i am the self-titled master at getting cable copanies to comply with my wishes.
trick is to be super nice to everyone you speak to and get to a manager if you need. my favorite line to the first rep is "i know you are doing everything you can, and i appreciate that, but may i please speak to your manager?"
if it doesn't work the first time, call back. over and over again. be polite everytime.
my most recent quibble was over a $10 charge for hbo which i never watch. i called them up and told them i did not want this and don't remmeber signing up for it and they said they removed it. i asked if they removed the hbo or the charge. they said they removed the hbo and i'd be getting $8.32 refunded. i asked them to cancel my service for charging me $1.68 for something i never watched. they asked why i would cancel my service over $1.68. i asked them why they would lose a customer of 4 years over $1.68. they had no response. i then used my favorite line, and not only did the manager refund the $1.68, they also gave me $15 off per month for the next 6 months.
before that was one i feel kind of guilty about. i was unable to log into my account to pay my bill since i moved. they tried to fix it but it sent me in this loop of never ending verification and i never got logged in. they called me a couple months later when i was 3 months behind on my bill. i told them of the ordeal in great detail and very politely. i also asked why i should keep doing business with them when they couldn't even fix such a simple matter. they asked what they could do to keep me. i asked for a full month, they offered half a month, i stayed at full month. dude got approval and refunded a full month service and i paid off the other one.
so far i have bargained at least $1000 out of my cable companies over the years.
i am thinking of opening up a business that provides this service as too many people allow themselves to get bullied and jacked by rate hiking companies.
