Why does Optimum charge for a gateway? What is it? Where is it?

I think the bigger Altice set top box included a modem. I moved to a different apartment building in July 2021 and  the installer replaced that box with a mini. I assumed that the standalone "gateway" box was a combination modem/router. But it appears to be only a router because gateway and router are separate items on the bill.

So where is the Gateway 6 I've been paying $10 per month? I checked the small trap door in one my hall closet and it contains a mess of unconnected coaxial cables and exposed circuitry.

I called Optimum and it turns out that both functions are in one box despite the two items on the bill:

gateway $10

router $0 

Supposedly I can buy a modem and have the gateway charge removed. Argh.

Optimum support email: NOT.

Address not found

Your message wasn't delivered to OptimumSupport@optimum.net because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail.

Message blocked

Your message to OptimumSupport@optimum.com has been blocked. See technical details below for more information.

Nice, huh? About all you can do is guess as to what might be a working email. There's no online form, either. Only the incredibly artificial intelligence of the little Optimum online box that cannot understand anything.

Customers are stuck calling for support on the phone and being jerked around interminably by a call prompting system that doesn't seem to know when a support person might be available. Finally, there's the announcement that "all of our support people are busy". Yeah, all one of THEM.

Altice Optimum new 2021 box self installation: "BPE not provisioned". And pairing the remote control may be impossible.

Feedback to Altice Optimum on self installation of a box because the previous box crapped out:

I wasted a couple of hours talking to your support person who missed obvious clues. Apparently, the box needed to be provisioned. I told her repeatedly that the error message that flashed on the screen mentioned that "BPE not provisioned". Finally, I took a photo so that I could read the entire error message but still it never occurred to her. Later, I called back but this time I selected the other call prompting option for provisioning and I spoke to Mohammed, who fixed everything, although even that took another hour.

All because you failed to inform me about the need to get your box entered into your system as one that should be connected to my account. Ridiculous.

Altice One box: more problems. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Altice Optimum TV channel lineup options are secret.

On the Optimum website all I could find was a PDF file of the hardcopy of the TV channels sent to customers, which is almost impossible to understand and is out of date and with no prices either on the document or elsewhere on the website for existing customers.

https://www.optimum.net/cdn/static.tvlistings.optimum.net/ool/static/prod/documents/channel-listings/channel-lineup-SouthernWestchester.pdf

Plus, even if you want to increase your TV service, you must call. You cannot do it online. Getting a live person on the phone takes time and may take multiple attempts.

What the heck? Apparently Altice Optimum does not want its customers to understand their TV options.  

Altice Optimum DVR playback error: VID-218: does NOT playback!

It happens from time to time. Instead of playing a recording Altice Optimum displays this error: VID-218. And shows an OK button to click. Obviously, it's not OK.

It impacts a few recordings but not all. I have two set top boxes, those mini Altice boxes. The secondary box seems more vulnerable.

Tonight neither box will play any recordings.

I searched on the error code VID-218 but could not find an answer. I rebooted both boxes. Then I logged into the Altice Optimum website and sought support. I wound up in one of those useless chat sessions, which ended this way:

VID-218
You - 7:51 PM
Let me get one of our live experts to help you. I'll just need to grab some quick info from you, then I can get you to an agent.
Can I have your name?
Allie - 7:51 PM
Ken
You - 7:51 PM
And your 10-digit phone number?
Allie - 7:51 PM
999-999-9999
You - 7:52 PM
I will transfer you over now to our Technical Department so we can get the team to help you. Thank you for your patience! One moment...
Allie - 7:52 PM

(After waiting five minutes I decided to provide information, hoping that the tech person would be able to read it and that would make the conversation shorter and more productive.) I typed:

VID-218
No DVR playback.
You - 7:58 PM
I can replay DVR recording on my Android phone but not on my TV using your Altice mini box.
Waiting 15 minutes. Call me: 999-999-9999. Bye.
You

_________________

What the heck?

