What does it say about Comcast and Time Warner Cable that some of the people most opposed to their merger are those who know them the best: Namely, their customers. Ars Technica’s Jon Brodkin has been digging through some of the public comments that have been filed with the New York Public Service Commission and has found that many TWC customers are absolutely pleading with the government to block the merger because they worry the combined companies will provide even worse customer service and will raise prices even higher.
“Both Time Warner Cable and Comcast already have monopolies in each and every territory in which they do business today, and combining the companies will reinforce those individual territorial monopolies,” wrote one customer, who also slammed “the constant, yearly rate increases imposed on us by Time Warner Cable.”
Another New Yorker told the commission that he is “absolutely terrified by the potential of this merger,” especially after “Time Warner has raised my rates no less than 3 times over the last 2 years with no improvement in service (to speak nothing of their deplorable customer service).”
The best filing that Brodkin found, however, comes from Mayor Richard Miller of Oneonta, New York, who actually condemned Time Warner Cable on behalf of his entire city.
“Although we have not conducted a survey among City residents relative to satisfaction with Time Warner service, I am certain they would receive poor remarks,” the mayor writes. “We oppose the proposed merger as it will further exacerbate the lack of responsiveness we are currently experiencing.”
