Cable Industry Gets an Earful → Lying about more than cable rate hikes...

said by Article:

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A report released today by Consumer Reports and the CFA claims the cable industry is lying to consumers...

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You've got that right.

And it isn't the first time.

And the lies aren't just about cable rates.

Cable operators in general are greedy, and will do just about anything to suck a dollar from you-- whether or not they are actually entitled to it. Cox Communications provides an excellent example of such an entity with the actions they took with my account. That's why I'm no longer a Cox Sucker...

Do any of you have any idea as to what comprises your final cable bill?
Forget the fact that the cable rates are determined by a formula established by the FCC and a Congressional bill but the programmers have little regulation as to what they charge the cable MSO's. Forget the fact that the programmers and networks have repeatedly raised their fees almost unchecked. What the Cox executive says about the percentage of increase from programmers compared to cable bill increases is absolutely accurate. Forget the fact that these providers of programming are, in fact, owned by only 5-6 major corporations (i.e. Disney-ABC,ESPN; NewsCorp-Fox, FoxSports, FX (Rupert Murdoch); AOL/TimeWarner-CNN, Turner Networks, Time, Life, Warner Bros.; Viacom/MTV Nets- MTV, Nickelodeon; etc.). Forget the fact that cable operators, when "negotiating" retransmission agreements, have very little leverage with these entities if they want to carry the most popular channels. Forget the fact that the bill you see is taxed at multiple levels from state to city, includes local franchise fees, and in some areas, includes even a "sin" tax. So,if a pound of coffee costs more for a grocery store to buy, does the store eat the difference in cost or do you pay more? (Been to Starbucks, lately?) If the state or federal agency taxes the import of coffee beans, do you again pay more for a cup of Jo? If the grocery chain is charged a higher cost for freight transport, does it get passed on to you? You bet. Forget the fact that, along with wireless and satellite, the cable industry has driven high tech to incredible levels, while making it accessible to average individuals and their homes, from low tech to advanced tech lifestyles. Forget the fact that the aforementioned satellite providers are not regulated to the extent of cable providers, and do not, in most areas, have multiple franchise fees and taxes added to thier cost. Forget the fact that, it is the consumer that has screamed for cable operators to upgrade and rebuild the systems to get out of the stone age. Forget the fact that, phone companies have constantly upgraded outdated copper pair technology and have also raised rates. Now think back 10 years to what cable providers and phone companies offered for services compared to what they offer now. How much has your cable lineup improved? How many more channels do you have? Got digital cable now? Got HighSpeedData? Got VOD or at least PPV? What has the phone company got now that they didn't 10 yrs ago? Over time, has your phone bill increased in proportion to an increase in service? Forget the fact that, if you look at bang for the buck, it's hard to beat CATV.
Forget the fact that...never mind. It's obvious.

Some of you have forgotten the facts.

Exactly how many times are you going to spam the thread with the same message? Your new membership here may not last long if you keep doing that.

said by willieseven:

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Do any of you have any idea as to what comprises your final cable bill?

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Yep. Greed, avarice, and in large doses too...

said by willieseven:

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What the Cox executive says about the percentage of increase from programmers compared to cable bill increases is absolutely accurate.

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I highly doubt the accuracy of ANYTHING that ANY Cox representative would say. Cox is neither the most trustworthy nor the most ethical of companies, and their employees certainly aren't much better in those departments either.

said by willieseven:

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How much has your cable lineup improved?

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Well, I'm still offered basically the same overpriced crap of a lineup that I was getting when I moved down here nearly 5 years ago. The only difference is that Cox now charges more for it...

said by willieseven:

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How many more channels do you have?

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Maybe three or four.

said by willieseven:

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Got digital cable now?

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No-- Cox continues to offer excuses, and has even been remiss enough over this issue to attract the attention of our county Board of Supervisors, who fined them. (not a big enough fine, IMHO)

said by willieseven:

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Got HighSpeedData?

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I live in Fairfax County, VA. So if I have high speed data, there's an awfully good chance that it's not coming from a cable provider.

said by willieseven:

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Over time, has your phone bill increased in proportion to an increase in service?

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As a matter of fact, no. Thanks to CLECs (I LOVE COMPETITION-- something that cable companies usually do not have, a situation which ultimately hurts the consumer). As a matter of fact, I'm paying less today for more services than I paid for basic phone service without all the bells and whistles almost 5 years ago.

said by willieseven:

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Forget the fact that, if you look at bang for the buck, it's hard to beat CATV.
Forget the fact that...never mind. It's obvious.

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Ahem, satellite. Ahem, Dish Network and DirecTV offer way more bang for the buck then cable ever will. And it's available to me TODAY. Which is exactly why I switched and will never even consider switching back to Cox Crappy Cable. It's obvious? You're darn right it's obvious. It's obvious to me that cable companies-- at least some of them-- need to go the way of the dinosaur. It's obvious that many cable companies offer lousy customer service and try to steal money from you every which way they can.

Cox still owes me more than $70 in refunds which I know for a fact I'll never see. I had to threaten to take them to small claims court to get them to issue me a credit for $200 which was due me. Cox knew it, and refused to do anything about it. That's the kind of lousy, questionable, criminal, shady, unethical business practices they engage in. And I don't believe that such practices are atypical of other cable companies.