TVMAX - Maximum profit, 0 Service

[LedJedi]

Man, i just gotta vent for a minute here. I've calmed down a lot but I'm still really upset. Here's the deal.

We noticed a few months ago that our History Channel stopped working. I ASSUMED that our cable company must have dropped it from the lineup or something and just kind of let it go at that. It sucked cause I love that channel, but wasn't gonna raise much of a stink over it.

Fast Fwd to Oct 10th. I was wondering about other cable packages that TV Max offered so I went to check out their channel lineup on their website and noticed that they had History Channel listed on the website for my package. I thought that a bit odd but maybe they just didn't update the website. So i called them to find out for sure.

Turns out that I was supposed to be getting the history channel and it just wasn't coming in. They said they'd send a technician out to look into it. My week was looking up. I was gonna get history channel again. I also asked them if they could please pick up the digital converter box of theirs we still had since we didn't need it anymore. (their digital package sucks so we dropped it months ago) They said, sure, no problem since w'ere coming out anyway.

The next day when the tech was supposed to show up comes and goes. Don't show up and don't hear from em. I checked the channel lineup on the TV and that channel still isn't working so I call em to find out what's going on. They said the problem was on their end and they would fix it.

Two or three days go by and nothing. So, I call back just to check the status. They say the ticket is closed and issue resolved. But, I still dont have the channel. I explained this and they said they'd send a tech out the next day. That day comes and goes, we dont hear from anyone. I call in that evening for a status check and they say a tech came out and said there was a weak signal on that channel to our house and they needed a supervisor to approve something to fix it. I say, ok, when? They say by tomorrow.

Two days go by and nothing. I call in again and ask for the status on my ticket and they say, 'What ticket?'...
"umm, the one for history channel, i'm supposed to have it and it's not coming in, but all my other channels are working". They say they'll have a supervisor look into it and call me back first thing in the morning.

I get a call in the morning saying I don't need to wait for a tech to show up. They've confirmed that the problem isn't just us, it's my whole complex and there's no need for me to wait for them cause the problem is with everyone. I say, Cool, thanks for the info. When's it gonna get fixed? They say they're sending a tech out to look at it that day.

The next day, no history channel. I call back and they say the tech closed the ticket and no info is given. I explain i still dont have service and would like to talk to a supervisor directly. They say one isn't available but they would have one call me and they'll send out a technician to fix the problem.

I hear nothing from anyone and still have no history channel as of last night. It is now Oct 21. I call them back and ask what the status of my ticket is. They say they closed the ticket. A tech came out and confirmed that channel 67 is working. I said, that's great. History channel is on 42 for me. Can I get 42 working? I don't care what's on 67.

At that point my blood started to boil. I asked to talk to a supervisor. The nice lady on the phone said she'd be happy to help with my problem. I said that's great but i'm about to start yelling at someone and I really dont wanna yell at her cause it's not her fault. I wanna yell at a supervisor. She said, well, you'll have to yell at me (she literally said just that).

I said this has been an ongoing issue since the 10th. I want it fixed.

She said, well, up until this point we've been trying to fix 67.

I said, well, is 67 the history channel for me?

She said, No...

I said, well that doesn't fix my problem does it?

She said, I can get a technician out tomorrow.

I said... NO... You will get a technician out today. TODAY. This has been going on since the 10th. I want it fixed NOW. I also want to talk to a supervisor. I want him to call me today and we're going to have a chat about this situation.

She asked me to wait a minute and came back and said a technician would be sent out today and asked me for the best number for a supervisor to call. I gave her my number.

She said, "well, i hope this resolves your problem." in a sort of snarky tone

At that point I pretty much lost it. I told her she might want to inform her supervisor and put it on the notes in the ticket that If i do not hear back from a supervisor today and i get home and that channel still isnt' working I will be at their local office here in Houston first thing in the morning to have a sit-down chat with whoever is in charge and I won't be bringing coffee and donuts for the office.

at that point I hung up.


I hate losing my cool like that but this situation is just off the charts unreasonable. I can't switch to another cable company because my apartment complex has a contract in our lease stating that we can only get service through TVMAX. We found out a few weeks ago though that that contract is up and we'll soon be able to get comcast. I've heard stories about comcast being bad too but I can't imagine them being any worse than TVMAX.

I understand technical difficulties and i would understand if they dropped the channel from the lineup. This is just ignorance layered on top of stupidity with incompetence as a topping. How do companies like this stay in business?

[sivart-dod]

I have that same cable company. I have had the same problems, not just the history channel though, most of my channels. i finally got everything resolved then they come out with this digital cable that is mandatory. So they install the digital cable boxes, NONE of the channels work except for BASIC cable channels. i call them, they give me some kinda codes to put in. It works for about 10 minutes, then it gets all scrambled and cuts out again, I have been arguing with these people for a week now about this new digital crap cable. Meanwhile they are charging me for all these channels im not getting. Im in the same situation you are, they are the only cable company in my complex. They have promised a technician almost every day.

So basically they don't care about the customers because we don't have anywhere else to go.

