Complain about a product or service

Cox Cable - Cable TV Service

Cox Communications • Cable • Billing • Service --- • Internet • Local phone

Phyllis of Fairfax VA (8/22/01):
Since Cox Communication went digital in June 2001, I have been having problems receiving all the stations. Four channels would go off the air at various times during the day with a message block appearing on the screen "A loss of video service has occurred on this channel." I called customer help and they sent a technician out who advised me it wasn't his problem it was at origin, so he couldn't fix it. He also stated that other people in this area were having the same problem.

My appt for the technician to come out was for between 0800-1200 hours. I was home all morning. The phone rang 3 times about 1000 and when I answered there was no one on the line. At 1205 I called 703-378-8422 and was advised that the technician reported that no one answered the door or the phone. I fought that through and he returned before 2 that afternoon and they did credit my bill. I have made numerous phone calls to Cox and sent e-mail to them and no answers or repairs to the issue have been done.

Starting 8/21/01, Channel 61 has a picture but no sound. I called the help number and was given an appt for Monday 8/27/01. I have tried to talk with a supervisor several times only to be coerced to stay with the clerk I am on the phone with currently.

I expect full service to be provided from my Cable Company or at least a decent response as to what the problem is and when it will be fixed. I feel I have been receiving the royal runaround for over 6 weeks. Wish there were some cable competition in Fairfax. Can Consumer Affairs give me some guidance who I can contact or where to go from here? This is all very frustrating. They upgraded and went digital and I've had unsatisfactory service since that time. The only name I have is Jay -- who has responded twice to my e-mail.

Phyllis can try complaining to the Fairfax County Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection (how's that for a title?). As for competition, there's always satellite service.

Kylie of Chandler AZ (1/21/00):
On or about December 8, 1999, I lost cable to my living room television. A technician was dispatched a few days later and was unable to repair the service. It was determined that when a Cox contractor was dispatched to the unit above my apartment, he CUT MY CABLE LINE while installing the other. This technician then directed me to request another technician come out at another time and re-run a line from the unit upstairs.

After one failed attempt at a technician working from the other unit and mine upstairs due to scheduling conflicts, yet ANOTHER technician was sent out. Numerous calls to the 602-277-1000 number were made to discover "next steps". A supervisor did return ONE of my calls and scheduled this technician to my residence. He discovered that the line that the contractor cut had DROPPED DOWN INSIDE THE WALL and was unretrievable. Necessary action would now be to CUT A HOLE IN MY LIVING ROOM WALL. This would require my apartment management and Cox to work together to get this done, if possible.

My management company at Club Oasis Apartments made calls to Cox, but yet NO RESOLUTION OR AGREEMENT was reached. "Art" came by my unit UNANNOUNCED on a weekend morning. By now disgusted with the entire ordeal, I described the situation to Art and he took a look at my wall jack and the unit upstairs. He then informed me that he had "a tool" that he could use to grab the fallen cable and hook everything back up without cutting a hole in my wall, and would do so later in that week. He then said that he would call when the job was complete and the cable repaired. I have not heard from him since.

• The week of January 10 I made a call to the Escalation Department at Cox and was told that a supervisor would be in touch with me within 48 hours. NOTHING.
• On January 17, I made yet another call. The operator I spoke to said she would put in a "ticket request" and asked me what a good time was for me to be called back. I gave her the time and telephone number and still TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANY COX REPRESENTATIVE.
• On January 20, 2000, I again called the Executive Offices 602-866-0072 escalation line and was on hold from 11:46am until I finally hung up at 12:37pm.

My last resort was to drive to the Executive Office and explain a portion of my dilemma to Ms. Michelle G., who said she would see what she could do about the situation and then she would "get back to me." Additionally, I have brought up the issue of credit to my account for this debacle. I have been told that considering I have cable in my bedroom, a credit is not in order -- that there is one flat monthly service rate no matter the amount of televisions within your household.

The television in the living room has a converter box (which is an additional fee to my service), a remote control for the converter (additional fee), and that the television in the living room is the ONLY one to receive pay-per-view movies (due to the converter). Thus, I have been unable to appropriately utilize what I pay for in this monthly service rate!

After Cox finally manages to restore service, Kylie should sue the company in Small Claims Court for the fees she paid during the time that service was unavailable in her living room.

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