I've had numerous run-ins with COX cable and extra charges. Usually if I have a service call pending, I'll tell them to call me before they get to the house and I'll meet them from work. When (more like IF) they call, I tell them to hook up their meter at the ped and get a reading, then we'll get a reading at the NIU, then the TV. When we are both there I make sure they've tested it at the ped/NIU and the reading is acceptable. More times than not the level is low and I make them fix it before continuing. For some reason they always say the connectors are bad, dyke them off and install new ones. I know the old connector was fine, but it seems to be drilled into their head.
One of the last service calls was for a bad cable card (their responsibility). After insisting on checking each connection in the house, of which only two are active, he determined it was a bad card. (which I told the tech on the phone). He didn't have one with him. Not only that, hes not familiar with cable cards. (cox reps claim no one uses TIVO, but I could name 10 people on COX with tivos and the shitty cisco tuning adapter) He has to call around and find a tech in the area with one. Another guy shows up with one about a half hour later. It's now near 5:30 (service call scheduled for 4pm). they hurridly put the card in, but can't seem to wait for it to acquire signal from the head end. they give me an excuse about not being able to work past 5:30, gave me his business card and said to call him directly when it popped up with the cable card and tuner ID numbers and the two of them hit the door. That left me staring at a screen for 45 minutes while the card communicated. It finally gave a screen, and luckily a phone number to call. So I called and explained to the phone rep why a customer was calling and not a cox tech. He laughed about it, then got me provisioned.
And to top it off, I got a bill for interior service work on my next bill. I called and contested it. Phone rep kept telling me it was a valid charge. I told him all the work the tech did didn't fix the problem. Only replacing the cable card fixed it. He talked to a supervisor and finally agreed to drop the charges.
One of the last service calls was for a bad cable card (their responsibility). After insisting on checking each connection in the house, of which only two are active, he determined it was a bad card. (which I told the tech on the phone). He didn't have one with him. Not only that, hes not familiar with cable cards. (cox reps claim no one uses TIVO, but I could name 10 people on COX with tivos and the shitty cisco tuning adapter) He has to call around and find a tech in the area with one. Another guy shows up with one about a half hour later. It's now near 5:30 (service call scheduled for 4pm). they hurridly put the card in, but can't seem to wait for it to acquire signal from the head end. they give me an excuse about not being able to work past 5:30, gave me his business card and said to call him directly when it popped up with the cable card and tuner ID numbers and the two of them hit the door. That left me staring at a screen for 45 minutes while the card communicated. It finally gave a screen, and luckily a phone number to call. So I called and explained to the phone rep why a customer was calling and not a cox tech. He laughed about it, then got me provisioned.
And to top it off, I got a bill for interior service work on my next bill. I called and contested it. Phone rep kept telling me it was a valid charge. I told him all the work the tech did didn't fix the problem. Only replacing the cable card fixed it. He talked to a supervisor and finally agreed to drop the charges.