Equipment woes, a story about your Contracted COX Installer.

$617.01? Sure. Let me just snap my fingers!

Let me start out by saying welcome! Thank you for taking the time to come hear my gripes concerning something that has been a plague for months. In this post, we're going to discuss the concerning practices of equipment charges for Cox customers. I'm sure this may apply to other services, but I'm speaking from first-hand experience.

Months ago, we decided to cut back. We removed our Cable service but opted to keep our high speed Internet. Cox provided a shipping box via mail that had a UPS pre-printed label inside. We used this to return all video related equipment back to them. It was extremely simple!

Not only did we include the DVR unit with the smaller boxes from the bedroom TVs, I had noticed the last install tech, a contractor, left an older cable modem. I went ahead and included that because I was very afraid that I would be charged for equipment that was poorly handled and tracked by the contracted install tech.

A couple weeks later I could see the equipment credits but there was a problem. There were still two items they show as outstanding.

... How?

I included all the video equipment I had as well as an extra cable modem that they must have been charging me for this whole time! My worst nightmare was coming true. I just knew this would happen.

I immediately spoke with billing/support about the issue and tried to explain the logic. If I have demonstrated that the install tech was willing to leave a piece of equipment (the returned cable modem), then surely they would realize any other equipment showing as outstanding must also be a mistake from that or another installer!

In each case, I was met with resistance. You can tell that they are prepared for this kind of thing. I get it, I don't understand why some people keep equipment, as it is USELESS. But I do understand their desire to recover.

The latest information is that equipment from a prior address is still outstanding. That would mean during a move done by a contracted install tech. They continue to ask for proof of shipping that I, of course, wouldn't have with a pre-paid shipping label.

I'm now faced with the image you see above. I have to choose to either not pay and ruin my credit for something I don't have. OR pay the entire amount for ... something I don't have!

If you recall, the reason this was done was to save my family money. Now it seems we're being punished for downgrading our service and in a much MUCH worse position that we were when we started.

What a nightmare. And brought on by shoddy contractors and poor inventory control. I have no clue what I'll do from here but I will continue to work with them to see if we can come to some kind of satisfactory conclusion.

Stay tuned!