Cable fees

Factual Questions
1

This morning, a coworker complained to me about his cable fees. His cable company wants to charge him $28.00 per month for HBO for each tv receiving HBO (i.e. $56.00/month since he wants it on two sets).

I seem to recall that a number of years back, there was a ruling/lawsuit regarding cable fees. My cable company would charge an extra fee each month for each cable outlet (even if you were using a cable-ready TV). Things like that were not permitted anymore. Now this could be a local (i.e. state) ruling (coworker lives in another state) but I thought it was national.

Does anybody have any info (preferably links) to any ruling/law about cable fees? And can they charge like this?

Thanks.

2

If this is included in the terms of the contract that you sign (entering iinto an agreement with them by your own free will), then yes, they can charge like this.

3

Mangetout, I agree with you - sort of. If I get cable and they say “It will cost you $5 extra per month for each additional outlet” and you get extra outlets, you pay.

However, I seem to recall something like a class-action lawsuit against the cable company(s) based on something like the monthly fee for cable is to provide cable to the home. Charging more for outlets is illegal (for some reason). Just like the phone company used to do in the 70’s. More for each phonejack in the house.

And this is want I’m trying to verify.

4

Around these parts you pay for the cable service into the house, and you can hook up as many TV’s as you want. However, if you want digital cable, or any premium channels, you need to get a decoder box for each set, at a cost of $5/month for each set after the first one.

I’ve never heard of charging $28/month for each set. Sounds like it’s time to switch to satellite.

5

FBG, it’s the same around my parts. Each box (be it digital or analog) costs around $5/month to rent. However, if you have cable-ready and don’t need a box, you could have 250 TVs for no extra price.

I’m thinking my coworker was either misinformed or didn’t understand.

6

Same here as what FBG said.