 KJ
@cox.net | Not that uncommon This sort of exclusive deal is more common than most people think. I live in a development that is much larger than the one cited and here the developer made an exclusive deal with Cox to be the internet provider. The fee for Cox's premium tier internet service is hidden within the normal HOA monthly fee. So, it's impossible to know what we're paying. Residents that do not own a computer, are still paying for Cox internet, they just don't know how much. Cox conveniently enough, also provides cable tv service, but that is not included in HOA fees. Residents must contract and pay for that on their own. Cox has landline phone service too and that is the only real beef that I have with the arrangement. When I purchased this house, there were two separate lines coming up to the demarc, one for Cox and one for Pacbell/SBC/ATT. The builder had so conveniently pre-connected the house wiring to the Cox line, giving an unfair advantage to Cox over the other guys. After seeing this, I made sure to purchase phone service from the other guys. To this day, it's quite rare to find anyone living in this development that is not using Cox for telephone service, since the developer biased the homebuyer's decision by making it far easier and faster for homeowners to get working phone service from Cox. To get non-Cox phone service required that Pacbell/SBC/ATT roll a truck to the home and move the house wiring from the Cox side to their side at the demarc. I wouldn't call that a level playing field. Furthermore, Cox still has an install fee for phone service, even though it's already setup. If that wasn't enough, Cox offered their triple play install, internet/cable/phone for free if you took all 3. If you only wanted cable, you had to pay for installation, though it actually was less work for them. Interestingly enough, even if you didn't want Cox internet service and wished to go with DSL, no DSL provider bothers to offer that for this development, since Cox is already leveraged in.
I wonder what happens if a resident violates TOS for Cox internet and gets disconnected. Since no other provider is available, that means no service. Well I suppose you could go with dialup? To add insult to injury, they'd still be paying the hidden fee for internet service as part of the HOA fees.
KJ |
