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View Full Version : Charter Cable Sucks. no really.......they SUCK!



07ROUSHSTG3
04-17-2009, 02:17 PM
So I try to watch the brewer game the other night. It is on WMLW. I cannot because even though I have pretty much every channel Charter offers, they do not offer WMLW to me. Meanwhile within 10 minutes of my house, my buddy is sitting in his living room watching the game. He has basic cable, nothing special. He also has Charter?!?! WTF! so i find out that the Charter includes WMLW in the Sheboygan/Plymouth area basic cable package. Not in the Fond du Lac are though. I am literally less than 10 miles from this invisible bullsh!t boundary. so.....today at work I decide to make a few calls. I call every one of the Charter numbers I can find. Every single one is a recording. every button I hit i get directed to someone who reads from their card, "sorry, I cannot help you because this channel is not offered in your area". well after that line, I asked every single one if I could get a telephone number for my local location. I would like to talk to someone local to discuss this. they do not know those numbers and cannot help me. I will need to visit them in person. They must not phones I guess. so as a last resort i go to the online chat on charter's site. well that got me absolutely no place. here is the proof


Thank you for choosing Charter Chat Live! A Customer Care representative from Cable TV Support will be with you shortly.
You are currently number 1 in the queue.
You have been connected to TTD Mae .
TTD Mae : Thank you for contacting Charter Communications Support Team. My name is Mae. How may I assist you today?
Eric : I am wondering about a channel that I do not currently have.
TTD Mae : I will be more than happy to help you with your channel inquiry.
TTD Mae : May you please specify your main concern?
Eric : WMLW out of Milwaukee, WI is available to satellite subscribers, time warner customers statewide, and even Charter customers that live 6 miles from my house, however I am wondering why this is not available in "my area"?
TTD Mae : I will need to check your area and account for me to address your channel inquiry.
TTD Mae : May I know who I am chatting with?
Eric :
TTD Mae : Thank you.
TTD Mae : I have checked your area and we do not have the WMLW channel as of the moment. There are no estimated date that we can offer the channel.
Eric : so in order to get that channel, i will have to get a dish?
TTD Mae : Rest assured I will document your channel suggestion on your account.
TTD Mae : We at Charter are working on your channel suggestion as we are open to every customer's needs to provide quality service.
Eric : well, in the meantime I am forced to call dish network???? there is absoluteyl NO way that I can get that channel???? I can recieve channels from all over the country but I cannot get a channel from Milwaukee, WI, that my buddy can get with his Charter basic cable less than 10 minutes from my house??
TTD Mae : I will be documenting your channel suggestion on your account since from my end I do not control in changing the channel line-up offered in your area.
Eric : i understand that there is nothing that you can do. i am just confused as to why charter can offer it so close to my house and I am out of luck. thank you for your time. DISH NETWORK here I come.
TTD Mae : You are welcome.
TTD Mae : Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
TTD Mae : Please let me know if you are still connected to the Chat session at this time.
Eric : can you give me a telephone number for the local charter cable location in FOND DU LAC, WI?? the toll free numbers get me nowhere. I would like to talk to someone local that I am sure has heard this complaint before. they would maybe have a better answer for me.
TTD Mae : I am sorry. I do not have the phone number. This is the only number that I have 1-888-438-2427.
Eric : i called that and got someone from Canada! can you have someone from there call me since the Charter Communications telephone numbers are so secretive.
TTD Mae : If you want, I can transfer you to our Tier II Department for someone to call you up.
TTD Mae : Shall I transfer you now?
Eric : that would be great.
TTD Mae : Okay.
TTD Mae : Please stay connected as I transfer you to our Tier II Department. Thank you.
TTD Mae : Have a great day!
TTD Mae : Thank you for choosing Charter Communications. Answers to frequently asked questions and self-help options can be found by looking in the "Customer Help" menu at www.charter.com. If you have further questions, please chat with us again. Our Chat Support is available from 7:00 AM through 1:30 AM Central Time, 365 days a year. Have a great day!
TTD Mae has left the session.
Please wait while we find an agent from the CHAT - MDVL - Advocate department to assist you.
You have been connected to TTM Beth .
TTM Beth : Hello, my name is Beth. Welcome to the Charter. How may I help you today?
Eric : can you see the previous chat with Mae?
TTM Beth : Yes, please hold while I review the chat notes and your account.
TTM Beth : That you for waiting, I understand your concern with the channel and will certainly forward your request to the appropriate department.
TTM Beth : I understand you also wish to speak to the local office. They do not take incoming calls, you will need to stop in if you wish to discuss this matter at the local level.
Eric : stopping in is not an option. I just want to make 100% certain that before I disconnect from this Chat and pick up the telephone to call Direct Tv that there is nothing that can be done. I have been a very good customer and have a really hard time understanding why this is so.
TTM Beth : I will forward this request but do not have the power to give you this station.
Eric : is the power somewhere?? is it possible to make a software change and offer this station?
TTM Beth : I don't know why it isn't available at your location, but will certainly forward your request to the appropriate department.
TTM Beth : What network is that channel?
Eric : WMLW-CA out of Milwaukee is a CBS affiliate I beleive. Link- http://www.wmlw.com/
TTM Beth : Thanks, I will include this information.
TTM Beth : Is there anything else I can help you with?
TTM Beth : Please let me know if you are still connected to the Chat Session at this time.
Eric : well. unless there is a Tier III representative that could help me, I am pretty conviced that my relationship Charter Communications is all but over. "forwarding my request" is not really a solution. While I understand that there is probably not anything that you can personally do, I would like some sort of answer to the question "is it possible to get this channel?"
Eric : there has to be somebody that can answer this question???
TTM Beth : I am a supervisor and am doing everything I can to assist you in this matter.
Eric : I will pay extra for it???
TTM Beth : This channel in not in the channel lineup in your area, it isn't as simple as turning on a switch. There is nothing further I can help you with in this matter.
TTM Beth : You can always stop in the local office and see if they have any further information. Is there anything else I can help you with?
Eric : I would be willing to bet that it is as easy as that. That is the question that I would like an anwer to. thank you for your time.
TTM Beth : You're welcome.]
TTM Beth : I would like you to know about an exciting new program we are now offering! Live it with Charter is a free program which offers members an opportunity to earn points per dollar spent on Charter products or services. Save your points and earn great prizes such as Charter services, enter sweepstakes or even trips and other large prizes. It is very easy to register for the program. Just log on to www.liveitwithcharter.com and sign up today and start earning those points.
TTM Beth : I will notate your account of our chat today about . Thank you for entrusting me with your concerns. For all other Charter inquiries please call 1-888-438-2427. You may visit our website anytime at www.charter.net to manage your account, make payments as well as review all our wonderful products.
If you require further assistance, go to www.charter.com/contact
Your session has ended. You may now close this window.

