Why I Hate Time/Warner Which Is Now Spectrum

I don’t know about you, but Lisa and I have a common ritual almost every time we turn on the TV.

We flip through the ‘guide’, channel after channel, network after network, and there is almost nothing we want to watch.

How is this possible?

How is it possible in an world in which we have, according to my guide, more than 1,000 channels (maybe closer to 2,000)?

How is it we always end up with the same disussion about how we cannot believe we are spending $200 a month for this… to end up watching House Hunters or Law and Order ReRuns.

We have the ‘let’s cut the cable’ conversation again, and plunge back into Google to examing the vast and incredibly confusing options.

Recently we ‘upgraded’ our Internet connection with Time/Warner which is now called Spectrum (I have no idea why it is now Spectrum, but it is), and went from 100 mpbs to 500 mbps. But when I run the ‘Ookla Speed Test’ I only get 40 mbps. When I call Time/Warner, which is now Spectrum, I am told that if I read the contract, it says ‘up to’ 500 mbps. Up to.

Also, the ‘up to’ part apparently is only if I hard wire my laptop (or phone) into the modem. The up to does not seem to include WiFi. Does anyone hard wire their smartphone into the modem box?

Then, when we go to find one of the few channels we can tolerate, in this case, BBC World Service News, we find a notice on the screen that says we have to call a number. So we call. It’s Time/Warner, which is now Spectrum on the line.

“What happened to BBC World Service News”? we ask.

“Oh. that was part of the ‘legacy package’.

“What is the ‘legacy package?”

“That was what you had before you upgraded to 500 mbps.”

“But where is BBC?”

“BBC World Service News is not included in your new 500 mbps package.”

I am, by the way, paying more for the 500 mbps upgrade.

So I tell them,

“Well, as I am not getting 500 mbps anyway, please put me back in the old legacy package and give me back BBC World Service News.”

“We can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because that package no longer exists. That’s why it’s called Legacy.”

“And what else did you take away with my new 500 mbps package that does not work anyway?”

“Turner Classic Movies.”

“Well, I want that back too..”

“One moment please. (pause). We can restore both BBC World Service News and Turner Classic Movies for only an additional $12 a month.”

“You mean I have to pay more to go back to what I had before?”

(long pause)

“yes”

“OK. I want to terminate my contract with you. If you don’t restore my BBC, I am going to switch to Verizon.”

This should scare them

(Long pause).

“OK. We can make you a special, one-time offer. We can offer you BBC World Service News for free for one month.”

“And after that?”

“$12 a month.”

as originally published in TheVJ