Adventures with Charter Cable Burbank, Bastard Stepchild Division

Why is Charter Burbank the Bastard Stepchild Division? Well, some may like the service nationwide, but we are basically the asshole of the nation when it comes to their service. We pay the same rates, or higher, as everyone else in the country. Unfortunately, we get only 1/2 of the HD channels as listed on the Charter Communications nationwide website as supposedly being available on their system. Why? Our “head end” hasn’t been upgraded in years. Our cable boxes? Leftovers from everyone else – nobody here has EVER received a brand new cable box or DVR. Charter is supposedly introducing Tivo service, but we are literally LAST on the list to receive them nationwide. Our service and performance history is the worst in the nation. Two miles away, in LA city proper, Time Warner provides the cable service – for less price per month they get 40% more HD channels and the non-HD channels are 20% more English language. Their internet service is faster and has considerably higher reliability.

Of course, since it’s cable and we live in an apartment, we are SOL. Our apartment faces north. We have zero options for switching to satellite. Our local city council/Franchise Authority refuses to allow AT&T to install U-Verse or Verizon to install FIOS. So lucky us, we are stuck with a government mandated monopoly, for which the city council members are probably getting a kickback from Charter.

Continuing on….

Our living room 2 year old Moxi DVR died, 2nd one I’ve had with them. I prefer it to the Scientific Atlanta/Cisco version for MANY reasons, including 10x better guide, skip forward button, bigger HD, ease of use, better video, better setup, USB HD expansion, no forced “sleep” at 1am every day (whether watching or not), etc.

I called for replacement, which was an adventure itself. We pay suck f-ing much we are a “Premium” subscriber with Charter, supposedly going to the head of the line for all support calls, not that I’ve ever noticed any difference in wait times.

Despite the fact that I called in on a toll free number so they knew my phone number, addressed me by name and clearly knew who I was, I STILL had to press one on their stupid IVR system to continue in English. In the USA.

OK, I can totally understand and accept having an option on an IVR menu saying “press X to continue in Spanish” or whatever. I am a firm believer, though, that when I call an American company in America, they damned will ought to proceed as if I was AMERICAN and speaking ENGLISH.

Even then, there is no direct and immediate way to get to an operator/agent. You have to sit through their stupid “troubleshooting agent” to identify where the problem is, then it tries to walk you through automated steps to resolve your problem. The problem is, these steps are insanely stupid. Do you think maybe the dumbest user will have tried unplugging and re-plugging in their cable box to see if that resolves their problem before calling in to their customer service/tech support line? And don’t even get me started on their internet tech support. They may be in the USA, but they make the average East Indian tech support rep look like a fucking genius!

Anyway, the contractor (not employee) finally showed up three days later during the last 10 minutes of his 2 hour visit window. (Of course, Charter never offered to credit me for 3 days of lost service on the DVR that I was paying for service on.) No call in advance, despite Charter policy that they call before arriving for a service call. When asked why not, he said “Nobody told me to.” Duh – read your policy manual?

He unwrapped a “new” Moxi from plastic, plugged it in then spent nearly 1.5 hours trying to figure out why it wouldn’t work. In his, and supervisor’s word, “it must have broken between the warehouse and installation. They are fragile, which is why Charter is discontinuing them. We can order a new one for you, but it’ll take another week.” Umm, yeah, I’ll wait another week after being w/o my DVR for 3 days. The dipshits. I deal with this stuff. Technology does not break that easily between being shipped and being installed unless a) stupid techs toss them around like toys in their trucks, or b) nobody bothered to actually test them before wrapping them up and sending them out for re-use. Your guess is as good as mine for which one applies here, since either one is likely.

Finally, after nearly 2 hours of my time wasted (I’m tempted to bill Charter my consulting rate for time wasted!) both the tech (#8311 Mays or Reyes – I couldn’t understand his accent – and his boss #8333 Mike of HG Communications, a contractor of Charter Communication in Burbank) determined that I was being a “difficult customer” and had two choices to avoid wasting any more of their time. I could simply wait at least a week or more for them to order another Moxi – with no guarantee that it would work, or accept whatever HD DVR the tech had on his truck and live with it. Obviously, not willing to wait a week or more without HD or DVR service, probably without any credits, I chose the latter.

Of interesting note about the tech Mays/Reyes, while he was installing the Moxi box (supposedly) he knew absolutely nothing about it beyond the sequence of keys to push on it to set it up and check the stats. Additionally, I specifically asked him to check the line signals on the cables or at the jack because of repeated problems with signal strength on both our cable modem and our DVRs (we have two – living room and bedroom). The idiot flat out refused to. He clicked a couple of buttons on the DVR, read some numbers on the screen and said “numbers look good to me, no need to check the cables or anything,” even though all the cables in use were made and provided by Charter technicians.

Previously, just over a year ago, I had a problem with Charter and ended up calling their CEO’s Complain Line. Sadly, I no longer have that number and can’t seem to find it anywhere online. Surprise, surprise. The end result of that complaint, however, was that I ended up getting 6 months of discount on my services of approximately 40%.

