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  • Report:  #142229

Complaint Review: Time Warner Cable - Albany New York

Reported By:
- highland, New York,
Submitted:
Updated:

Time Warner Cable
timewarnercable.com Albany, New York, U.S.A.
Web:
N/A
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Time Warner Cable wants $25,000 for CABLE installation - 90 miles north on NY City

We have no broadband here at all, about 40 homes here still stuck on dialup. Time Warner who holds the franchise rights in my town wants to charge me over $25,000 for CABLE installation. They also cant get my address right, neither the town nor the zip code.

There is not another area left in the country with this problem!!

I live in Highland NY, with zip code 12528. The houses with addresses on Swartekill Road numbered greater than 400 have Time Warner Cable/ Road Runner. The houses with addresses under 100 have Cablevision/Optimum online. Those of us between 100 and 400 on Swartekill Rd

have no CABLE TV (for 3 decades) and no chance of getting DSL either. Survey's done by Time Warner are now over $25,000; but they are sent to wrong address and list our town (100 - 400 Swartekill Road) incorrectly. TWC insist

we are in Town of Esopus at zipcode 12429. Our correct town is Highland NY with zipcode 12528 . Would you accept a survey result of $25,000 and hand over that much money to a company that can't even straighten out their customer database, and have the addresses correct?

Lastly, because our addresses are incorrect in their (TWC) database our are requests are not being counted correctly - not being counted at all!

In fact, when I call TWC for service they insist that I am not in there area. It takes several minutes to convince their rep that this is TWC area. I am sick

of this conversation. For 6 years I have been calling TWC every month and getting no where. Everybody else can get high speed for free installation or $59 installation charge, Why do I have to pay $25,000 installation charge?

and then have my address in the wrong town and zipcode yet.

I still on dialup - probably forever.

And DSL is not available. Verizon has told me

they do not supply DSL to this phone exchange

Satellite (starband nor directway) internet is not an option as the VPN to corporate network slows down to dialup speeds (due to technical issue: each VPN packet is run thru IPSEC security - which slows the whole connection down to dialup speeds). I will try Wildblue when it available later this year.

Everyone around us (except for these 40 houses) have broadband options. We have none. I put up a sign on the road near my house: Time Warner Sucks

David

highland, New York
U.S.A.


6 Updates & Rebuttals

Denny

Honolulu,
Hawaii,
U.S.A.
Franchise means that they can build, but they dont have to.

#2Consumer Comment

Fri, May 13, 2005

You forget that a franchise means tha thte company has rights to build in yoru area, but they dont have to. Again, cable and internet are not protected forms of communication by the FCC or any federal or state law. The only means that are protected are FAX, telephone and the USPS Snail mail. Even the newspaper is protected. Your town needs to kick itself


Shapiro

highland,
New York,
U.S.A.
million dollar mansions still on dialup

#3Author of original report

Thu, May 12, 2005

But if a cable company is granted a franchise to a town dont they have to provide service to anyone in the franchise area that is willing to pay (the prevailing rate, not a rediculous rate)? Since everyone else has cable (except for these 30-40 homes, there is no way the town will 'pull' the cable franchise (since they all on the town board have cable and broadband). This area is not even particularly rural, its merely on the edge of town boundary where the next town infrastructure is right next door. We have a situation here where homes have no cable, yet a few hundred feet (happens to cross into the next town) folks do have cable. And the cable company wants $26,000 to install. This is a case where it is not particularly rural, the homes start at $500,000. Yes, there are a few multi-million dollar mansions down the road stuck on dialup. Being in N.Y. State hudson valley, we probably pay the most tax of anybody else in the country for folks who dont even get any form of broadband.


Shapiro

highland,
New York,
U.S.A.
million dollar mansions still on dialup

#4Author of original report

Thu, May 12, 2005

But if a cable company is granted a franchise to a town dont they have to provide service to anyone in the franchise area that is willing to pay (the prevailing rate, not a rediculous rate)? Since everyone else has cable (except for these 30-40 homes, there is no way the town will 'pull' the cable franchise (since they all on the town board have cable and broadband). This area is not even particularly rural, its merely on the edge of town boundary where the next town infrastructure is right next door. We have a situation here where homes have no cable, yet a few hundred feet (happens to cross into the next town) folks do have cable. And the cable company wants $26,000 to install. This is a case where it is not particularly rural, the homes start at $500,000. Yes, there are a few multi-million dollar mansions down the road stuck on dialup. Being in N.Y. State hudson valley, we probably pay the most tax of anybody else in the country for folks who dont even get any form of broadband.


Shapiro

highland,
New York,
U.S.A.
million dollar mansions still on dialup

#5Author of original report

Thu, May 12, 2005

But if a cable company is granted a franchise to a town dont they have to provide service to anyone in the franchise area that is willing to pay (the prevailing rate, not a rediculous rate)? Since everyone else has cable (except for these 30-40 homes, there is no way the town will 'pull' the cable franchise (since they all on the town board have cable and broadband). This area is not even particularly rural, its merely on the edge of town boundary where the next town infrastructure is right next door. We have a situation here where homes have no cable, yet a few hundred feet (happens to cross into the next town) folks do have cable. And the cable company wants $26,000 to install. This is a case where it is not particularly rural, the homes start at $500,000. Yes, there are a few multi-million dollar mansions down the road stuck on dialup. Being in N.Y. State hudson valley, we probably pay the most tax of anybody else in the country for folks who dont even get any form of broadband.


Denny

Honolulu,
Hawaii,
U.S.A.
Hes correct its your towns fault, but TWC has no fault in this

#6Consumer Comment

Wed, May 11, 2005

The above respondent is correct in stating that its your towns fault for being 25 years behind the times, but TWC isn't to blame. Cable is not a protected means of communication, so a business can choose not to do business in any location or provide service there. You just happen to live in bodunk USA, where living in 80's is nice for you, however, technology is behind the times. Get your town to start paying for upgrading its systems and utilities. Start "bringing" in these companies to provide you with broadband access. Your state should also give your town incentives to start getting with the times. it isn't Time Warners fault for having faulty information given to them BY YOUR STATE and town. Or you could move.


Robert

Rochester,
New York,
U.S.A.
Youre Problem is with your local government.

#7Consumer Comment

Wed, May 11, 2005

Time Warner has an agreement with your local government to supply a service. Go to your town/village board and DEMAND they contact time warner and have the situation rectified. If time warner is not willing, the town can pull the franchise.

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