Cox Communications Cox Cable Leakage Scam Gainesville, Florida
About the middle of March, 2013, I was left a 'door hanger' on my front door from Cox Communications. No one bothered to knock because I was home. The door hanger had the last box checked stating Cox detected a cable 'leakage' problem at my home, an apt in a 4plex I own and am rehabbing. On checking the internet to see what cable leakage is, there was suddenly no internet signal, the only service I receive from Cox.
On the way to Home Depot, there were 2 Cox technician trucks and 3 technicians standing around outside their trucks doing nothing but gabbing. I stopped to tell them I had no internet service and they told me that was because they just put a 'filter' to intentionally block my internet service at my 4plex. I said I'd called to report my service being down and Cox was sending out a technician. On asking if I'd be charged for something I didn't cause, the Cox representatives said no, because they had intentionally blocked my internet signal with a filter they had just put in due to alleged 'cable leakaage'.
A female technician arrives 4 hours later and sees a splitter installed by the initial cox cable installer who hooked the system up on buying a Cox Cable modem. Said technician said the splitter put on by a Cox technician is what is causing the alleged 'cable leakage'. I asked why did the Cox installer use a splitter when one wasn't needed and she said she didn't know. Keep in mind I've had numerous splitters installed by Cox or basic cable before out west at a duplex I owned, some with an empty coax outlet, but there was never any reports of 'cable leakage' in the 10 years I had their service.. Cox just used a contractor that kept disconnecting me despite paying my cable bill automatically with a credit card.. I asked the technician if I'd be charged citing Cox as the cause of this alleged cable leakage and intentionally blocking my internet service and she said she didn't know - she only repairs the system.
A month later I get a bill with an extra $59 for an in home service charge! A charge for an in home service forced on me by Cox communications intentionally blocking my internet signal with a 'filter' they'd installed over alleged 'cable leakage' cause by a Cox technician installing the service using a splitter that wasn't needed!
This has all the markings of a corporate SCAM to pad customer bills with bogus charges! I called the billing department and they claim it's a legitimate charge for an in home service refusing to remove the charge despite my explanation and valid objections. I'll find another broad band service, even if it costs more! Cox has always cause me problems from basic cable being disconnected 3 times in 3 years despite 'auto pay' with a credit card to now this bogus charge.. Avoid Cox at all costs!
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Sander van Sletteland
Gainesville,Florida,
Derrick is making a fool out of himself here ;-]
#8Author of original report
Tue, May 14, 2013
You're rebuttal that's an exact mimic of your previous one after offering to help a month ago you copy pasted again here and never doing squat over the last month is utterly hillarious if not so seriously insulting and foolish Derrick.. Hopefuly everyone will see what a fool you are for offering this feigned help..
Good luck as a corporate drone programmed to serve Cox!
Tyg
Nevada,Sir...
#8Consumer Comment
Tue, May 14, 2013
Where I can understand how this can be frustrating, I dont understand why the big deal over a legitamate cost. Most companies charge 2-3 times that amount for most service calls. Yes you MAY feel that this isnt a issue you should pay for. And in a few instances I might have agreed. However these ppl who have performed a service for you should get paid. How would you feel if you kept getting stiffed on your paychecks simply because some random idjit has decided they SHOULDNT have to pay. I know you have heard the saying "There aint no such thing as a free lunch". It was true 50 yrs ago as it is today.
Now if you ACTUALLY had a splitter, there is a very good chance someone was pirating your internet. There is a very good chance that someone in your IMMEDIATE area just plugged into your line causing this issue. You could have had a short in your splitter box. Despite the fact that a tech put that splitter box on, its your responsibility to make sure you have a working and secure network. Now I can not say how long you have had Cox but if you have even gone through 1 rainy season you could have corosion.
The main point is, sometimes you have to pay, even when you dont think you should. You signed a contract with them. In that contract is the terms and conditions. It spells out what you have to pay for. If your signature is on any contract with them then guess what. You signed it. We all know you didnt read it. Dont come here complaining because it cost you 60$ to get your internet back. Suck it up and move on. Life happends, you can fight it but it will just wear you out untill you pass away.
I would suggest that you look for any escape clauses in your contract before making more of a a*s of yourself then usual. All you will get from them is Inattention. They do not care about a individual.
Sander van S
Gainesville,Florida,
Derrick W. from Cox is just another liar...
