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Readers: Please find our 2015 Guide to Getting a Better Deal from Time Warner Cable here. You will find the latest negotiating strategies and deal information in that updated article.
Time Warner Cable just won’t let you say goodbye, if they can help it.
A year ago, your editor fought for a better deal from the cable company that has served him since the 1980s. With a tough economy and downsizing, paying a cable bill that was approaching $175 a month in early 2011 for ‘all their best’ was simply no longer an option. Time Warner Cable’s customer retentions office responded with a promotion that slashed the bill to just $88.44 for Turbo Internet, cable-TV, and unlimited “digital phone” service with nationwide calling. Incidental charges included leasing a whole house DVR ($7.04), a second cable box ($6.84), $1 for “digital programming” and $0.34 for the remote control.
When the cable operator introduced DOCSIS 3 broadband speed upgrades, an additional $20 a month brought 30/5Mbps speeds. The total — $123.66 (before taxes and fees). That’s a whole lot less for a great deal more service.
When the promotion ended in February, the rate shot back up to $160, but $7.95 of that was for a year of Showtime at a special promotional price. Showtime was destined for the cancel corner anyway (we didn’t watch more than two hours of anything on Showtime in the last year), but even without it, the rate increase was on the steep side.
So we complained.
Unlike last year, which resulted in considerable confusion and arguing back and forth with different representatives to find the best deal, this year we let Time Warner’s social media representatives do the hard work for us. Within 24 hours, our rate for all of the same services, plus a special promotion that includes HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and The Movie Channel at no additional charge, brought the bill down even lower than we managed last year: $102.33 a month for a year. That includes the 30/5Mbps Road Runner Extreme, Whole House DVR, and one extra cable box. It doesn’t include taxes and fees, which typically add another $6.50 to the bill.
The whole process was painless, and you can follow in our footsteps if you have a Twitter account:
Step One: Tweet Time Warner (Note the Twitter address has changed from @twcablehelp to @TWC_help):
The key phrase in whatever Tweet you send is to include: @TWC_help, which brings you to their social media customer service representatives. I also “followed” @TWC_help so I could see how active they were. During business hours, you should expect to see a reply like this within the hour:
For those new to Twitter, “DM” refers to a “direct message” — a private Tweet seen only by the intended recipient. I finally found the menu option that allows me to send a “direct message” on Twitter’s page for Time Warner Cable:
Note the red box around the option on the top right. By clicking that you will see a drop down menu that includes an option to “Direct Message” TWC_help. You will want to include your Time Warner Cable account number (as seen on your bill) and include your contact phone number.
Within 24-48 hours, a senior retentions specialist should call you to negotiate a better offer for your service. Make sure you answer those unfamiliar caller ID calls! But before they call, visit Time Warner Cable’s website and note any currently running new customer promotions. Also check to see if the competition is offering anything even lower. Those prices are typically the starting point for your negotiations, and the company should have little trouble meeting them. However, customers with a poor payment record or past due account may discover the company less willing to negotiate. Bring account balances current before negotiating for a lower rate.
Some Time Warner Cable territories offer “price protection agreements” or term contracts that lock customers into 1-2 years of service. Negotiating around these contracts can be difficult to impossible.
An alternative contact method is to direct e-mail Time Warner at: [email protected] (don’t forget the “.” in twcable.help).
The total time spent this year on finding a better deal that will save us $58 a month — $696 a year — about five minutes, far less than the time it took to write this article. Give it a try and let us know in the comments what kind of deals you can negotiate.
why do you have bother with twitter can’t you just the retention dep. directly?
My experience is they generally won’t do anything in person over the phone up until the point where you firmly state you’re willing to cancel, and this means no bluffing. They should cave at that point.
However twitter being a public forum gets you much better results with retention staff already looking to help you, rather than those on their 1-800 number trying to convince you that $200/mo is a fair price for cable and internet and that they can’t “do anything for you”.
actually, i work for one of the 1800 numbers for time warnr retention and legit, a lot of times there isn’t anytjhing that we can do for you, neither can the sups, try talking to sales…
Yes, it is true that different reps have access to different offers. My first retention offer actually came from a third party contractor that worked on commission and was turned loose on customers on the cancel list. The regular TWC reps had no access to offer those deals to customers. It seems once you are on the disconnect list, the offers get better.
I need your help. Comcast has treated us unfairly. Or service doesnt work, customer derive is the pitts, you can see phone calls coming in over tv but cant a dial tone. Which company should we go with for cable and internet, dont really need phone
You move through layers calling them… first the front line rep, then the first layer of retentions, etc. Last year, the best deals came from a third party rep hired by TWC on commission to bring back canceling customers. It took 4-5 calls and a lot of arguing back and forth to move them until they started calling me. The Twitter version explained above cut through all that and a senior retentions specialist (in Albany, N.Y., in my case) called me and gave a great deal at the outset, not one I had to fight for. It was also MUCH… Read more »
BTW Philip, not sure if you heard by Comcast/Xfinity no longer allows 3rd party sellers to renew existing customers. I had some family members try to go back to the 3rd party they originally signed up with to have their discounted plan re-applied (Washington area) and they were told Comcast no longer allows that.
I had to walk them through the process, it took the full series of reps up till threatning to cancel until they finally had the majority of their fees waived bringing their $210 bill back down to about half that for another 6 months.
That’s another reason to move your landline number to something like Google Voice and then you can quickly cancel service and order up a brand new account (if they give you a hard time, use the name of a spouse or other person living there). The thing that hangs people up from switching providers is often the hassle of porting/protecting the landline home phone number. If you don’t care about it, switching is easy, but a lot of people do. Now, it doesn’t matter what number a provider gives me… the number we’ve had for 20 years+ is secure and… Read more »
So..We have verizon and want to switch. What is the best deal we can expect w/ all 3 phone, internet and tv.. is it what we see on the internet ? what i see is 1 year no commitment 89.99 with a 150.00 gift card , reimburse the cost of the router. and show time… not sure about installation cost and speed of internet so wondering if the instalation fee is that 150 gift they give you…. Recently we saw this deal..very simular .. in a 2 year package and that seems more reassuring. On the other hand special packages… Read more »
I don’t know, but DirecTV didn’t give me discounts that I was promised until I angry tweeted at them, either…
I am still writing up a piece about moving my TWC landline to Google Voice, with a step by step guide. I am doing this because I don’t want my phone line tied to any specific carrier any longer. With Google Voice, I am able to instantly forward calls to whatever number I want and not worry if I change providers. It is taking TWC 3-4 business days to assign me a new voice number, which I think is ridiculous, but some excellent local customer service people are working hard to expedite. I have to say… TWC management is one… Read more »
Phillip, was the piece every completed?
“TWC landline to Google Voice”
I’d like to give it a read if possible…
thanks,
Jack
Wow, that’s awesome Phil. About a month ago I fought with so many different reps about lowering my price and got absolutely nowhere- which is rare for me, usually I can negotiate this stuff pretty well. Wound up so disgusted that I literally had to cancel my service, schedule a cancellation service call, the whole works before *finally* someone I spoke with was able to help me with what I wanted the whole time- just to lower my price. Lowered from about $220 to $140. Thank God, because I seriously was going to cancel, I’ve had enough of these absurd… Read more »
My biggest problem is that I don’t bundle. Not only do I like the ability to pick my individual providers, but having them bundled makes no sense for me: 1) Time Warner Wideband for Internet – My business requires me to regularly upload and download 8gb database exports so the added speed is near essential. 2) Vonage for home phone – Unlimited calling back home to the UK and more importantly, a UK telephone number that my family can call me on without paying long distance charges. 3) DirecTV for television – My Time Warner TV service was so unreliable… Read more »
Dang it! Phil, you are paying less than I’m paying for the “Watch ‘n’ Surf Lite” package — cable plus Road Runner Lite! Tweet sent. We’ll see what happens.
The problem is there’s really no competition in this area. Even the satellite salesperson agreed that we’re not a candidate for satellite because of where we live.
But the cable company doesn’t know that… don’t tell them. A lot of the retention plans in the northeast seem to be pitched out of Albany these days.
When you speak to the retentions person, tell them the phone company has a better offer, but you’ll take the pricing cable offers new customers. You should be able to get that in about five minutes.
I did the same thing last month. Bill was $120/mo. for digital cable with DVR and 10 MB internet. I called, and they refused to budge. I told them I was going to cancel if they didn’t lower it. Once I set the cancellation date up, I notified the TWC Twitter reps about the ordeal. They asked me to e-mail them the details of my situation. They forwarded that e-mail to my local reps. A local rep called me the next day with an offer for $74/mo. for digital cable with DVR, 15 MB internet, and HBO/Cinemax/Showtime free for three… Read more »
That’s why it’s so much easier to bypass the call center retention hamster wheel and go direct to the social media reps who will connect you with senior supervisors that can authorize the deal you want.
It sounds like you scored the double play with free Turbo deal. I’m gratified you won.
Any readers who score significant savings:
Feel free to use that Paypal donate button and help us defray some of our own web hosting expenses. We don’t drive people crazy with pop up ads and those annoying in-line ads that spring up video players and other nonsense. But the web hosting company doesn’t deliver our service for free. Thanks!
I had similar luck with Time Warner two years ago. This year, not so much – they seem to be happy to cancel my service, even if I can show them competitive offers that are better elsewhere. I tried tweeting and they did get someone to call me, but not able/willing to do anything extra. They tell me I am getting a great deal, but I think I will be move over to the competition. They are certainly not offering anything even remotely close to the price described in this article.
I went thru the process of setting up a Twitter account after trying to send email directly to the [email protected] address (which, btw is [email protected]). They did exactly as you said and asked for a DM, which I sent. I received a call from a rep in the NEO office same day. I then ran into a brick wall as she tried to tell me that the best deal she could give was $129 + equipment costs (total was something like $170). Funny that you can go on the TWC website (and yes, this is the actual http://www.timewarnercable.com site) and… Read more »
I live in Manhattan and am extremely frustrated with TWC. I came across this website while researching alternatives. I’m not in a FIOS wired building, so I don’t know what competition to TWC there is that I can use. Your reference to AT&T Uverse caught my eye. I’m currently paying about $140 for Turbo Internet, digital phone and cable TV with no premium channels. Also have streaming Netflix. I’m not wedded to the idea of unbundling if a better price can be found, but almost more important than price to me is service. The quality of TWC employees is going… Read more »
currently paying 100 a month just for wideband in rochester area, i don’t suppose i could get that reduced?
