Charter Communications Billing practices are a MAJOR ripoff Parkersburg West Virginia

I have been paying my cable television bill as close to AND as best as I can to what is owed and/or the minimum that I am behind for the last years' time. In recent months, because of my irratic work schedule and because my paycheck isn't exactly huge, I've had to make calls to make payment arrangements.

I called their office on December 23rd and made my payment arrangemnt with "Jo" and she told me that I could make a payment of exactly $48.63 today(Dec. 31, 2003)Mybill wouldn't be paid in full, it would be okay and out of any possible disconnection process. Well, I received a phone call today from Charter Communications stating that I need to either call them or get to a local payment center BEFORE noon. I returned their call only to be told that I now owed them a grand total of $178 dollars(which my bill WAS reading a total of $97.01 as of 8 days ago!!)and they had already set up on their schedule for my cable to completely shut off. This was done even though, as I stated, on the 23rd of Dec.

I made the arrangements with them to pay the unpaid previous balance of $48.63 today! I inquired as to how, from just 8 days ago, my whole bill went from $97.01 to over $178 dollars?! I was told, by, what I can only say was a rude representative for their company, that I had a bounced check fee of $25 added to my bill along with next months services. I first, could not understand how, after 2 months, that a bounced check would just be showing AND how they could, after I was given a price to be paid today, casually add this amount to my total and outright DEMAND my payment TODAY of this amount or face shut off!!

I asked to speak to another person who was over this particular representative and got "Josh"..He then proceded to inform me of how I had to pay the $25 returned check fee AND the initial $48.63 by today. I had no other choice except to pay this or lose my service and then, as a normal RIPOFF charge, pay their initial hookup fees, plus my whole bill BEFORE I could have cable again!

I was NOT happy, but reluctantly went and paid the min. of $73.63(this included the $25 returned check fee). Not that this has any pertinence to anything, but I informed both people I spoke to that I did not earn much money on a weekly basis and this was my reason for always being behind. I got no sympathy at all, only the same drone-like tone stating that they were sorry but they could not help me and if I wanted to remain with cable service in my home, that I would have to pay them their min. required fee or lose it!!

This may be their normal practices but I believe that this company has, on a constant basis, lied to me and added, at THEIR convenience, additional charges that would allow them to get my bill up to a higher payment amount!!!

If this is something of which anyone else has experienced with this company, I would like to know about it. I believe that Charter Communications has to be, by far, THE WORST cable provider I have ever dealt with in all of my lifetime!

Again, if they're accused of this same or similar actions, I would appreciate reading more about it and if there's anything that can be done to correct their improper bill handling representatives, please help me.

Melissa
New Martinsville, West Virginia
U.S.A.