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This is a sub-selection from no biggy

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926 to rradina

Member

to rradina

Re: no biggy

What? The phone wiring within your home was DEREGULATED wire, the phone companys are only responsible to bring dialtone TO your house. The wiring became property and responsibility of the customer. The phone companies offer "insurance" to cover the repair of the wire that belongs to the customer ! People who pay this fee REQUEST IT.

People have choices of TV providers. Nobody has fewer than 2 choices of providers. If youre not happy with TW, then LEAVE them. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay this extra fee.

This isnt complicated at all.

NOCTech75
Premium Member
join:2009-06-29
Marietta, GA

NOCTech75

Premium Member

said by ITALIAN926:

What? The phone wiring within your home was DEREGULATED wire, the phone companys are only responsible to bring dialtone TO your house. The wiring became property and responsibility of the customer. The phone companies offer "insurance" to cover the repair of the wire that belongs to the customer ! People who pay this fee REQUEST IT.

People have choices of TV providers. Nobody has fewer than 2 choices of providers. If youre not happy with TW, then LEAVE them. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay this extra fee.

This isnt complicated at all.

Yeah, because you guys would never just tack it on there without permission... of course not.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to ITALIAN926

Member

to ITALIAN926
Taking advantage of customers who fear technology doesn't have anything to do with who owns it. Whether it's inside wiring "insurance", extended car warranties, extended appliance warranties or trying to get customer to pay to pay extra for cable company equipment upgrades, it's just a money grab and all are a sleazy way to do business.

You are right about one thing... this isn't complicated.
rradina

rradina to NOCTech75

Member

to NOCTech75
They might ask but the question is twisted to get a yes answer. Then little by little, the charge grows. I recently reviewed my elderly aunt's phone plan. She keeps bills for years and years and she paid the fee for who knows how many years. Her house is nearly 60 years old and there's never been a wiring problem.

When I built my first house in 1993, it cost me $75 to have phone and coax run throughout the house. I'm sure the materials and labor have increased in the past 20 years but just the concept of wire insurance is insidious. If you have a lightening strike that fries the wires or some other electrical problem that results in damage to your home and wiring, homeowners insurance will cover it.

Of course this kind of dishonesty is rampant. However, the medical community probably takes the crown jewel in terms of perfecting it. It's a continuous train of various monthly tests for the elderly and bushel baskets of drug cocktails -- some prescribed solely to mitigate/lessen side effects of other drugs. Medicare just pays and pays and pays.

Of course this is nothing new. People have been lying, cheating and stealing throughout all of recorded history. It's just disappointing when folks sweep stuff like this under the rug with the excuse that it's all OK if folks have a choice.
armed
join:2000-10-20

armed to rradina

Member

to rradina
said by rradina:

Taking advantage of customers who fear technology doesn't have anything to do with who owns it. Whether it's inside wiring "insurance", extended car warranties, extended appliance warranties or trying to get customer to pay to pay extra for cable company equipment upgrades, it's just a money grab and all are a sleazy way to do business.

You are right about one thing... this isn't complicated.

You don't mind if I decide whether that kind of service is worth it for me... do you? I really think you suffer from the old "if I think it it must be true for all" syndrome. House wire insurance for homeowners is a nice option for those who either do not want or cannot fix/fool with their wiring. Assuming it optional then its not any of your fu**ing business any more than what channels I choose to get.

Get over yourself.

BTW with the Charter bundle house wiring is covered in the package price. It paid off the day I got it.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Do you know why we have so many regulations? Because people love to cheat. Regarding your home's cable wiring, how do you know it needed new wiring? If really didn't, you are still paying for something that's completely worthless. A fool and his money are soon parted.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD to ITALIAN926

Premium Member

to ITALIAN926
said by ITALIAN926:

Nobody has fewer than 2 choices of providers.
This isnt complicated at all.

Say whaaaaat?
How you figure?

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to rradina

MVM

to rradina
said by rradina:

Do you know why we have so many regulations? Because people love to cheat.

Which has what do do with ...

Regarding your home's cable wiring, how do you know it needed new wiring? If really didn't, you are still paying for something that's completely worthless. A fool and his money are soon parted.

If I didn't know coax from copper from monofilament nylon, paying a wire maintenance fee would be useful, not foolish.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Why would anyone defend designer fees with the sole purpose to simply yank more money from consumer wallets? Rather than offer what appears to be defended as a choice, periodic equipment upgrades that are necessary to maintain customer satisfaction should be part of the service. The choice is a sleazy tactic almost worthy of a fat, cigar-smoking, used car salesman claiming every car he sells was owned by a grandma who only drove it to church on Sunday.

If this were truly a competitive environment rather than a bunch of monopolist cheats, they would have to own the upkeep on the equipment or consumers would jump to someone else that works harder to keep them happy. Who would keep paying for a service that uses outdated equipment that freezes all the time or it just doesn't work all the time?

Regarding a wire maintenance plan, that's just an an accountant's scheme supported by devious management. I'm lost as to why everyone doesn't recognize it as such and dismayed that anyone would even defend it as a positive. It's almost like selling air insurance that seeks to guarantee that you never run out of enough air to breath.
armed
join:2000-10-20

armed to rradina

Member

to rradina
Apparently you suffer not only from unearned visions of grandeur but an inability to read as well. Find me the phrase that said 1. they replaced all my wiring and 2. that I paid for the in house wire repair.

Come on now try reading instead of trying to control what others should and shouldn't do.

I find those who suspect all others of being dishonest usually suffer from the disorder themselves.

