We have had five cable providers since being married: Cox, some military affiliate in Nellis base housing, Bresnan, Time Warner, and now Sudden Link. So far, Time Warner is the only one that has made me seriously consider satellite (though, in all fairness, we've only had Sudden Link for two weeks!).
Time Warner was great the entire time we had them. We were locked in to one rate for two years, although I told them we wouldn't be in the service area for more than a year. They told me when I signed up it was no problem, to just be sure to have a copy of Hazen's orders when we cancelled.
Well, fast forward a year and we had to cancel. I asked the representative if I needed to provide a copy of the orders, and he told me everything looked fine and that I had a final payment of something like $12. Okay, no big deal, we hang up and I pay my final $12 (online bill pay). The next day, another representative from Time Warner calls asking why we've cancelled service. I explain we've gotten orders to move and then ask HIM if I should submit a copy. Again, he says everything looks fine. Three days after our service is shut off, I return our equipment to the Time Warner office. I'm given a receipt, and something in my gut tells me to hold onto that receipt.
Fast forward to our move. We had a 1400 mile drive between North Carolina and Texas. On the first day of the move, I get a phone call from a number I don't recognize. I answer (big no-no...I generally don't talk on my phone while driving, but I was curious) and it's a recording from Time Warner cable telling me to call such-and-such number for information on my account. I'm driving and obviously can't take down the number so I'm unable to call that day.
The next day, I get the same call while we are sitting at a rest area. Hazen takes the phone and just redials the number that called me. We find out we have a balance of $160.05--$160 for a cancellation fee and a $.05 balance forward that I was apparently short. Hazen explains that we are moving on military orders, and that I asked TWICE about needing to submit them. The guy tells us to just go ahead and send those in once we get moved. We are also told the $.05 will be removed from the balance.
Two days after we get to Texas, we haven't sent the orders yet. We're getting settled in our itty-bitty temporary lodging and get another call from a woman "giving us one last chance to make a payment of $160.05 before sending us to collections". Whaaaaat?? I explain AGAIN that we are military, we have just gotten moved, that we told someone a couple of days ago that we would send the orders. She says "yes, I see that note from four days ago". So I tell her we will send it that day, can I get a fax number? She gives it to me and I specifically asked her who I should send it attention to. She said no one, just send it in. She also apologizes for the $.05 on the bill and says they will forgive that once they receive the orders.
The next day we receive a call from Time Warner collections asking for the $160.05 to be submitted immediately. I explain that we sent the fax the day before and she says "Oh yes, I see that note. We will get that taken care of". We hang up.
Two days later, we are at the park and receive ANOTHER PHONE CALL. This time, Hazen takes it. He was on the phone for over thirty minutes, getting more and more agitated. He was transferred three times because each person he talked to didn't want to deal with the angry man. He finally gets transferred to a woman with a horrible attitude. He tells her that we sent the fax. She says we should have sent it to somebody's attention, that there are hundreds of employees, how is she supposed to know where the fax is? He tells her I asked who to send it to and was told nobody. She says I should have sent it to somebody (needless to say, at this point we are both quite angry). She is also demanding $160.05. Hazen tells her we don't owe the $160 and the $.05 is supposed to have been removed. She says she sees that and gives us a fax number and her name to send the orders to. We leave the park and fax the orders. A few minutes later, Ms. Attitude calls back telling us she received it and the charges have been removed. By now we have gotten smart and Hazen asks for a confirmation number.
This all happened about a month ago. I got over it. But then on Friday we received a bill for $600.05. For what? Non-return of equipment. Oy.
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