Time Warner isn’t likely to reduce prices for Wideband. If you are broadband-only, that is about the best you’ll get. If you are also a cable TV customer, look into Signature Home and verify whether that will save you anything.
These deals do not work in San Diego, as I have contacted TWC and they have yet to call us back.
Did you start with a tweet and did you get a response? When did you contact them?
A while back, but I should talk to them again.
I negotiated $15 off Wideband for 6 months, if that’s worth anything.
I utilized the Twitter route and it took several DM exchanges over the course of 4 days before someone called me. The first local rep couldn’t help me and put me through to the retention specialist. My previous monthly bill with taxes was $80.24. When that ended, they wanted to charge me $142.96. The best I could do is settle for the same services I previously had, in addition I would also receive the digital variety tier with an additional 100+ channels for $118.77 a month for 1 year. This saves me $24.19 a month or $290.28 a year. But… Read more »
They never responded to me on twitter. Called them asked them if they had promos, said not for current customers, so I said I wanted downgrade service, I just kept the internet 10mbps 39.99 for 6 months. That was the best they could do. So sad, I dont watch TV but now that everyone is on the internet I don’t think 10mbps is enough. I dont know what to do, I even told them about competitors and they already know they are the slowest in the area.
I used the twitter technique today & I was able to lower my bill. Before this I had placed numerous calls and was unable to get a better rate. Usually I can negotiate a better rate after a few calls, but I wasn’t successful this year. The rate I got was actually cheaper than my previous bill the year before. I tweeted my message around 10 am and got the message to direct message them my info within minutes on twitter. The twitter rep was unable to help since I already received “promotional pricing”, but forwarded my info to a… Read more »
THANK YOU! I followed your advice, and within 2 hours of posting my tweet, we were able to settle on a fair deal…I didn’t lower my bill, but got a lot more value for what I am paying! thanks for posting this!
OMG. Thank you so much. Tweeted, sent a DM when they asked, got a call a while later saying they were getting me back to a lower promotional rate. Did less than 5 minutes of actual work. You are amazing!
I was seriously at my end seeing the obnoxiously high bill that I was ready to just cancel everything and cut back somehow.
Tweeter and DMed. Said I could downgrade my service if I wanted a lower rate. I told them I understood cutting service would cut ccosts, that’s why I was considering canceling. Was told they would send this on to my local rep. Meantime my mom is moving and I am sitting at her new place waiting for TW installer. The best time frame they could give me for his arrival is 8am to 9pm. I have cavalier three times and they say oh well that is the best ww can do. If they call and no one answers they cancel… Read more »
Yikes lots of crazy spelling, sorry. I am just over the top frustrated with Time Warner.
There are NO good deals. It’s ridiculous to have to pay such high prices in this economy. How in the would can a low income person afford this.
Low income people should be out working, not watching TV.
That’s a pretty bad blanket statement. The person not able to make more than a ‘low income’ may be unable to work for many reasons I’m sure you can think of. It’s best not to judge someone. Give thee people you dismissed a try
I just tried your twitter idea today with Dish Network. I got a response almost immediately. My 2 year contract had a 1 year promo price, something the Windstream sales person failed to mention or glossed over. I’m DM’ing back and forth with support. Already saved $12/mo for my efforts.
They’re apparently on to your tactic, but thanks for posting anyway. It all went down as above, except the DM was a bit of back & forth until they offered to have a local rep contact me. She called about 3 hrs later…gave me about $10 off my monthly bill (lowered DVR fee for 1yr)…I took it, but am proceeding with plans to ultimately DUMP twc, starting w/the phone port to GoogVoice, then cable (I only watch HBO & SHO…I’ll get used to being a season or 2 behind via Netflix). Hopefully over time, all I will use is Roadrunner,… Read more »
When you spoke with them, did you have a competing offer from Verizon or Cablevision at hand to counter them with? At the very least they should have offered you new customer pricing on their packages. Sometimes it is the individual you get stuck with, other times it can be past payment history, but I have found most of the time that TWC will pull out much better deals if you are prepared to jump to the competition and you are reading off their offer to the cable company.
Hi Phillip – they said I was already getting a discount of something like $30 a month, which would make my monthly bill all the more heinous, and over $200@ month. I asked for the $80 intro rate, and $10 off the DVR is all they said they could do. I told her point blank and coolly that I will take it but that it’s not enough to keep me from leaving. The good thing as I see it, is that they took this latest “discount” specifically from the cost of the DVR (which I mentioned to her is now… Read more »
I am not sure what that “discount” is (other than traditional regular price bundle discounts). We shifted our voice number to Google Voice, but Google does not make it easy for landline users, because they only port cell phone numbers. We had to go grab an el-cheapo T-Mobile cell phone (around $10-15 at Dollar General or WalMart), port our number first to that line and then port from the cell to Google Voice. Thankfully, T-Mobile doesn’t charge a port fee so you are looking at a flat $20 to port your number. It’s also much faster than it used to… Read more »
I tweeted to @twcablehelp and was able to keep my new customer rate for another year. I’ll save almost $100 dollars over the course of a year vs the new rate they wanted to charge. This was for standard internet only, I don’t bundle.
I’m an Internet-only customer right now, and want to add TV service. My previous 6-month $29.99 Turbo Internet promo just ended, and my price was bumped up to $39.99. Online, I could get their 200+ channel tier TV service for $39.99 as an existing customer. When I called in to ask for better deals on TV and Internet, the pricing they gave me was significantly more than what I was seeing online (around $120)! I told them I’d like to cancel, and they said they will transfer me to the retention dept as they don’t want to lose my business.… Read more »
I also wanted to add that I attempted an upgrade to Extreme 30/5, and didn’t have luck getting good pricing. When I log into my TWC account online, I have an option to upgrade to Extreme 30/5 for an additional $10/month. However, it tries to automatically tack on a $50 install fee + a $7.50/month wifi modem rental fee (even though I have my own DOCSIS 3.0 modem already). I called in and attempted to have my service upgraded. They saw the $10/month charge on their end. However, when they made the change, my old $29.99 + free Turbo upgrade… Read more »
If the rep swaps the promotion correctly on the new service, standard to turbo is $10 and then another $10 to go to extreme. Hence $20 is correct. Wideband 50 down and 5 up is standalone at $100
I called time Warner to get a better price after my yearly promotion expired.
They would not back down so I cancelled an tried the twitter tactic saying I cancelled
Last night. Again they wouldn’t back down in fact they raised the price. So at 4pm the next
Day after canceling they called an gave me a cheaper price then I had before to have my
Service reconnected. Canceling always works plus local service reps are really rude.
As soon as they know you are serious about following through, and have even taken the step of dropping off your set top boxes at a local cable store, the “win back” offers start pouring in.
The best deals come to those the cable operator recognizes will, in fact, leave if they don’t get a better deal, especially if they were good customers with on-time payments.
Phillip: Thanks for this, I will definitely try this to lower my cable bill which is currently at $139.07. I have a quick question. Do you think this will work if my account is a new account? I started my services in June and already after less than 2 months of service, my bill magically increased by almost $10. FYI, some background info: I placed my order over the phone with a TW rep. Got a bundled pkg for internet (10mbps) and tv (variety tier). Total came out to $132.86. Although I was unhappy with that total cost, I thought… Read more »
That rate is surprisingly high considering they are selling one year triple play packages of every service for $89-99 a month, including a free DVR. It almost sounds like their regular price. I’d tell them your apartment complex just loosened up on satellite dishes and you are headed in that direction if you cannot have the same deal other new customers get. Go to TWC’s home page in your area and look at the new customer promos. You should certainly qualify for one. I’d take the Twitter route outlined above to get to a reasonably high level retention agent who… Read more »
So I tweeted and got a call from someone from the local retentions department a day later. Within 5 minutes, i had my bill lowered by $25 locked in for 12 months. Unfortunately since I was at work, I didn’t have the time to negotiate anything better but the lady was very up front and did not give me the run-around at all. I said thank you and hung up. Now my bill is $109.91/month for 12 months with 10mbps internet and TV services with 1 whole house dvr and 1 hd box. While I am happy my bill was… Read more »
They did the same to me by giving me a ‘box’ I didn’t order and they won’t take back unless I pay them $250.00. If you try to cancel, they’ll charge you a fee, won’t they?
I called customer service and complained about the fee and told them I didn’t request the wifi service. The rep kept telling me i had to return the “Box” and get a regular cable modem but that I had to do it at the local office. I kept telling him that I don’t have time as my work hours start before and end after the local office hours and also that this wasn’t a mistake that i made so why should i have to go out of my way to do this. Finally, i suggested that they send me the… Read more »
I have been a loyal TWC for years now and the rates are just getting ridiculous. Currently I have phone, internet, and cable. I also have the sports package, showtime, hbo and starz. last year I was paying about 160 with taxes and after my promotion was up, it jumped to 220. After a few phones calls the best the could do for me was 210 and that includes tax. I threatened to cancel my service quite a few times and go to DirecTV. Eventually I had enough and just called DirecTV and also sacrificed my internet for very slow… Read more »
I used to pay $25 with all the fees for basic cable and a selecto teor.
Now it went up to $45, so I called to cancel and they got me a deal for 9.99+tax&fees. For basic cable without
The box. They told me to return it and just hook it up from the wall.
Before I only got OTA channels and 300s channels now I get 2-75.
The channels I want! For only 10 bucks!
It does seems weird they offer a plan without the cable box.
I get all those channels already with an antenna. It’s an old one, not even digital. Digital are available reasonably from amazon.
