Read the Fine Print: Time Warner "guaranteed" rate promo does not include all charges
Things aren’t always as they seem... if it’s too good to be true, it probably is... how many more cliches can I use to begin this blog post? In troubling economic times, consumers are counting their pennies to make sure they can squeeze as much value out of the services they purchase. Items once considered a necessity are now luxuries, like cable television. To combat the slowdown in consumer spending, many companies are using tantalizing offers to entice consumers into their service gingerbread house. However, these offers could be the breadcrumbs that lead you into the hell-hot oven of customer service headaches and unanticipated charges.
For example, Time Warner recently had a web promotion that guaranteed a certain price for an Internet and TV bundle for 12 months. It seems like a great deal, but buried on a separate web page of terms and conditions lie the catch--the cost of equipment needed to access all the TV channels is not included in the guaranteed price.
The TV service includes DVR and HDTV features; in order to access these features, the consumer needs to subscribe to the DVR service and pay the equipment rental fee for the HDTV receiver. These two costs are not included in the 12 month guaranteed price.
To make matters worse, Time Warner does not charge you for DVR service or an equipment rental fee for the first three months of service. Once that “trial period” expires, Time Warner adds over $20 of fees to your bill. This additional charge is usually the only way consumers find out that the 12 month guaranteed price is much lower than they anticipated.
How can you avoid these sneaky fees and charges? Make sure you carefully comb through the terms and conditions of all potential offers. Time Warner’s particular offer was tricky because the language that referred to the “trial period” of free DVR service and equipment rental was on a completely separate web page than the initial offer.
Questions about a promotional offer? Complaints about a service contract that was completely different than than an offer? Call the Fraud Squad at (619) 696-6966 or fill out our online complaint form.
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Utility Consumers' Action Network - (619) 696-6966
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