Time Warner Cable - High Speed to Nowhere

Time Warner Cable (TWC) is the worst service provider ever. I have had nothing but problems with them over the years, but lately it has just gotten worse. As soon as AT&T U-verse comes to my neighborhood I am going to switch service. A brief litany of their stupidity.

• When I switched phone service from AT&T to save dollars, they didn't install my service on time, leaving me without land line service for days.
• They lied about the price I would pay for my new telephone service. They quoted me a rate for my second line that wasn't actually available. I ended up cancelling the second line because it was so expensive.
• When TWC installed the new phone service they were unable to make every phone jack in the house work, even though they had all worked with AT&T.
• The installation is an ugly mess in my bedroom.
• During the recent power outage, they lost all phone service. They are totally dependent on SDG&E in San Diego, with no back up power. My neighbors were gracious enough to let us use their phones to check on Mrs. Daddy's folks.
• But even if they had power back up, my phone would still have died, because when TWC installed my phone modem, they didn't install a battery back up.
• When I asked that a battery back up be sent to me, they have twice said it would be shipped. After five days, when it didn't show up, I called back and they said the order was cancelled. They offered to charge me $30.00 to have a technician deliver it, when it should have been installed in the first place.
• Their chat room technician said that I should visit the TWC store, but the help desk said not to do that, regarding the battery.
• Every few months, I trek to the TWC to replace my digital cable box, as they start to act up.
• They are misleading in their commercials about free HD. If you want ESPN in HD for example, you have to rent their box for $8 per month per box.

Why they stay in business is only because the city grants them a monopoly as cable provider in their service area. I wouldn't invest in their stock, because if we know anything about technology, its that technical change disrupts monopolies.