Erfang Chen

Review of AOL Time Warner

My experience with Time Warner, bedtime horror sto...

My experience with Time Warner, bedtime horror story for your kids:

Obviously it is nothing new that Time Warner's custom service is the pinnacle of stupidity and apathy.

But It still makes one wonder how humanity managed to produce off-springs that fill the ranks of TWC's customer service department.

Here is my story:

Chapter 1 -

I had the 10Mbs plan and wanted to upgrade to the 30Mbs plan.

I ordered the upgrade online, received an email that my plan has take effect. Great!

But ... my speed was still 10Mbs. After waiting on the phone for 30 mins, found out that I needed to upgrade the modem. "No problem, I thought ... Just mail it".

5 days passes, "Where is my modem" I asked. "We shipped it ... you should get it in a few days" replied the Custom Rep, to which I asked "can I have a tracking number?". "No you can't ... we don't have the tracking number ... in fact I don't know if the modem is shipped to you ... I just assumed because we typically ship them in 2 business days".

At this point, there is no assurance that I will have the modem, so I offered to pick it up instead.

Fast-forward to the next day ... I waited on line at the TWC store and took home what I thought was a functional modem, wrapped in grocery bag quality plastic. Long behold ... I was given the wrong power cord.

That's right, the custom rep at the store was so utterly incompetent that they couldn't just hand me the right equipment from a locker room.

"Everybody makes mistakes I thought".

After procuring the right power-cord (from Radio Shack ... an minor but out-of-pocket expense), it turned out the modem itself is also broken.

"Wow" I thought, Time-Warner must be really hate their customers.

So I decided to purchase my own modem. To be fair, their website was easy to navigate, and I was able to find the correct model to purchase ... but that is about the only good piece of feedback I have for them.

After buying my own modem. I followed their instruction and provided TWC with the MAC Address of my modem ... annnnd of course it didn't work.

After a frustrating 3 hour phone conversation with their custom service department I still had no working internet. But the idiotic being on the other line did offer to walk me through how to setup a Roadrunner Email account.

"I do not want an email account, I want a working internet ... " I said, to which she replied "Sir, you will have to stay with me on the phone, and be patient if you want to setup a Roadrunner Email account". At this point, any reasonable human being would have lost it. But before I can explode into anger, I was transferred to another custom rep (the 4th time now)

Finally ... finally ... after a sensible member of the human specie answered the phone ... and figured out a simple typo on the part of the 1st rep caused all my troubles with the new modem and the issue was resolved.

This concludes my first mind-numbing experience with TWC.

Chapter 2 -

I was gearing up to move to my new apartment (40 blocks away).

So call TWC to inform them I will be moving. I was promised that my service would transfer to the new address seamlessly. I was assured everything was in order at my new location and no technician visit would be required and no fee would be assessed.

But OF COURSE that was not the case. I did not have internet access at my new address.

TWC contradicted themselves and said I would need to pay a installation fee, and the visit would be scheduled 3 weeks out!

Since Verizon FIOs was an option at my new apartment ... I immediately told TWC I would not be continuing my service with them.

Magically ... the fee was waived, and the technician visit moved up to just two weeks away!

Tired of TWC's incompetency, dishonesty and complete lack of common sense. I made up my mind to switch to Verizon anyway. The TWC custom rep LIED once again and told me I could NOT cancel my service. "I cannot terminate your service, I will need to transfer you to my supervisor"

After another 3 ROUNDS of transfers just to cancel my service, alas my service was terminated.