The Cable Pig

[JoeP]

If you are on Adelphia Cable you should have received, in your latest bill, an announcement for another rate increase.  If I have counted correctly, this is about the 6th rate increase in the last 4 years.  This is outrageous - highway robbery without a gun!

I have written many times to the FCC, Messrs. Santorum, Spector, Sherwood and the Pa. State Attorney General's office but to no avail.  It seems the cable companies can arrogantly and without oversight or regulation rip consumers off.

Adelphia's nearest competition, Adams Cable company, is over $10 cheaper a month for the same services and packages.  Unfortunately, Adelphia has no competition yet in our township (other than satellite) but someday soon that will change when the phone and power companies start using their wires for broadband and video services.

I have to wonder how much of the farm the township supervisors gave away when they signed the franchise way back when with Adelphia.  You would hope they had the foresight to insert some clause that limited rate increases to Newton residents.  I also have to wonder if a percentage of the cable revenue comes back to the township and if so - how much and how is it used?

I mentioned satellite which blows away cable but for many of us in Newton, the SW sky is blocked by many old and beautiful trees.  So I'll wait - sooner or later the cable pig will be history.

[davidk]

Joe,
Your right about the cable company. Not only are the rates going up constantly but my reception is terrible, especially on the higher channels. All snow.
Not to mention the poor choices in selection. There are several channels listed on the guide channel which I do not get. These are not premiums either. The guide dosn't match the line-up on my set.
I will be switching to sat. soon.
As for the contract.
That was a joint effort with a number of other munis. I remember them saying the township gets a cut, but I can't remember the % . Not that it matters as it's just added to the cable bill!
It also includes things like free service for the Rec Center and other public buildings.
Why they need cable at the RC I never understood.

[firefightr2oo6]

i see now that comcast is supposedly moving it to even out with adelphia so now maybe we can get some better prices coming this way soon

[Nate_Truitt]

i see now that comcast is supposedly moving it to even out with adelphia so now maybe we can get some better prices coming this way soon

Unfortunately, as hard as this is to believe, you will probably find yourself wishing for the 'good old days' with Adelphia once Comcast takes over. I've lived elsewhere and had to use Comcast and it is horrible. Don't believe me? Type "Comcast Sucks" into Google...

I am sick of all of it and have cancelled my cable. I'm waiting for some good competition to move in, in the meantime you don't miss it much after the fist month

Nate

[davidk]

I switched to Direct TV months ago and am far better off.
It's not perfect, they pulled a couple of fast ones on me when something went through their system and screwed up my DVR. A fact a service tech told me on the phone but later techs seemed not to hear when I repeatedly mentioned it to them. (Note: if calling customer service, call early in the morning or late at night lest you sit and rot on hold)
They exchanged the unit but then tried to bill me shipping, which I fought and won. They didn't mention the charge initially, nor the fact you have only three days to ship the old unit back, at their expense, or they will try and charge you full price for the new unit.
Then they told me my mandatory two year contract, which I was a full seven months into, was to restart as I had a new unit. This was never mentioned when I first contacted them about the problem.
To top it off they strongly suggest I have their protection service to guard against any future disruptions, including whatever it was that came through their system! They replaced my unit free the first time but would not do so again (If I were of a conspiracy mind I would smell a rat here). Now, with the protection service even if lightning hits my system they will replace everything free for a monthly fee.
All because something went though their system and killed my unit!
Just beware, Direct trumps cable, but it's not perfect by any stretch.

[JoeP]

Thanks Dave for the insight.  Satellite TV is still out of the question for us because we are surrounded by high trees.

I have no problem with Adelphia in terms of signal, availability and service.  My problem is their continuing rate increases.  Now that they have been bought out by Comcast I suspect things will get worse not better.

Hopefully rapidly advancing technologies such as broadband and video over telephone and power lines will give us more choices soon.

Joe

[JoeP]

Well, the stories are true - Comcast has to be one of the worst for customer service and support.  I called Adelphia today to pay me cable bill by phone but Comcast intercepts the call.  After a series of disconnects, no responses, then repeatedly asking for my home phone number again, there is dreaded periods of silence.  After 15 minutes of this BS, I finally make it to the payment center, still being talked to by an idiot computer, and enter my credit card # - dead silence again then a computer message saying they are having trouble with their payment center.  No matter what combination of phone keys I press - it is impossible to get a human being.  Idiots.

I went to Comcast's online site to try and pay my bill and entered my home address - says it can't find it!  Takes me back to the same phone number for Adelphia that I tried above.  I called Comcast's toll free number - busy signal.

Adelphia was never like this.

JoeP

[firefightr2oo6]

seems like it is just going to get worse....heard they want to replace lines around here

[JoeP]

Just got my "Dear Valued Customer" letter from Comcast.  The only value I/we are to them is to see how much blood they can suck out of us.

Letter included the 2007 rates - they didn't go down - they went up.  So in addition to service that sucks, they are going to rob us blind.

We were better off with the cable pig we knew rather than the one we didn't know but got anyway.

I just may take a chain saw to some of those trees blocking a clear SW view for satellite TV.

[JoeP]

I thought Adelphia Cable was a bunch of crooks but it turns out they were just small time petty thieves when compared to Comcast.  Comcast is a big time Soprano type of extortion.  Plus they have the worst Customer Service I have ever encountered.

No doubt Newton residents have noticed their cable bills creeping up just about every month while simultaneously getting less channels then we formerly had under Adelphia's Expanded Basic lineup.

Channels that have moved from the Expanded lineup to Digital Service include 34-Hallmark, 42-Country Music, 21-HBO, 19-Cinemax, and 56-Court TV.  And channel 63-local 24 hour news was merely removed - a channel that served the community well especially during inclement weather like the recent Valentines day snow storm.  What has Comcast replaced these channels with?  Zilch.  No doubt more channels will be removed.

It is obvious why.  They are pushing us to sign up for the more expensive Digital and Premium services.

I explored satellite TV but it seems since they are now well established in the market place, they too have learned from the cable pigs how to extort our money.  Like Comcast, they have moved many popular channels into their upper tier pricing.  So if you want local stations, a good lineup of channels (over basic), the DVR box and extra receiver you going to pay just about the same per month as cable's Extended Basic plan.  Not worth cutting any trees down for satellite.

Fortunately, in Congress there is favorable legislation moving forward removing the local franchise requirements for electric and Telco companies - allowing them to jump into the cable business with both feet using their existing wires.  Maybe Commonwealth's new owners (Citizen Communications) will be more aggressive in this arena and likewise let competing Telco's (e.g. Verizon) on their wires.

You can write your congressman, the FCC, state representatives and Attorney General about the cable rip-off and I have.  Don't hold your breath waiting for a response.  No doubt they get their cable service for free.

Sooner or later, emerging technologies will will finally kill the cable pig's monopoly and its ongoing unregulated greed.  I can't wait.  :x

[cass]

Don't count on any competion with cable in the state of Pa. Verizon has given up on tring for a state franchise because our governor is a large investor in ComCast. He will never allow competition since it effects his wallet. Sorry!

[JoeP]

Anyone who has read this string already knows how I feel about the cable company pigs.  They just changed the poop they reside in from Adelphia to Comcast brand.  Still smells.

Why?  We and relatives in Scranton just received our Dear Valued Customer letter (really should read dear sucker) announcing yet another rate increase.  What do we get in return?  Al la carte choices?  Better programming?  More channels?

The cable companies days are numbered and I for one can't wait to tell them what to do with it.

I'll send my usual letters to Wansacz, the FCC, my state and federal congressman but they have yet, at least on this issue, to give a damn.