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From: shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: I hate my Cox
Date: Thu, 23 May 2024 22:17:09 -0400
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References: <v2jiqm$rp4d$1@dont-email.me> <770365801.738042880.413119.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com> <tgtq4j5aormk4nrh56gp4pbm6b9lk12rnf@4ax.com> <23031071.738071376.083628.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com> <hm7s4jtvok2i0eebes7eacci0htadib5tg@4ax.com> <1768349030.738092468.478637.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com> <poit4jdi3s9gcirjtqhnpb916rnmn5rg9u@4ax.com> <1216387304.738151711.487913.anim8rfsk-cox.net@news.easynews.com>
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On Thu, 23 May 2024 16:09:18 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
wrote:

>shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, 22 May 2024 21:34:11 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 22 May 2024 04:56:02 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
>>>>>> On Tue, 21 May 2024 21:04:53 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 5/21/24 5:08 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On 5/21/24 12:34 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> Dimensional Traveler  <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 5/20/2024 10:25 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 5/20/24 6:55 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I hate my Cox
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Suddenly, after decades of DVR rental, they locked me out until I agree to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Do you get a special sports fee for ESPN whether you want it or not?
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> That's usually not broken out - everyone with cable has to pay that.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> It’s broken out on my Cox. It’s really really annoying.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It was broken out on Comcast and AT&T Uverse. Of course there was no
>>>>>> way to decline it as those sports bundles were added to every level of
>>>>>> service. Though it's possible the lowest level now that just includes
>>>>>> local channels and little else may not have it.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Yep, just checked with Comcast/Xfinity and the most basic TV plan
>>>>>> (Choice) has 10+ channels for .. strange.. it shows $20/month but in
>>>>>> the text it says $32/mon with the broadcast fee extra. 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Ah, I get it now. Looking at the next level makes it obvious the full
>>>>>> price is the TV channels + the broadcast so it is $52/month + taxes
>>>>>> and equipment.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Then there's the next level which is (Popular TV) with 125+ channels
>>>>>> for $60/month + $32/month broadcast TV fee + $13.50 regional sports
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> So for Comcast you can avoid the $13.50/month regional sports fee IFF
>>>>>> you get the most basic plan. Otherwise you are stuck paying for it.
>>>>>> There is no way to avoid the broadcast fee which makes up a huge
>>>>>> portion of the cost of the most basic channels. With Choice you are
>>>>>> basically getting the locals and not much more so you are paying
>>>>>> $52/month to get the locals. $20/month to Comcast and supposedly
>>>>>> $32/month to be split among those local stations and $105.50 to add on
>>>>>> those other channels that they think most people want.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It's clear that it's a rip-off for the limited basic given that the
>>>>>> majority of the cost goes to the local stations that are already
>>>>>> getting paid for their advertising.
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Cox has recently made all of this information unavailable. You can’t see
>>>>> any of the plans at all now. It says that you just have to talk to a
>>>>> salesman.
>>>> 
>>>> Hmm, I'm not a Cox customer and was able to see all of the plans and
>>>> their costs. Contour TV Starter shows up as $61/month. Though my guess
>>>> is that doesn't include the broadcast and regional sports fees.
>>>> https://www.cox.com/residential/tv.html
>>> 
>>> 
>>> When I go to that URL, I get this
>>> 
>>> “Let's update your services together
>>> There's only one step to update your services - chat with us.  A dedicated
>>> team member will help add services or update your plan to create a new
>>> package that has everything you need. Be sure to have your Cox PIN and SSN
>>> on hand so we can verify your account.  
>>> Live chat available: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 9 pm ET and Saturday - Sunday,
>>> 11am - 8 pm ET”
>>> 
>>> I love it. They told us to stop giving their sales people our SSN years ago
>>> ago.
>>> 
>>> They must be redirecting me.
>> 
>> So you need to use the private browsing mode (or whatever your browser
>> calls it) to hide your cookies from Cox so it doesn't know you are an
>> existing customer. Though I'm surprised they don't even allow you to
>> change your plan online. With Comcast and AT&T I could change my plan
>> online. Though I could only upgrade and add services. If I wanted to
>> downgrade or drop a service I had to call up.
>> 
>
>Yeah, years and years and years ago, you could add and subtract stuff
>online. Then they made it so you could add online but you had to call to
>drop something. Then they made it so you had to call to do anything but
>could still see the prices online, but even talking to somebody, you could
>only upgrade, they had to switch you to somebody else to downgrade and the
>last time I talked to them, they just refused to do either.  That was last
>year after they dug up my yard and cut my speed in half and refused to send
>somebody out without charging me 75 bucks even though I pay the $10 a month
>to get free service calls and they said my modem must’ve failed and it was
>just coincidental that did it during the week that they had my service
>knocked out First thing I had to do was buy all new equipment and that I
>could only buy it from them at the Cox store and I suggested that since
>they were giving me the lower level of service I just switch to that they
>refused and they refused to pass me on to somebody who could make that
>happen.


I'm glad to say that I've never experienced that sort of service. Some
times it took multiple calls to get through to someone that could fix
my problem but they were always willing to try and help. That's with
Comcast and with AT&T. I can even see why Comcast had some trouble
with one problem because it was a line card that was failing and their
first response is to send out one of their install guys. Someone who
can't do anything with the line cards and might not even know about
them. So a couple of service calls where they saw the problem and
couldn't fix it got them to finally send out a line tech who found and
fixed the problem.

Even changing levels of service or getting a discount when they wanted
to up my monthly fee just took a phone call and talking to a few
people. That is with both Comcast and AT&T. I don't know if Cox just
hates you or if it is a general behavior.