[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Trayderjoe

I am a current Charter customer in Michigan and am looking to drop them. I searched through the website when I logged onto my account to find a phone number to call for customer support, until I remembered to look at my bill and found it there (no, I couldn't find it otherwise on their website). I have had three service calls in the last month and a half, replaced two modems and a DVR and I still have problems. They checked the lines both in and out of the house and the service tech couldn't find a problem, so he replaced the connectors on the lines. My internet connection still keeps dropping. It doesn't look good for us when we move down there full time if our choices are Comcast or Charter.................

Forget Comcast unless you have masochistic tendencies. BrightHouse works well here. You may need to check which cable companies are available where you will be living. Not all cable companies are available throughout TV

[mtdjed]

The Brighthouse change will likely lead to poorer service because that is what all of these providers do to increase profits. Have been with Comcast since we have been here for 8 years. We have seldom had problems with Comcast service. But we have minimum service which is Basic at $46 per month. We get all of the local channels plus weather, Tru TV , Fox , Food, plus a number of other stations in Spanish, religious , advertisement. I am not bragging about this as the choice is limited and getting more limited as they are gradually limiting the stations more.

Several years ago when they were forced to go to Digital from analog, they gave free devices that accommodated this change. Then they started charging $3/mo per each TV.

Kind of like the airlines with bags, seat assignments, meals, drinks etc. We don't like it but are accustomed to the constant rise.

We all wait for the new technology advancement that will lower our rates while the tech giants work to exploit it into more $.

If only antenna advancement could get us back to free TV. What a dream.

Originally Posted by Trayderjoe

I am a current Charter customer in Michigan and am looking to drop them. I searched through the website when I logged onto my account to find a phone number to call for customer support, until I remembered to look at my bill and found it there (no, I couldn't find it otherwise on their website). I have had three service calls in the last month and a half, replaced two modems and a DVR and I still have problems. They checked the lines both in and out of the house and the service tech couldn't find a problem, so he replaced the connectors on the lines. My internet connection still keeps dropping. It doesn't look good for us when we move down there full time if our choices are Comcast or Charter.................

Contact Tom from villages AV in the responses above. The option here are:

Cable: bright house (aka charter), Comcast (aka xfinity)
Fiber to the premises: centurylink prism.
Satellite: direct TV, dish network.

After talking to some of my insider contacts, looks like the merger will be done by the end of the year.

Tom can hook you up with contacts for each of the providers, he is the go to guy for AV in these parts.

Originally Posted by Brighthouse Cable Lysander

As far as the change from brighthouse, the management, the service tech, the front counter in Wildwood and Belleview, the support staff will still be the same. We will continue to provide the great customer service that we have been providing. The only thing that will be changing is the name on the trucks. As most of our customers in The Villages can attest to, we go above and beyond to make the customer experience a memorable one. We pride ourselves in making our customers needs number one. For more information on getting service if you live south of CR 466A call or email me.

Lysander Jimenez
Direct Sales Representative
Brighthouse Networks
352-414-6756
Lysander.jimenez@mybrighthouse.com

That sounds good in theory, but my research shows that brighthouse will be a minority partner at best. And as a DSR it's really above your pay grade to be making statements like this when your company isn't being clear on what will be happening at all. Industry experts are suggesting exactly the opposite. There will be changes, and you really shouldn't misrepresent your company by saying there won't be when you have no direct control over what is happening.

I'm sorry but this reminds me of when AT&T bought Cingular and they ASSURED their customers nothing would change when nearly every single thing did.

Charter is not buying brighthouse as brighthouse, they are purchasing their network and customer accounts. When they have done that they can do completely as they see fit.

Let us also consider that brighthouse networks as its own entity is a privately traded company, and this deal will make it public. Anyone who knows anything about the market will tell you there is no possible way things will stay the same. After the merger the stock holders will have control.

[vette]

Most cable companies offer big discounts for new customers but jack up the prices as soon as the promo period is over. Especially be aware of 2 yr contracts but only a one yr promo. After 12 months the cost for that special promo skyrockets and if you try to cancel you get hit with an early out fee because you're in a 2 yr contract. When u get a special promo offer make sure u can discontinue that service and return to what u had without any penalties.

[Finallyfree]

The sale was contingent on Comcast buying Time Warner. That purchase proposal has been withdrawn. We will be keeping Brighthouse, they have only been wonderful to work with and we will only change if that changes (which we don't anticipate). Having had both Comcast and Charter in GA, if we have to have one of them it would be Charter in my book. Don't Panic folks, it will be ok.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by Jaggy

paying over $300 A month, I sure hope you don't have to call OFTEN for outages!! I have comcast and I complain about the customer service but then again, I rarely call because we don't have outages !!! ( Dang, I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me !! )..

Hey Jaggy I agree. I know Comcast has lots of haters but I pay $231 a month for phone, cable and internet and rarely have a problem and this includes extra sports channels I watch. I had gone to Century Link a couple years ago but found too many outages and they only offered 9 free movies on demand while Comcast offered I'm guessing over 100.

[Steve & Deanna]

Competition is good. Too bad all said cable companies can't come into an area and compete. That said, a 'leading consumer magazine' claims that most of these companies are a poor value.

Originally Posted by Finallyfree

The sale was contingent on Comcast buying Time Warner. That purchase proposal has been withdrawn. We will be keeping Brighthouse, they have only been wonderful to work with and we will only change if that changes (which we don't anticipate). Having had both Comcast and Charter in GA, if we have to have one of them it would be Charter in my book. Don't Panic folks, it will be ok.

If you do a little more digging you'll find that your looking at an outdated article. Charter withdrew the proposal then entered a new proposal for both time warner and brighthouse networks. Anytime a cable company takes on 65.7B in debt all at one time and millions of new customers it's not going to be good for the end user. Ride the wave I guess, but as someone who has been in the telecom and cable industry for over 15 years I can say with absolute certainty not everyone is going to be happy when the future becomes the present.

Originally Posted by Shimpy

Hey Jaggy I agree. I know Comcast has lots of haters but I pay $231 a month for phone, cable and internet and rarely have a problem and this includes extra sports channels I watch. I had gone to Century Link a couple years ago but found too many outages and they only offered 9 free movies on demand while Comcast offered I'm guessing over 100.

Yeah a couple years ago centurylink prism wasn't very good. They have made a ton of changes since then and wouldn't cost you $230 a month. The product they have is identical to AT&T uverse and Verizon fios.