Getting Cable and Internet in Brooklyn
It's not an easy task, at least not when coupled with the incompetence of those working for Time Warner. We have been living in our new abode for six weeks, during which time we've had five separate people come to set up our cable and internet service. The breakdown:
The first Time Warner employee (TWE #1) arrives and says he needs access to a pole two backyards away, but that we have to get permission from the people in the house for him to walk through. We ask for permission from said people, who refuse.
TWE #2 arrives, and we explain that that he can not walk through the neighbor's house, but that he has to climb the two three-foot high fences. He refuses. We call Time Warner again, who say they will contact the people whose yard holds the coveted cable box, which of course does not happen.
TWE #3 comes out, again looks at the fence, grimaces and seems unwilling. He at least pretends to check to see if the cable lines are live and claims they are not. We set up an appointment with a foreman.
TWE #4, the foreman, who we are assured can help us get cable arrives. He says, "Yep, you can definitely get cable. All they need to do is climb the fence." After some spirited discussion he agrees to send an actual Time Warner staff member (TWE #1-3 were contractors) as he himself does not set up cable, but he promises to note that this true employee of TW *must* climb the fence.
And so, today, TWE #5 (a real live TWE) comes out, and after it becomes clear we know the drill and will not tolerate the fence excuse, he does line testing with some fancy testing equipment. Turns out the cable lines are already live--no fence climbing was ever even necessary!!! So ...
1. Don't expect getting cable to be easy if you live in Brooklyn.
2. Ask for a real TWE, not a contractor.
3. Remind said employee that it is his/her job to climb fences. According to the foreman, the company has a right to access its property by walking through backyards and over fences if necessary.
The good news (if you've read this far) is that I will now be back to my regular posting schedule with lots of fun neighborhood photos, tids and bits.
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And.. we've stopped borrowing a wifi connection from our anonymous and generous neighbor somewhere across the street about 15 degrees from our Apt. (I'm guessing on the 2nd floor) SSID "Default".. thank you, whoever you are!
Geezus. That's awful. Glad you're finally set up!!
My wife and I are going throughthe TWC thing right now. I really rreally really wish I had an alternative to them in Brooklyn, I would switch in a heartbeat.
Oh ha ha. You lucky people. Time Warner looks like a godsend compared to Cablevision. That's why I won't have cable until Time Warner makes the leap of faith across Prospect Park!
i completely hate time warner cable ... and i also had to write about my experience just to vent!
http://whatsthecode.blogspot.com/2005/08/im-back.html
I am going through the same problems with Time Warner and my neighbor - with a dramatic twist. I got my neighbor to agree to let the cable guy into her yard (two down from mine), but she wanted to wait until after the holidays. I said ok - how can I argue with her if she's doing me a favor? So the day finally arrives (I have a new HD tv and desperately want to use it) and, at 5:30am, her house burns down. No one was hurt, thank god, but her house is completely demolished. The cable guy shows up (on time, actually) and I explain the situation and ask if there is an alternative way to hook up my service (him being the third guy to visit my place) and he says no, we need to not only get in her yard but also attach the cable to her house. So now, afraid of being insensitive to the situation, don't want to explain my problem to the neighbors (they have bigger issues no longer having a home) and am considering satellite tv and DSL just to avoid being a jerk and asking for access again. So my story is one of time warner sucking and tragedy. A tough combo for a couch potato....not sure what to do really.
Optimum online, Cable Vision sucks.
After your first year of service with these jerk offs, they tack an extra 60 bucks to your bill and wont negotiate any deals. I paid my remaining balance and returned there equipment. It's been four months and when i asked about getting service reconnected they said i dont qualify for any of there deals and want to charge 152.00 just to reconnect me for cable and internet and my monthly service would be over 100.00 dollars, for family cable and basic internet. These cable companies are thieves. We all need to stop using there services and send them to hell.
I have to thank you for posting your experience -- the same happened to us and your tips are great. Since others will find your information, I did find out that the NYPD has a consumer complaint procedure: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doitt/html/consumer/consumer_cable.shtml
I HATE TW! They consistantly miss appointments, they damaged out flooring walls AND doorframes while installing, they were VERY reluctant to put it right (they did after much persistence), they have (by their own admission) given us a phone number that also belongs to someone else so we get their calls all the time and finally we signed up for a fixed price for a year and have just received our third price rise in 8 months with no explanation. Their rudeness and incompetence are only exceeded by their runaway prices. We would change in a second. Is there REALLY no alternative?