Hate is probably too strong of a word for the title. I am so mad at myself. I am usually pretty good at making sure I get a fair deal and don’t often get taken advantage of. But I feel used. Time Warner Cable has been charging me $8 a month for a modem that they installed in my house 7 years ago and I just found out yesterday when that modem finally died!!!!!
I am so mad!!! How can they charge me a lease fee for a $75 modem 7 years after it was installed?
Time Warner said it was a fee to pay for technical support of the modem. The modem was 7 years old. It was installed before the financial crisis. George Bush was still President when this little black box found its way into my home.
They said the fee began being charged in 2009. They said they sent me a post card to tell me that they were going to begin charging the fee. I’m not sure about everyone else but I was a little busy during 2009 trying to help clients navigate the financial crisis. Also I get the bill by email and it is set up on autodraft so I really didn’t pay attention. And that is why I hate myself.
I wasted $480!
I am sure I am not the only one that didn’t know about it. Thankfully there is something you can do about it. You can purchase your own modem and get rid of the $96 a year Time Warner (or your internet provider) is charging you. It’s what I did and it was the best feeling when I turned the old modem into the office and told them I wanted printed proof that the fee was being removed because I don’t trust a sneaky fee driven monopoly like Time Warner.
So if you want to save $96 a year go to Best Buy, Staples or even Wal Mart and purchase a modem that works for your cable company. Then call your cable provider and they will walk you through the install. It took 5 minutes and it felt great.
I feel better now that I got that off my chest.
A Thought from the Factory on Main
Best wishes
Peter Huminski, AWMA
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.