Personal Problem.. Advice requested

Reply #38

tntea — Thu, 11 May 2006 23:44:53 GMT

Thanks for your time John,

We do have Directv.. hubby has all the tickets.. he loves sports..

I called them about internet.. and they said that they had sold that part over to Hughes..something

Reply #37

SirMetro — Thu, 11 May 2006 17:30:26 GMT

We ditched cable about 4 years ago when the bill went to $90 for 30 channels and only 3 of those channels were the premium channels. I wouldn't take cable now even if my DishNetwork died on me.

In regards to the Complaint, here in GA, we have someone called Clark Howard that is a well known Consumer Advocate. He is tied in with the local major TV Radio Station and even has a decent web site.

You may want to check your area for someone like him. That type of behavior by any kind of Compan... [ More ]

Reply #36

Atomic Dog — Thu, 11 May 2006 12:05:54 GMT

TNTEA,

If I were you, I would ditch cable all together and get DIRECTV and DIRECTWAY internet service. Since I have had DIRECTV, I have had no problems at all and they are incredibly good in customer service and technical support and setup.

One problem with DIRECTV and DIRECTWAY is that you will lose your satellite signal during heavy rain storms. I have had DIRECTV for 2 years now and have lost signal maybe twice. Therefore, I would deem it fairly reliable. Not only that, DIRECTV cost... [ More ]

Reply #35

tntea — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:58:32 GMT

Not to be rude but you didn't understand the post. The only way they trenched out a line is by marking out utilities. I have years of experience in this industry. It always irks me when people think they know low voltage. It takes years to actually know how to correctly fix things. Every time someone thinks they know how to fix low voltage wiring I always ask myself 'then why did you call us'. It's like people have little value of every skill set except theirs.

Well that is good to kno... [ More ]

Reply #34

tntea — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:54:55 GMT

the cable that was buried ran from the pole on side of road to the house.

the bucket truck was needed to run from our pole to across the street..

Reply #33

LOTTOMIKE — Thu, 11 May 2006 06:58:11 GMT

^tntea ^cable internet guy

Reply #32

dvdiva — Thu, 11 May 2006 06:47:46 GMT

Ultimately only a city franchise board has any real authority over them. If they have no franchise agreement then they can't operate in that area. I was going to push Time Warner that way when they wouldn't fix a distrubution problem.

Reply #31

eyewilwin — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:40:02 GMT

I was in a simular situation.. pay first and no show or pay half and pay after..etc. I DID reply to BBB and then I also called FBI and they DID dfo an investigation and found FRAUD!!! I was rewarded 3X back what I paid them and got the check within 2 weeks

Reply #30

dvdiva — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:17:40 GMT

Reply #29

justxploring — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:02:03 GMT

Would turning this over to BBB do any good? What would you do?

It's never a waste of time filing a complaint, but I don't have much faith in the BBB. It's a self-regulated organization that accepts dues from the very people we complain about, and often the complaints do nothing to resolve the consumer's problems. From what I understand, almost every used car dealer is a member of its local BBB.

As others have said, try writing to newspapers, tv stations and other consumer advocate group... [ More ]

Reply #28

tntea — Thu, 11 May 2006 02:29:54 GMT

Well 24 hours were up.. So I made my nightly call to WHO..

the cable company.. just a nightly routine..

This time I was told that they were scheduled tomorrow to be here and I didn't have to be at home..

They said they could tell from there I didn't have problems inside the house but outside.

I asked why couldn't they tell that before.. but of course this young man couldn't answer..

I was told I probably needed a new line ran.. I told him about the line that was on the groun... [ More ]

Reply #27

Littleoldlady — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:42:22 GMT

Tn Tea, I would go straight to the TV people. That is a serious complaint about bad, very sloppy business. Also if your paper had a column where you can write to the editor, send them a copy of your post..if nothing else, it will warn others to stay away from this sorry company. PS..YES, ASK FOR MONEY BACK..ALL OF IT

Reply #26

LOTTOMIKE — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:16:23 GMT

i had a problem with best buy like this here a couple years ago.i had a vcr and dvd recorder i needed hooked up to my tv.well they kept rescheduling appointments and then when they did come the man couldn't figure out how to get everything hooked up.after going through all these follies i took the stuff back and got my money back.only thing is i couldn't get cash back they had to mail me a check in the mail.which they mailed and then i mysteriously never got so they put a stop on that check and... [ More ]

Reply #25

Rick G — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:02:18 GMT

In my whole life I've never heard of a cable contractor "forgetting his truck" (twice???). Do the cable contractors in your town walk around with ladders strapped to their backs pulling a little red wagon behind them with their tools and parts?