Altice has problems but should be tried.

This post has gotten several comments, pretty much all negative:

Altice One box: more problems. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Most of the problems that I have had have gone away. The remote no longer loses pairing with the Altice One box. DVD playback only occasionally gets interrupted and even then usually resumes after I click OK.

The two boxes still turn themselves off after not receiving something from the remote for a while but I now know to look at the power button and if it's red I push it before turning on the TV and that avoids the formerly mysterious blank screen. Still mysterious is why Altice continues to annoy its customers with this policy but apparently it frees up bandwidth, or so I suppose.

Still annoying and probably easily fixed:
- three buttons must be pushed to get the guide on screen
- on screen information about a program is very limited; a movie does not even show the year on the first screen
- if there are multiple pages of info, the way to get to page two is to click the up arrow to get the cursor positioned to then click the right arrow to get to page two
- comparable nonsense for changing the end time when setting up a recording.

This stuff looks like it was designed by people who had heard about TV but had never actually watched TV. So, why try or stick with Altice?

Altice is making a fundamental attempt to do it differently and it's not missing by all that much. It's the first to actually pair a remote to a box. Previously, if you had two TV sets in the same room, changing the channel on one changed it on all. Now that problem has gone away.

The modem and router functions are combined into one small Altice One tuner box. That's been dismissed in some descriptions as something for non-techies. Hey, why should a techie not like it? Why add complexity and confusion? It forces you to have Internet connections near your TV, which encourages and simplifies streaming.

My biggest complaint, even more than the inconvenience of getting to the guide, is the lack of any intelligent fast forward (FF). In fact, the Altice FF is worse than that of regular Cablevision Optimum. Verizon FIOS has FF in 30 and 10 second chunks, plus multi-speed FF. The 30 and 10 seconds of FF makes looking at recorded sports, especially baseball, fairly palatable. You can FF between pitches, which removes much of the dead time.

Give Altice a try. What the heck?

Altice One remote turns itself off every day.

What the heck? Pretty much each morning the remote paired to my primary Altice One box  has lost full functionality. It turns the TV on. That's, of course, after I push the button on the box to turn off the red light and put the box back into active status. But once the TV is on the remote cannot do anything else. I've learned to pop out one of the three batteries and re-insert. Then the remote works OK.

Sometimes the TV screen shows a cryptic message about an error with the remote or trying to update the remote or something. It's not on screen long enough to absorb at the same time that I'm removing and replacing a battery.

The remote to the secondary mini box has not had this problem.

Altice One set top box turns itself off regularly.

All through the day and certainly overnight. If I use the remote control to turn on the TV, I see this on a blank screen (ignore reflection, the screen is blank):

If there is an "INPUT button" I have no idea where it is; I checked remote and box.

My Altice service started 1/15/18 after moving and switching from Verizon FIOS. Altice is the parent company of Cablevision Optimum.

Altice is probably still learning how its new boxes operate in the real world but I had a tech person out here a couple of days after my service started to address this problem and nothing was actually done and there has been no follow up and the problem persists.

What the heck?

Altice One box: more problems.

My previous post on Altice described an initial problem. My service started Jan. 15, 2018.

Altice set top boxes "turn off", i.e., the red power light goes on. What the heck? SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018

Since, more problems:
- voice recognition fails to function at all; error message on screen
- info button on lower right of remote sometimes fails
- DVR function sometimes does not function; advised to try later
- guide sometimes not available
- freezes up sometimes.

Settings: very little of substance to set.

Three button clicks to reach the guide rather than a dedicated button. No indication of a user defined button that might make the guide available much more directly. This is needed since the voice search fails often.

More info:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r31814636-AlticeOne-FAQ-Information-LAST-UPDATED-2-1-18-With-PICS

AlticeOne is Optimum and Suddenlink's New All-In-1 Box. It combines your Modem, Router and Cable Box into a central hub. With Every Minibox added in addition to the Main Box, they are your typical cable box but with WiFi Extender built-in. The Mini Box are Essentially Creating a Wireless Mesh System, To Help Eliminate WiFi Dead Zones You May Have In Your Residence.

