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story category Charter Promotion Promises 65 Inch HDTV, Delivers 19 Inch
From the people who brought you $71,500 broadband for life....
11:42AM Wednesday Jul 09 2008 by Karl Bode
tags: legal · business · cable · scam · consumers · Charter Pipeline
According to the Athens News Courier (via Consumerist), Charter Communications ran a father's day promotion offering one lucky dad a 65" LCD HDTV. When it came time to pony up the prize, the company suddenly became difficult to get a hold of, and sent the winner a 19" HDTV set instead. Charter also recently ran a promotion offering broadband for life (the winner paid $71,500), though some fine print buried in the promotion rules allows Charter completely off the hook should the debt-riddled company be sold within three years.

Update: After the story aired, Charter sent the family both a 42" and a 19" TV, and blamed the problem on a "miscommunication at the office."

Related:
  1. FiOS Nets Consumer Reports Top Honors
  2. Consumer Groups Want Charter, NebuAD Investigated
  3. Charter User Monitoring Plans Suspended
  4. Charter Losing Cable Subscribers
  5. Cablevision Agrees To Block Child Porn Sites
  6. MI Town Sues Comcast Over Franchising Fees
  7. Man Sues Time Warner For Having To Rent Cable Box
  8. Charter Employee Data Stolen
Forums » Charter Promotion Promises 65 Inch HDTV, Delivers 19 Inch
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mrchris
Stop deleting my posts
Premium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY

Lies

Don't promote such expensive equipment if you cannot find the prize first!

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Lies

Ummmm..... "We can't afford a 65" TV for our Father's Day Grand Prize"....

I'd say they have no right being in business then, lying to people and such. That is some sorry crap right there..... Since marketing or whoever screwed up, they should just pay the man.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!)

cork1958
Cork

join:2000-02-26
Fruitport, MI
·Charter Pipeline

Re: Lies

said by KrK See Profile :

Ummmm..... "We can't afford a 65" TV for our Father's Day Grand Prize"....

I'd say they have no right being in business then, lying to people and such. That is some sorry crap right there..... Since marketing or whoever screwed up, they should just pay the man.
Replies should've ended right after this comment, as should've Charter, for that matter, plain and simple.

Although I have been very satisfied with Charter in my area, this is simply BS!! Here's one time I wouldn't mind seeing some part of the government, whether local, state, or federal, step in and shut them down just for this obviously blatant false advertising.
--
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»www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/

danclan

join:2005-11-01
Midlothian, VA
42+19=61

looks to me he is still 4" short of what was promised.

King P
Don't blame me. I voted for Ron Paul
Premium
join:2004-11-17
Inman, SC

edit:
July 9th, @12:47PM

Re: Lies

That's exactly what I thought too.

42+19=61, no?

*edit* beat me to it :P
--
My Music blog:
»www.zunetracks.net
ender7074

join:2006-11-21
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Southeast
·Charter Pipeline

Re: Lies

said by King P See Profile :

That's exactly what I thought too.

42+19=61, no?

*edit* beat me to it :P
Me too!

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

said by King P See Profile :

That's exactly what I thought too.

42+19=61, no?

*edit* beat me to it :P
its that "new math"
Why doesn't this surprise me.
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee

punker
deleted by moderator
Premium
join:2004-06-21
Palmdale, CA
clubs:
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable

Re: Lies

said by dvd536 See Profile :

said by King P See Profile :

That's exactly what I thought too.

42+19=61, no?

*edit* beat me to it :P
its that "new math"
Why doesn't this surprise me.
no it's 65" if they are counting the cabient size like they do with CRT's monitors
CMoore2004
i r teh smarts
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Jonesville, MI

Re: Lies

Last I knew, they don't count the cabinet size with CRT monitors. Some people get confused because they don't realize the measurement is a diagonal measurement, but I've never seen cabinet size come into play.

punker
deleted by moderator
Premium
join:2004-06-21
Palmdale, CA
clubs:

Re: Lies

they say 19"

but viewable is only 18"
quatrix

join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL

said by danclan See Profile :

42+19=61

looks to me he is still 4" short of what was promised.
So a 42" TV and a 23" TV together would have the same screen area as a 65" TV? That's some interesting math (geometry).

Guspaz
Guspaz
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC
·Colbanet
·TekSavvy Solutions..

