Cox Communications outages

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

and Internet too....

no you're not.  It takes electricity to power DSL modem/router.

everyone here defending/praising the death star makes me want to puke.

bragging about having a land line is like bragging that you still use a typewriter or a vaccuum tube television.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

quote:Originally posted by patric

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

Been without power since Sunday.....SBC has been tried and true...Telephone service and Internet too....

I insist on having at least one regular corded phone in the house for just such occasions.
Landline was as reliable as ever long after the house was dark and cold, and I remember thinking how screwed Cox customers must be right now.

I have never had a cell phone, nor do I have Cox internet or TV, so I won't comment on that.

I have just one old fashioned Ma Bell land line at my home, and it went out Monday morning due to a fallen tree branch downing the drop from the pole to my house.  I called AT&T Monday night, and they said someone would be out to fix it on Thursday.  They arrived Thursday afternoon at 4:00 PM, reconnected my house, and viola, I had clear phone service again.  Apparently AT&T has had very little problem with main feeder lines, mostly just problems with downed drops to individual homes.

I will never give up my land line, as long as I can afford it.

I can see how you might be able to go without the phone a few days, but how's that been not being able to play the Hammond? []

[safetyguy]

Windstream had a nice big add poking at Cox in today's paper. It was rather amuzing.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by patric


I insist on having at least one regular corded phone in the house for just such occasions.
Landline was as reliable as ever long after the house was dark and cold, and I remember thinking how screwed Cox customers must be right now.

My Cox service stays up for about a day after power goes out. Even if it'd been out for two weeks, it still would've been up more than my SBC service which went out in poor weather, clear weather, and days ending in Y.

[Radio]

quote:Got to remember that when Ma Bell built the system their reliability standards were really high -- just short of withstanding WWIII.  Cox was into quick-and-dirty market penetration and now that people will be figuring that out im sure a lot will be unbundling their services.

Actually, Ma Bell built to nuclear standards.  Their microwave and cable systems were built to withstand a close nuclear attack.  Just south of Tulsa is a big example of it, 35K square feet of bunker, partially underground, designed to withstand Tulsa being nuked.  It had microwave and cable.  The site included an underground shelter, decon showers, 450KW of generating power, etc.  It was a major switching center for the military telephone network of the day, Autovon, as well as a major civilian network hub.  And yes, it has a big old tower, unlit.  (which will stay unlit, to be a good neighbor to the Astronomy Club of Tulsa)

The shelter remains, but most of the electronics have been pulled (With some historical items kept, such as the old Echo Fox system that was the communications system for Air Force 1 for many years).  The decon showers, etc are still there.

Since deregulation, much of that has been sold
off.  The system that exists now is reliable because of the old infrastructure build out.  Most of the new build is no where near as reliable, although it is still overbuilt.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by safetyguy

Windstream had a nice big add poking at Cox in today's paper. It was rather amuzing.

Windstream needs to go away.  Pathetic excuse for a company.  They will take every chance they get to promote telephone lines, because they sure can't compete anywhere else!

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by Radio

quote:Got to remember that when Ma Bell built the system their reliability standards were really high -- just short of withstanding WWIII.  Cox was into quick-and-dirty market penetration and now that people will be figuring that out im sure a lot will be unbundling their services.

Actually, Ma Bell built to nuclear standards.  Their microwave and cable systems were built to withstand a close nuclear attack.  Just south of Tulsa is a big example of it, 35K square feet of bunker, partially underground, designed to withstand Tulsa being nuked.  It had microwave and cable.  The site included an underground shelter, decon showers, 450KW of generating power, etc.  It was a major switching center for the military telephone network of the day, Autovon, as well as a major civilian network hub.  And yes, it has a big old tower, unlit.  (which will stay unlit, to be a good neighbor to the Astronomy Club of Tulsa)

The shelter remains, but most of the electronics have been pulled (With some historical items kept, such as the old Echo Fox system that was the communications system for Air Force 1 for many years).  The decon showers, etc are still there.

Since deregulation, much of that has been sold
off.  The system that exists now is reliable because of the old infrastructure build out.  Most of the new build is no where near as reliable, although it is still overbuilt.