This guy's a fish and you know what he smells like.

Reply #24

mrcliffy — Wed, 10 May 2006 21:41:12 GMT

Total all your expenses:fees, time off from work, sitter costs, mileage, lawn repair, etc.

File a claim in Small Claims Court for a nominal fee ($10-$25) to recoup your losses.

Make them pay for their incompetence.

Reply #23

tntea — Wed, 10 May 2006 21:04:48 GMT

After that call, the next day someone from the company and buried the cable. They used a trencher to run it to the house.. The house that no longer had their services..

Reply #22

undress — Wed, 10 May 2006 14:32:16 GMT

Hey Tntea sounds like a joke of a company, can you get talkamerica in your area. they have a dsl....4mb/s. 24.00 a month no taxes.....

Reply #21

paint1 — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:52:52 GMT

You could try calling the manager at home at 3 A.M. 4 or 5 times in a row.

Don't any of you people have a satalite dish? You know, for TV and internet service.

Reply #20

fja — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:16:16 GMT

It's not really a waste of time. You may not get any action but they log the complaint along with any others. After a certain amount of similar complaints they act on it by sending a letter to the company President, giving them a certain amount of time to fix the problem. They are not there to react to every coomplaint that comes through, but by your discription of the service you have recieved, they probably already have a list of complaints on them. the power of the pen does reap its reward... [ More ]

Reply #19

delS — Wed, 10 May 2006 03:08:13 GMT

I had a similiar situation with Comcast last year. I kept calling and researching until I received a Regional Manager. I already had cable, but wanted them to be my internet provider also. Part of the problem was that comcast outsourced their installation service to local subcontractors. The other part of the problem was the rude customer service I received, from the reps. hanging up on me or putting me on hold forever. My wife could tell you, I kept calling until I got names of higher offici... [ More ]

Reply #18

dvdiva — Wed, 10 May 2006 03:00:28 GMT

No one can lay underground cable in one day. You would have to check permits (right of way) plus mark out existing utilities. If it crosses a street that's a seperate permit usually. The only time you can tell you are close is when they mark out the existing utilites since the spray power is only good for a few days especially if it rains.

Reply #17

tntea — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:36:15 GMT

I cannot believe I even try dealing with this company.

I had their tv cable for a few years.. I cancelled it because the cost went up and service (qualitiy ) went down.. I moved to PrimeStar for a while and now have direct TV..

Before I cancelled I had them service the house because of fuzzy picture.. and they laid new cable.. and when I say Laid.. I mean.. right on top of ground. They were to come and bury the cable the next day..

Later that month.. still laying there.. I called and ca... [ More ]

Reply #16

Tenaj — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:34:20 GMT

At least there are still some companies out there with accountability.

Reply #15

Konformthismfs — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:29:51 GMT

Forget the writing/calling, i'd go down there in person to either get it fixed once and for all or get my money back! Did you check with the BBB before ordering? The next customer won't either! Loss of customers is the only thing big business understands, if they can't make it right to you, drop'em....

Reply #14

cps10 — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:18:25 GMT

tenaj

That is true...always some scruffy old man that doesn't look like he can hardly get out of bed much less install cable.

I have now noticed that the Big Box stores like Best Buy, Tweeter, etc. are using their own employees now for installation around here. They are held accountable for their actions and guarantee satisfaction. I like that. Especially since we are building in Regent Park and will need a couple plasmas installed CORRECTLY not half-arsed.

Reply #13

Tenaj — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:15:30 GMT

Another thing about cable companies too. They use contractors and that's why they have so much stuff screwed up. None of them know what the others are doing or what happened before and don't care. They are just answering a call. At least that has been my experience.