Re: Lies

65 diagonal = 57x32 = 1824" square
50 diagonal = 44x25 = 1100" square
42 diagonal = 37x21 = 777" square
26 diagonal = 23x13 = 199" square
19 diagonal = 17x9 = 153" square

So to get the equivalent surface area, assuming a 42" screen, you'd need to add a 50".

Alternatively, you could have 2x42" and 1x26".

The bigger the TV, the more surface area another inch adds.

gabeman

join:2001-05-03
Easton, CT
clubs:

said by danclan See Profile :

looks to me he is still 4" short of what was promised.
That's what she said.

Sorry, couldn't resist
Ahrenl

join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA

Re: Lies

#1 post in this thread.

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back though, it didn't take much.

furlonium
Computer Over? Virus equals Very Yes?

join:2002-05-08
Bethlehem, PA
·RCN CABLE

said by danclan See Profile :

42+19=61

looks to me he is still 4" short of what was promised.
That's what she said.

Rob
In Deo speramus
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL

Mind Boggling..

The fact that some SAP at Charter thought that sending a 19" instead of the 65" would be "ok" is insulting.
--
CheckSite.us | YourIP.US
DoRight

join:2007-07-20
Mechanicsburg, PA

Re: Mind Boggling..

I have a 19".. Ummmm... Yea I'll take the 65" anyday..What. Thats about a $2000 difference??

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast

A slam dunk

If he was awarded the grand prize, it should be VERY easy to collect.

1. Print the webpage with the contest rules and prize information.
2. Take them to court.
3. Profit!

I am not doubting the validity of the article or this person, but I would like to see some proof before I pass judgement.
--
My domain - Nightfall.net

BinaryXtreme

join:2004-04-20
Sparks, NV

Re: A slam dunk

Absolutely Night fall. Out right fraud. Any attorney will take this case for free just for the media. In and out case, plantiff wins.
Margolis
Premium
join:2003-11-24
Saint Louis, MO
·Charter Pipeline

Re: A slam dunk

said by BinaryXtreme See Profile :

Absolutely Night fall. Out right fraud. Any attorney will take this case for free just for the media. In and out case, plantiff wins.
no attorney will take it because it's not true. this person was not the winner, plain and simple
Cogdis

join:2007-03-26
Floral Park, NY

Re: A slam dunk

What do you mean?

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:

Re: A slam dunk

said by Cogdis See Profile :

What do you mean?
Just what he said.

Rob
In Deo speramus
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
·AT&T Southeast

said by Nightfall See Profile :

If he was awarded the grand prize, it should be VERY easy to collect.

1. Print the webpage with the contest rules and prize information.
2. Take them to court.
3. Profit!

I am not doubting the validity of the article or this person, but I would like to see some proof before I pass judgement.
And then he to sell his 65" TV to pay for the legal costs.
Smith6612
Premium
join:2008-02-01
united state

haha...

How unfortunate is that? That TV is smaller than BOTH of the LCD monitors on my gaming computer!
wahoospa

join:2006-03-23
Charleston, SC

Fraud

Is this what is called fraud? And I thought fraud was a felony.

BinaryXtreme

join:2004-04-20
Sparks, NV
·Charter Pipeline

Re: Fraud

Fraud is a felony.

"The intentional distortion of the truth"

That is a quote of legal definition of fraud. I guarantee you if you quit your Charter service and you gave them back a cheap piece of crap DVR box, not the one they gave you, you would be charged with, FRAUD! What the hell is the difference if they do it?
jester121

join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
·ViaTalk

Re: Fraud

Pretty sure they'll just charge your account several hundred dollars; I don't think even Karl can find a story about a cable company filing criminal charges against a customer for failing to return equipment.

quatrix

join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL

Re: Fraud

said by jester121 See Profile :

Pretty sure they'll just charge your account several hundred dollars; I don't think even Karl can find a story about a cable company filing criminal charges against a customer for failing to return equipment.
Why would he look for a story about a customer doing something wrong? This is an anti-business site.
taar

join:2000-11-21

It cant be true....

This story HAS to be a misprint. No way in hell would anyone at Charter think they would get away with such nonsense....
ender7074

join:2006-11-21
Saint Louis, MO

Re: It cant be true....

