TWC - History HD and NGC HD

[flash]

Thanks for the email to them...they never seem to return mine, despite my rather high cable bills.

I know what you mean gp. I got home tonight and my wife said we got our "all in one" bill tonight and it had gone up $50!!!!!!!!!!
We've had it for over 2 years without any hiccups or raises and then all of a sudden it went up $50!!!!:bang: :bang: :bang:
My wife said she called Customer servie and they said blah blah....... our promotion had ended and our new price would be $50 more so basically we have to pay the new rate.
I called CS (and after being on hold for 20 mins) and said that if they wouldn't help me I would jump back to DSS. The rep "so your going to go to Dish?" and I said "yes because I will not pay the rate hike" ......he  put me on hold and said they would forward my call........ after another 10 mins on hold........ I was now chatting with their next level of Customer Service. I explained that I would NOT pay a $50 rate hike and jump over to DSS. The rep said that "when you leave a packaged price the billing gets mixed up and the computer packages your services to match what you had (more blah blah blah)"
I said...... I don't care what the computer did I will not pay a $50 hike......
He apologized and said that "it shouldn't have happened and we could help me"
He put me on hold ..........again...........
he came back on the line and told me my new rate would be raised $5.
I said........."OK" and he said that it would be locked in for 12 months.
I wanted to post this for people that aren't ready to jump to DSS (for now) and people should know that if you press them and have them escalate your concern about the rate hike they WILL help you out.
I figured that a $5 hike after 2 1/2 years isn't too bad.
fwiw

Uverse......hurry and get to Muskego!!!!!!!!

[gparris]

"I see nothing of notice in the upcoming changes in the TWC site (it actually has old dates in it :eek: big surprise), so who really knows?

We will read about it with Tim C. once again and then it will appear, if ever."

-I noticed that TWC removed the old info (finally) and noted nothing was new for anything on the horizon in their changes section of their website...how sad.
But is this notice honest and "real" or not?:rolleyes:

[RLJSlick]

This is some interest info on this matter, I found in another HD forum, not sure if it's accurate or not but here it is:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=652328

[mhz40]

You better hope that TWC does not go to a switched digital system, because your cable card would be useless as the only digital channels that would be available on your local cable would be the  digital channels that were requested by users, in your node area. Since a node area  comprises about 500 households you probably would not have many HDTV choices anyway.

I think it's wrong on your part to assume all content will be switched, because it won't.  Yes, some issues will come up with cable cards... but don't assume they will become uesless.

[leprechaunshawn]

Well I finally heard back from TWC today, more than 48 hours after I first contacted them.  Here is their reply, copied and pasted:

Dear Mr. Corrigan:
 
 Thank you for writing Time Warner Cable.
 
 As of right now, I was unable to find any
 information that the History Channel HD and National
 Geographic Channel HD will be added to our channel
 line up on 2/19/08. Whenever channel line up changes
 are announced, we communicate with our customers on
 their Time Warner Cable billing statements. We are
 in a number of negotiations with HD channel
 providers to add to our existing HD line up.
 
 If we can answer any additional questions or account
 concerns, please feel free to respond to this email
 below.  You will notice that your email has been
 assigned an incident number as to remain in constant
 contact with me until you feel your questions and
 concerns have been answered to your satisfaction.
 If we can assist you in the future with any
 questions or account concerns, please feel free to
 visit us online at
 http://www.timewarnercable.com/milwaukee or email us
 at timewarnerwi@custhelp.com.
 
 Thank you for using Time Warner Cable!
 
 Sincerely,
 
 Allyson S.
 Consumer Contact Department
 Time Warner Cable

And my reply to them:

Why would you have to negotiate with these HD
channel providers when they are already available in
other TWC divisions?  Obviously TWC has already
negotiated to provide these channels and 11 others in
other divisions, so why has TWC WI chosen not to carry
any of the 13 channels that are available to TWC
customers in other parts of the country?

Hopefully it wont take them another 2 days to reply to that message.  Let's wait and see what kind of smoke they blow up my a** this time.

[basshive]

I have never ever seen a company so unwilling to tell customers what is going on. Hell I would be ok if they said I was getting some new channels in Feb and I did not get them until March. At the least I would know something was coming or going on. I have no problem with technical issues or delays when it is communicated...

[gparris]

Actually, it would benefit them if they actually did tell their customers something in advance and it happens mostly in those other locations of TWC that are NOT Wisconsin.
Those TWC locations that have a triple dozen (or more) HD channels (that are TWC-available, actually post most of their notices right on their website, quite proudly!
...I watch these TWC locations very carefully and often.

See all the new additions of HD that TWC and does offer in San Antonio, TX today:
Almost 4 dozen HD channels!
http://www.timewarnercable.com/SanAntonio/Products/Cable/hdtv/channels.html

All five Discovery HD channels, The Weather Channel HD and many, many more - from a TWC location - that cares!

It is TWC Wisconsin that thinks we HD sub are uncaring idiots and do not post anything, as if we don't exist, IMO and worse:
I really think TWC Wisconsin management is embarassed about the amount of HD channels it really has vs. other TWC locations when the truth is known.:blush:

(Like reading our site, for example).

As for me, if these and most of the balance of HD channels offered by the other TWC locations
(for the same price levels, BTW)
-are not offered by the end of March
-then add TWC mixing in that screwed-up Navigator DVR system without fixing it:

Others, including me, will be finally "throwing in the towel" on TWC for cableTV once and for all.
From 1996-2003 I had Directv and it was very cool, then I had to move into an apartment during a house build and they offered a decent HD DVR.
-Now TWC is attempting to mess that up, including not adding any more HD channels that it can that TWC has available, so I ask you:

Why keep TWC Wisconsin for payTV at all, if you can switch?

