. [More]
State: Time Warner Cable Defrauded Customers By Advertising Internet Speeds It Couldn’t Provide
By 2.1.17
Back in 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched a statewide effort to measure residents’ broadband speeds to see if they were getting the “blazing fast” internet access that the service providers advertised. Today, Schneiderman announced his office is suing New York City’s biggest broadband provider for not only failing to live up to its promises, but for allegedly knowing that many customers couldn’t possibly see the speeds that TWC promised. [More]
Univision Pulls Channels From Charter-Spectrum Lineup
By 2.1.17
A nasty battle between the nation’s largest Spanish-language broadcaster and the second-largest cable company has resulted in Univision pulling its channels from millions of Charter-Spectrum customers. [More]
Verizon And Charter Romance Heats Up; Could Merger Marriage Be On Horizon?
By 1.26.17
Earlier this month, it was reported that Verizon has a thing for big cable companies that begin with the letter “C,” and that it really wants to make out under the bleachers with either Comcast or Charter. Now comes news that Big V has actually begun the courting process with the latter. [More]
Charter Continues To Charge Wildfire Victims For Service They Don’t Have
By 12.29.16
Charter cable and internet customers in Tennessee who recently lost their homes to wildfire say the pay-TV giant, which recently merged with Time Warner Cable, is continuing to charge them for services that they can’t possibly access, and to return equipment that no longer exists. [More]
Charter/Time Warner Cable Tries To Defend “Broadcast TV” Fee; Says It’s All About Transparency
By 11.16.16
Last week, a Time Warner Cable customer sued the cable-TV and its parent, Charter Communications over fees that significantly increase subscribers’ bills and allegedly imply that they are surcharges required by the government. Now Charter is commenting on the fees, claiming that this confusing fee is part of the company’s “simple to understand” strategy. [More]
Some Time Warner Cable Customers Still Waiting Months For $300 Promotional Gift Cards
By 11.11.16
Back in February, Ann chose to keep her business with Time Warner Cable when the company dangled a free $300 prepaid gift card in her face. Fast forward to November and she’s still waiting for the card, like hundreds of other customers who stuck with the company or switched to the pay-TV provider. So what’s the deal? [More]
Customer Sues Charter, Time Warner Cable Over “Broadcast TV” Fees; Doesn’t Seek Monetary Damages
By 11.11.16
Last month, Comcast customers accused the cable company of illegally using its “Broadcast TV” and “Regional Sports” fees to raise customers’ bills by as much as $10/month. Now a customer of the recently merged Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications is accusing the providers of breaking the law by using similar fees to hide rate hikes while implying to subscribers that these surcharges are required by the government. [More]
Many Time Warner Cable TV Customers Not Sticking Around With Charter
By 11.8.16
It’s the time of year when all publicly-traded companies announce their last quarter’s results. And over in Charter-land, something’s not looking so good: video subscribers are down, but it’s not a universal cord-cutting trend across the board. Instead, the loss is almost entirely concentrated in Time Warner Cable markets. [More]
DOJ Sues DirecTV Over Blackout Of SportsNet LA
By 11.2.16
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against DirecTV, alleging that the nation’s largest satellite TV provider illegally shared non-public information with other pay-TV companies about their negotiations to carry SportsNet LA, the only cable channel in Los Angeles to air most Dodgers games. [More]
Your Cable Company Will Probably Give You Free HBO For A Few Months, But Good Luck Getting The “New Customer” Rate
By 8.15.16
For years, we here at Consumerist HQ have heard anecdotal claims that negotiating for a better rate from your cable provider is no longer as simple as it used to be. The discounts weren’t as deep, people would say, the offers were on the weak side, and in the wake of bad PR, companies have seemed more willing to call customers’ bluff and let them cancel service painlessly. Of course, anecdotes do not equal data, so we wanted to know: is this actually a thing? [More]