Manufacturer: Sagemcom

AlticeOne is Mostly Geared Towards Those Who Don't Know A lot About Networking As Its Still A Web Managed Router From Optimum With Limited Firmware Options.
_____________________

Altice has problems but should be tried. TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Altice set top boxes "turn off", i.e., the red power light goes on. What the heck?

I sent the email message below to the Altice person I found at:

http://www.alticeusa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Altice%20-USA-Opens-its-First-Customer-Experience-Center.pdf

If I don't get a reply, maybe I'll try:

http://www.alticeusa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Altice%20Reorganization%20and%20Altice%20USA%20Spin%20Off%20Press%20Release.pdf

Management Structure of Altice Europe and Altice USA

Altice Europe and Altice USA will be managed by two distinct management teams, focused solely on the performance in their respective markets. Both management teams will benefit from the strategic leadership of founder and controlling shareholder Patrick Drahi, who will serve as President of the Board of Altice Europe and Chairman of the Board of Altice USA. Armando Pereira will serve as COO of Altice Europe and serve as strategic advisor to Altice USA for all operations.

Dennis Okhuijsen will serve as CEO and a Director of Altice Europe with all corporate functions and country managers reporting into him. He will report to Patrick Drahi.

Dexter Goei will continue to serve as CEO and a Director of Altice USA. He will report to Patrick Drahi.
________________________

Do you think dexter.goei@alticeusa.com would work?

Or maybe patrick.drahi@alticeusa.com.

from: Ken
to: krista.ostertag@alticeusa.com
date: Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 8:54 AM
subject: Altice techie issue.

Krista,

Sorry to bother you but there's nothing on the Cablevision (Optimum) website about the new Altice boxes I got 1/17/18 when I moved and switched from Verizon FIOS to Altice.

It's slow and tedious to reach tech support for Altice. Customers must go through the usual call prompting labyrinth to finally reach Altice support people.

Each night well after midnight both my Altice set top boxes "turn off", i.e., the red power light goes on. I learned from one of your Altice techie people that I needed to push that red button to make the red light go off. Then when I used the Altice remote control to start my TV it works OK instead of showing either a blank screen or a message that there is no signal, depending on which of the two Altice boxes is being used.

Unfortunately, the Altice techie person did not know why this was happening.

​Altice needs to improve on this in obvious ways. Thanks.​
____________________

Altice: it ain't your father's Cablevision (Optimum).

First impression in an Altice survey after one day of service after switching from Verizon FIOS:

Altice. Otherwise, it's just dumb old Cablevision (Optimum). The new boxes, etc. make it worth trying. I switched from Verizon FIOS. Altice remotes are Bluetooth paired with individual set top boxes. Duh. Finally. I have two TVs and two boxes in the same room and until Altice a remote would change stuff on both boxes, like change the channel. This was true for Cablevision and is still true for Verizon FIOS.
_________________

Unfortunately, it's still got dumb fast forward (FF): no 10/30 second skip like Verizon FIOS.

Verizon FIOS v. Cablevision Optimum "tax" & fees, especially for voice service.

It's got to be public servants sticking it to semi-monopoly Verizon. The difference is stark, especially for voice service.

Comparison of "tax" & fees for current Verizon FIOS and that for Cablevision Optimum 7/16/16:

Verizon Surcharges & Fees What is this?		voice	Verizon		Optimum
					TV
NY Universal Service Fund	$0.12				taxes and fees	$4.03
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges	$1.87				Phone
Federal Universal Service Fee	$3.15	$3.15			NY Excise Taxes	$0.74
Federal Subscriber Line Charge	$7.75	$7.75			Sales Tax	$1.35
VLD Carrier Cost Recovery Charge	$1.54	?	Verizon Long Distance		E-911 Fee	$0.35
VLD Long Distance Administrative Charge	$0.91	?	Verizon Long Distance		Federal Universal Service Fund	$0.47
Video Franchise Fee	$6.83				Total Taxes & Fees	$6.94
Regulatory Recovery Fee - Federal	$0.08
PEG Grant Fee	$1.00
Regional Sports Network Fee	$2.91
Fios TV Broadcast Fee	$1.75
NY Municipal Construction Surcharge	$1.35
	$29.26	$10.90

Tax, etc. on land lines: "Verizon Surcharges and Other Charges & Credits SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

Cablevision (Optimum) is not good with cable cards.

