Solved! Verifying ownership? wanting to purchase a converter box from Ebay. How can I find out if the person actually owns it or Spectrum owns it?

[Spockearss]

A friend was told by a manager at Spectrum/TimeWarner in California that if she did get one of those small boxes that they had just before they merged, they would honor them and hook them up for her. But knowing that these boxes are owned by TimeWarner unless you pay for them (normally claiming you lost it). How can we find out if these boxes found on Ebay are owned by the seller or by TimeWarner/Spectrum. Even the seller isn't sure. He said he got them in a box of other items.

 

[americanaudiophile]

Please correct me if I'm wrong.
To my knowledge cable boxes are always the property of the cable company. They don't really sell them. They just charge a penalty if you don't return a box.
They are going to charge you a monthly fee for the box whether you already have one (where ever you got it) or if they bring one with them so I'm not sure what is gained by buying one.

 

[Spockearss]

The advantage is that they no longer distribute this particular box and the rental for it is $2.50 instead of $12.50 or more. It doesn't have the ability to get the paid channels or on demand things. But it is perfectly OK for us that can't afford those any way.

Spectrum/Time Warner does not carry them any more nor will they distribute them any more even if they did. When they merged they told people that they were not going to support the small boxes any more and they would eventually be cut off. So people were going in to turn them in before they ended up without TV. I decided to keep mine and wait till they cut me off. But that never happened.

Now that they are trying to fix their image of lieing all the time we were told that if we do find one on EBay or some where they will honor them and set them up.

I'll have to talk to Spectrum and find out. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[hang-the-9]

The advantage is that they no longer distribute this particular box and the rental for it is $2.50 instead of $12.50 or more. It doesn't have the ability to get the paid channels or on demand things. But it is perfectly OK for us that can't afford those any way.

Spectrum/Time Warner does not carry them any more nor will they distribute them any more even if they did. When they merged they told people that they were not going to support the small boxes any more and they would eventually be cut off. So people were going in to turn them in before they ended up without TV. I decided to keep mine and wait till they cut me off. But that never happened.

Now that they are trying to fix their image of lieing all the time we were told that if we do find one on EBay or some where they will honor them and set them up.

I'll have to talk to Spectrum and find out. I'll let you know what happens.

Issue with information such as what they said is that there are many people and departments working there, and things change. Someone could have gotten info one day, then a day later a meeting happened and it was changed without the change making it to customer support. Or a year later some engineering or cable change or content right change happened and what they originally said would work, no longer does. Service like this is not like a car where they said it's blue, but you got a red one delivered. It's more like they said the headlights would be 4" wide but are 3.8 because of some later engineering change.