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Time Warner expands its do-it-yourself service
November 16th, 2009, 8:23 am · 7 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
If you hate waiting all day for the cable guy to install service, Time Warner Cable will now let Orange County and Southern California customers tackle the project themselves — and save some money.
The cable TV provider is expanding its Easy Connect service, which was introduced in August for Internet equipment. The service saved customers around $20 if they installed their own cable modem.
Now customers can install their own cable box or DVR as well. If customers order new or upgraded digital cable boxes or Internet service over the Web or by phone, they’ll receive the equipment within 48 hours. No waiting on the cable guy. Plus, customers won’t have to pay the $19.95 for professional installation. The kit comes with a video showing the five installation steps.
Of course, you could also head to one of Time Warner’s local stores and get a box the same day (if they’re available) and install it yourself.
Time Warner’s spin is that it gives “customers control in ways that are simple and easy.” True, but keep in mind, this probably saves Time Warner a lot of money too. I don’t know what the going rate is but having a professional contractor stop by a customer’s house probably costs Time Warner more than $20.
For the consumer, $20 to have a pro install service doesn’t seem too high but for most readers, the time lost waiting for the cable guy to arrive is much more valuable.
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about time. its not rocket science to install a cable box
What about the 20% overcharge fee? I would rather have Cox than my Dish Network but it’s just too high.
What’s the overcharge fee?
If you call cox and tell them you are thinking of going to Dish because they are cheaper they will instantly reduce your bill 20%. Works most of the time.
Keep it to your friends…
Honestly its easy to install most of these things, but after moving in to my current house and Lea they had to add a power filter and rerun a few of the lines left from dish. glad we paid the fee because it was all covered.
this is the only valid reason i see fit to use anything but a self install.
I’m glad they’re finally doing this. I had to watch a technician 2 weeks ago spend 3 hours plugging in a cable box and modem. All of the cables had been ran by the previous person who lived there. Time Warner insisted on sending someone out.
After I told the tech just to setup the modem, he tried to setup my router also. Seriously, it was a huge waste of my time and probably his.
About time TWC does something right. Only a matter of time before they do something to ruin it. FiOS needs to come to my Fullerton neighborhood ASAP!
be thankful you dont have AT&T , I probably spent a total of 7 hours on the
phone , and they run you through automated customer service then you
tell a person the same thing you told a computer . it drove me insane
the bad I have found with time warner was when I wanted to drop my account
in fullerton with them they wouldn’t do it with out a customer number
it was like talking to retarded robotic police officers
eventually my service was turned off because IT went over the limit
of my deposit , but it was very lame . nothing like dealing with AT&T though
lame is better than insane