Did they have a pad for black helicopters there? [}:)]

[Wilbur]

I just got my Cox services back this afternoon after being without for a week.  Amazing how much I missed the Internet.

But here is my question.  When my electricity goes out, I don't get billed for electricity during that time.  When my ONG goes out, I don't pay for gas I didn't use.  When my water is off, I don't pay for water I couldn't use.  How does that work with Cox?  I didn't have internet/phone/cable for 25% of the month, so does my bill go down by 25%?  Anybody call Cox and ask?  If so, what was there answer?

[grahambino]

that is my question, Wilbur.
i'm going to assume it's going to be a week before I get cable / internet back.  its been out for 8 days, now.  i pay approx. 2.25 a day for cable / internet...my bill is going to be 31.50 less...one way or another.

[T-Town Now]

Channel 2's Problem Solvers had a story on about this just this morning. You have to call Cox billing and request a credit if you want one. I don't think they'll just automatically give you one.

Cox has lousy customer service, so it should be a real enjoyable experience when you call in. How many times can you give your name, address, last four digits of your social security number, etc., in one phone call?

And Cox should use something other than social security numbers for identification, it's not a safe thing to use in this day and age.

[jne]

After just spending 2 hrs on the phone with AT&T because my rate suddenly jumped from one month to the next, I can't wait to get on the phone with Cox about billing for services I didn't get. They are supposed to hang my line back up tomorrow, but said I am still in an 'outage' area.  Let us know how the battle goes so we can come in with ammo.

[Friendly Bear]

quote:Originally posted by T-Town Now

Channel 2's Problem Solvers had a story on about this just this morning. You have to call Cox billing and request a credit if you want one. I don't think they'll just automatically give you one.

Cox has lousy customer service, so it should be a real enjoyable experience when you call in. How many times can you give your name, address, last four digits of your social security number, etc., in one phone call?

And Cox should use something other than social security numbers for identification, it's not a safe thing to use in this day and age.

The tenderest moment with Cox Customer Dis-Service, after you have entered your account number, last four of SSN or Secret Password, is when lastly, they seriously intone:

Do I have your permission to access YOUR account?

Come ON!

Wonder what shyster attorney thought up that hairbrained auto-reply, to further burden us with nonsensical questions?

And, if you just happened to answer NO, what happens THEN?

Sorry, Sir, we can't help you.

[Radio]

quote:

Did they have a pad for black helicopters there? [}:)]

Why no sir.  But they did have a big old
asphalted parking lot....

[Conan71]

Believe it or not, I actually had a great experience with Cox CS on the phone a couple of weeks ago.  I had agreed to upgrade to digital cable- no installation, no tricks, etc.  They came to set it up- no go.  Tech says it's a problem with coax in the attic.  Month goes by, no one has showed up to fix it.  I didn't think about it till I got my new bill for about $200!

I called right away, got everything straightened out, credits for no digital service for that month, the installation fee mistakenly charged, some gratuitous charge they'd added for my internet, and they got a tech out two days later.  Turns out it was the box, not the coax.

I'm happy now and just got my adjusted bill.

One thing I've learned when you call into customer service with any company is don't be a pr!ck.  Be nice and polite and you can get just about anything you ask for within reason.  If you act like a jerk, expect to be treated like one.

[grahambino]

just got off the phone w/ cox customer 'service' rep.
I reported that I have been w/o cable for 8 days, that I have had power back since Sat. night.
they have to wait for PSO to grant them clearance into the area before they can start working, in the neighborhood...fair enough.  I can live w/ that.

So, I bring up the question of my bill.  'well the power company is going to increase your rates, b/c this is costing them 3 mil a day'.  ummm.  so, what does this have do with Cox communications?  this isnt costing cox, '3 million' a day.
what does that have to do with anything besides PSO?  is this their call-center managers are telling them to say?  
the customer is going to be less ticked off, when hearing this news?
oh the power company is raising rates!?  well, in that case i dont mind paying twice the amount i'd normally pay for 2 weeks of service!  thanks cox!
you've gotta be kidding me...

he then said he was going to transfer me to billing.  i said, no i am going to talk to billing once my service is restored, then i will call back & talk to billing.  

freakin' shysters.