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kj32's avatar
kj32
New Contributor II

Could insisting on a service call to add a Contour 2 box be more greedy?

I went down to the Cox Store today. I wanted to swap a mini box for a Contour2 box. This is for a TV normally used by an elderly person who can't deal with the complexity of the Contour 2 remote and services but for the Football Bowl season we have company and like to bring in a box that can record for a couple of weeks and then switch back to the Mini-Box. We already have one Contour2 box for another TV. The people at the Cox Store said they aren't allowed to give them out. They also said I couldn't use a Contour 1 box or one of those huge old Magnovox boxes (with the tiny hard drives) that I had last year.They said the only way to do it was to send a service man out with a Contour 2 who would charge $75. A few months ago the Contour 2 box went out.  I had to schedule time for a service man to come out and he simply replaced it. He called in to activate it. That was it.  I regretted having to tie myself up to meet him for that.  We don't want to sync the Contour Boxes to each other. Now I should again tie my time up and  pay $75  to meet a serviceman when they could have just swapped the boxes at the Cox Store. It's an unreasonable new way to gouge  people already paying a high price which we won't do.

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  • ChrisL's avatar
    ChrisL
    Former Moderator
    @kj32

    At this time Contour 2 equipment does require a professional installation, I apologize for any inconvenience caused. Also, equipment cannot be mixed in the home such as using Contour 1/2 together or the older pre-Contour DVR boxes. In short, all boxes in the home need to be on the same platform.

  • kj32's avatar
    kj32
    New Contributor II

    It does not require a professional installation. Some months ago I took a Contour 2 box from downstairs and switched it with a mini box upstairs. No problem. So that didn't take a professional at all. Then a Contour Box started malfunctioning. The Serviceman came out. I had already tested the cable connection with another minibox and could see there was a signal. When he saw that he just went and got another Contour 2 box. Then he called a number and activated it and left. That was it.  Look at this in another way. 20 years ago we had  all the sport channels we needed and could record them on our own VCR. Now we pay much more for a similar cable package, then we pay extra for each box for each TV, then we pay extra for the ability to record and now when I want to rent a box for two weeks (exactly what I did last year with the older boxes) I cannot get around an arbitrary $75 service fee. And would have to take time off to meet a serviceman. Completely customer unfriendly and unethical in my book.

  • kj32's avatar
    kj32
    New Contributor II

    In the latest development. Took the Contour 2 box from the bedroom (regrettably, but not $75 worth of regret) and put it in another room. Absolutely no problem to do that myself. I'm pretty sure I could have handled calling in or going online to activate another box (as I did with the previous boxes) just like the serviceman did.

  • Davidoo's avatar
    Davidoo
    Contributor

    I had a similar experience with Cox refusing to give me a Contour 2 box, giving me the scam that I have to pay $75 to just plug in a freaking box.  To make a long story short, I've had nothing but trouble with the old Scientific Atlanta HD DVR boxes.  They keep going out because they are so old, and I keep getting new (refurbished) ones.  The reason I stick with these SA boxes is because they have one feature the Contour 1 boxes don't, and that is auto-tune to HD.  I hate hitting 1005 everytime I want to watch HD channel 5.  With the older SA box, you can turn on auto-tune to HD and just push 5 and you get the HD version.  It seems backwards that the Contour 1 won't do that and is newer technology, but that is the way it is.  I know because I have two homes with Cox and the Contour 1 is in my other home and it won't auto-tune HD. 

    Now, the rep in the Cox store told me....just get the Contour 2 DVR box, it will auto-tune HD.  Actually they have one set up in the store and it does work.  I said, fine, give me one.  Response:  We can't, we don't have them.  You have to get a truck roll and pay $75.  I replied that I am an IT person, and even if I wasn't, I could plug in a *** box myself, just give it to me.  They said no, but maybe "someday" they will allow people to self install.  So now, I'm left using very old technology because I refuse to pay the $75 ransom. 

  • kj32's avatar
    kj32
    New Contributor II

    Still ticked about the $75 fee to have the honor of paying Cox more rent on the DVR plus the fees as football season reaches it's peak. By the way The Contour Box 2 here allowed me to auto-tune HD for channel 9 but the most important one for old folks in this area is 5. For some reason it won't auto-tune HD for that one so one has to enter 2005. Last year we to had to swap the contour1 box we had for one of those old ones so he elderly person could just hit the one button.