-Actually, I think many TWC HD subs will switch under that scenario, that can, too!;)

[markd]

Amen brother GP!

[DooMer_MP3]

I wrote a very simple question to TWC. Hopefully it gets answered with a real response...

Please explain to me why Time Warner - San Antonio has 46 HD Channels
compared to 19 HD Channels for Time Warner - Wisconsin? I really do look
forward to the answer...

http://www.timewarnercable.com/SanAntonio/Products/Cable/hdtv/channels.html

[markd]

I wrote a very simple question to TWC. Hopefully it gets answered with a real response...

I'm sure it will not.  We're not entitled to "real" responses.  :rolleyes:

I sent a pretty straightforward email last week myself:

When will TWC Wisconsin begin to carry the HD channels that TWC has
already negotiated for and is carrying throughout much of the country?
I am getting very impatient with the lack of HD programming on TWC
Wisconsin and am getting very close to switching to DSS. You're losing
your client base daily. Why won't you add the channels that TWC has
already negotiated and is carrying elsewhere? Our costs are on par with
the rest of the country but our channel lineup is but a fraction.

The response I got:

Dear Mr Petersen,

Thank you for writing Time Warner.

Thank you for letting us know that you are interested in additional HD channels.

Decisions concerning channel and package additions are made at the corporate level. We certainly want to add more HD channels as they become available and negotiations are agreed on. Your request is being forwarded to our programming department. We will keep you updated, as information becomes available to us. We are anxious to please our customers, and we appreciate your input.

If you have specific channels you would like to request please let us know.

Thank you for choosing Time Warner Cable.

Sincerely,

Penny D
Consumer Contact Department
Time Warner Cable

To which I followed up:

For starters, I would like to see TWC Wisconsin add the 17 channels that have already been negotiated through TWC Corporate and are already available on TWC throughout the rest of the country:

NationalGeographicChHD, FoodNetwrkHD, LifetimeMovieNetwkHD, HistoryChHD, Golf/Vs.HD, CinemaxHD, StarzHD, TheMovieChHD, MHD, CNNHD, FoxBsNkHD, AnimalPlntHD, DiscoveryHD, ScienceHD, TLCHD, NHLHD & TheWeatherChHD

(channel listing coming from GP's sig )

I got a very fast response to that follow up (within 5 minutes):

Dear Mr Petersen,

Thank you for your response and channel requests.

I will forward the HD channels in your correspondence to the Programming Department.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Penny D
Consumer Contact Department
Time Warner Cable

They just really do not care about us I'm afraid.

[basshive]

I think I need to move to San Antonio. They seem to have all the channels I want in HD. Man is TWC Wisconsin frustrating.....

[gparris]

markd: Thanks for attempting to wake TWC Wisconsin up, but as you can now see, it's close to impossible, isn't it?:bang:

As far as San Antonio, Texas TWC goes, we don't here have to have both east and west channels for the premium HD channels, just at least one of each, just like the Carolinas have for TWC and many, many other TWC locations.

For example, everytime I turn on the channel Starz for a movie, their HD logo appears that it is "available" and I again wonder, why I have TWC for a provider:
Since StarzHD is not available from TWC Wisconsin and we are about the only TWC location that still does not offer it, even despite the $1 increase I pay a month more year after year.

Does TWC Wisconsin think its subscribers are all a bunch of idiots?

Do they think "ALL-IN-ONE" is going to keep customers?

-NOT!

As more and more HD sets are sold as prices continue to fall and older sets need replacing, the demand for HD channel selection climbs exponentially!
Does TWC Wisconsin have its head in the TV "sand" as these emails are proving?

Guess so...ugh!

[nick3092]

I was thinking, maybe we just need to prove to TW Wisconsin how many people out there want more HD.  I know a couple of us on here send the occasional e-mail to TW harassing them.  So I started to think, what if we organize a day where we all e-mail them on the same day complaining about the lack of HD service compared to other TW locations.  Get all your friends and family who have TW and an HDTV to do it as well.  Maybe that would help get the point across.

[greenskingIV]

I was going through my channels last night and seen that TW added HGTV HD and A&E HD. I have a cable card and when TW added ESPN2 HD and TBS HD all i got were preview channels now last night these 2 channels also were avaliable. Well it's not a lot from TW at least it turned my frown into a blank stare. Now if TW would add say 10-15 more HD channels maybe I could at least smirk while watching tv.

[leprechaunshawn]

I was thinking, maybe we just need to prove to TW Wisconsin how many people out there want more HD.  I know a couple of us on here send the occasional e-mail to TW harassing them.  So I started to think, what if we organize a day where we all e-mail them on the same day complaining about the lack of HD service compared to other TW locations.  Get all your friends and family who have TW and an HDTV to do it as well.  Maybe that would help get the point across.

I think this is a great idea.  A mass email campaign.  But instead of picking a day to email them, why dont we do it every day for a week.  I think we need help here though from someone who writes very well.  Someone should post an email here that is well written so that we can all copy and paste it into an email that we send ourselves to TWC.  

I think the email should include a few things:

1.  That TWC customer are growing impatient with the lack of HD programming from TWC WI.
2.  The imminent threat of people switching to another provider with more HD.
3.  A list of all the channels that are available in other TWC divisions but not here.

Can someone write this email and post it here so that we can all copy it to send to TWC.  I would offer to do it, but I'm not much of a writer and I think we need it to sound very professional and well written.