Message sent:

from:		Ken
to:		James Dolan
date:		Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 6:24 AM
subject:		Cable card status.

There is no bind between your cable card and my TiVo Bolt despite conversations with Optimum support on three consecutive days last week, which followed two visits by Optimum techs to fix a cable card problem in my Panasonic TV; they spent almost all of the time talking on the phone to Optimum support, like I did for the TiVo.

The TV cable card failed again last night for the third time since the second visit by an Optimum tech. Conclusion: Cablevision (Optimum) is not good with cable cards.

Attachment:

Status: Not Ready

_________________________

I've been dealing with the TV cable card failing for months and I know exactly how to restore service by myself: pop the card, wait for channels to load, then hit return on my TV menu. Annoying, but at least it works. But the TiVo Bolt has never been operational since I tried to activate it five days ago.

After the first two days of talking to Cablevision (Optimum) support people, who merely go through what pops up on their cumputer screens, TiVo support had me go through some TiVo Bolt screens to confirm that the bind had not been done. The screen shot above was sent to Cablevision (Optimum). No doubt Cablevision (Optimum) will want to have me reserve half of yet another day to have a Cablevision (Optimum) tech person visit and talk to Cablevision (Optimum) support people on the phone as they stumble through various stuff. No thanks.

Obviously, cable cards are not well understood by people who work for Cablevision (Optimum). It's old flakey technology that was forced on the "cable" industry by the FCC to give consumers the option of not having to pay exorbitant monthly fees to rent set top boxes from the service providers. But if you're going to pretend that you are actually supporting something, at least have the professional pride to put a little effort into it.

Cablevision (Optimum) trying to wrestle CableCard to the ground in TiVo Bolt.

I decided to try the TiVo Bolt because:

Cablevision (Optimum) DVR fast forward is crude, lacking what Verizon provides: skip forward 30 seconds. THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016

Cablevision (Optimum) CableCard support has been consistently lame.

I've had a Cablevision (Optimum) CableCard in my ten year old Panasonic TV for the four months I've been back with Cablevision (Optimum), partly to try its many WiFi hotspots available to subscribers, about the only attribute that distinguishes it from its local rival, Verizon FIOS. I hardly use those hotspots but today I was able to connect my Chromebook; Cablevision (Optimum) has no instructions for the ChromeOS, nor for Windows10, which probably also works. That makes dumping Cablevision (Optimum) and returning to Verizon FIOS a bit difficult.

But, since the Cablevision (Optimum) fast forward (FF) functions are so horrendous, that's what will happen if Cablevision (Optimum) strikes out. The CableCard in my TV has given me a lot of trouble and in the last few days I've had two Cablevision (Optimum) techs here to fix that. After spending half the day waiting for them and more hours watching them talk on the phone to Cablevision (Optimum) people who may or may not know more about CableCards, I have refused to have more Cablevision (Optimum) people come here to fix the Cablevision (Optimum) CableCard in my new TiVo Bolt DVR, which supposedly has lots of cool FF functions. Unfortunately, TiVo relies entirely on a CableCard supplied by my service provider, Cablevision (Optimum).

There needs to be a "bind" established between the CableCard and the device, in this case the TiVo Bolt. I got a new multi-stream Cablevision (Optimum) CableCard two days ago and have spent three days now trying to get Cablevision (Optimum) to properly bind those two. I'm supposed to get a call within 24 hours from what is probably the Cablevision (Optimum) version of tier support for its CableCards.

