Cox → [CA] Cox being very unprofessional

Hey guys,

I signed up online for Internet access about a week ago. It was supposed to be self-install. I got an email saying that I can't do self install and need to go to a store, show my ID etc.. Went to a store the next day (Thursday). Was told that I had to do a professional install because there hadn't been service at my new place (just moved in) for over 12 months. Unfortunately they didn't have an appointment until Monday 3-5PM. Cool...although it's hard to have no internet connection nowadays, I can endure. Monday comes...the tech arrives around 4PM..tells me that there never has been service here and that he needs to run a line from the telephone pole. Ok, no problem (I say). 5 minutes later he comes back and tells me that he has "bad news". He apparently knocked on the door of the adjacent house where the telephone pole is located (in the backyard) for 5 minutes. Nobody answered. He tells me he can't do anything about it and takes off (also tells me that he's sure I can get a new appointment the next day in the morning "when there is more light"). I'm curious so I walk over to the neighbor's house and it looks obviously abandoned. I ask my neighbors downstairs who have Cox cable service about the house and they tell me they can't remember anyone living there ever and that Cox has an injunction to go in (yard gate is open) and establish service for customers. That's how *they* got their service.

So it's about 4:30PM at that point (well within the 3-5PM window) and I call the technician on the phone (I had his number because he couldn't find my place and had called me) and tell him about the situation. Keep in mind..he had *just* left. He tells me that he's already on his way to a 6PM appointment (really? a 6PM appointment after having a 3-5PM window?) and that it's getting dark already. In other words, he did not want to come back and deal with it.

So..I called around in various places, including customer service to get a new appointment just in case. Turns out I can't get an appointment until at the earliest Friday 3-5PM..so I take it. Now I am stuck with it as nobody seems to want to get this situation fixed. Guy at the Cox store was very helpful...got my case elevated to "dispatch", told me someone would call me "in the morning" from there and "fix" the situation. Next day...no phone call. So I call dispatch. They tell me that I'm on the "stand-by" list and that I would receive a phone call. Tumbleweed all day....I call again at 5PM. The dispatch guy tries to get rid of me by transferring me directly to customer service. The customer service person is understanding but puts me on hold for over 20 minutes....then I get transferred away from her to the main "wait line" that tells me that "the next available person" will be with me "soon." Nothing happens...I hang up. Call dispatch again...demand to speak to a supervisor. Get a supervisor and he basically tells me that I already have a Friday appointment and should be happy with it and that I am already on "stand by". Basically I'm being told...well...you're sorry out of luck.

Friday will be 9 days without internet and I'm not even sure that I will be getting it on Friday. This has been none of my fault....can anyone out there with actual ability to do something about this look into this? I feel like I'm constantly getting the run-around. I'm about to max out my phone internet data allotment (and I have to pay tons on overage), so it would be nice this could be resolved ASAP. Thanks in advance!

Ouch, sounds like a quagmire. I don't have much input to help, but there was one part that raised a red flag; "So I call dispatch." How did you call them? The only thing I can think of is you got ahold of a contractor dispatch, and they are sending you through hoops to save face on the repeat call. Either that, or someone let slip a number they shouldn't have. Not saying thats a bad thing in this case, just saying its unusual and possibly relevant?

Someone slipped a number because they felt bad for me.... It's Cox Dispatch here in San Diego.

I'm actually about to make this whole thing into a review. I just discovered that I have an already set up connection for ATT Uverse...just needs to be activated. I'm very tempted to go with that, although I would prefer Cox's higher speed (signed up for the 100mbit internet).

EDIT:

For some reason (i'm a new member) this site decided to restrict my posts and messages (and emails!) so I am trying to get around it by editing my own post...hopefully this finally reaches you odog! Thanks for your help! My address is xxxx [Mod Note: Since this is a public forum, the address has been edited.]

Shoot me an address or something I can identify you with via PM and I can try to help. I can't promise anything but I can certainly try to grease the machine.

Well the rest of the internet certainly got it.

And apparently my posts now have to be approved because I'm a new member...in any case hope the address I posted comes through before this.

I gave him your address, so there is no need to post it in the forum. Thanks.

Thanks! Sorry about that...but I had no other way of doing it.

No problem.

Any updates, odog? Did you get the address?

FYI: odog did acknowledge getting the address from me.

Thanks, skj! I wasn't doubting that you sent him the address, I was just wondering if odog actually read your message and if anything was happening. At this rate it looks like I'm going to have to wait until my second scheduled appointment tomorrow. And this is over a week after I ordered service, took time off from work for my appointment on Monday and actually exceeding my data limit (and paying for it) on my phone. Only because a technician was not willing to come back within my scheduled window and it was "getting dark". Unbelievable....

I haven't been able to make much progress, lots of people are off for the holiday so getting in touch has been difficult.

Thanks anyway for your efforts. The service was finally installed on Friday...order to service activation: 9 days. I was told by various Cox people to call Cox after installation and to ask them to waive the installation fee due to the problems that were out of my control. Any tips on who specifically to call? Just customer service?

Ok, never mind. I reached someone and got the installation credit. Other than the original issues the service seems to be great so far. Getting 115-120 mbit/s down and about 10-15 mbit/s up. (For wireless router users...use your 5Ghz band for full speed...the 2.4Ghz band only gets me about 70 down).