Jan sent a message to Thomas M. Rutledge – Chief Executive Officer and President of Charter Communications, Inc. – Email Address that said:
Dear Tom Rutledge, CEO of Charter Communications,
I am advocating on behalf of my 90-year-old mother. She (and my late father) have been loyal customers for way over 40 years. I feel Charter/Time Warner/Bright House price gouges the elderly. She lives in an area where there aren’t any other choices for cable providers. The only services she wants or needs is standard TV and a home phone. She has to have a home phone line because of her heart monitor that transmits information to her doctor. She is paying over $125.00 a month for STANDARD cable and a land line. $8.00 of that is for a HD box that isn't even hooked up because it was less expensive to bundle than to get what she wanted. When I called to inquire the customer service representative offered no solutions to lower her bill other than to cut existing services. The representative could only answer that there is no program in place for her circumstances. She has reached the age where watching TV is her primary source of entertainment. According to your website you are able to offer Premier TV with DVR, high speed internet and phone for less than what she is paying! She is of the generation that isn't quite as savvy when it comes to technology. She doesn't own a computer. She wants to only use the remote that came with her TV...less buttons and easier to read. It is difficult for me to understand why her cable bill is more than mine and I have everything! I realize I live in an area that offers more choices and is competitive, but elderly customers shouldn't have to be penalized and pay unjust prices regardless of the area they live in and just because Charter Communications can. There has to be a solution when it comes to cable pricing and elderly customers. They are forced to pay for services they don't want or will use. I am grateful that I still have my mom. She has looked out for me my whole life and now it is my turn to look out for her. There has to be a better way. Charter Communications now is the time to look out for your elderly customers and not just the bottom line!