If that fails, Cablevision (Optimum) will have struck out and my next call will be to Verizon to have FIOS re-established. Then I'll give Verizon a crack at getting the TiVo Bolt to work. If not, return the Bolt and use the acceptable but less cool Verizon FF functions.

Cablevision (Optimum) DVR fast forward is crude, lacking what Verizon provides: skip forward 30 seconds.

When I switched a few months ago I noticed it right away, that the Cablevision (Optimum) remote control lacked the button that was on my Verizon FIOS remote defined as "jumps forward 30 seconds in the program you are watching". In the Verizon menu you can switch from 30 to 10 seconds.

Why does this matter? If you're a candidate for "cord cutting", it doesn't. Those people mostly care about watching movies, basically anything but sports. That content can now be obtained ad hoc from various content providers and all they need is a connection to the Internet, which makes the term "cord cutting" silly. It's not subscribing to TV service.

But if you watch team sports (baseball, football, basketball) you need TV service. Black out rules limit or make very difficult watching local teams with generic sports packages. Switching channels is close to impossible with streaming video and when replaying, fast forwarding is essential.

Which brings us to the specific topic of this post: why does Cablevision (Optimum) provide only a single crude DVR fast forward function?

Verizon has the crude fast forward, too, but even there it's better. Cablevision (Optimum) seems to skip ahead and show a single still frame rather than speed up the frames. Increasing the speed of the Cablevision (Optimum) just makes it speed past the end of commercials even further. You then must back up, causing you to view what has happened. This is pretty annoying if watching a drama but for sports showing what happened is really not good.

Most specifically, the problem is not the commercials during sporting events. It's the dead time between plays, especially the 300 intervals of dead time between pitches in a baseball game. You've got to skip at least 10 seconds or try to get by with skipping 30 seconds and watch the next pitch right away. It's the only civilized way to watch a single baseball game.

I tried for months to use the crude Cablevision (Optimum) fast forwarding but it is not even as good as that provided on the old VCRs. I had bought a second Verizon remote control and still have it. Both the Cablevision (Optimum) and Verizon remotes have the same color function keys: A, B, C, D. On the Cablevision (Optimum) the green D key is not used. I tried unsuccessfully to "program" it to perform the 30 skip fast forward. I held down SEL and D to gain access but that did not work. To tell the remote the type of TV you have you hold down SEL and TV/power on the Cablevision (Optimum) remote. That causes the O. button (that BIG round one in the middle) to flash and then you can enter the secret code for your TV. The installer person usually does this for you.

Internet search was fruitless. There are such instructions on how to "hack" remotes for other DVR type providers but not for Cablevision (Optimum). I could not find a manual for the Cablevision (Optimum) Samsung SMT-C5320 set top box and DVR I have. Nor would Cablevision (Optimum) provide me with a digital manual for it.

Next I sent a message to Cablevision (Optimum) asking them to "program" the green D key to skip 30 seconds for me, for everyone, or tell me how I could do it. There followed a thread of messages and even a voice conversation. Cablevision (Optimum) repeated what a great idea I had and that it had been passed on. If Cablevision (Optimum) actually wanted to provide this function, the damn button would be on the remote.

The remote for my ten year old Panasonic HDTV has the skip fast forward button but I could not figure out how to associate the Panasonic remote with the new Samsung box from Cablevision (Optimum). I even considered using the Verizon remote but couldn't figure out that either.

