{"id":77488,"date":"2017-02-04T12:02:02","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T17:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=77488"},"modified":"2017-02-02T20:07:08","modified_gmt":"2017-02-03T01:07:08","slug":"schneiderman-outlines-impact-of-spectrum-time-warner-alleged-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=77488","title":{"rendered":"Schneiderman outlines impact of Spectrum-Time Warner alleged fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Attorny_General_Eric_T_Schneiderman\"<\/a><\/strong>Consumer Alert Follows A.G. Schneiderman\u2019s Announcement Of Lawsuit Against Spectrum-Time Warner Cable That Alleges Company Failed To Deliver The Reliable And Fast Internet Access It Promised To Subscribers Across The State<\/em><\/p>\n

Spectrum Has Over 570,000 Subscribers In Western New York, AG’s Office Received More Than 300 Complaints<\/em><\/p>\n

Suit Seeks To Compensate Spectrum-Time Warner Cable Subscribers For Five Years Of Broken Promises And Damages And Restitution That Could Be Worth Upwards Of Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars<\/em><\/p>\n

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued a consumer alert today to provide New Yorkers with tips for selecting the best internet service plan. This consumer alert follows the Attorney General\u2019s announcement yesterday of his office\u2019s lawsuit against Charter Communications Inc. (\u201cCharter\u201d) and its subsidiary Spectrum Management Holdings, LLC, (f\/k\/a Time Warner Cable, Inc.,) (together, \u201cSpectrum-TWC\u201d) for allegedly\u00a0conducting a deliberate scheme to defraud and mislead New Yorkers by promising internet service that they knew they could not deliver.<\/p>\n

With over 570,000 subscribers in the Western New York region, Spectrum-Time Warner Cable is the largest supplier of internet service in the state. The complaint alleges that since January 2012 Spectrum-TWC\u2019s marketing promised subscribers who signed up for its internet service that they would get a “fast, reliable connection” to the internet from anywhere in their home. But a 16-month investigation by the Attorney General\u2019s office \u2013 which included reviewing internal corporate communications and hundreds of thousands of subscriber speed tests\u00a0\u2013\u00a0found Spectrum-Time Warner subscribers were getting dramatically short-changed on both speed and reliability.<\/p>\n

\u201cReliable internet is vital for millions of New York families and businesses,\u201d said\u00a0Attorney General Schneiderman<\/strong>. \u201cAs alleged in our complaint, our sixteen month investigation found that Spectrum-Time Warner Cable’s 2.5 million subscribers in New York were repeatedly cheated into paying more internet speeds the company knew it would not provide. That’s just wrong. I encourage consumers to read our tips to ensure they don’t pay extra for speed their provider just cannot deliver.”<\/p>\n

The Attorney General\u2019s Office looked into thousands of complaints from New York subscribers, including more than 300 from Western New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

The suit alleges that subscribers\u2019 wired internet speeds for the premium plan (100, 200, and 300 Mbps) were up to 70 percent slower than promised; WiFi speeds were even slower, with some subscribers getting speeds that were more than 80 percent slower than what they had paid for. As alleged in the complaint, Spectrum-TWC charged New Yorkers as much as $109.99\u00a0per month for premium plans could not achieve speeds promised in their slower plans.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s consumer alert<\/a>\u00a0will provide consumers with a guide to asking the right questions in order to determine the appropriate internet plan for their households needs. When choosing an internet plan, consumers ask the following:<\/p>\n