We lived in 3 different cities in AZ over a 2 year period and had Cable One services (internet, phone, cable) and when we relocated to OR for a new job, they charged us $240 for early termination fees. Wouldn't credit us the total time we were with the organization but rather based it on the time we had with the recent local office. Office managers and higher up management DO NOT care about the consumer. Beware of their contracts!

I signed up for Internet service with Cable One at their published price and then when I received my first invoice they had added an additional charge of $6.00 for a modem. I was under the impression that DSL service was not as good as an Internet connection with a cable company BUT I was so upset with Cable One’s bait and switch that I called AT&T. I was surprised to find that AT&T guarantees the speed of their service whereby Cable One says up to various speeds and then says depending on local conditions. I now have AT&T DSL internet service which is faster, at a lower price and the reliability is much superior. An added plus is that my AT&T phone service has been reduced $10.00 a month.

AT&T’s customer service is FAR superior to the customer service that Cable One provides. The following is an excerpt, in part, of an email that I send to the Cable One CEO and is an example of what I experienced with Cable One.

************ Start of email *************************
I moved to Denison, TX on Wednesday, November 25, and went to Cable One to order cable, Internet and phone service.

I told the lady at the counter that I needed cable service that would include Fox News and the Encore channels. She said that I would need to order the Premium package, which would also include the Starz channels. I also ordered the standard Internet service with a speed up to 5MB.

After perusing the Cable One Phone Package Features/Service Details from the card she gave me I ordered a phone with unlimited local calling plus free long distance. The card said that Caller ID is included at no additional charge. [Another example of “Bait and Switch.”]

Your customer service representative took an hour and six minutes to complete this transaction. She constantly needed to ask questions of other service reps. Finally one of them came over to help, which entailed that person patiently showing her where to move the cursor and telling her what to type into the computer. I was duly thanked for my patience. I would have given her my bank account information so that the installation fee of thirty dollars would be waived but finally decided it would be best not to add a further burden to her seemingly already difficult task.

On Friday the tech installed the equipment but could not tell me the parameter to send email through the Cable One server. After he left, I called support and got the required parameter in order to send email. When I attempted to access the Encore channels, a message displayed informing me that I was not authorized for those channels. I again called Cable One and was told that I would need to upgrade to the Ultra package for an additional seventeen dollars. Accordingly, to access Encore, I would be paying thirty-three dollars over the standard package, which included all of the other channels I had an interest in watching.

At the same time, I asked the tech why Caller-ID was not working, only to be told that would be an additional seven dollars. Even Time Warner (my former cable company) lets Caller-ID pass through at no additional charge, standard operating procedure for telephone companies.

On Monday, November 30, I took the cable box back to the Cable One office to downgrade to the standard package. After explaining the reasons why I wanted the downgrade, the customer service rep told me that in doing so I would be breaking the contract. She accepted the cable box and I left. Because I was concerned that she might have charged me for “breaking the contract, ” when I returned home I called 888-235-0164 and talked to another service rep, named Bonnie.

Since I was unhappy about the Caller ID, Bonnie said I could return the equipment and cancel the current contract and sign up for the special offer for the standard cable and standard Internet and receive Half-Price for the cable for the first six months. She said that I had until Friday, December 4, to do this and that she would enter a note in my record so that there would not be a problem.

********** End of email *************************

I cancelled my phone service with Cable One and ordered phone service from AT&T. Cable One never did cancel all the charges from the first contract.

I have been trying to get a service call for more than three days now. The cable that was run from my neighbor's yard, from the cable box, across his yard and through mine from side to back to opposite side has never been buried like Cable One said they would. When I try to call to get it taken care of, I CANNOT get a live person. When I finally do, I am told that I need to call my local Cable One and talk to them-via the same d#@* telephone number that I just called!!! I try again and all I get is a recording of hours and location, then IT HANGS UP ON ME!!! I cannot get a live person. NOW, the cable has been run over by a lawn mower and has exposed but not severed copper wiring-this means that I still have a live current (and I do as I still have service) runnig through this exposed copper wiring. Now, I finally get someone who says, a service tech will be to my home w/in 48 hours-guess what?? No one shows. I finally get a live person again and am informed that there was never a service call scheduled but she'll have someone come bury the wire! Listen to me! I have to tell this woman again, EXPOSED COPPER WIRE WITH LIVE CURRENT!!! So, then she gets all mad with ME for being mad at them! Well, then find a reasonable company to work for!!! So, we shall see if anyone shows up. Incidently, I have also submitted requests for a call for service via the internet site...I am waiting...

They have continually disappointed me with their customer service and price hikes. I finally had the courage to disconnect from them for my internet service and couldn't be happier!