BTW you inability to reason and read is the definition of "fool".
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to rradina

Premium Member

to rradina
said by rradina:

Taking advantage of customers who fear technology doesn't have anything to do with who owns it. Whether it's inside wiring "insurance", extended car warranties, extended appliance warranties or trying to get customer to pay to pay extra for cable company equipment upgrades, it's just a money grab and all are a sleazy way to do business.

You are right about one thing... this isn't complicated.

Having worked at a Staples in the late 90s, I learned first hand about those extended electronics warranties. And how big of a scam they are. We where required to offer them on any qualified device... on some Inkjet printers the plan was worth more than the printer.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to rradina

MVM

to rradina
said by rradina:

Why would anyone defend designer fees with the sole purpose to simply yank more money from consumer wallets?

In response to your comments about:
quote:
Regarding your home's cable wiring ...

If you don't know coax from copper from monofilament nylon, how can you know you won't fix a problem by tying the loose CAT3 end to the loose RG-59 end with a fisherman's knot?

And if you don't want to pay the fee, be prepared to pay the telco, MSO, or electrician of your choice to play with the premises wiring to find the problem.

Rather than offer what appears to be defended as a choice, periodic equipment upgrades that are necessary to maintain customer satisfaction should be part of the service.

OIC. Either you weren't addressing ignorance of wiring, despite your words, or you were comparing grapes (premises wiring) to gravel (equipment maintenance).

When Ma Bell was broken apart in 1984, I told PacBell, "No!" in response to their offering of a wire maintenance fee, but I was an electronic technician with HP. My parents said, "Yes", because Dad was just a grocery head clerk; I don't think he ever went under the house for anything.

I've never paid an equipment maintenance fee, either; but that isn't really comparable to a wiring maintenance fee.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to ITALIAN926

Premium Member

to ITALIAN926
said by ITALIAN926:

People have choices of TV providers. Nobody has fewer than 2 choices of providers. If youre not happy with TW, then LEAVE them. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay this extra fee.

This isnt complicated at all.

I wish folks would stop saying this. It is not true. I don't have two choices for TV. No over the air here and no satellite either. TWC is the only game in town.
Expand your moderator at work
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to NormanS

Member

to NormanS

Re: no biggy

The original post was about equipment maintenance. I compared it to the value of a wire maintenance plan which is nothing more than a bunch of cheats trying to separate folks from their money.

Regarding grapes and gravel, I have always maintained all of this is a scheme from people who like to cheat. An honest person would take care of minor problems as customer service and when there are major problems, give the customer a very reasonable price to get them back in service -- regardless of whether that's wiring or equipment. When people get charged $300 for a converter box after a fire, they smell a rat. There's absolutely no discontinuity in anything I've said.

Unless geography prevents it, hopefully you told your dad that you would take care of any wiring problems since it's unlikely he'd ever call.
Expand your moderator at work
rradina

rradina to armed

Member

to armed

Re: no biggy

Didn't you claim that "house wiring was included and it paid off the first day" -- or something along those lines.

New wiring is a phrase I used to cover any wire maintenance on the house. A new patch cord, a new run to a particular outlet, a new F connector, a new splitter, who knows. I could have been more clear. Regardless of what they did, how do you know you actually needed the "new wiring" and what it would have cost if it wasn't included? Since you seem certain it paid off, from your perspective they must have done something that you consider major or at least expensive.

Why do you think I'm trying to control what you do? In my first post in this topic I said I didn't think this was bad enough to make illegal but I'm arguing that these types of schemes are an insidious practice with the intent of making dishonest money. Why? They are designed to take advantage of those who are technologically ignorant and manifest fear about what they don't know. I believe it's another form of the well-documented tactics practiced by some auto mechanics and repair shops.

Regarding the rest, my intent is not to make this personal. I apologize if something I have said has made you feel this is personal.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to rradina

MVM

to rradina
said by rradina:

The original post was about equipment maintenance. I compared it to the value of a wire maintenance plan which is nothing more than a bunch of cheats trying to separate folks from their money.

Wire maintenance was a result of the breakup of Ma Bell. Part of the consent decree. The next time you see Judge Green, you should thank him profusely for that. As a result of his decision, the demarc was the end of RBOC responsibility for the wiring.

Regarding grapes and gravel, I have always maintained all of this is a scheme from people who like to cheat.

I don't disagree on the equipment fee; if the company owns the equipment, they should take care of it. If the customer owns the equipment, the customer should take care of it.

Unless geography prevents it, hopefully you told your dad that you would take care of any wiring problems since it's unlikely he'd ever call.

How quickly could you drop everything and traverse 156 miles for a service call? Geography was definitely a factor.

And, yes, there was a discontinuity in your statement.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

Help me understand where I've deviated from claiming all these schemes are the same?

The history of how wire maintenance came into existence doesn't change the fact that it's just a bunch of cheats trying to game the system. I'm OK if the RBOCs don't own the wiring in my house and they expect me to maintain it but to offer me a protection plan -- even for a few bucks a month -- is absolutely taking advantage of fear generated from technological ignorance. Plumbing in homes is far and away more likely to fail and just as expensive (if not more) as a service call to repair telephone wiring. I suppose someone sells a plumbing protection plan too but I've never heard of one and folks don't seem to bat an eye paying $200 for the Roto Rooter guy to fix their drains.

Just the simple fact that someone thought of such a plan for an infinitely more reliable product demonstrates the quality of their character and the folks at TW who are tinkering with the idea of this new, optional fee are of the same ilk.
This is a sub-selection from no biggy