No charge for the channel selection. It hardly gives any problems.
long story. But it comes down to this: if you want a better rate. Do the below 1. Cancel services – schedule a date 2-3 weeks in the future. Do not cave, do not change your words, do not get scared off – do not worry about your phone number being lost 2. Call back to confirm cancellation request after 4-6hrs, confirm account has a pending-disconnect on your account. 3. Call their telemarketing number, “Special Promotions Department” – 888-222-5389 (Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas City) State a general version of the following: your bill was to high so you canceled your services… Read more »
I’m in the process of changing from ATT DSL 3 mb that’s showing 2.60 download speed. I called a number which is obviously an authorized dealer and was offered 10mb for 34.99, modem 2.50 monthly, and no time commitment. I’m currently paying ATT $39 monthly and they offered to jack it up to 6MB for 6 months at the same monthly fee. What a joke! I called TWC directly and spoke with a rep who offered me 10mb. for $42.71 and would possibly waive the additional technician charge of 29.99. For that I would have to sign up immediately. I… Read more »
Hi Ester. If you are interested in phone, TV and broadband, your best bet is probably a bundle deal from Time Warner Cable. In our area right now, Time Warner is pitching a one-year deal combining all three services (including 10/1Mbps broadband, unlimited long distance/local calling phone, and their digital cable package) for $89.99 a month for a year, and they are remarkably also throwing in a $150 Target GiftCard and free installation if you set up auto-payment. They also throw in three free months of HBO and Cinemax. That’s a very strong offer for all three services, and I… Read more »
Hi Phillip Thank you so much for your response— you are absolutely amazing taking the time to help all of us individually. I do agree that bundling is a good idea. In my case because I have ATT lifeline my phone bill is very low and, I believe, can’t be matched by other providers. I wish I knew more about this… ATT is promoting uverse, which will be good, but is not yet available in my area. I also have an offer for direct TV, linked to AMEX, for @19.99 for twelve months. I think it can’t be beat, which… Read more »
Hi I live in NJ and just moved to here from California San Deigo. For the internet and cable service, I made a deal with TWC. Call them about 5 times a day. Service Representative hung up on my call several times. (Gave them a unsatisfying point). The promotion I got is TWC Double Pack Select . It’s including Basic,Standard,Preferred Tier, DTV, Converter, Remote, DVRservice + Standard Internet which is 10MBS download speed for 89.99. This price is including DVR rental fee+service fee. (not internet modem lease fee 2.50) *Not like back to school bundle that they are providing atm,… Read more »
It sounds like you are a new customer in the area, so I would go to the TWC website for San Diego and see what the new customer promos are and start there. You should qualify for new customer pricing. You may have to call in a special toll-free promotional order number to qualify for some deals (or order online). Thanks for the info on the back to school bundle. You are absolutely right – it does NOT include equipment, which helps kill that deal (although the Target card softens it). There is a $99 deal promotion out there too… Read more »
Look very carefully at the fine print of the DirecTV offer, especially for any term conditions like: Long term contract: Some providers give you a low price for months 1-12, but then jack up the price during months 13-24 as part of a two-year contract with a stiff cancel penalty. Extra fees and charges: Look for any fee disclosures, especially for renting equipment like set top boxes. Is there a monthly fee for extra equipment/services like DVR, monthly surcharges for service, and for extra channels you may want or need (local stations, popular cable networks, etc.) I Googled a similar… Read more »
All – Thanks for the great advice. I planned on making good use of it… but a word of warning I’m currently in a bundle with TWC (broadband phone, lowest-tier high-speed Internet & digital basic cable, and the contract ended this month. I decided to go back to my old “wired” telephone provider temporarily, with the intention of switching eventually to a VOiP service like Ooma. (and because I don’t like having all my communication needs tethered to one provider). I contacted CenturyLink last week & placed the order. The number ports from TWC on 8/31. Fine. I then called… Read more »
The reason you are being placed “on hold” is actually in your favor. While number porting is in progress, you absolutely do NOT want your old provider to disconnect your service, or you will likely lose your phone number (possibly for good). When CenturyLink successfully transfers (ports) your number, Time Warner will automatically disconnect your old phone service for you. Number porting is now happening much faster at a lot of providers (within 24 hours is now increasingly common), so as soon as CenturyLink confirms your number has transferred successfully, you can call TWC and tell them to remove the… Read more »
Philip – I placed the request to port my number back to CenturyLink on August 16. It won’t be ported till August 30. (CenturyLink is not famous around these parts – or anywhere – for the latest & greatest in phone or Internet service. Ooma will likely be my next stop, but it will be 2013 before I can swing the investment in the equipment.). In the meantime, all I want to do is to save a few bucks by dropping the TV service (which is digital basic) down to basic , which – unless I get a superb deal… Read more »
Worked like a charm for me. I didn’t get any additional services (didn’t want any, either) and my bill got lowered by nearly $112 per month. Like magic. Thanks so much for the article, @phillipdampier.
$112/mo? That’s awesome, Nancy, kudos! After getting nowhere via phone or online chat over the past few weeks, I found this site–great stuff, Phillip, thanks for sharing! I tweeted about 2hrs ago ago, awaiting a reply. I’m curious to see if this is effective for me: new twitter account, no followers, first tweet. We’ve had continuous service with TWC since 2004 when they bought the local cableco, so we’ve never had a new customer-style promotion on our account, and are vastly overpaying (imo) at $157/mo incl taxes (this is in Ohio, not NYC or L.A….) and fees for triple play… Read more »
Yeah, I wish I could get a price reduction. Bill just went from $110 to $167 after promo rate ended. Did the twitter thing, talked to local reps on the phone, “best” they could do was $160 / month. So, it looks like I’ll have to reduce my services or cancel outright.
After making a telephone call to the TW Customer Service number, I ended the call extremely frustrated because the agen didn’t really care that I was ready to switch to DirectTV. Just before the agent hung-up, I asked her if she even cared that I ready to drop TW? At the last moment, she transferred me to the Retention Dept. I thought I was making progress, but all I was offered was a whopping $7 off my bill every month. That’s when I went online to look for help, which is how I ended-up here. I followed Phillip’s advice with… Read more »
We have done this periodically (when we remember to) but we just call them and flat out ask for the deal. We don’t have to threaten to cancel to get it. However, one time we called to actually downgrade our service and they gave us some deals to keep what we had & lowered our price. We’re getting ready to call this week to just go down to basic cable, turbo & wireless for $49.99 a month. Deal or no deal, we are cutting back. We don’t watch all those channels and it’s pointless to pay for cell phone service… Read more »
Please bear with my long post, but it’s been frustrating and I want to share this with everyone. I have been chatting with TWC for 3 days in a row with no results. Here’s my situation: – I have been with TWC for 5 years now and have been on auto-draft and paperless for probably 4.5 of those years. – My payments for just internet was $46.60, including taxes etc. no equipment fees, and was that way for about 2.5 years. – When TWC first came out with their “Turbo” package, I received notification from their CEO stating that I… Read more »
Hi, thanks for the advice, I did the twitter thing today, sadly they never answered me, but maybe they will tomorrow. in my household I have to pay for phone, net and cable (plus basics like water,trash,etc) im disabled and live on 600 a month, so when I got the bundle that everyone wanted (mind you there are 5 tv`s in the house, all need cable boxes and 2 need dvr) it cost me after taxes and stuff 190.00 a month, which I gladly paid, makes what everyone else here pays look very small to me lol but again there… Read more »
Hi, if you cancel service with TWC with your own Modem registered (Motorola SB6141) and then reactivate service under different person to get promotional deal. Can you use the same modem you have (Motorola SB6141)? I read somewhere once its registered under account, you can’t register again? Does that apply even after the account is cancelled?
I think you are fine. People are known to resell their cable modems. As long as TWC doesn’t think it is their property, you should be fine.
they still havent answered me, im guessing they dont read twitter any more? or too many tried this already.
Hi Debra. You should be tweeting @TWCableHelp or e-mail them direct at [email protected]. You probably need to also “follow’ them if you are tweeting. They like to respond with a direct message, which will probably show up in your e-mail box.
Try e-mail and make sure to check your spam box/junk folder in case any replies end up there. Let me know how you make out.
Thanks so much with your help, I went back to twitter , no message but I decided to try again, and apparently the 2 time warners I followed were the wrong ones lol. I tweeted about having to cancel and they did the dm and it wasnt working right for some reason, but they got my messages and had a rep call me the next morning, they let me keep everything I have and dropped the over all price 30.00 a month (dvr rentals free for a year and 6 months free hbo for 6 months) right before I got… Read more »
I copied the tweet at, and also I followed them and also my local office, but I havent checked my messages ill do that now, if not I guess Ill email them amd see if they will help. Thank you for your help 🙂
Thanks Phillip. I have called Time Warner 4 times trying to get a rate reduction. I was skeptical this would work. I followed it to a tee and today 2 days after the twitter effort I got the call and TWC dropped my monthly bill by $56 for the bundle. Not only that, but the TWC representative was friendly and helpful and really took her time to walk through my options. Shocking to say but I am impressed with TWC!
I am glad this worked out for you. I know a lot of folks simply hate negotiating like you are buying a car for a lower bill, especially if you get a tedious rep that wants you to cut down your package instead. But the social media reps for TWC are far better at helping connect you with retention reps that understand you mean business and won’t be bullied. This really is a painless process and I encourage customers to consider it during these difficult financial times. Rate increase season starts this month and extends until February across many TWC… Read more »
We are now paying the equipment lease fee of 3.95 bringing our Standard Cable Internet cost to 56.94.
Do you think we could get our (SoCal) cost back down to the promotional 29.99 again using the tweet method?
If we had to go the distance, how soon after canceling could my husband call as a new customer? & on the same equipment?
I am in the same scenario as another poster; I would like TWC broadband, I have VONAGE phone and hulu unlimited, but TWC wants an $100 for me just to keep my service even though I have canceled my phone service and only have basic cable! I just tweeted but @TWCCarolinas as that is where I am. I wasn’t able to locate @TWCablehelp; could you tell me how I might have searched wrong? Hopefully I will get a response to the tweet I did send!
Thanks so very much for this info; GOD BLESS YOU=)
Leonna, e-mail them at [email protected]. You won’t need Twitter.
