Can you help me understand my Time Warner Cable internet bill?
January 7, 2016 3:48 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to help my elderly parents sort out their internet bill, and apparently I'm an idiot. Maybe you can explain it to me like I'm five? Details within.
I'm trying to make sure my elderly parents aren't getting ripped off on their cable bill-- so things like buying them a modem and setting it up so they're not paying a modem rental fee. But this has me baffled, and the Time Warner reps are basically treating me like an idiot for not understanding it. On their bill:
Turbo Internet: 57.99
Turbo upgrade: 10.00
Okay, I get that maybe they were at a lower internet speed before ("Standard") so it makes sense from a continuity/ billing perspective to add an upgrade to their bill. The Time Warner FAQ goes over this, explaining:
Beginning in November 2013, customers with Turbo, Extreme or Ultimate Internet plans might see a change to the name of that service on their bill. These plans must be purchased with Standard Internet, therefore they will be presented as an ‘upgrade’ to Standard on your bill. For example, Standard Internet & Turbo Upgrade, Standard Internet & Extreme Upgrade, or Standard Internet & Ultimate Upgrade. Don’t worry, your price did not change.
So I guess something like "Standard Internet & Turbo Upgrade" is the same as someone getting service later and just getting "Turbo internet". But "Turbo Internet & Turbo Upgrade" just makes me think there was one of those automatic tier bumps cable companies sometimes do, their Standard got changed to Turbo but the system forgot to drop the Turbo Upgrade surcharge.
The Time Warner Rep's response baffles me: "I do see how they have changed the terminology on this. Turbo Internet is the Standard base and then Turbo upgrade is the upgrade for the $10.00." What? So they renamed Standard to Turbo but it's not actually Turbo unless you pay extra for the Turbo?
And of course, they make it next to impossible to check if my parents are paying $10 more total for their tier (whatever Time Warner wants to call it) because nowhere on their website can I find what the actual prices are after their promotion periods end. (Seriously, how is that not something the FCC or the FTC requires them to put in print?)
Anyway, like I said, maybe I'm idiot and you can help me understand this.
I'm trying to make sure my elderly parents aren't getting ripped off on their cable bill-- so things like buying them a modem and setting it up so they're not paying a modem rental fee. But this has me baffled, and the Time Warner reps are basically treating me like an idiot for not understanding it. On their bill:
Turbo Internet: 57.99
Turbo upgrade: 10.00
Okay, I get that maybe they were at a lower internet speed before ("Standard") so it makes sense from a continuity/ billing perspective to add an upgrade to their bill. The Time Warner FAQ goes over this, explaining:
Beginning in November 2013, customers with Turbo, Extreme or Ultimate Internet plans might see a change to the name of that service on their bill. These plans must be purchased with Standard Internet, therefore they will be presented as an ‘upgrade’ to Standard on your bill. For example, Standard Internet & Turbo Upgrade, Standard Internet & Extreme Upgrade, or Standard Internet & Ultimate Upgrade. Don’t worry, your price did not change.
So I guess something like "Standard Internet & Turbo Upgrade" is the same as someone getting service later and just getting "Turbo internet". But "Turbo Internet & Turbo Upgrade" just makes me think there was one of those automatic tier bumps cable companies sometimes do, their Standard got changed to Turbo but the system forgot to drop the Turbo Upgrade surcharge.
The Time Warner Rep's response baffles me: "I do see how they have changed the terminology on this. Turbo Internet is the Standard base and then Turbo upgrade is the upgrade for the $10.00." What? So they renamed Standard to Turbo but it's not actually Turbo unless you pay extra for the Turbo?
And of course, they make it next to impossible to check if my parents are paying $10 more total for their tier (whatever Time Warner wants to call it) because nowhere on their website can I find what the actual prices are after their promotion periods end. (Seriously, how is that not something the FCC or the FTC requires them to put in print?)
Anyway, like I said, maybe I'm idiot and you can help me understand this.
Well, I can tell you that I have the standard package (which began after 2013, the time of the alleged renaming) and after the promotional period ended, my total bill is $47.51. So your upgrade sounds like BS.