I asked Cablevision (Optimum) about my using a universal remote control. Eventually, they sent a link on their website that showed four.

http://optimum.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2651

Here is a list of some brands and models of universal remote controls that will work with Optimum equipment:

• RCA 5 Device Universal Cable Remote
• URC SR3 Big Button Universal Remote Control
• Universal Remote Control – 6-Device Preprogrammed Learning Remote
• General Electric 24959 8-in-1 Universal Remote Control

Almost all universal remotes that were manufactured since 2001 are compatible with our digital cable boxes. These remotes may be purchased through most electronic retailers. While many of the universal remote controls available will work with Optimum equipment, we recommend using the remote controls provided by Optimum. Using remote controls provided by Optimum ensures that all functions will work properly.
_________________________

However, when I simply asked for the Samsung code that such a remote would need during setup, Cablevision (Optimum) declined to provide that, telling me to find that in the manual of the universal remote control. In other words, I had to buy it first, then check to see whether there was a code for the new Cablevision (Optimum) Samsung box. And even then, I could only expect the universal to control the functions provided by Cablevision (Optimum), which do not include the skip fast forward.

Here is my reply this morning to the most recent "apology" from a Cablevision techie telling me what a great idea I had in suggesting that the green D button be programmed to provide the skip fast forward function:

It's not a great idea. It's basic stuff, which Verizon has. I'm guessing that Cablevision is getting more money from content providers to make skipping commercials as difficult as possible. Other Cablevision techs have suggested four different universal remotes when I asked about them but decline to supply the code for the Samsung box you distribute. Without that the universal remote cannot be set up to control your Samsung box. See how all this comes around to Cablevision trying to squeeze more money out of things?
___________________________

Oh, and the Android app provided by Cablevision (Optimum) lacks any fast forward function, not even the crude one provided on the Cablevision (Optimum) remote control. You can't make up stuff like this.

Cablevision wrote that it requires Social Security Number only for "standard retail rates", i.e., rates NOBODY takes.

Cablevision (Mathew, of Corporate Executive Customer Relations (CECR)) wrote a paper letter to me dated June 30, 2015, post marked July 15, 2015, which arrived yesterday July 17, 2015.  You can't make up stuff like this.

I have written several recent posts on this topis, including:

Cablevision called but insisted on recording our conversation. I declined. SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015

A couple of days ago a guy (Mathew, I think) from Cablevision called to discuss what's described in my previous post ...

There are two things that federal and state legislatures need to do:
1. Prohibit private companies, especially those providing utility and pseudo-utility services, from demanding that a customer provide them with his/her Social Security number.
2. Ban the recording of conversations unless a copy and/or transcript is made available to the consumer...

Unfortunately, when a company with monopoly or duopoly power in an industry asks it is really a demand.

I call upon my elected representatives to pass legislation to fix this.
________________________

Mathew did not provide a last name.  He did provide a phone number (631-846-5317), which I called yesterday about 7 PM.  It was answered by a person who had no idea who Mathew was.  She assured me that Mathew did not have a voice mailbox where I could leave a message.  She did, however, provide an e-mail ID for the group that Mathew is in: cecrdesk@cablevision.com.  It turns out I already had that for a guy named Thomas Hagzan.  I'll send a link for this post to that e-mail ID and also to:

James Dolan, Cablevision CEO: JDOLAN@cablevision.com

OK, here's what Mathew wrote:

... providing your Social Security Number to Cablevision is not a requirement. If a Social Security Number is not provided by a prospective customer, service would still be offered at our standard retail rates.  Please note, we do request a Social Security Number when a customer wishes to sign up for a promotional offer."
________________________

Nobody pays standard retail rates when switching to a company like Cablevision. NOBODY. To suggest that this policy is not an absolute requirement is to present a distinction without a difference. It is either ironic or a poor choice of words that Mathew wrote they "request a Social Security Number ... for a promotional offer".  If that's really true then there is no issue.  They request.  I decline.  Cablevision provides service at the rates for a promotional offer.  But that won't happen.

Mathew also mentioned the phrase "sign up".  I think part of the attraction of a Cablevision "promotional offer" is that there is no annual contract, so a new customer is not required to "sign up".

A Cablevision "promotional offer" is pricing intended to entice you to switch.  Then after the promotional period expires, maybe in a year, the rates increase to, I guess, "standard retail rates".  At that point a customer decides whether to switch and take a "promotional offer" from a competitor, in this case Verizon and its FIOS.  Mathew did not provide any rates, either "standard retail" or "promotional".  He should have.