Tell them you can sign up for Earthlink for just $29.99 a month (and you can right through Time Warner Cable), so they better deal.
Oh yeah! I had to create a twitter account to do this; would this work against me seeing as they might notice I don’t tweet?
No, they wouldn’t notice.
Is a twitter account necessary/advisable to effectively negotiate with twc or does email at [email protected] work just as well? I will be bargaining on behalf of my elderly parents who are on fixed income. I wonder if they offer a senior package. They have been twc customers for about 40 years.
Oops. I forgot to checkmark “Notify me…”
Late last night I came across this post with looking for alternatives to TWC – internet only service – and sent the tweet out. I vented on G+ when I first got the letter of my promotion ending and the timely postcard introducing the new modem lease (bogus) fee: https://plus.google.com/browser-not-supported/?ref=/110701321686696535944/posts/JuTqjy5skL5 I had a reply just after 8 this morning. After a couple back and forth’s I was told: “After reviewing the bill, you currently have the lowest pricing options for your service level. ^RM” When I asked how to get my “service level” changed to what it’s been for over… Read more »
Didn’t expect a call until tomorrow, but got a call just now from Edgar at TWC retention and he said they’ve already made the change to my account and for another 12 months (the usual promo periods I’ve been on) I’ll have the same service for the same amount including the new modem charge – so it’s $29.99 for internet! No negotiations at all. He said he’s already processed it and since I’m on auto-pay I’ll have a credit next month from the difference of this month’s $52 charge. So, I’d say a total of 10 minutes of my time,… Read more »
Thank you for the information and posting. I used the email address to star the process. The overall result was a savings of $21+/per month and a $150 Best Buy giftcard (after 90 days of good payment standing) Overall the process was worth the time to save about $400 over the next 12 months, the wait time in queue once transferred to the customer retention agents (with a few disconnects included) was a few hours. Ultimately I had to talk to customer retention twice and sales once (sales to get the $150 BB card).
This process was so easy and I got 2 DVRSs triple pack with blue and red package for $123 a month. Awesome deal! Great advice!
I transfered my service from verizon into timewarner around 16 June, 2012.
Ad showed if customer changed provider during 5/28/12 – 6/30/12, I could get $50 armazon gift card but I never received the card. I called customer service, a lady gave a phone no (1-888-977-8985) but the phone had been stopped. I am really mad since I have called so many call but no one could handle it. What should I do?
I’d send details by email to this address: [email protected]
This worked! Thank you so much.
Did the tweet routine but initially did not get a call-back. Repeated the tweet routine and had not one but two calls/messages within the day. There was a day and a half delay before I could call back and by the time I did, our account had already been taken from almost $57 a month (for ONLY cable internet) back down to 34.99. Like magic:)
Worked exactly as you have laid it out here, Phillip — thanks! My monthly services went from $161.06 (Nov) to $101.29 (Dec), saving me over $700 over the next 12 months. THANK YOU!! The savings will now be spent paying for my wife’s newly upgraded cell phone bill.
I am glad to see customers scoring some great deals. I hope folks will consider sharing some of those savings with Stop the Cap! which runs without advertising and entirely on the personal contributions of the consumers who follow us.
The donation button is on the right. 🙂
I have tried and tried to direct tweet twcablehelp after following them and it won’t let me do it. This really sucks.
E-mail this address: [email protected]
It goes to the same people that would handle your tweet.
I need your help Phillip. How should i tweet or write to TWC to let them change m current internet service to the new customer price i pay 49.99 for 15mb, with that same price for new i can get 20mb. I feel like rip off when i try to ask them if i can get that price they say they cant do it. they explain that te standard price is 39.99 while for new it 29.99. can you tell me what should i do to get the new customer, I dont want to talk with them over the phone,… Read more »
E-mail [email protected]. Include your account number and customer info. They will almost certainly want to call you by phone, but it will be a retention agent calling you if you indicate your interest in dropping service. The alternative is to switch to Earthlink via Time Warner Cable broadband. You can visit the Earthlink website and consider their broadband over cable promotional pricing ($29.99 for 6 mos). Be aware all Time Warner customers will see at least 15/1Mbps service as the new Standard speed, so you may not care about Turbo. At the end of six months with Earthlink, you can… Read more »
Basicly you tell me to cancel twc then use earthlink for 6 month thenc cancel and come back to twc as new customer.
Do i use the same name a register or different name?
I cant use @twchelp anymore?
can i just cnacel twc with in 2 week then do a new customer i=after that
You don’t need to do any special retention deal. Just switch to Earthlink first and then at the end of six months, you call TWC’s local sales office and sign up for a year of TWC broadband at the new customer price. When that year is up, you can go right back to Earthlink. This one requires no tweeting or special effort.
Uhm i did move to earthlink and at the 6month period, i call back to ask for new customer price currently deals is 44.95 for turbo. And they say that for current customer only i cant get that deal
Hi Phillip,
Quick question: do you have to re-sign a contract to get the new, lower price?
Thanks!
In some areas, TWC really pushes contracts. If they lock you in at the discount price for the life of the contract (not one of those 2-yr contracts that offer discounts for year one, regular price for year two), you may not care about being on contract.
If you want flexibility to leave before then, penalty-free, I’d just ask TWC to give you the same price without any contract commitment. They may or may not go along. It often depends on the service area.
I tweeted them exactly as you instructed two days ago and no response 🙁 Then I did the same thing yesterday and again no response! I see their email address above. Will that be just as effective (without the public social pressure of Twitter)?
That e-mail address goes to the same people that respond to the Tweets. Social media reps are mostly concerned with customer satisfaction, not public perception.
I tweeted as you instructed & received a request to DM my info. Twitter was having a problem with DM & ended up emailing them. Not 15 minutes later I received a call from the retention department which I successfully negotiated a saving of $56.00 a month for the next 3 months and after it will go up $12.95 a month for a total savings of $43.00 a month. He told me to contact them again as the 3 months are about to expire & they normally have better retention deals at that time of the year! Thanks so much!… Read more »
Email address is no good….
Trying chat now….
could someone tell me the last bill paid was dated. I don’t want to mess up and not pay it.
Phil, I don’t have a Twitter account. I could set one up but I won’t have any “followers.” Would that diminish my clout (such as it is) with Time Warner?
No. Twitter is just a means to use to reach out. You should basically end up talking to the same people if you contacted them in e-mail at: [email protected] or “like” their Facebook page and reach out to them there at https://www.facebook.com/twc?fref=ts
Either way, if you post a message saying you want to take your business to the lower priced competition, the dialogue will get established pretty quick. Just make sure you watch your e-mail or their Facebook page for any responses.
Called to cancel around 11am and by 1pm I had a phone call from time warner giving me a promotional package that I was told I could not get earlier.
from 110$ for one hd box and turbo internet
to 79$ for the same thing plus another hd box
This is a common experience. When the local retention people tell you they cannot offer you a certain deal, escalate it using our method and watch “absolutely no” turn into “of course we can.”
Fed up with my $170 a month and climbing bill, I called last week to “cancel” my services. They could only offer me a $5/mo discount for 3 months. Even after telling them that the local telco is $60 cheaper for better services, they would not budge. I cancelled effective immediately. A van came by today to turn me off and I dropped my modem and set top box off at the local store. Once I got home I tweeted as described above. Exchanged a few DMs with a rep. Was just told there was nothing they could offer me… Read more »
I am FED UP with TWC. I am in NYC and only want internet, so now because I’m not in a package deal, my internet fee is going up. I’ve been a customer for a loooong time. Costs are going up everywhere in NYC and my salary isn’t.
Any advice?
I just want the fastest internet I can get for the lowest price I can get.
I followed Phillip’s advice and I got a savings of $74 per month. Thanks Phillip!
My 1 year Price Lock just expired and I got my new bill today: $149.99 for internet and digital tv. Up about $25 over what I’d been paying. I called and their “retention dept” wanted to make it $140 but would go back up after 3 months. I sent this tweet @TWCableHelp had cable with you for 10 years. Why not respect loyalty? Bill went up 20% last 3 months. Ready for #directv #twc #timewarner Within 6 minutes had response asking for my phone number by DM. 2 hours later a supervisor called and told me my rate is now… Read more »
I’m old and don’t tweet. Will an email ( [email protected] (don’t forget the “.” in twcable.help). be comparable to the results of using twitter? Thanks for your information.
I have signed with Twitter tonight. I am eager to give this a try because they have sent me the dreaded letter that my bill will be going up next month. I can not find the direct message thing anymore? Did they take it away, or am I just missing it. I see people are “tweeting” to them their issues, but I don’t want to mess this up. Which do I need to do, direct message or tweet? Appreciate it!!!!!
Once I figured out twitter, the rest worked to a T… Thank you very much for this post and website. They negotiated a much more reasonable price.
Great advice. I called twice, I chatted twice, and was getting nowhere. I sent an email to the address you said, and got a reply right away that said a rep would be calling me. A day later they called. My bill was going from $150 to $190. Within a minute the rep from client retention offered me a rate of $124. When I said I would need to call her back, she said how about $111? Thank you for this advice! It works!
Thanks for the information it worked great. Tweeted I was ready to cut the cord and I got a voicemail from TW they lowered my bill from $158 to $120 for a year.
Hmmm,,,,,I think I was too easy; a “lay down”. I got a better deal trhu the Twitter route so was pleased to see it helped and agreed to the offer. Bill was $174; 1st phone offer was $164; Twitter offer was $141. It appears some got offers that would mean more like something in the $100 range. Wonder if it is too late to “try again”. I’d be happy to get a 2nd box for same price also…..Any thoughts?