I doubt your elderly parents are gamers or torrentors so why do they need the turbo in the first place? I watch Netflix all the time with no buffering or lagging issues. I would call and tell them you want to downgrade, you can't afford it, fixed income blah blah blah. They will give you a discount rather than risk you cancelling the service.
posted by desjardins at 4:38 PM on January 7, 2016
I doubt your elderly parents are gamers or torrentors so why do they need the turbo in the first place? I watch Netflix all the time with no buffering or lagging issues. I would call and tell them you want to downgrade, you can't afford it, fixed income blah blah blah. They will give you a discount rather than risk you cancelling the service.
posted by desjardins at 4:38 PM on January 7, 2016
I'm trying to make sure my elderly parents aren't getting ripped off on their cable bill
Elderly people dealing with large billers are almost always being ripped off. The usual method is to bamboozle them into paying for a tier of service far in excess of what they actually need.
maybe I'm idiot
Of course you're not. It's in the Time Warner rep's interest to persuade you that you are, so that you'll back off and accept whatever bullshit they're trying to force down your throat.
It is fairly common for service providers to charge different amounts for the same tier of service depending on how much it actually costs them to provide that service in various geographical areas.
nowhere on their website can I find what the actual prices are after their promotion periods end.
Again, that's fairly common.
The marketing people who lay out the websites do think you're an idiot, which is why they will usually avoid exposing anything other than their best deal to the general public. If the information you're after is on their site at all, it will probably be tucked away on a plan-change page accessible only after logging in with an existing customer's account ID.
posted by flabdablet at 6:17 PM on January 7, 2016
Elderly people dealing with large billers are almost always being ripped off. The usual method is to bamboozle them into paying for a tier of service far in excess of what they actually need.
maybe I'm idiot
Of course you're not. It's in the Time Warner rep's interest to persuade you that you are, so that you'll back off and accept whatever bullshit they're trying to force down your throat.
It is fairly common for service providers to charge different amounts for the same tier of service depending on how much it actually costs them to provide that service in various geographical areas.
nowhere on their website can I find what the actual prices are after their promotion periods end.
Again, that's fairly common.
The marketing people who lay out the websites do think you're an idiot, which is why they will usually avoid exposing anything other than their best deal to the general public. If the information you're after is on their site at all, it will probably be tucked away on a plan-change page accessible only after logging in with an existing customer's account ID.
posted by flabdablet at 6:17 PM on January 7, 2016
I doubt your elderly parents are gamers or torrentors so why do they need the turbo in the first place?
For reference, I have the "Everyday Low Price" tier for $14.99 (3 mbps down, 1 up, which speedtest.net confirms--I couldn't get the site consumerist linked to work) and it is satisfactory for watching Netflix and YouTube. I don't know that this tier exists everywhere (I'm in Austin, TX), and there doesn't seem to be a plan called Turbo here.
posted by hoyland at 6:35 PM on January 7, 2016
For reference, I have the "Everyday Low Price" tier for $14.99 (3 mbps down, 1 up, which speedtest.net confirms--I couldn't get the site consumerist linked to work) and it is satisfactory for watching Netflix and YouTube. I don't know that this tier exists everywhere (I'm in Austin, TX), and there doesn't seem to be a plan called Turbo here.
posted by hoyland at 6:35 PM on January 7, 2016
Best answer: Time Warner retail rates are here (you need to enter your zip code)
posted by Troupe of trained rats at 11:00 AM on January 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Troupe of trained rats at 11:00 AM on January 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all for your help, especially for retails rates that Troupe of trained rats managed to find buried on the Time Warner website through some dark magic. It appears my parents are paying what the correct rate for their current level of service (it's not a billing error) although I might take the advice of many of you and downgrade them to a slower tier as they're probably not using the speed they have. Thanks all!
posted by bluecore at 1:40 PM on January 11, 2016
posted by bluecore at 1:40 PM on January 11, 2016
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posted by unknowncommand at 4:34 PM on January 7, 2016