STATEWIDE (WGME) – The I-Team investigates a change in Spectrum policy taking many customers by surprise.
The change means in some cases, you’ll keep paying, even after you cancel.
We’re on your side with information that could save you money.
“We have a camp—Claire and I up in Long Lake in Naples. It’s a seasonal thing for sure because it gets very cold and desolate in the winter,” said Bill MacDonald.
This is the time of year MacDonald and his wife Claire, close up their cottage.
“We literally shut everything down in that cottage, we winterize, drain all water, turn the electricity off, lock the door,” he said.
Part the process also includes canceling their TV and internet service.
“Every summer we turn it on, and turn it off, never had a problem,” Clair said.
This year after they canceled, they learned Spectrum changed its billing policy.
Customers will no longer get refunds if service is canceled before the end of the billing cycle.
In the past, bills were prorated, meaning you only pay for the days you use.
If you canceled, you’d get money back for the unused portion.
The MacDonald’s billing period began on the first of the month. They turned in their equipment on the second, but under the new policy, they’re now required to pay for the entire month of October.
The I-Team has heard from several other Spectrum customers about the change.
Claire also called Spectrum to complain about it.
“Everybody was not willing to cooperate one bit. You had it for one and a half days and you will pay the full month,” Claire said.
The Office of the Public Advocate says cable TV and internet service providers are largely unregulated businesses in Maine.
“Clearly there are people out there who don’t know this policy is in existence,” Bill said.
According to state law, the companies are required to provide 30 days written notice of changes in billing practices, which Spectrum provided this spring.
Effective on or after June 23, 2019, and consistent with the Terms and Conditions of Service, Spectrum will no longer provide a pro rata credit for services sold on a monthly basis that are canceled prior to the end of the current billing month.
“There’s a tiny little thing on the May bill that says they’re going to do this, but other than that, never a notification, never a letter, never posted, never on TV, so we had no idea,” Claire said.
We asked Spectrum about the change.
“This is a common approach to billing among other providers of monthly subscription services, including wireless and video streaming services,” said Spectrum spokesperson Andrew Russell in an email to the I-Team.
But what about other cable and internet providers?
We reached out to six other companies and found only one has the same policy.
DirecTV also made the change this year.
Comcast, Dish, Bee Line Cable, Consolidated Communications, and Verizon all told us if a service is removed, you’ll only be billed for the days you used.
“There are a lot of people who have seasonal properties, perhaps people move, there’s a whole host of reasons this situation need not happen,” Bill MacDonald said.
Late Friday afternoon the I-Team talked with Rep. Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham), chair of the legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.
“I’m absolutely going to submit legislation to address this. It’s outrageous,” he said.
Spectrum declined to answer follow-up questions about why the company changed its policy after years of prorating bills.