I talked to @TWCableHelp on Twitter yesterday about my 20Mbps Turbo internet service having gone from $51 in Sept. to $63 in Dec. I told them a local company, EarthLink ( a 3rd -party reseller who uses TWC lines ) had a special in my area that offers 15 Mbps service for $40. They replied and asked for my account and contact info. I gave it to them and they called me early this afternoon. I spoke to a very polite and helpful rep named Carol. My 20Mbps service is now $39.95 a month AFTER taxes for the next 12… Read more »
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Thanks for the tip, Phillip! I followed your instructions exactly and strategized for the phone call to negotiate the Double Play rate and then cut off some of my extras to save more money. I didn’t have to. When the local TWC rep contacted me, she reduced my bill from $230.88/month to $159.16/month without changing any of my options. That’s an annual savings of $860.64. I mentioned to the CSR I may cut out a cable box or some movie channels over the next 6 months to save some more. She said that wouldn’t eliminate any of the promotions she… Read more »
After bitching at a TWC CS rep, and then asking to be transferred to Retention, neither was interested in retaining my $140 (currently) Triple-Play account that I’ve had with this company for over 30 years thru it’s transitional buy-outs from being Storer Cable, Insight Communications, and now TWC here in Louisville, KY….. and I wasn’t even bitching about their ever-increasing rate – I was only looking to get the new $3.95 Modem Lease charge removed, as I was told at the time I started service at my current address that ther would NEVER bee a charge for use of their… Read more »
Here is where things went wrong for you. You called TWC’s main number and got transferred to standard retention agents, who are among the most difficult to negotiate with. The second issue was focusing your rage on the modem fee itself and not on the amount of your bill. TWC may not have a retention offer that simply strips the fee off, but they do have plans that reduce the price of your service far more than $3.95 a month. If you fixate on the principle of the modem fee and not real dollars, you may get an agent that… Read more »
Thanks Phil, but here’s the rest of the story: “You called TWC’s main number and got transferred to standard retention agents, who are among the most difficult to negotiate with.” I later called the head office the next day and spoke to a CSR, then another retention rep there. Same results with the 2nd CSR, and the 2nd retention rep. Even when I specifically asked to have the bill reduced elsewhere to make up the $3.95 the 2nd Ret rep finally only offered me a $7 per month reduction, nothing else, BUT even that only for 6 months, not to… Read more »
I would still do the Twitter method shown above. Let them call you. I consistently see people getting better offers, so unless because they have not fully integrated Insight into TWC’s operations, so should you. I would be surprised if you don’t get a call anyway considering you are on the disconnect list. They usually reach out to find out what went wrong. You can get the Motorola 6141 which supports 100Mbps+. It has more DOCSIS 3 channels than the 6121 and other models. Check eBay for best pricing when you search Buy It Now. That is where I bought… Read more »
Philip – I think it really depends on where you live that determines whether you get a reduced offer. In my area (upstate NY) there are really no other alternatives, so after going through twitter and getting a call back the best they could do was $142 / month including taxes. I would imagine if Verizon FIOS were available I would have done much better since there would have been a viable alternative.
I’m guessing TWC is getting smarter about who they really *have* to give a lower price.
If that is true it is new because I’ve seen people in Frontier service areas come out pretty well. TWC will treat Frontier as increasingly competitive because they have phone, improving broadband, and satellite TV in a bundle.
Just remember if their retention deal is worse than a new customer price, it may be worth the hassle to do a disconnect and sign up as a new customer, preferably under a spouse’s name.
I don’t know what services you have for the $142, so I can’t say if that is a reasonable deal or not.
My $142 is for the triple play, no DVRs (I use cablecards and HDHomeRunPrime), and voicemail. I have my own cable modem.
There are no competitors around here (Hudson Valley NY) except a local telco (Fairpoint) whose service I haven’t heard great things about.
many many kudos philip for the awesome tips!!! … we have been twc customers for 15+ yrs … i just got my total bill clipped by $20 + an upgrade from grandfathered turbo to extreme. previous, i had been trying to negotiate rate breaks for what we currently have to similar pricing for new customers. the “normal” customer service channels resulted in nothing but having to add services and equipment – which all resulted in a larger monthly cost than what i have now. granted, the extras might have been a discount in the end, but i wasnt interested in… Read more »
Many thanks for this site and this guide. I had to dust off my Twitter account (I never tweet), sent my first Tweet on 2/13 – got the request to DM my account info the same night. They referred the info to “local support” and told me to expect a call within 72 business hours. Got a call today from TWC and after 10 minutes on the phone my bill is down over $30 a month for the next 12 months…to even less than I was paying last year! Last year I went the conventional “phone call” route to reduce… Read more »
Donations are much appreciated. It’s how we pay to keep things up and running around here.
Worked like a charm, really a lot easier than dealing with their customer service phone line. Thanks for the tip!
Currently have TWC’s Standard TV Service, Standard Internet,Digital Variety Package; one HD/DVR and DVR service and $3.95 Modem lease fee. Total with taxes around $112. Just bought an SB 6141 Docsis 3.0 modem to eliminate the modem fee. Any suggestions on getting a good deal on Extreme/ Ultimate without having to pay an extra $30/$50 per month? Thanks for your advice.
Negotiate a better deal for what you have right now first so you have a set price in mind, then inquire what upgrade promotions they have for 30-50Mbps service. It should run no more than $20 more per month for 30/5Mbps service. I have not price-checked 50/5 promotions lately, mostly because I found the premium price to upgrade to that level not worth the extra speed. In my real-world use, I don’t find much benefit from 50Mbps service based on what I do online, but I want and need the faster upstream speed, so I am happy with 30/5Mbps service… Read more »
Thanks. Was thinking of the 30/5 service and will try to negotiate and see what I can come up with. Thanks for your time and efforts.
Hey,
Just wanted to leave a comment and thank you so much for your help. It was great reading the success stories and knowing we don’t have to take the first offer they give and sometimes they are willing to work with you.
I greatly appreciate you have this webpage and will donate.
Thank you!!!
We are glad we could help. Remember, there is a lot of good consumer information here, so come and visit often. Just click our logo at the top to get to our home page. You can also read stories regarding your provider by clicking the Providers tab at the top and scrolling to your ISP.
just tried this. woke up and my bill has gone up $10. 4 months ago, it went up $20 all in all, we’re up $70 from 3/4 years ago. we pay on time (early in fact) EVERY MONTH. Hope this works. im sick of it, but dont have other options. they dont know that though (i hope)
I find each month Time Warner has different payment terms. I am on a fixed income and get paid just twice a month. This month I received a cancellation notice which I thought was sent erroneously especially since I had payment terms and paid them up last month. Nope the disconnect was not sent by mistake and before I knew my service was shut off. This of course happened AFTER I had paid my bills for the month. So I asked them to make arrangements to pay. The farthest out they could extend me was 6 days last month was… Read more »
Thanks for the great idea. This worked with AT&T Uverse as well. They tried to raise the prices on current internet and TV packages. I ended up doing the same thing mentioned here and got a credit put on my account as well as lowering my monthly bill by threatening to go with a different carrier.
I had a customer retention supervisor call me back with the deal to keep me “the most important part of AT&T”
Yesterday I finally sent a tweet as explained here saying it was time to cancel and switch to another provider. I got the DM request and sent my info. Got a DM back a bit after that saying my information had been sent to local billing and I should hear from them in under 72 business hours. Is that the normal course of events? I don’t believe I’ve heard of anyone here mention local billing.
I am not sure. Usually these get directed to a retentions specialist. Maybe you got a cut and paste response. I’d wait and see what eventually culminates when they call. Let us know.
I got the same response. It was on the Thursday before President’s day weekend. I hadn’t heard anything by Tuesday morning, so I tweeted again saying I hadn’t heard anything and should I be worried. They Dm’d back saying they were sorry and with the holiday it increased the time but if I didn’t hear anything by close of business Wednesday to let them know. On Wednesday afternoon I got my call – and it wasn’t from my local office.
Just got a call from a TWC rep. He lowered my bill to $103.79/month for a year. That’s about a $50/month savings. I didn’t know how negotiable that was and it was close to what I was expecting so I took the offer. Thanks!
Charlie
There you go. I told you not to be too worried. $50 bucks a month for a year is $600. That is nothing to sneeze at.
wow, thats awesome :), I had horrible luck this time 🙁 I get cable, internet and phone, and it had gone up to 210 a month and its my job to keep the stuff we have , no one wants me changing the phone or anything, we have 2 dvrs (no one wants the whole house thing) and 5 rooms with tvs (so 5 boxes altho 2 are dvr`s yet they charge me for 5 set top boxes AND 2 dvrs and they are the same thing) so I twittered, they took my info and the next day the rep… Read more »
Aaron in retention at Time Warner Cable is the least helpful, most co descending persons I’ve spoken to in a long time. Stay away from Aaron and Time Warner Cable. I’m going back to AT&T immediately. Time Warner just lost a
Customer for life and my $1,200 a year.
Thanks so much for the great idea. I had already been on the phone with three separate people over the past two days and was getting nowhere fast. Following your advice I became a twitter newbie, opened an account and fired off my twitter. Had a request to DM info within 33 and 34 mins. Will update you later with results.
Your idea worked like a charm. Instead of my bill going up $30 when my 2 year lock ends, it’s going down $15. Awesome!
Question before I would take any steps; I only have Internet through TWC and they are the ONLY one where I live. Cancelling that would leave me…. well, without any alternative. Would it even work to tweet and tell them to cancel my service..? Plus I only have the ‘basic’, but it’s still almost double from what I paid at first… As for using Google Voice (I didn’t read all of your stuff on this), the cheapest way to do that (afaik, since I’m using that) would be to get OBI ($45) and “hook up” the Google Voice to it.… Read more »
You always have an alternative to internet through TWC: Earthlink, which runs on the TWC pipes. Use their special price for 6 months, then switch back to TWC.
Here’s an interesting dilemma- I’m about to move out of my apartment. Here we have the deal where basic cable and basic internet is included with rent so that cost disappeared from my bill. I have a cable tier, 2 cable set boxes and 1motorola modem (not sure if I keep that). Now- right now I think I would just have to downgrade to remove my small little amount (28ish dollars); however because I am deaf- the phone is a difficult way to go as I never know who I’m getting and my blood pressure usually goes up when trying… Read more »
I’m thinking of dropping my landline and my cable service altogether, and just going with high-speed internet. With a ‘smart TV’ I could get TV through my wireless internet, via hulu-plus and netflix, and still get most of the shows I usually watch. Add a Voip device, and I still have phone service. Even with all those fees added together, I’d still be paying half what my Time Warner bundle is costing me, so the extra devices I’d have to buy would pay for themselves within a year. Switching over would be a pain in the ass, but I am… Read more »
After spending an hour on the phone Monday night (and being switched to a number that disconnected me) and another hour Tuesday night (being told I was not eligible for any deals because I’ve been a loyal customer, oh and you have to call again tomorrow before we’ll do anything), I took your advice and tweeted. Let’s see if that works. If not, I’m going to Verizon. Then, ironically, I’d be eligible for the deals.