Reply #12

cps10 — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:03:23 GMT

tntea

I like the tv troubleshooter idea. They usually get results here in Charlotte. Unfortunately, like you, we have no competition for cable here. They can basically tell you where you can shove your DVR and cable box, and you have to sit there and ask them how far up should I shove it? Until it tickles my tonsils?!

Between cable, local phone and other utilities, those types of monopolies feel like they can do anything.

I sure hope your resolution comes soon and you are duly compens... [ More ]

Reply #11

luckieStarr — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:02:36 GMT

I would send an e-mail of your post to EVERYONE in that company

Reply #10

Tenaj — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:48:42 GMT

Quote: Originally posted by paint1 on May 9, 2006 Calling the BBB is a waste of time. Tell them that you are going to get your local newspaper to do a story on their imcompetence. They'll be there within the hour, probably for free.

I would indeed file a complaint with the BBB(you can do it online), however the complaint will only show in the number of complaints (no details) and whether it was resolved. Most companies are members of the BBB. They probably don't care if you get the local... [ More ]

Reply #9

emilyg — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:21:41 GMT

excellent - or tv station troubleshooter. who's your phone provider

Reply #8

paint1 — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:17:40 GMT

Calling the BBB is a waste of time. Tell them that you are going to get your local newspaper to do a story on their imcompetence. They'll be there within the hour, probably for free.

Reply #7

cybero — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:14:33 GMT

TNTEA,

If it were me I would have already snapped on these people! I would report them to BBB, call the chamberof commerce etc.

Sounds like a very poorly ran operation to me. Is this your only possibility for high speed access?

I would definately ask for a full refund myself, that is just ridiculous!

Good luck with what ever you decide to do, keep us informed as to the outcome in this situation.

Reply #6

dvdiva — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:12:27 GMT

As someone that works in the industry I doubt calling BBB would get anywhere. Is mediacom a cable company? Must be a small player if they are. I would call the city you live in. Odds are they have a board that handles complaints. Considering the Wallmart type mentality in the telecom market all I can say is welcome to the future. Everyone I know with years of experience is leaving the field. Or at least the field in regards to visiting your house. It's turned into a numbers game and as long as... [ More ]

Reply #5

TeddiBare — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:08:35 GMT

Hi ,

I would request to talk to the owner of the company, or as close to the top as possible,(Make sure it is a manager not the person sitting next to them.) advise him/her of the treatment you have recieved from this company let them know that the bad exprience you have had with this cable company will be shared with your friends their friends. I would also write a letter mark personal / confindentail to the owner. U paid for this and you want it taken care of asap. (also follow up w... [ More ]

Reply #4

Badger — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:06:22 GMT

Gads, that's a horror story ! I would call the BB and offer to give them a copy of all your notes regarding who, when and what happened. That company definitely needs to have an official complaint filed against them. I don't know how you managed to continue to schedule appointments with them. I'll give anyone one screw-up. After the second one they can kiss my patoot ! Even if they're the only game in town, so to speak, how could I figure they would provide good service in the future when they... [ More ]

Reply #3

spy153 — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:05:37 GMT

that's another reason to speak with the manager. If they know your phone call is costing you money.... putting you on hold is just bad business. Very unprofessional.

Reply #2

tntea — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:59:57 GMT

thanks for your quick reply..

This has been the biggest hassle I have had to deal with in a long time..

The overall amount of my expense will be unreal.. I haven't gotten the latest cell phone bill for all the times I called and was put on hold.. Of course I get someone different everytime..

Reply #1

spy153 — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:46:01 GMT

I would call them first and tell them you are calling the bbb. then call and speak to the office manager (If you haven't already.) tell him/her you are filing the report and why. AND you still havent got you internet. If he/she does nothing. call and report them to the bbb. Yes it does help.

Personal Problem.. Advice requested

tntea — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:39:00 GMT

On March 16th of 2006

I went to local MediaCom store and order Cable internet.. Where I was charged $69.00..

They scheduled me appointment between 1-5 on March 21.. I paid someone to be at house for the installation..

NO ONE CAME

I rescheduled the appointment for March 28th.. again paid someone to be there..

NO ONE CAME

I scheduled again.. agreeing to miss work..March 30.. Missed work.. NO SHOW

Schedule another appointment April 4.. they were going to call before coming. My... [ More ]