[Rokyudai]

Just an awful feeling to be put through such a circle j*rk. Sorry man, that story got me goin' too. Would you file a report with the better business bureau? What about FCC? I have no clue what that would do but surely their equipment is shoddy enough that they probably must be violating some rules (they probably have split that cable so many times, it's no wonder some channels aren't even coming through).

I hear ya! Hope it works out. Keep your cool! Anger clouds the mind young Jedi and brings you closer to the dark side!

[Russell Bear]

Man, this sounds like Comcast. They have the same customer service attitude.

[LedJedi]

I have since gotten the number for the guy in charge of all of their houston service techs. His name is Jeff Williams and his office number is 713.587.1200

I called and left a message on his voice mail to please call me back today or I'd be seeing him in his office in the morning. (I was very nice and polite, but firm in tone).

[BrassBullets]

Clearly you were in the rite to pull you weapon and start shooting, or at least a discount on your service. The only recourse I can think of is to solder an electrical plug to the cable and send a good 110 surge up to their equipment.

[LedJedi]

Clearly you were in the rite to pull you weapon and start shooting, or at least a discount on your service. The only recourse I can think of is to solder an electrical plug to the cable and send a good 110 surge up to their equipment.

ROFL..... no comment.

[The Annoyed Man]

I realize that you may be locked in with TVMAX, or Comcast, or whomever because of your apartment management's contracts, but if there is any way for you to get Verizon FiOS, I'm very happy with it, and I would recommend it to anybody.

[sivart-dod]

The only recourse I can think of is to solder an electrical plug to the cable and send a good 110 surge up to their equipment.

[nitrogen]

I realize that you may be locked in with TVMAX, or Comcast, or whomever because of your apartment management's contracts, but if there is any way for you to get Verizon FiOS, I'm very happy with it, and I would recommend it to anybody.

I didn't think this was legal anymore?

[LedJedi]

I realize that you may be locked in with TVMAX, or Comcast, or whomever because of your apartment management's contracts, but if there is any way for you to get Verizon FiOS, I'm very happy with it, and I would recommend it to anybody.

I didn't think this was legal anymore?

i assuming you're talking about the FCC stuff that came down recently allowing free access and removing restrictions such as contractual obligations forcing tenants to use pre-contracted services. I suspect that may indeed be in violation of said FCC regs, but I also suspect that TVMAX owns the physical lines running to each apartment in my building and is more than likely not obliged to allow other carriers to use them. I say that because Comcast came in and buried their own lines. They're in the process of installing/routing them all now.

It may be that they could have used the existing lines though and opted to upgrade them with their own lines. All of the wiring in our buildings is old as sin itself. Both pairs running to my apartment have shorts in them and cannot be used for DSL (without serious problems). I had to have another line run directly from the box on the outside of the building run directly to my apartment in order to get a solid signal. I have no reason to believe that the coax wiring is in any better condition.

it's now 4:20pm and no call back from TVMAX.

[LedJedi]

just got off the phone with the assistant to the district manager and finally got some straight answers.

history channel is no longer part of the lineup on our property, even though it says it is on the website. (false advertising anyone?)

I took the opportunity to express my displeasure at the way my situation has been handled and advised that I would never ever EVER do business with TVMAX again, ever and that in fact I would go so far as to not even live in another place that offered TVMAX exclusively simply because of how I have been treated dealing with this situation.

had i been told on the 10th when i originally called them that it was no longer in the lineup it wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but for them to run me in circles from the 10th to the 21st is unreal.

[Right2Carry]

just got off the phone with the assistant to the district manager and finally got some straight answers.

history channel is no longer part of the lineup on our property, even though it says it is on the website. (false advertising anyone?)

I took the opportunity to express my displeasure at the way my situation has been handled and advised that I would never ever EVER do business with TVMAX again, ever and that in fact I would go so far as to not even live in another place that offered TVMAX exclusively simply because of how I have been treated dealing with this situation.

had i been told on the 10th when i originally called them that it was no longer in the lineup it wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but for them to run me in circles from the 10th to the 21st is unreal.

Is satellite not an option? I know during heavy weather the signal can fade out but I have had dish network for 3 years and it doesn't happen all that often. The best part is that every single channel is crystal clear, the same quality over all the channels including local channels. I hate the cable company.

[Crossfire]

Is satellite not an option? I know during heavy weather the signal can fade out but I have had dish network for 3 years and it doesn't happen all that often. The best part is that every single channel is crystal clear, the same quality over all the channels including local channels. I hate the cable company.

Apparently, you have forgotten the amazing tale of "Operation Air Condition the Neighborhood"
Enjoy.

[LedJedi]

Is satellite not an option? I know during heavy weather the signal can fade out but I have had dish network for 3 years and it doesn't happen all that often. The best part is that every single channel is crystal clear, the same quality over all the channels including local channels. I hate the cable company.

Apparently, you have forgotten the amazing tale of "Operation Air Condition the Neighborhood"
Enjoy.

too funny you remembered that. there are definitely some parallels there though.

That and the tale of the BBQ Pit bandit among others are on my blog for further amusement. http://bigcitydruid.blogspot.com (warning, it's fairly clean but I don't abide by the 10 year old daughter rule strictly speaking)