It’s been 10 years and I have given TW $5000.00. WOW is such an understatement. I happened upon this site when researching best price for new internet cable for my parents who are still on dial up, uuuggghhh. Then I realized that I have been diligently paying my $41.95/mo for 10 years for ONLY internet and come to find out it is the ‘basic’ slower speed. (Which is only 3Mbps which is very slow compared to the next pricing level ‘Standard’ that has15Mbps) Showing my lack of knowledge here… people talking about the speed say ie: 30/5 what do each… Read more »
Hi Jan. It really depends on what you do with the Internet. If all you do is browse web pages and read e-mail, 3Mbps is perfectly adequate. If you want to start watching online video, get Netflix, or if you are sharing your connection with others at home, faster is much better. Standard speeds are now 15/1Mbps with Time Warner. The first number represents download speed, the second represents upload speed. If you send photos or video files to friends and family, or download files or music, faster upload speeds are noticeable. Otherwise, it probably won’t matter that much to… Read more »
It worked. My bill was lowered from 170+ with taxes to 102. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the great information! I did exactly what you said and I got a call this morning (after less than 24 hours from my tweet) and Kay gave us a $60 per month decrease in our bill. Our bill was about 200 and now it will be around 140. Here’s my question: I’ve heard of people getting much better deals than I got. My brother got a decrease of about 120/month and he has the same package I do. I found a deal through Windstream that is $75/month for bundled internet, phone and TV which looks good. Do you… Read more »
Deals change all the time. They were more aggressive last year than this, so that may explain why your brother got a better deal. Once I accept a deal, I usually live with it until it expires. Windstream has their Prism service in some areas. It is comparable to AT&T’s U-verse. If that is the service they are selling, make sure you get broadband speed information from them for that offer and compare what television package they are offering. Also check for hidden fees for equipment and installation. The $75 intro rate on a triple play is suspiciously low to… Read more »
Thanks Phillip! Great advice, re: Windstream. I thought the same thing about their intro rate being suspiciously low, I just don’t have enough experience to know what to look for. That’s why I appreciate what you are doing – yours is a very nice service.
Also, I will take your advice on the deal I got – good point. Take care and thanks again!!
I read many folks here saying a)they will fish to get a better price and b)others are fed up with the total cost and *will* cancel and the reps here this and in both a) and b) there are reductions in fees because TW offers discounts. I called to complain and I got substantial concessions. My problem is I don’t want any of them because in truth, TW is dying and they know it. I want to cut the cord and just get Extreme Internet and pay half of what I am paying now. I don’t need to pay $35… Read more »
I’m surprised no one has said the terrible customer support isn’t a reason to cancel TW. I have wanted to cancel a million times just on that point alone. I have nothing against people who speak English as a second language. I do have trouble with people who are not properly trained, not knowledgeable, and who repeat your questions about three times to show they are listening…only to have to ask you a couple of times during the call why you are calling. Ask them to tell you what their records show for your MAC address on your modem and… Read more »
If I set up a cancellation date. Can I back out of it? I still want to keep Time Warner. I just want to see if they will give me a cheaper rate or if they won’t care and not call me back.
Yes you can back out of it. I’d recommend trying the Twitter method we describe above because it saves you time and aggravation dealing with your local customer retention reps. TWC will call you with an offer instead of calling them and arguing.
I don’t have a twitter so I emailed yesterday. But I think I still didn’t take the right path by my email stating “I want to set up to disconnect my services at the end of the billing cycle. I pay more than what Verizon offers and just can’t afford to pay what I’m paying anymore.” They responded by saying “I have asked the local support supervisory team to contact you to arrange the disconnect.” I guess I should have already arranged the date previously. They haven’t called yet.
A general note to readers of this thread: TWC is currently running a special for customers without HBO/Cinemax. Call and ask them if you can get six months of HBO and/or Cinemax for $5 each. They pitched this to me this morning while I was calling them about an equipment problem. The deal also gets you HBO/Cinemax Go (the online streaming services) and the on-demand channels. After six months the rate increases to $19.95 a month total for both HBO/Cinemax (if you take both). Regular price is $14.95 for HBO and $12.95 for Cinemax.
Ive been trying the twitter method as above, set up cancel date etc. I have YET to talk to anyone except the standard sales dept or customer service dept. Afetr trying twitter AGAIN, someone FINALLY left a voicemail with a local-ish phone number as their ID. The callback number she left was……..the STANDARD sales dept again! IT IS impossible to talk to any kind of manager whatsoever. I dont want stuff for free. I just want to discuss options with someone with authority. If they dont do that for customers, fine. Just dont keep telling me I will be able… Read more »
Thanks so much! I used your twitter tactic, and within 24 hours, I had my bill dropped $18 a month, got a year’s worth of free Showtime, and upgraded my internet from 15 mbps to 20!!!
I stumbled across this site today, and I’m glad I did. Our 12 month promotional rate with Time Warner for internet/TV/phone ended in January. I emailed TWC today at the email address above, indicating we were considering switching to Frontier for a comparable bundle for around $100/month. Within a couple of hours (on a Sunday, no less) a local retention agent called me who offered to lower our monthly rate from $135 to $93 (including tax), good for the next 24 months with no contractual obligation.
Thanks Phillip!
Hi Phillip, Yesterday I used your tweet advice and tweeted TWC for my 85-year old mother who can’t afford $180.00 a month for the bundle. The reply back said “We’re here to help!” They didn’t ask for a DM. What should I tweet back to them? I also am following them. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get my mom’s bill lowered and when talking to the TWC reps, they don’t help at all. I just may have to have my mom call them and say she’s cancelling and get a cancel date, then hopefully they will call… Read more »
Trying this now. Got a response on Twitter, sent DM, awaiting further response/call. So far, it’s worked like clockwork.
IMPORTANT NOTE! The Twitter account listed above has changed. It is now “@TWC_help” as opposed to “@twcablehelp”.
Thanks. I will update the piece.
No problem.
As an update, I just had a few phone calls with a rep today. Everything continued to work like clockwork. They gave us over 100 additional channels, HD versions of those channels, and a DVR for the exact same rate. Price is locked for 2 years! This is what we were hoping for in the end (as opposed to a rate reduction), so it worked out very well!
Needless to say, I’ll be referring friends to this article!
So I called TWC today to let them know that I had scheduled installation of DirectTV for this Wednesday, and that I wanted to find out about dropping my cable tv and phone coverage but keeping my earthlink hi-speed internet. After being placed on hold several times while the retention rep looked into putting together a comparable package to what DirectTV was offering I received this as a “final’ offer: -Digital tier cable package with whole house HD DVR receiver and playback units for 2 additional TV’s. Sportspass package, plus HBO/Cinemax/Starz. -Earthlink hi-speed internet -$139 mo with taxes, price locked… Read more »
I am here in Rochester. From what I have heard, people don’t have as much trouble with rain/snow fade as long as the dish is properly aimed and kept out of spots that attract snow accumulation. DirecTV just can’t compete with on-demand programming, if you care about that. They don’t have an easy way to get you the programming and they pre-download content to the receiver they think you might be interested in. Make sure everyone is giving you an “out the door” price on your package quotes. Hidden surcharges, taxes and fees can pad the bill significantly. The Whole… Read more »
Thanks for the input Phillip. I didn’t even think about a possible upgrade on my internet connection. We’ve always had EarthLink and haven’t ever had any problems, plus I thought I saw a suggestion from you somewhere that EarthLink might be a better option for someone because it had a standard speed of 15/1, as compared to what was being offered standard by TWC. What I ended up doing was calling DirectTV back and telling them I wanted to cancel my scheduled installation because I wanted to do more research about the reliability of their service, and my concerns about… Read more »
You are a prime target for a very aggressive retention package because you are a long time customer. I urge you to try the Twitter method. You could also try Facebook if you use that. Send a Message to them in private and see if they respond (https://www.facebook.com/twc). Your original approach probably took you to one of their regional retentions centers. I have not been impressed with their first-line retention offers and getting a more senior person or an executive customer service person working with you (which is what usually happens using my method described above) unlocks a bunch of… Read more »
I actually did try the Twitter approach you outlined, and I received a reply within minutes. They researched my account and saw that a rep had already written up a downgrade order with concessions and asked me to confirm. I told them that I felt it was still too expensive for what they were offering. I also noted that the DirectTV package I was offered plus Earthlink from TWC was still $45 cheaper a month than their offer. I got a quick reply that my inquiry had been escalated for further review, and that I would get a call within… Read more »
It took a while and a little aggravation, but for $115 per month for the next two years I got TWC to provide: -Digital Cable Tier -A whole house DVR plus two playback units -HBO -Extreme internet connection 30/1 mbps -No installation costs for whole house DVR or internet upgrade Compared to my current TV and Internet package this is upgrading me to the whole house DVR from a regular DVR, adding a playback until for a third TV, adding HBO that I’ve never had, doubling current internet speed. And because they inadvertently sent a service tech to my house… Read more »
Awesome deal. I just bought an Ooma Telo — haven;t installed it yet (there’s no guarantee you can keep your current phone number…). How do you like the service?
I’ve registered the Ooma unit but we haven’t installed it yet. I paid a $39.99 phone number port fee, and just received confirmation the other day that the port will occur on 7/29. I’ll be in a better position to offer a critique then.
Wow! You’ve received a great deal!
It’s good to know that TWC are still willing to negotiate on service rates.
I’ll be calling them in a few months to extend my promotional discounts for another year.