animal
04-17-2009, 03:34 PM
Lol. Note, DONT give them your credit card. I signed up for internet with them. Their call center is in the phillipines. SAME DAY as my card got charged the charter bill, i got $400 of car parts charged from the phillipines! I will now only pay in person at a charter office. Be careful hehe.

I can't share your disdain for their tv however, I only have their internet and use the free airwaves for my tv viewing.

domokun
04-17-2009, 03:42 PM
well, I dont work for charter, but I do work for a competitor. its not all about a switch like she said

it deals with contracts within the counties and providers. its a very detailed process

just a little FYI

07ROUSHSTG3
04-17-2009, 03:53 PM
well, I dont work for charter, but I do work for a competitor. its not all about a switch like she said

it deals with contracts within the counties and providers. its a very detailed process

just a little FYI

i do understand that there isn't a necessarily a button to press. but it is frustrating when a few miles down the road they can offer it. :mad:. i have been thinking about going do dish for next years nhl season, plus the additional hd channels. this may just do it. if only i wouldn't love my cable internet so much.

SmokinRAM114
04-17-2009, 04:11 PM
:)
http://seekingalpha.com/article/85233-stay-away-from-charter-communications-bankruptcy-filing-looming

domokun
04-17-2009, 04:15 PM
get dish for tv, and keep cable for internet :-/

animal
04-17-2009, 04:17 PM
i do understand that there isn't a necessarily a button to press. but it is frustrating when a few miles down the road they can offer it. :mad:. i have been thinking about going do dish for next years nhl season, plus the additional hd channels. this may just do it. if only i wouldn't love my cable internet so much.

I was gonna do that too. Check it out man, srsly, get cable internet and dish... cheaper than the dvr/digital cable + internet if you took their bundle. Their bundle prices are ghey. It was like 115 after the 6 month intro price. If I get their internet 57.99 + turbo HD Dish i'm still under 100.


... or quit whining and get an hd antenna for wmlw. ;)

wrath
04-17-2009, 04:41 PM
I'd really like to know WHY these telecommunications companies that merely deliver content need to charge $100+ month per subscriber for data and video.

It costs like $55 a megawatt per hour to move power. A MWH is about what a typical walmart uses. The average house uses 20kwh. If you can move a megawatt for $55, why does it cost so much to move miniscule amounts of data?

PureSound15
04-17-2009, 04:50 PM
I'd really like to know WHY these telecommunications companies that merely deliver content need to charge $100+ month per subscriber for data and video.

It costs like $55 a megawatt per hour to move power. A MWH is about what a typical walmart uses. The average house uses 20kwh. If you can move a megawatt for $55, why does it cost so much to move miniscule amounts of data?

Really? Maybe you ought your re-think your formula.

Do you think that someone produces a show and gives it to them to use? For free? Maybe the people who produce shows CHARGE the company to distribute them. I am but a fool... but I think I might be on to something.

07ROUSHSTG3
04-17-2009, 04:51 PM
get dish for tv, and keep cable for internet :-/

that is what i will end up doing. i use a wireless router at home that is only capable of 1 meg anyway, so the speed is not why i like it so much. it is nice to have one bill. i have vonage for my phone so, yeah, i don't really need charter.


as for the HD antenna idea. i could do that, however when i am paying a nice chunk of change for my cable why should i have to put up an antenna when charter does broadcast it?

07ROUSHSTG3
04-17-2009, 04:53 PM
:)
http://seekingalpha.com/article/85233-stay-away-from-charter-communications-bankruptcy-filing-looming

yeah, that too.

07ROUSHSTG3
04-17-2009, 04:59 PM
one more thing.

i do live in a wierd location. i live right on the border of sheboygan and fond du lac. we are sort of in the middle of the green bay milwaukee market, we get both milwaukee and green bay local stations. i am sure that is where the problem is coming in.

do you guys down there get green bay stations?

wrath
04-17-2009, 05:38 PM
Really? Maybe you ought your re-think your formula.

Do you think that someone produces a show and gives it to them to use? For free? Maybe the people who produce shows CHARGE the company to distribute them. I am but a fool... but I think I might be on to something.

Do they charge nothing for advertisers either? How can broadcast television do it then? It's not cheap to put 100-500kw up in the air either.

lordairgtar
04-17-2009, 06:59 PM
We only get Milwaukee stations in Muskego plus 41 out of Racine and the WGN station from Chi-town. No Green Bay.