This time, they aren’t going to get off so easily. All of this is fully documented. I have router RRD graphs showing the failure of their network to provide adequate and consistent service over the last 6 months, with packet loss up to 100% but averaging 60% on a daily basis. With the latest fiasco with the television service, plus the DVR issues, I am going on the warpath. Not only am I filing complaints with the California PUC, as a business owner in Burbank I intend to go to the City Council in Burbank and petition to have the franchise authority for Charter Communications revoked and opened for a full & fair bid among ALL cable providers.

It’s time for Burbank to oust Charter and its monopoly and join the 21st Century. If the city council members don’t want to listen… well, there’s an awful lot of apartment renters here in the city, forced to use Charter Cable and there is major city council election coming up very, very soon. We’ll see how they feel then.

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Charter Internet lets you surf around the Web at speeds that make surfing, shopping and gaming a breeze. Now you can chat with your friends in Burbank, email your friends in California, and shop online at Burbank, California >> boutiques, all at the same time! High Speed Internet Burbank service from Charter truly brings the world to your fingertips, and lets you enjoy it in a way that just isn't possible with a Burbank, California >> dial-up connection. Charter Internet features up to ten email addresses so every member of your family is covered, as well as a free security software suite for your peace of mind. Order super fast Internet today. Our Burbank, California >> specials mean you'll pay the lowest price available for Internet as a standalone service or as part of the California - Charter Triple Play Bundle.

Burbank, California >> Charter DVR (Digital Video Recorder)
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With High Definition Television (HDTV) from Charter Communications you get not only the best California HD picture quality available, but the best HD channels and over 3,000 HD choices On Demand. You’ll have instant access to a library of hit movies, TV shows, music videos and Burbank-sports all with crystal-clear picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. When you add Charter Communications-Burbank, CA DVR (Digital Video Recorder) service to your Burbank, California >> Digital Cable, you can record any TV program with the touch of a button and watch it whenever you want. Plus, rewind then fast-forward live TV, pause to get a snack, even create your own instant replays or watch in slow motion. And with Charter Communications DVR service no extra cable box is needed, even if you want HDTV.

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Charter Communications High-Speed Internet offers the fastest download speeds out there over our enhanced California fiber-optic network. It's way faster than DSL. And you'll enjoy even faster download and upload speeds. Plus, you'll get valuable extras like online security, the Universal Address Book and more. Welcome to an unparalleled online experience. Incredibly fast speed Watch Charter Communications HD movies online, game in real time, download music, and more -

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Burbank, California >> - Charter Communications Digital Voice.
Rated #1 in Burbank for call clarity. So no word goes unheard. Our reliable home phone service costs less than service from the phone companies and includes all the great features you'd want at no additional cost. Switching is easy—you can keep your current Burbank phone number and phones. And you can save even more when you bundle California Charter Communications Digital Voice with other Charter Communications services. Start enjoying better phone service and better value today. Get all the great features you’d expect, like Caller ID and Call Waiting, plus cool new features you’ll love-all at no additional cost.  Unlimited local Burbank, California >> and long-distance calling.

Get unlimited local Burbank, CA and long-distance calling within the United States, Burbank, California >>, Canada, and Puerto Rico for less with Charter Communications Unlimited. International calling is also available so you can keep in touch with loved ones near in California or far, and really far, for less. Charter Communications California to save you money while bringing you better service than ever is especially clear when you look at its telephone service. Most telephone services tack on extra charges for even the most basic features, such as call waiting. Charter Communications, however, includes all of the necessary features in with the plan price.

Subscribe to Burbank, CA Charter’s digital cable package and you also get dozens of digital music channels, programming selection guides, interactive features, and On Demand possibilities. You will find the interactivity and flexibility of digital cable a huge boon to your viewing experience and, if you also decide to get a DVR, you will enjoy the ability to control your viewing experience in Burbank. California Charter also offers a High Speed Internet experience in Burbank that will expand your Internet capabilities beyond what you have experienced before. Unlike many Internet services, this one really brings you speed. In fact, most of the service levels bring you enough speed to easily stream video or download massive files to your home office in Burbank, California >>.

If you are looking for an High Speed Internet service in Burbank, CA that can get your entire family online, the fact that this broadband cable Internet service brings you wireless capabilities will be welcome news. This means you can access the Internet from anywhere in the house, without having to be connected by cables or wires.

What is Burbank, California >> DOCSIS 3.0?
Charter DOCSIS 3.0 will allow Charter Communications customers to have Burbank Internet access with faster speeds.  The launch of DOCSIS 3.0 will open the doors to the next generation of Internet technology.  As DOCSIS 3.0 is deployed to our Burbank, California >> customers, Internet speeds will be increased and additional speed plans will be introduced and available to everyone in Burbank.

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You can also depend on Charter - California to make sure that you have everything you need for the best Internet surfing, including a complete security suite and other features. Charter Cable in California is changing the way that both companies and customers look at communications. Be part of a company that really knows how to bring the best possibilities to its Burbank, California >> customers.

Another great California Charter Cable Package Offers provide you with ten email accounts where you can share it with family members and you have the option to keep your personal and professional emails. Charter phone, includes many of the calling features that others charge for, you get call waiting, voicemail, caller ID, call screening, antonymous call rejection, speed dial, and call forwarding.

Burbank, California - Cable Bundle


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