🙂
It will be worth the try I’m sure. There is a story today in the online edition of my local newspaper that TWC has announced they are increasing their internet rates by an average of $3 per month. They claim the fee increase is need to ensure reliable service due to the higher bandwidth demand caused by the increase in online gaming and streaming video. I personally think it’s just because they can. In this day and age, who doesn’t rely on an internet connection to support multiple home devices. TWC has almost no competition in my area for high… Read more »
So I have been paying $161.00 per month for the TWC triple play
-Digital Cable Tier
-Standard Internet at 15MBS
– Digital Phone
-1 box and DVR Service
– 1 Cable modem
I tweeted as instructed and 2 hours later a regional rep called me and reduced my triple play from $125.00 to $89.99 for the next 24 months and upgraded me from Standard to Turbo
@TWC_Help.Getting ready to cancel #timewarnercable ONLY New Customers get ALL the savings. Existing customers get UNAFFORDABLE rates!!
There you go. It’s so easy to save a boatload of money. Your next step is to bank some of those savings and buy your own cable modem to avoid the soon to be $5.99 a month TWC will be getting to rent their modem. You can see plenty of our coverage on this issue from the home page.
Hint: Make a donation to keep Stop the Cap! up and running. We don’t make a cent doing this.
This just worked for me. I’ve got HD service, DVR, Turbo, & phone. Bill had gone to $170 with tax, from $147. Two tweets to @TWC_help (look for @skydaver to see my two tweets; I haven’t sent out a lot in the past two days) and I got a call within minutes of the second tweet. Got the explanation that yes, new customers do get an incentive to switch, but I just kept saying I could do better by switching to POTS, DSL & satellite. Got offered $147 w/tax, and told that was essentially the same rate as the new… Read more »
The gift card is really tough, but some people have gotten 50-100 percent of the value of the gift card applied as a credit to their TWC bill. The promotion with the gift card is for switchers only, and they have a third party company administering it, so you won’t get it if you don’t qualify. But money is money, and TWC can find a way to credit accounts for a similar or equal amount. The new customer promos are not very good as of this past January when they tightened up a lot. The triple play offers are not… Read more »
I don’t have much experience with Ooma so far, but the premier service does have some nice features that help block annoyance calls. You can set your service to reject any anonymous callers, you can create a personal registry of blocked numbers, you can automatically block annoyance numbers based on feedback from the Ooma community, and it will block any calls from a know telemarketer. I’ve been at my house for 10 years, and I still get daily calls from debt collectors for the prior owners. Half of the messages on my answering machine each day were hang ups. I… Read more »
I am currently with Time Warner, and very unhappy. My wife and I are big tv watchers. We like to have the premium stuff like Showtime and HBO. But since the blackout, we are without Showtime and that is a big deal for us. Needless to say, I called Time Warner and cancelled Showtime. They put a few other premium channels in place for now, but I am not interested in being pacified with channels I am not interested in. Channels that I cancelled a few months prior do to the lack of interest/programming. I recently visited my Time Warner… Read more »
If you need an internet alternative provider, and you’re not in a uverse zone, just use Earthlink running over TWC lines. Low rates for 6 months, then switch back at new subscriber rates.
Thanks for this site! I had known about this trick for a couple of years thanks to a friend who works for TWC in this capacity (retaining customers who have called in to disconnect). However this time around it didn’t seem to work as I called in to cancel and did not get a phone call like I was expecting. Finding this site I sent TWC an email (I don’t do the Twitter thing) and they got back to me right away. I did not, however, receive a phone call right away, so after a few days I emailed them… Read more »
IF you email TWC what address works best? I too like JP don’t use Twitter, is email the next best way to get to somebody who can make you a deal?
I’ve been trying to cut my rate through retentions for years and they usually pacify me with $20 for twelve months and then jack it up. I’m not a big twitter person but I dusted off the account, tweeted them, got a response within minutes asking to pm them, sent my info and got a call within 12 hours. The gal called from a local number and laid down a sweet deal comparable to a new service. I had cable, DVR, a second box, hbo, and basic Internet and was paying $151/month. They initially offered the same plus show time… Read more »
I emailed the site, and did the twitter. I actually turned my box in and cancelled today. Nobody has shown any interest in retaining me – in fact the twitter response was that the only retention office available was local. I am giving up. Just wanted to let you know it doesn’t work for everyone.
I am not trying to imply anything with this response, but you are correct that this method will not work for everyone. As mentioned in the original post above: “However, customers with a poor payment record or past due account may discover the company less willing to negotiate.” Again, I am not assuming or trying to imply that you fall into this category (personally I have fallen into this category a few times during my adult life, so no judgements from me if anyone else has) just re-asserting the point. Also, in another post http://stopthecap.com/2013/08/01/time-warner-cable-our-promotion-cutbacks-and-rate-hikes-cost-us-customers/ the following is mentioned: “But… Read more »
Never missed a payment of any kind – had it on auto pay. We have plenty of competition. I just never got through the local level. Whatever – it has been nice to explore the numerous options on Netflix and hulu on my new roku. I look forward to not paying the high prices for garbage anymore!
I’ve been a TWC customer in good standing Since January of 2006. I cancelled my TV and phone service last week. TWC made no effort to retain my TV/Phone business with promotional pricing. I was surprised that I was not offered a discount after 7 and a half years of being a loyal customer. However, I have not missed my cable TV subscription at all this week. I’m also proud of the fact that I have absolutely no Time Warner equipment in my home. Once Google Fiber comes to my neighborhood, I will cancel my TWC Extreme Internet service and… Read more »
I am giving the Twitter effort a try tomorrow morning and will let you know how it goes. My bill was just jacked to $225 a month for digital tv, 2 dvr boxes, turbo internet (middle of the road) and home phone. I was astonished. Calling did not get me anywhere so Twitter is my last ditch effort. They do not have competition here, so if I have to go elsewhere.. I will do the Ooma for phone, Direct TV for cable and probably have to stay with TWC for internet. This is simply the greediest company in America. I… Read more »
I was paying about $200 per month for the exact same services, so you are not wrong in thinking your rate is high. You can scan up this email thread to see the deal I was able to negotiate with TWC. Keep in mind that I did drop TWC phone service and purchased an Ooma Telo unit, which I factored into my estimated savings for the two years my new TWC is good for.
Good Luck!
This worked well – ask for someone to call you direct – no waiting on the phone like I initially did… They reduced my rate with no fuss at all… Make sure to thank them for their response on Twitter as customers rarely give praises…
Followed the Tweet suggestion, and got my internet service dropped from $59.98 to $39.98 (including free Turbo Upgrade) for 1 year. Service Rep. called me within 1 hour. Thanks for the tip. I dropped my cable tv services last year and switched to Dish satellite because of the pricing. They only offered a reduction after I had committed to Dish. Satellite was a good switch though, a lot more features for a lot less money.
This worked for me, thanks for the tip!
Worked for me! Thanks!
Within the last 2 months my rate went up from $43.99 to $51 to $54.99 for standalone Standard internet 15/1 mbps. I tried the tweet method and got a reply for DM within 10 minutes, and received a phone call from a regional rep (Syracuse area code – I’m in Ithaca NY, part of their Southern Tier area) 3 days later. The rep offered $44.99 promo pricing for a year, and that’s the best he can do no matter how I tried. I said I see a promo price of $34.99 for new customers and he made up some excuses… Read more »
I’m sorry to report I am one that this did not work for. I guess it might have something to do with where I love, suburbs of Charlotte. I signed up for Twitter just to do this, did get a reply quickly but the reply said that a local manager would have to call me back in 24-72 hours. Again, must be the area I live in since someone from corporate would not call back. They never did call… so I tweeted again and they replied back that someone did try to call me. This was not true as I… Read more »
I am also one that the tweet method did not produce the desired result. The best they would offer was reducing my bill by $16 each month. Mind you they had just increased my bill by $11 this month so they were really only offering a grand savings of $5. I promptly replied that I could do even better, I could return my wireless router/modem and dvr and reduced my bill by $45. They acknowledged this but would not offer a better deal. So Friday I returned the wireless router/modem and dvr, moved my service down to basic for the… Read more »
Thanks to all this column’s advice over the past year I was able to get the sales person I was speaking with to switch me over to TWC’s Customer Solutions Team (yes they really do have that!) and get the newest loaded bill lowered. I was stunned to get my latest bill with a $10 higher rate for Standard internet—bringing it to $46. My modem fee had already gone up twice within the last few months, and TWC wouldn’t lower it. I did nothing until I got this bill and saw red. I called, and after some persuasion (catching more… Read more »
I am sorry this didn’t work as well for you. AT&T U-verse is really hurting TWC, especially in the midwest, with very aggressive promotions and TWC has been slow to respond. Let me know if TWC starts pounding down your door or phoning you the moment you do cancel and turn your equipment back in. They usually fill your mailbox with “please come back” offers they foolishly should have given you before you dropped your equipment off at the local cable office. Their loss! I think that AT&T promotion you got sounds extremely good. Just make sure they give you… Read more »
After a few times of trying to get the 1-800 TWC customer service reps to help me lower my bill without losing services, I google about how to lower my bill. This site is very informative thanks! I called TWC again tonight and the kid told me I was getting a great deal and even tried to upsell me and raise my monthly bill by $15 a month… when I specifically told him that I called to LOWER my bill ! I’m really tired of being nickel and dimed to death by TWC. Here’s my current bill. And this is… Read more »
Don, your mistake is calling them. You are being routed to their national retentions calling centers and these people will not provide the best possible rates. Read the article carefully and follow the instructions to message them on Twitter. Then wait for them to call you! The very least you should hold out for is identical pricing that new customers get. Tell them Verizon is wiring your neighborhood up for FiOS and you keep getting these great sign up offers and you are considering switching. Make them come up with something better. You are not getting a “great deal” as… Read more »
I’m moving at the end of this month and contacted Time Warner as they will be the cable company where I’m moving. My sister, brother and mother all live in this area and they all have Time Warner. When calling Time Warner, I was only offered their deals that were posted online. No one would budge off those deals at all and believe me I tried. I’m sorry but those deals they have posted online aren’t good deals for a new customer. They are very expensive and I thought Charter was expensive. TW is much worse. When comparing the same… Read more »
If you are switching from another provider, you should be able to score that gift card worth up to $300, Sue. You will need to send them a copy of your final Charter bill and follow the rebate instructions carefully. You are correct that new customers won’t be given retention deals, but hang on. After you sign up as a new customer and you meet the terms that will get you that gift card, you can then always threaten to cancel and then they will give you a better deal. I agree their new customer promotions are pretty lousy this… Read more »
Thanks Phillip. At this point I think I give up with TW TV. I’m going to give Direct TV a try. At least with them I know I get a 200.00 Costco gift card to sign up + lots of good discounts and I will have a DVR on all TVs….not just one and the cost will be cheaper then TWC wanted to charge me for just one lousy DVR. Plus I don’t have to pay 10.00 for HD. Sure Direct will go up the 2nd year but that’s when I’ll do my haggling and calling to get more discounts.… Read more »
I’m in North Carolina and googled how to cut your TWC bill and your site came up. I followed your instructions and 24 hours later, my bill is $72 less per month for the same services! THANK YOU! My conversation with the retention specialist was less than 2 minutes. It was awesome. Didn’t read all the posts so not sure if this happened to anyone else but right after I got off the phone with her, my internet/phone went out. Was on hold for 20 min and then on with them for nearly an hour. Turns out in order to… Read more »
My experience with Twitter went much better this year than last. Last year a local billing person called me, so it was much harder to negotiate a lower bill. This year a higher-up retention person called me, and quickly said he could lower it from $178 to $127. I ended up adding Turbo internet to bring it to $137. Not as great as the new customer rates certainly, but that’s a savings of almost $500 / year and faster internet over my original bill. Out of curiosity is there any benefit to tweeting a thanks to Time Warner for working… Read more »
This totally worked for me as well, with TWC in North Carolina! Within 15 minutes of my initial tweet I had someone that called me directly and offered me a whopping $84 per month reduction for basically the same exact service I have now. So went from $237 to $153 total price. This includes full digital/hd TV with DVR rental, modem rental, home phone, blah blah. The only service change is I went from 50/5 Internet down to 30/5. This saved me an extra $20 which I thought was worth it. The nice thing is, there was absolutely ZERO haggling.… Read more »
Tweeted on Friday and got a call today from TWC in Maine. $172 bill for Watch & Surf with Extended Sports Pack, DVR, etc. dropped to $110/month for a year…. No haggling. Guy called up said that my twitter contact had been forwarded to him and that he was going to take a look at my rates to see what he could do. Was on the phone for less than three minutes
This worked for me also, tweeted them in the morning got a call in the afternoon. I’m not a good negotiator but they offered me a $22 dollar reduction and free HBO and Showtime movie package. I took the deal $22 bucks is better than none. Thank you for this site and helping my frustrations.
