Forum Discussion

tonguetwister's avatar
tonguetwister
New Contributor III
8 years ago

Cox unable to document how or where data is consumed

Last week our area experienced unusually cold temps, which effected both TV and internet, resulting in red font “Service Interrupted” on mine and others’ Cox account page. For most of one day in particular our internet was pretty much kaput. Despite this, according to Cox’ Data Usage Meter, we managed to go through bandwidth at the same rate as if there were no interruption of service.

I had posted here: I didn't have a beef about data usage...until now (http://forums.cox.com/forum_home/internet_forum/f/5/t/19839.aspx)--the reply received led me to believe that some action would be taken:

We can certainly look into any account related concerns for you. Please send us an email with your account information and a link to this post to cox.help@cox.com so we can research and discuss the account.

I should have known better.

I thought a call to Cox might get some answers, so today I made the call. We rent a ox gateway and, AFAIK, are unable to employ 3rd party software to better monitor usage. I eventually got to a Tier 2 tech who informed me that Cox has no way of determining where or how data is used, as they farm that job out to another company. This Tier 2 tech claimed the were also unaware of if or how data monitoring can be achieved with a rented device. In true boilerplate fashion, they went on to remind me that streaming in SD used 3GB per hour, and 8GB/hr in HD (both of which are in direct contradiction to Cox’ own Data Calculator Tool http://www.cox.com/myconnection/learn/data-usage/data-usage-calculator.cox). I was also informed that despite changing the TV input on a Cox remote to move from a connected streaming device back to TV, data is still consumed by that device unless logged off of said device.

I have no choice other than to accept their reason provided for not being able to inform me where my disputed data vanished to. It makes me cringe to realize the effect misinformation like this can have on less tech-savvy customers. 


 

  • JonathanJ's avatar
    JonathanJ
    Former Moderator
    8 years ago
    @chaloots

    This link may help with a better understanding data usage http://bit.ly/2zx1AmA.

  • tonguetwister's avatar
    tonguetwister
    New Contributor III
    8 years ago

    "Better understanding"? You've got to be joking.

    I fully understand what actions and processes constitute bandwidth usage. What I am unable to wrap my head around is how to utilize or take advantage of bandwidth when it is not available. As in what happens during day-long service interruptions. Doubt you'll find a glib explanation for that in your Cox employee issue-dodging handbook. 

    Please tell me that you're not for real with this tripe. Have you not understood anything I'd complained about, or the fact that Cox' own Tier 2 support tech so wildly and blatantly spewed the misinformation I received about consumption? 

  • Trikein's avatar
    Trikein
    Contributor III
    8 years ago

    I think the Cox reps who mod here are only allowed to copy/paste answer. Talking like a human is risky and takes to long. I mean beep boop beep.

    PS. Yea, bandwidth monitoring is a joke. If you told the gas station that there pumps were charging extra, you think they would jump on that? 

  • DJGem's avatar
    DJGem
    New Contributor
    8 years ago

    I too am having serious issues with their so called "data monitoring" tool. The very month that COCKS started charging for additional data my use went from 149GB (Sept-Oct billing cycle) to a whopping 1,020 in the Oct-Nov cycle! Talk about a coincidence, right???

    I've had a ticket to get my data use logs for Jan 2017 to Dec 2017 open since friggin' Dec 16th; it's now been "escalated" twice! I used to work for an ISP and let me tell you a couple of things....

    1) Working for a fairly small ISP I had the ability to see the traffic on the modem in REAL TIME using a tool called Fast Poller and if Cox, being as big as they are, doesn't have that then they are in the stone age!!! I had a guy call one day for slow connection speeds and we found out that the online camera's he'd installed were consuming all of his bandwidth.

    2) They HAVE to have access to logs for more than 4 months!!!! This ** about needing to escalate a request for use logs is simply a smoke screen because they know they are LYING about their customers data use.

    I'm getting ready to start making video's of everything I've been through, and am currently experiencing, and then post them on YouTube. Cox is sticking it to their customers and it's a load of garbage!!!! There's no way that I went from 149GB to 1,020 in one month when nothing in my home changed at all......

    COX LIES!!!!