#8Author of original report
Tue, May 14, 2013
Derrick W., so called 'social media specialist' from Cox claiming in multiple Cox rip off reports that he can and will help will not help and is surely lying through his teeth about Cox 'doesn't want to conduct business like this'. Well, they do or they wouldn't conduct business like they're doing now and obviously in the past to many of their customers.
It's been a month now since sending Derrick W the info at his email and I never heard anything back other than he's investigating the issue a month ago.. So don't believe Cox or this cox employee posting here in response to many complaints about Fox - he and his employer are trying to put a pleasant face on their bogus billing charges..
Sander van S
Gainesville,Florida,
Email Sent to coxhelp@cox.com
#8Author of original report
Wed, April 17, 2013
Email sent to coxhelp@cox.com per Derrick W. regarding this matter. I'll report back here to Rip Off Report on the results..
Coxtech1
Chesapeake,Virginia,
Assistance
#8UPDATE Employee
Mon, April 15, 2013
The e-mail address I provided is monitored by a small group of people, myself included. To better assist you we would need to have you send the information to that email address, in the event that I am not here someone would be able to pick up where I left off. Copying and pasting the information is perfect actually, that makes it easy for you as well as me and my team to get all of the details of the issue that you are having. I can review the information listed in the account notes and work with someone in the Billing department to reach a resolution to this problem. I understand your frustration, I just want you to know that we are here to help.
Derrick W.
Cox Communications Inc
Social Media Specialist
coxhelp@cox.com
Sander van Sletteland
Gainesville,Florida,
How can YOU help?
#8Author of original report
Mon, April 15, 2013
re. This is certainly not how we want to conduct business and I am sorry that you had to deal with that situation.
Well, that's just not true since the billing department billed me for an 'in home service' charge that was forced unto me by Cox Communication Tech intentionally putting a filter on my exterior connection to block the internet without warning, or prior notice. Cox in other words, intentionally stopped my service and then forced me to call customer service to get my connection back through an in home service call for this alleged cable leakage. I had cox basic cable for 5 years out in Vegas before coming here and I had multiple splitters inside a duplex, some with only one outgoing cable connection, yet there was never any report or notice of 'cable leakage'. I was just disconnected repeatedly in Vegas [3 times in so many years] by a Cox contractor despite having 'auto pay' on my account! That was just as infuriating!
And yes, this is how Cox Communications 'wants' to conduct business, or at least its representatives since she flat out refused to adjust this billing for what surely appears to be a corporate scam to pad Cox customer bills.
re. I would like to offer my assistance in the matter, I would just need to collect some information
from you. If you could please email me at coxhelp@cox.com I can investigate this and we can come to a resolution.
The account I provided is what happened. Because I bought a cable modem from Cox, the Cox Tech came inside to explain the modem and hook it up, despite not 'ordering' that because any moron can screw a cable into a coax. Since there was no charge for 'in home install', the billing dept. rep refused to believe that yes, this Cox Tech installer that initially hooked it up used a splitter rather than a coax extension connection. And like I said, this claim of cable leakage is dubious at best since Cox never had any such concerns for 'cable leakage' in Vegas when I had multiple splitters in use in Vegas duplex with only one coax outlet utilized. Then the 'in home service tech' fiddled around inside the cable outlet apparently replacing the coax connector - something I could of easily done if the tech that intentionally blocked my service outside had actually knocked on the door and told me the situation rather than leaving a door hanger and running away [I was home all day]. And the 3 Cox technicians gabbing outside there 2 or 3 Cox trucks all said I wouldn't be charged because they had intentionally blocked my service with a filter due to this alleged 'cable leakage'..
re. In your email, can you please include a brief description of the problem, also the name, address, & phone number listed on the account.
Why can you help when the billing dept rep claimed it was a legitimate charge? There is no doubt you have your own email address at Cox Derrick.. Give me your individual email addy at Cox and I'll send my REAL Dutch name and Cox account number.. As to the brief description, I won't restate it again, I'll simply copy/paste the info I posted here..
Signing off as a disgruntled customer feeling ripped off..
Coxtech1
Chesapeake,Virginia,
I can help
#8UPDATE Employee
Mon, April 15, 2013
Sander,
This is certainly not how we want to conduct business and I am sorry that you had to deal with that situation. I would like to offer my assistance in the matter, I would just need to collect some information from you. If you could please email me at coxhelp@cox.com I can investigate this and we can come to a resolution. In your email, can you please include a brief description of the problem, also the name, address, & phone number listed on the account.
Derrick W.
Cox Communications Inc
Social Media Specialist
coxhelp@cox.com