In his opening sentence Mathew wrote:

"The complaint that you filed with the (New York State) Public Service Commission has been forwarded to my attention for investigation and handling."

New York State Public Service Commission complaint against Cablevision for collecting Social Security numbers. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

Complaints have also been filed with the FCC, Social Security Administartion and a message sent to the New York State Attorney General.  Messages sent to both U.S. Senators and member of the House of Representatives.  Oh, and Executive Director White Plains Cable TV...

Communicated by phone and e-mail with Thomas Hagzan, Corporate Executive Customer Relations Cablevision: cecrdesk@cablevision.com 631-846-5317
____________________________

Let the "investigation and handling" begin! But do not record conversations without providing me with a copy. And I think that New York State requires that both parties consent to a phone conversation being recorded. Companies do not even come close to asking for consent. They don't even hedge anu more and state that it may be recorded. They tell you that it is being recorded and then plow ahead with their prepared telemarketing script and completely ignore any objection or question. This has to stop.

Cablevision record keeping sucks. And it wants my Social Security Number to provide service.

In January I had tried to switch from Verizon FIOS to Cablevision.  "Tax" on Verizon was causing my bill to be unacceptably high and Verizon was too inflexible to provide any meaningful price concession.  Part of the reason for that is that Cablevision's agreement with the City of White Plains has expired, which entitles Cablevision to not pay PEG, whatever the heck that is.  Nice system of regulation, huh?

I ordered service from Cablevision and scheduled an installation.  That day I received a call from the Cablevision installer who said I was next and that he'd be here soon.  After a while he called again and asked for directions.  Eventually it became clear that the Cablevision installer had an incorrect address.  It wasn't even close, not in any way, not even the street number.  Not the street.  Not the town.  In fact it was private house and I live in a large apartment building.

The Cablevision installer put me in contact with the the Cablevision dispatcher who did not help.  I said you must have someone either here or nearby but the dispatcher would not do the installation that day and asked me to reschedule.

Later that evening I tried to reschedule but Cablevision started asking me a lot of basic questions and it turned out that they needed to start the signup process all over again.  Why?  Bad systems.

Fast forward to the recent nonsense over:

Cablevision collects VERY personal data and it's OK with the local government. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

"This call may be recorded for quality purposes." Who will give you a copy? THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

Which led to:

Cablevision called but insisted on recording our conversation. I declined. SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015

A couple of days ago a guy (Mathew, I think) from Cablevision called to discuss what's described in my previous post:..

There are two things that federal and state legislatures need to do:
1. Prohibit private companies, especially those providing utility and pseudo-utility services, from demanding that a customer provide them with his/her Social Security number.
2. Ban the recording of conversations unless a copy and/or transcript is made available to the consumer...

Unfortunately, when a company with monopoly or duopoly power in an industry asks it is really a demand.

I call upon my elected representatives to pass legislation to fix this.
_______________________________

There was actually more to that aborted conversation.  Cablevision guy tried to check for a record of my having been a customer years ago.  Guess what he found?  The incorrect address from the failed installation in January.  I was shocked.  I assured him that I never lived anywhere near that location and might never have been in that town.

Then it dawned on me.  I wondered if I had been foolish enough to have provided my Social Security Number to Cablevision back in January to complete that installation order for new service.  Sure enough, I had.  I asked Cablevision guy to check and he was able to view it on his screen.  Oh, not the entire number.  Just the last four digits.  You know, the four that now serve as the universal mini ID that everyone and his uncle gets to request.  I asked Cablevision guy if he could remove my SSN.  He tried by backspacing the four digit value in the field and I guess saving.  Of course, that doesn't mean that it was deleted from the Cablevision database and I'd be very surprised if it was, especially since Cablevision preferred to lose me as a customer rather than provide me with its service without my SSN.  So when I tried to get Cablevision service a second time this year did Cablevision again ask for my SSN when it already had it?