Sending an email to ‘[email protected]’ doesn’t work, the email comes back as undeliverable.
Sending a tweet to @TWC_help also doesn’t seem to help as I keep getting the run around and they tell me that I’ve already spoken to someone in retentions about special promos, which I haven’t.
What is the next course of action? Actually put in the cancellation work order and wait for them to offer up a better deal before they disconnect service?
Thanks, Phillip! Last year I had called and it took some time but I was able to get a good deal. But I just tried twitter and recieved a response in about 5 minutes. I recieved the call about an hour later and 8 minutes after that I’ll be saving $700 over the next year. Our bill is going from $195 a month down to $136 after taxes and fees, and they’re giving us the same rate that new subscribers get! Deal!!! Did you use the same technique again this year? If so, did it work the same way? I’m… Read more »
I find it oddy that they do not list the actual prices. Is it possible this actually just means that the rate listed is guaranteed for 12 months not to change? Otherwise I would think that them saying these are not introductory rates would be a contradiction with what their website says.
I just got an offer to upgrade to Extreme internet speed for an extra $10 a month (Already have my own Motorola SB 6141 modem and use an Ooma for my local phone). I could use the extra speed but I really don’t want to give them any more per month than the $120.07 (Standard Internet and Basic/Standard/Digital Variety package, plus DVR and local taxes, fees, etc) I am currently paying( which is a price increase from the $108 I was paying just a few months ago for the same service level). I keep getting offers from AT&T for U-verse… Read more »
@philipdampier Phillip, I’ve been reading this board honestly since December 2012, but haven’t had the time to invoke your teachings. I want to cut some costs for my parents since I’m back visiting. I’ve upgraded them from 2 old Zenith CRT (tube tv’s) to 2 HDTV’s from bestBuy (but price matched on amazon) which was killer great deal. They don’t have the HD signal so the picture quality is poor. They also don’t have internet. I would like to add INTERNET to their bill, but lower the overall bill from what it currently is since they only have like 1… Read more »
I think you should target around the $80 mark with Digital TV and at least 3Mbps Internet. I don’t know what your parents intend to do online but if it is basic web browsing and email, 3Mbps is sufficient. If they want online video, they’ll want standard Internet (15Mbps). Use the Twitter method to establish contact because you’ll deal with a regional manager, not the specially trained retention agents who will fight for every nickle they don’t want to give you. The Movie Pass might also be discountable… that is for the Encore suite I believe, not TMC, which is… Read more »
Thank you Phillip,
I see that the black older modems have a firmware issues amongst other issues, i’ll look into the new models. Once I have gone through the process, i’ll post the outcome.
Happy New Year!
I have a black modem most likely with older firmware and have never had a single issue with it and I’ve run it for over a year.
I also have a black modem and I see noticeable T3 and T4 timeouts that reboot the modem. This happens at least 6 times a week. I am with Crap Warner Mafia. I just ignore the errors and move on…. It is futile to get those taken care of…
Cable Modem Reboot due to T4 timeout
No Ranging Response received – T3 time-out
Model Name: SB6141
Vendor Name: Motorola
Firmware Name: SB_KOMODO-1.0.6.12-SCM00-NOSH
Boot Version: PSPU-Boot(25CLK) 1.0.12.18m3
Hardware Version: 7.0
I would rather get the white modem as the black ones are OLD modems for ISPs.
I currently pay $54.99 for Standard internet. I tweeted @TWC_help 2 days ago and after DM’ing them my info, I got a call from a very nice rep offering me the Standard Internet promo rate of $34.99 for 12 months. I happily took it and thanked her for calling.
A year ago I followed the instructions here and got a substantial discount. That deal was only for a year and is coming to an end. So, what do I do now? Threaten to cancel again? Live with the regular price for a while? Has anyone had luck renewing a special deal or getting a new deal after the previous one expires? I’ve put off buying a cable modem since I’m not currently charged extra for it. My son is building an HTPC system and dropping cable (but keeping Internet obviously). I’m technically competent to do the same thing. He’s… Read more »
Wait until they send you a letter with their new, slightly more expensive retention offer. It usually runs six months. If it works for you, stay with that. In either case, once the prices look like they are resetting to “gouge” level, repeat the original procedure.
The upcoming rate increase in upstate NY will be another excuse to approach retentions. They are packing on the junk fees, like a $2.25/mo broadcast TV fee, an on-screen guide fee, and higher prices for cable boxes.
Phillip – regarding the new fees, I have no cable boxes and 2 CableCards, and STILL I am charged a guide fee. I spent an hour on the phone a few months ago arguing about the ridiculous charge, but they spouted some nonsense about not being able to remove it since it’s tied into the cable package. If it is, why not just increase the cable price instead of having a separate line item for “The Guide”? I wish I could abandon TWC but they are really the only option at this point for me.
I’ve done this twice now.The second time I had to push for retention to call me but got them to do that after a few back and forths on Twitter. I then bought my own modem dropping the price more.
I tried the Twitter method earlier this week with disappointing results. We received the letter last week indicating we were being auto-enrolled in a new promotional rate, but we felt it was too high. After posting to Twitter I got a response within 15 minutes, and went back and forth a few times with the rep, who ultimately told me there were no new promotions that could be offered to me. The rep did offer to have a specialist call me, so I accepted that offer… but the call never came. After 48 hours I contacted the rep via Twitter… Read more »
I tried the twitter method with Facebook. I use MagicJack for phone service and I pay 30 dollars a year. I use Netflix and an Antenna to watch local news, world news, and some shows. The only thing I pay for is Time Warner Cable Standard Internet and my bill right now is $65.51. Time Warner Cable said on Facebook someone would call me and they did. They brought my price down to $34.99 and it was just a matter of 5 minutes. Worked out pretty well for me!
I used this strategy to get $10 off my TWC Extreme Internet service for the next 12 months! A retention specialist called and offered me the current promotional rate. Thank you Phillip and everyone else for their advice.
I don’t do Twitter, so I shot them a Facebook message. I live in Erie County, and, unfortunately, there is no competition where I live other than maybe Dish Network (can’t get line-of-sight for DirecTV satellites), so my options are limited. Will let you know how it goes.
This worked for me! Was able to cancel my TV which was charging nearly $200 for TV, phone, and Internet to about $60 per month with their “Turbo” internet. Saved me $140 per month and NOT ON CONTRACT! Thanks for the step-by-step!
I have been with TWC for 10 years paying $164/month for internet and cable with some other options here in San Diego. I called up their generic contact number (800-964-2783) and made it through the menu options to a care rep. Basically I said that cost was my primary concern and that ATT had a promotion for a basically equivalent package for $80/month (which is true). The rep responded with a bunch of gobbledygook of how TWC was improving their infrastructure, don’t charge for service calls, etc. and basically that their service was superior to ATT which is why it… Read more »
Great article! I tweeted as the article suggested and got a response within 30 mins. I provided name, acct #, etc and got a call about 3 hours later. My monthly rate dropped from $253 to $151 for all the same services (phone, turbo internet, 2 DVR boxes and one standard box). This is a one yr promotion, but it will save me over $1200 in that time. Thanks for writing the article, you have saved a lot of people some serious money.
Readers: Please see our newly updated 2015 guide to Getting a Better Deal from Time Warner Cable. You will get the latest information about negotiating strategies and what kinds of deals to expect.
Find the updated article here: http://stopthecap.com/2015/03/02/how-to-score-a-better-deal-from-time-warner-cable-and-save-over-700-a-year-2015-edition/