TWC pimps your phone number the day you sign up for service (Austin: house, transfer) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

GANKS · 08-16-2007, 11:27 PM

Just an FYI for new people moving into the area. We got a digital phone line from Time Warner Cable Sunday. By today we have already received over a dozen telephone solicitations from 3rd party companies. I was stunned and was looking forward to enjoying a few months of peace with a new number. After the Publisher's Clearing House called today to congratulate me on being entered into their sweepstakes I had had enough. The telemarketer told me they got my name from TWC this week.

I immediately went to the do not call registry and registered my new number which will take 90 days to take effect. Then it dawned on me what was going on. With everyone adding their number to this DNC list, new numbers are especially valuable to telemarketers, especially with the gov giving them 90 days to harass you until they legally have to stop. Just so glad to know TWC wastes no time selling my info. Their privacy policy requires a letter in writing to be sent to their office to remove you from their mailing lists. I think that is bad customer service, they should provide a web link to opt out as it will also cost them less to administer. Just a heads up.

I've actually had a pretty bad experience with TWC this week and this was the final straw. I think I'll be taking them up on their 30 money back refund in the morning.

OntheMoveAGAIN · 08-17-2007, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GANKS

Then it dawned on me what was going on. With everyone adding their number to this DNC list, new numbers are especially valuable to telemarketers, especially with the gov giving them 90 days to harass you until they legally have to stop. Just so glad to know TWC wastes no time selling my info.

aghhh Sorry to hear this happened to you. This is exactly the reason we decided to opt against a land line this time and use our cell phones instead. We couldn't bear the amount of telemarketers that will bombard you the first couple of months. I also feel sorry for these folks being told no all the time over the phone. Gosh moral must be low for a lot of them.........

jwb123 · 08-17-2007, 07:43 AM

THIS IS SO TRUE!! We never had telemarketers in WA, but the moment we moved here and set up service, it's been a constant, until the "Do not call" registry thing was in effect....

I hate TWC.... but I don't want Satellite...

lilithfaire · 08-17-2007, 09:04 AM

ITA! I have only had TWC phone for about a week and have had so many calls from telemarketers! It's so aggravating! Now just waiting for DNC to kick in.

Txstar · 08-17-2007, 09:47 AM

I know exactly what you mean GANKS, just set up service last week and had like 10 "unkown callers" in one day. Also when TWC came up to set up service, they left a huge mess and were not very friendly either. I agree with Jenbar, if there was something else besides satellite I would try it.

Also I think it's a rip off that TWC charges an additional 3.95 to add call notes to the phone service. Don't we already pay enough as it is?

GreenPlastic · 08-17-2007, 09:51 AM

I use Grande instead of Time Warner. Much faster wait times on phone and fewer outages in my experience.

wehotex · 08-17-2007, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GANKS

Just an FYI for new people moving into the area. We got a digital phone line from Time Warner Cable Sunday. By today we have already received over a dozen telephone solicitations from 3rd party companies. I was stunned and was looking forward to enjoying a few months of peace with a new number. After the Publisher's Clearing House called today to congratulate me on being entered into their sweepstakes I had had enough. The telemarketer told me they got my name from TWC this week.

I immediately went to the do not call registry and registered my new number which will take 90 days to take effect. Then it dawned on me what was going on. With everyone adding their number to this DNC list, new numbers are especially valuable to telemarketers, especially with the gov giving them 90 days to harass you until they legally have to stop. Just so glad to know TWC wastes no time selling my info. Their privacy policy requires a letter in writing to be sent to their office to remove you from their mailing lists. I think that is bad customer service, they should provide a web link to opt out as it will also cost them less to administer. Just a heads up.

I've actually had a pretty bad experience with TWC this week and this was the final straw. I think I'll be taking them up on their 30 money back refund in the morning.

Lighten up a little bit, would you? Sometimes those telemarketers offer some wonderful services that save a person $$$ and provide that person with some product of value. I think that people are too harsh on telemarketers. Just so you know, a $6/hr job helped put me through school at Univ of Tx, Austin (20 years ago). The telemarketer is a person too, with responsibilities to self and/or family just like you and I.

jread · 08-17-2007, 10:18 AM

We got a digital phone and are going through the same thing. Everytime they call we just say, "We are on the 'Do Not Call' list... please remove us from your computer".

TheHarvester · 08-17-2007, 12:03 PM

I never get solicitation and I'm a Time-Warner cable/internet customer (NOT a phone customer of theirs, nor would I be.) The opening post says that the "do not call" preference takes 90 days to go into effect. Is this a change initiated by the Bush admin? When I registered for that list it went into effect immediately.

Is this specific to using TWC's digital phone service? If so, then don't use their service. Seriously, why would you bother? Get a cell phone and forget about land lines. Laws now make it easy to transfer your cell number to different service providers and locations. I've had the same phone number for 8 years while living in about 6 residences as well as traveling for months at a time. "Home phone" is such an antiquated term. Why does anyone need them any more? I'm sincerely asking because I honestly don't know what purpose they serve.

mckg · 08-17-2007, 12:24 PM

I would prefer to use only cell phones too, but I was living in DC near the Pentagon on Sept 11, 2001 and the only calls that got through that day were landlines. Our kids away in college had heard about bombs at my husband's building and were relieved to finally get through to our ll. Cell networks were supposedly blocked...then overrun. Would imagine a horrendous storm could cause the same disruptions.