![twcGreen](https://stopthecap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/twcGreen.jpg)
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.