Having worked there for several years and knowing the type of execs they hire there I can honestly say that yes, someone there would think this is ok. The level of incompetence in the corporate office is astounding. They have no clue.
mobbo

join:2005-04-13
Denton, TX
Yes, this can happen with Charter. They couldn't even put the correct FEED on the correct CHANNEL... even after being told several times about the issue.
BF69

join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN

said by taar See Profile :

This story HAS to be a misprint. No way in hell would anyone at Charter think they would get away with such nonsense....
really?

"Charter also recently ran a promotion offering broadband for life (the winner paid $71,500), though some fine print buried in the promotion rules allows Charter completely off the hook should the debt-riddled company be sold within three years."

morbo
Complete Your Transaction

join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:
·Charter Pipeline
·AT&T Southwest


edit:
July 9th, @12:02PM

charter....ugh

Charter consistently disappoints.

I cannot fathom how any company or employee would think that downgrading the tv size offered is a good idea. Besides the negative press, it's just so wrong.

edit: possible that someone in the prize department got greedy? imagine they wanted the 60" tv for themselves, thought the prize winner would be grateful for anything. Still, there's a huge difference here.

avd706
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Great Neck, NY

I bet

Not knowing the facts of this case, I bet there is an out in the fine print of the contest rules.

dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus

join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI

Re: I bet

There is no out for the bad publicity. The contest was no doubt to generate publicity. Its just stupid to do what they did.

tommy13v
Premium
join:2002-02-15
Glenville NY

Maybe not?

He may not have been the grand prize winner. Read the comments on the story over there.
--
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Margolis
Premium
join:2003-11-24
Saint Louis, MO

Re: Maybe not?

this has already been shot down. This person was not the winner. Just a sore loser trying to make charter look bad. The big tv and service was awarded, as were several other prizes to other people.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Maybe not?

said by Margolis See Profile :

this has already been shot down. This person was not the winner. Just a sore loser trying to make charter look bad. The big tv and service was awarded, as were several other prizes to other people.
Charter basically admitted their marketing screwed up. The family wasn't lying, or being "sore losers" as you put it, it was a screwup by Charter, someone else won the TV, but they did contact this family saying they'd won.

So, they sent them a 42" and a 19" HDTV as a way of "Consolation" prizes and apologized for the mix-up.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!)

jeffster1970
Whatta Ya Think About Dat?
Premium
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Kitchener, ON
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Re: Maybe not?

said by KrK See Profile :

said by Margolis See Profile :
So, they sent them a 42" and a 19" HDTV as a way of "Consolation" prizes and apologized for the mix-up.
Not bad for a consolation prize, a 42" and 19", wonder if it would have been cheaper, though, to send them a projector?? It probably would be less then those two HDTV's, and since projectors do in "feet" and not "inches", it would have been one happy dad!
--
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

jeffster1970
Whatta Ya Think About Dat?
Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
clubs:
·magicjack.com
·Acanac Inc.
·Bell Sympatico
·Vonage

I don't think so either. Seems like a dad that had gone through chemo was the grand prize winner. Research!!

»findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m···26671932
--
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

edit:
July 9th, @03:56PM

Re: Maybe not?

So are they just lying? Or is this one of those deals where a marketing guy messed up and Charter decided there was a better prize "deserving" Dad out there and changed their award?

*Update* Full story comes out. See posts above.

Rick
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-06
Waterbury, CT
clubs:


edit:
July 9th, @12:40PM

Pffffft....


WTF! That's my Fathers Day gift !!
If you think that dudes pissed..what about ME?

Comcast promised me a 83 x 25 Foot 10 million pixel hd set for Fathers day and now I come to find out...

THEY KEPT IT FOR THEMSELVES!!

Man..I'll tell you..you just can't trust these cable companies these days!



en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Pffffft....

What... isn't AT&T trying to bribe you off their ranting/blogging by giving you an HD and Uverse service.
--
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Rick
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-06
Waterbury, CT
clubs:


edit:
July 9th, @01:00PM

Re: Pffffft....

said by en102 See Profile :

What... isn't AT&T trying to bribe you off their ranting/blogging by giving you an HD and Uverse service.
They already sent me it.

»www.darkecho.com/JohnShirley/tveye.html

Needless to say, I was more impressed with comcast's offering instead.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Well, the good news.... you can be warm and fuzzy with the knowledge that you helped pay for it.

Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:

Re: Pffffft....

said by KrK See Profile :

Well, the good news.... you can be warm and fuzzy with the knowledge that you helped pay for it.
OT, but I read the developer of the building paid for it...not Comcast.

punker
deleted by moderator
Premium
join:2004-06-21
Palmdale, CA
clubs:
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable

said by Rick See Profile :

If you think that dudes pissed..what about ME?

Comcast promised me a 83 x 25 Foot 10 million pixel hd set for Fathers day and now I come to find out...

THEY KEPT IT FOR THEMSELVES!!

Man..I'll tell you..you just can't trust these cable companies these days!



that TV looks like crap with the BIG holes in it

AZ_OGM

join:2007-01-12
Phoenix, AZ

A 19" TV is better than no TV

At least he didn't get screwed over like the Hooter's waitress who won a "toy yoda" instead of a Toyota.

scavio
Premium
join:2001-07-14
Melmac
clubs:

Re: A 19" TV is better than no TV

You mean the one who sued and ended up getting a real Toyota?

»www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200···yoda.htm

Technogeez
Misanthropic curmudgeon
Premium
join:2007-01-20
Brandon, FL

Re: A 19" TV is better than no TV

Jeez, some people can't take a joke...

BinaryXtreme

join:2004-04-20
Sparks, NV

Now it's true?

So now it's a true story? Funny all the people posting claiming it wasn't true yet the contest winners and Charter have both posted settlement agreements.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
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join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
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Re: Now it's true?

said by BinaryXtreme See Profile :

So now it's a true story? Funny all the people posting claiming it wasn't true yet the contest winners and Charter have both posted settlement agreements.
I have no idea if it was true or not. After hearing the Charter bashing and the fact that the person who won was lying, I don't care anymore.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Now it's true?

said by Nightfall See Profile :

I have no idea if it was true or not. After hearing the Charter bashing and the fact that the person who won was lying, I don't care anymore.
They weren't lying. They got the call, told they were the winners. A Comcast marketing weenie somewhere messed up. They weren't the winners, but were told they were. Comcast made it right tho, gave 'em a free 42" and 19" HDTV as a consolation prize.

So it ends well.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!)

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast

Re: Now it's true?

said by KrK See Profile :

said by Nightfall See Profile :

I have no idea if it was true or not. After hearing the Charter bashing and the fact that the person who won was lying, I don't care anymore.
They weren't lying. They got the call, told they were the winners. A Comcast marketing weenie somewhere messed up. They weren't the winners, but were told they were. Comcast made it right tho, gave 'em a free 42" and 19" HDTV as a consolation prize.

So it ends well.
Told they were winners, but there was speculation that they were consolation winners which means that they were entitled to that 19 inch TV. There was too much drawing to conclusions in this and no real hard facts to back anything up. Still, as you said, it all ended well.

BinaryXtreme

join:2004-04-20
Sparks, NV

Re: Now it's true?

so....um...you drew your own conclusion which was wrong so....you stated it was fake, so...? Practice what you preach.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Right. The speculation is that they were consolation winners, but the marketing guy messed up and told them they'd won the grand prize. It's ok tho, both sides are happy now.

vatorman

@verizon.net

I

All cable tv companies suck! It has always been true. If you can't afford to pay off the winner don't do the contest.

This is just ONE reason Verizon FIOS rule!
EPS

join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA

Re: I

Er, FiOS is a great product, but Verizon hasn't done great distributing free TVs either...

huckleberry1

@bellsouth.net

Were is the list of winners?

I went to the news link and read the article but at the end it gives a link to see the contest winners? I have tried the link but it goes no where? »www.charter.com/HDdad
Guess we cannot see the winners? If I was a runner up I would like to see the list. I mean if someone else got a better prize for the same prize qualification then they 2 would deserve that prize? Not a lawyer but it would seem so?

HFB1217
The Wizard
Premium,ExMod 2000-01
join:2000-06-26
Camelot
clubs:

Re: Were is the list of winners?

said by huckleberry1 :

I went to the news link and read the article but at the end it gives a link to see the contest winners? I have tried the link but it goes no where? »www.charter.com/HDdad
Guess we cannot see the winners? If I was a runner up I would like to see the list. I mean if someone else got a better prize for the same prize qualification then they 2 would deserve that prize? Not a lawyer but it would seem so?
The Link works fine and there is a list of winners with the entry stories as well.
--
****aka The WIZARD **** A Founding member Seti BBR Team Starfire****