Charter Cable Just Lost My Business

Originally, this was going to be an article about dropping cable TV and moving to over-the-air. But after the phone call I had last night, I’m going to be dropping Charter Cable entirely – not just their TV service.

This time last year, I called to complain about what I felt was an unfair increase in my cable bill. I only had basic cable and internet and they were going to raise my rates over 10%. Instead of making me pay more, the phone operator found a way to move me to a promotional plan that actually gave me more – expanded basic and digital service – and would cost me less. Well, that plan ended this week and what was a $60/month outlay suddenly ballooned to $100/month. Needless to say, I didn’t want to continue paying that amount.

When I arrived home from work last night, I called up Charter Communications and after a short wait, I asked the phone representative (Yvonne from Wisconsin) if there was anything she could do to help me reduce my cost. What I was trying to imply – but should have stated directly – is that I thought $60 was more than enough for the benefit I was receiving and I didn’t want to pay more than that. Instead, I got something else altogether.

After about three minutes of complaining at her computer, verbalizing all the codes she was entering in the system, and trying to make small talk, the first plan Yvonne finally offered me was a promotion that would “only” cost me $80/month that would provide me nothing more than what I was already receiving. Once I finally convinced the lady that my goal was to spend less and instructed her to only check for plans that cost no more than was I was paying before, things became a little uncomfortable.

For the next ten minutes, she clacked away at her keyboard without saying much. Occasionally she would pipe in with a, “No, I can’t offer that,” or a, “This package doesn’t apply,” but mostly she was silent. When it became clear that there were no packages (that she would offer me) in that price range that included the expanded basic service (and my daughter’s beloved Disney channel), I inquired about dropping to just basic TV. “I don’t know why you’d want to downgrade. You know you’re only going to want it back and then you’ll have to pay for it to be reconnected,” she lectured me. “Your daughter is going to miss her shows and you’re going to just come back up.” That’s when I really got annoyed. The conversation from that point went about like this:

“Honestly,” I told her, “the basic TV package doesn’t offer me much more than I can get with an antenna. All I’m paying for is the standard local broadcast stations, a public access channel, and a bunch of home shopping networks. Out of 26 channels, I would only watch the ones I could get for free otherwise. So why should I even bother moving down to basic?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t trust those antennas. My son-in-law thought he could do the same but I warned him… Within a few months, he came to me asking if there was any way I could help him waive his reconnect fees. It doesn’t matter how good of a signal you think you could get, you’re just going to want your cable back,” Yvonne, the Charter Communications representative warned. “I strongly recommend against dropping your cable because you’ll just end up paying the reconnect fees when you inevitably come back.”

What she didn’t know is that I’ve already tested two different antennas and found that I can access all the digital signals coming from Saint Louis quite clearly – even from within my house.

“I really don’t care to argue about this, but I already know that I can access everything I want with an antenna. Let’s just cut TV service altogether and just stick with the internet,” I decided.

Yvonne replied, “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. All I know is that it’s not as good as cable and I don’t want you to have to pay the reconnect fees when you come back.”

“Trust me, at this point I’m not interested in coming back. What my antenna can’t pick up, I’ll search for on Netflix. What I can’t find on Netflix, I’ll find on the internet. I don’t feel like arguing this anymore.”

“Ok then, I’ll schedule the appointment. There will be a $13 fee for the truck to come out and disconnect your service. Don’t be afraid to call us out when you realize I was right and you decide you want your cable back. Thank you for calling Charter Communications.”

That sign-off was the last straw. Now, I am not only going to drop my cable TV service, I’m going to drop Charter cable altogether. Charter has been nothing but a thorn in my side for the last 6 years I’ve been a subscriber, anyhow, and this insulting and argumentative conversation provided the extra motivation I needed to tell them to shove off. They raise rates for no reason and consistently reduce the number of channels they offer me in an attempt to lure me to higher-priced premium packages.

The first thing I did when I got off the phone was to go online and order an antenna to install in my attic. After a bit of research, I settled on this TV antenna, a signal booster to help distribute the signal throughout the house, and a digital converter box for my older TV (using one of the government coupons). In just four months, my savings from dropping cable will more than pay for this new equipment. Hopefully the antenna will arrive before the cable shutoff date, but at this point I really don’t care – I just want Charter gone.

As far as dumping internet as well, I mentioned to the Charter Communications representative that AT&T is offering DSL in my area for $30/month with a free DSL modem and an extra $100 bonus for switching from cable – and that rate is guaranteed for 24 months. Even after telling this to the phone representative, they weren’t moved to match any part of it. After the work in my basement is finished and my media distribution equipment is all in place, I’ll call Charter and tell them to take a hike for good and sign up for AT&T DSL.

Last night was unpleasant. In the end, I was left with a waste of a 30-minute phone call, a healthy dose of frustration, a bitter taste in my mouth, and an extra bill of $13 for them to come out and disconnect my video service. I can’t wait for my antenna to show up so I can enjoy free TV and a clear digital signal. Hopefully AT&T’s DSL service will work out, but only time will tell for that. Even so, it’ll take a Herculean effort for Charter Cable to win me back, now.