Monday, December 19, 2011

Is Charter Communications trying to rip anyone else off?

We are locked into a contract for a Charter bundle (Cable, telephone, and internet). In our contract we signed up for the basic digital chable package plus the first expanded set of channels (not the premiums like HBO, Cinemax, etc). Even though we could have gotten the premiums free for the first 3 months, we told the Cable guy who made up our contract that we don't want and that was fine.





Anywho, a few months into our service they snuck on the premiums onto our cable and in-turn our bill. So we called, mentioning that we never signed up for the premiums and told them that we specifically asked not to get the premiums. That was fine, they cancelled the premiums and reimbursed us for that previous months bill. Now 4 months after that (which is the present time) all of the sudden we are getting a $130 termination fee for cancelling the premium service.





Again we called up the billing department for Charter and questioned it (we got a fairly snippy customer care representative by the way), while telling them exactly what happened with our earlier billing dispute, yet this time she says there is nothing we can do. Because we cancelled the premium service we are getting billed the termination fee, end of story.





So WTF?! Isn't this illegal on their part, being a breach of contract. They try adding on the premiums even though our contract states otherwise. I remember 10 or so years ago the heads of another cable company (i think it was Comcast, but im not sure) all got in legal trouble something similar...I might be mistaken, but i'm pretty sure that's why we had to switch our cable providers as a kid.





So i am curious, is anyone else having problems with Charter trying to rip them off?





Also, is there any advice on what should be done?...obviously I will be switching to probably either Fios or dare-I-say one of the dish providers *shudders at the thought*...But i mean as a way to fight them from doing this to their customers. ie-Online petetion type thing to let Charter Customers to keep an eye on their bills, etc. I'm definetly down to join a Class Action law suit, but I sure as heck dont have to funds to hire a lawer to fight myself...especially over something so insignificant as cable.|||Caveat emptor. Might want to check the fine print on your 2-year agreement before you lawyer it up.

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