Finally, I just received a second paper communication from Cablevision addressed to someone I have never heard of but to my mailing address, including apartment number.  Cablevision's database thinks that someone else lives here.

And Cablevision wants my SSN?  Again?

Replies on complaint to New York State Public Service Commission, FCC, etc.

My New York State Assembly representative (David Buchwald) replied with a personal e-mail message.  My New York State Senator (ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS) has never replied.

No response from either the New York State Public Service Commission or FCC.

No reply to my message sent to James Dolan, CEO Cablevision, and posted here.

I did get a reply from the Social Security Administration. I'll deal with that in the next post.

Message sent to James Dolan, CEO Cablevision.

from:		Ken
to:		JDOLAN@cablevision.com
date:		Sun, Jun 28, 2015 at 8:52 AM
subject:		Tech Thoughts - New York State Public Service Commission complaint against Cablevision for collecting Social Security numbers.

http://techthoughtsmatinale.blogspot.com/

​There are two things that federal and state legislatures need to do:

1. Prohibit private companies, especially those providing utility and pseudo-utility services, from demanding that a customer provide them with his/her Social Security number.

2. Ban the recording of conversations unless a copy and/or transcript is made available to the consumer.​

___________________________

Cablevision called but insisted on recording our conversation. I declined.

A couple of days ago a guy (Mathew, I think) from Cablevision called to discuss what's described in my previous post:

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015
New York State Public Service Commission complaint against Cablevision for collecting Social Security numbers.

Complaints have also been filed with the FCC, Social Security Administartion and a message sent to the New York State Attorney General.  Messages sent to both U.S. Senators and member of the House of Representatives.  Oh, and Executive Director White Plains Cable TV.
_____________________________

I think Cablevision guy was referring to my complaint with the New York State Public Service Commission. No sooner had he announced the reason for his call he informed me that the call was being recorded for quality purposes. Note:
1. Cablevision guy informed but did not ask permission.  I know because I asked him about that later.
2. Cablevision guy did not say what is usually said by any company when the make a similar statement: that it might be recorded.  Cablevision guy stated flatly that it was being recorded.

I asked if I can have a copy of the recording.  No.  I asked for a transcript.  No.  We then engaged in some back and forth, during which Cablevision guy stated that my request for a copy was being denied because the recording was proprietary.  Stuff like that reinforces the distinct impression that they're just making it up as they go along.

I pointed out that I was on the call, so what could be proprietary but Cablevision guy was firm on this.  The call didn't last too long but since I don't have a copy of the recording I can only provide my best recollection.

There are two things that federal and state legislatures need to do:
1. Prohibit private companies, especially those providing utility and pseudo-utility services, from demanding that a customer provide them with his/her Social Security number.
2. Ban the recording of conversations unless a copy and/or transcript is made available to the consumer.

Here is part of a reply I received from the Social Security Administration:

from:SSA.Comments@ssa.gov
to:ken
date:Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 11:18 AM

The Social Security number (SSN) was originally devised to keep an accurate record of each individual’s earnings and, subsequently, to monitor benefits paid under the Social Security program.  However, use of the SSN as a general identifier has grown to the point where it is the most commonly used and convenient identifier for all types of record keeping systems in the United States...

If a business or other enterprise asks you for your SSN, you can refuse to give it.  However, that may mean doing without the purchase or service for which your number was requested.  For example, utility companies and other services ask for a Social Security number, but do not need it; they can do a credit check or identify the person in their records by alternative means. 
 
Giving your number is voluntary, even when you are asked for the number directly.  If requested, you should ask why your number is needed, how your number will be used, what law requires you to give your number, and what the consequences are if you refuse.  The answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to give your Social Security number.  The decision is yours.
___________________________________

Unfortunately, when a company with monopoly or duopoly power in an industry asks it is really a demand.

I call upon my elected representatives to pass legislation to fix this.