Topic 'Re: CM500 blackballed' in forum 'W.O.W.' - dslreports.com

Re: CM500 blackballed

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:51:14 EDT

skyhook posted : I assume they did all that when I tried to activate since they asked for not only the MAC but sereal # as well. I was on the phone for well over a half hr. and don't need a repeat performance. This incidence has left a bad taste in my mouth so I've decided it's in my best interest just to move on.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply and especially FoxMike for explaining what happened.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:21:13 EDT

FoxMike posted :

said by skyhook:

The tech told me to contact the previous owner and have them call WOW to resolve the issue. How do I find this info? WOW knows but they wouldn't divulge it without a warrant.

I'm going to donate it to the same store where I bought it. Some other sucker can deal with it.

The tech can call CSO and ask them if the account is still active. If it’s closed or it’s a dead modem. CSO can move it over. They can run the Mac on the PDA and it will show if it’s still attached to an account and when it was last touched and by who.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:01:51 EDT

skyhook posted : The tech told me to contact the previous owner and have them call WOW to resolve the issue. How do I find this info? WOW knows but they wouldn't divulge it without a warrant.

I'm going to donate it to the same store where I bought it. Some other sucker can deal with it.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:36:33 EDT

FoxMike posted : It’s still attached to an account. If the account is still open or in non-pay status they will not activate the modem on another account.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:11:29 EDT

gatownsend posted :

said by adam1991:

I guess I should stick it in my car to take back the next time I'm over that way.

It would be interesting to see their response. The local office would probably be annoyed at even having to do the paperwork just to toss/recycle the thing. :-)

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 17:09:35 EDT

gatownsend posted : I am a CPA, and charging a customer per the terms of their agreement with that customer does not represent tax fraud. And the fact they deducted the cost of that modem either immediately or over some period of time has nothing at all to do with what they bill the customer for the use of that modem, let alone any charge to the customer for not returning it.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 04:11:56 EDT

skyhook posted : I forgot to mention that the CM500 I bought came in the retail box.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 23:44:39 EDT

adam1991 posted :

said by Anonc59fa :

At this point WOW! would have claimed all such obsolete modems in "inventory" as a write off on their taxes. Importantly to the IRS, the whole lot current value is zero, and the remaining capital value the previous year is a loss against taxable receipts. If they demanded you pay for it after that step, then that would be tax fraud.

Would they care? No. Could they get $100 from a customer if they tried? That's all that matters.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 23:27:51 EDT

clocks11 posted : I'm not a CPA, but not sure their depreciation schedule necessarily has to sync up with how they charge customers for the usage of the modem.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 23:06:00 EDT

anon posted : At this point WOW! would have claimed all such obsolete modems in "inventory" as a write off on their taxes. Importantly to the IRS, the whole lot current value is zero, and the remaining capital value the previous year is a loss against taxable receipts. If they demanded you pay for it after that step, then that would be tax fraud.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 17:19:06 EDT

adam1991 posted : Somewhere in my basement is a 15 year old WOW-owned cable modem that I used back then. At some point I bought my own, but for some reason or another this WOW-owned model never ended up back with them.

They never asked for it back--but at the same time, in my various dealings with WOW, I've come to know that they know I still have it. A few years ago when I went back to WOW again, it showed up on my account. I even asked the CSR about it, but they don't want a 15 year old cable modem back--but it is there, and they CAN use that against me if they wanted, I guess.

Certainly it hasn't been in use for a long, long time. I don't know if there's some universal database somewhere; I wonder what would have happened, say, 10 years ago if I had sold it and someone else somewhere else tried to activate it.

Certainly it's absolutely useless today. It's a brick. Wouldn't work at all on any modern system. I guess I should stick it in my car to take back the next time I'm over that way.

Re: CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:47:48 EDT

clocks11 posted : Happens all the time, with all carriers. Look at the reviews of refurb modems on Amazon, and see will see it is a common issue. I suspect a lot of these modems were carrier owned and never returned, versus being customer owned. It's part of why I don't think I would ever buy a used/refurbished modem.

CM500 blackballed

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:31:59 EDT

skyhook posted : I found a Netgear CM500 at a thrift store on the east side of Cbus. I bought it decided to go ahead and activate it but was told by the phone tech that I could't because the modem was listed in the database as in use by someone else.

I have never encountered this problem before and wondered if this is SOP for WOW. Thanks.