Living and enjoying Fort Worth

  I have reported here on my problems with getting Charter Communications to install service.  I have also reported on their service and the Internet speed that I am getting.
  I think the full story of all this is posted on HNB: Fort Worth TX. 
  So I will not go over the details of the installation problems.  Just let me say that I got a letter form Charter Communications saying I could have TV, high speed Internet and telephone service all for $59.97 a month.  I would get free install and I could even try it free for 30 days.  It was in a letter from them and I have received two more of those letters since I took their service.
  Well I called up and said come on and install the service I will take it.  I asked if they would install outlets in the living room and my bedroom and they said yes.  Now on the phone it turned out I would have to pay $80.00 … I will not go in to the details but I said OK.  So the guy got here and said.. Oh.. No you only ordered high speed Internet service.  I said OK.. install it then and forget the phone and TV.  He said.. also that he could not install any outlets or run any cable because this is an apartment.  I said Ok just turn on the Internet for this outlet that is already here.  He still wanted $80.00 and I gave it to him and he left.
  Again I will not go into detail.. but I had high speed Internet service and it cost me $57.40 a month.
  The Charter bill is here – gives details of the first charter billing. 
  I called Charter Communications on December 14th see A credit with Charter of $2784.00!
  OK this is where I get stupid.  I called Charter Communications a couple of times to pay my bill.  Each time I am calling and using Skype to call them.  When I connect right away I tell the voice mail system I want to pay my bill.  It never ask for my user ID or anything…I know I know.. I should have been thinking… I say I want to pay my bill.  It does not ask any questions and tells me that my balance is zero.  But do I want to go ahead and pay and I say yes and I make the payment.
  Today I got a written bill from Charter Communications and it is for $108.99 and of that $57.40 is “past due.” 
  So I called the Charter Communications system to pay my bill.  I know I am not past due…Hell I want to make sure I have Internet service and I am paying as soon as I can pay the bill.  I call the system and it does not ask any questions I hit the keys to make a payment and it says you do not have any due payments do you still want to make a payment and I say NO this time and get someone live on line.
  Well the woman says what is your phone number and I give it to her and she says we do not have an account with that phone number. I give her my account number and she says.. Oh yes..you are past due. 
  I tell her I have made payment online with a credit card using this phone number and she says they have no account with that number and show no payment from me.  The only payment they show is that payment I made when they came out here to install the service on December 2nd and I gave the guy $80.00 in cash.
  Well I did not have the details of the payment(s) I made via credit card in front of me so I paid $90.00 right then to the woman to make sure I do not lose Internet service.  I will have to dig up the credit card information and call them back and see if they can find my money and credit my account.

  So a word to the wise.. Do not make a payment on the telephone to voice mail system UNLESS  the system some how tells you who you are AND tells you that you do have a balance with them that you need to pay and make sure the amount it tells you jogs with the information that you know.
  OK I admit to being super stupid to make the payment over the telephone with it said my bill was zero. 
  I guess I was stupid to pay tonight.. But I want to make sure that I do not lose Internet service.
  That $90.00 I paid tonight was food money.. So Russ and I may go hungry this month but at least we will have Internet service.  Smile