Akting Out

Mediacom is a “full” service phone, internet, and television service provider. I’ve dealt with them for the past three years, and I’ll preface this right now by warning you not to do business with these people.

I first signed up for TV and internet on the east side of Jefferson City three years ago. For the first six months or so, I had no problems. Every so often (check that, EVERY SINGLE TIME), my internet would go out during a lightning storm but I figured that nothing’s perfect; I learned to live with it.

Then I made the horrible mistake of upgrading to DVR service.
You would think that Mediacom was actively discouraging people from doing this, based on the horrendous level of service. The first DVR they gave me flat-out did not work, and it turned into a three-week nightmare just to get the damn thing replaced—and my bill adjusted. I should probably mention now that I was paying close to $140 a month for a cable package that included G4TV and 12M high-speed internet.

Their high-definition DVR, when it worked, held up to twenty hours of recordings. Again, not perfect (especially for a TV addict such as myself), but not unlivable either. The internet never did work as it should’ve, going out roughly once a week. For a few months, I was calling customer service literally every single week.

Some of them actually know who I am now. We’ve added each other on Facebook. It’s been nice. (Not bloody really).

Then I made the mistake of moving. This is really where everything went south, and I should’ve learned my lesson.

I was staying in the same building but moving upstairs. I wanted to transfer service. That’s all. Just transfer.
I had nearly eighteen months of a solid payment history, so when they told me that I would first have to pay the month I owed, and then pay another month in advance (which came out to just over three hundred bucks), I told them to go to hell. I think I really said that, too. Anyway, after a ton of negotiating, we worked out a deal where all I had to pay was my existing monthly balance, and the “transfer fee” would be waived. Pay off what I owe and get my services transferred. Seems easy enough, right?

First, the technician is pissed when he finds out that he won’t be collecting money from me when he comes to set up my new service. He spends twenty minutes on the phone verifying this. Blessedly, my service is hooked back up with no (other) problems.

Amazingly, for one month, I have no problems with my internet or TV.

Then I get a BLOODY COLLECTIONS NOTICE from some BLOODY COLLECTIONS COMPANY stating that I owe them forty dollars that they’re trying to collect on behalf of Mediacom. Well, gee whiz, I mean, if I owe Mediacom money, why do I still have their services, right?

Well, it’s a funny thing; when I spoke to the customer service department (again), they had no record of my transfer fee being waived. And, well, since it’s in collections, there’s nothing they can do about it.

I now live on the west side of Jefferson City. My girlfriend and I signed up for Mediacom internet (I know, it’s my own fault) because of the deal we were getting. Surprise, surprise, it does not work at night. They have no idea why.

In the thirty-six months I’ve had Mediacom, I’ve had one month of good service. Their customer service is barely above average and their services are slipshod with poor follow-through. In the end, despite good payment history, they may even jack up your credit along the way. If you have any other cable provider in your area, use them. Mediacom is to be avoided at all costs.

Last Minute Update: They replaced the modem a few days ago. I’ve had no problems with my internet since then, and they’ve credited the bill for the time we missed. I’m still fighting the account in collections.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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