Time Warner Cable To Automatically Credit Subs Over Sandy

Time Warner Cable said Thursday that it would automatically apply credits to residential and business customers in the greater New York City area that lost service as a result of Superstorm Sandy that swept through the region on Nov. 1 impacted by the devastating Superstorm Sandy.

Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey on Oct. 29 and rambled up the coast spreading death and destruction in its path. In New York City, flooding from the storm surge destroyed homes and businesses and customers were left without power for days.

Most cable operators in the areas that were impacted by the storm have offered credits to customers who lost service. Cablevision Systems, which has customers in Long Island, N.Y., and southern New Jersey – two areas hardest hit by the Superstorm – said it would credit customers who called the MSO to notify them once their power was restored.

Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network and Verizon Communications all have made the same credit promise.

For Time Warner Cable customers in the greater New York area, as service is restored, the company will automatically apply credits for residential customers’ TV, Internet and home phone services (including applicable equipment), and for business customers’ Business Class services in areas where the vast majority of customers experienced an extended outage.

This credit will automatically appear on customers’ statements, labeled “Hurricane Sandy Credit.”

“The effects of Hurricane Sandy on our customers are unprecedented in scope and duration,” Time Warner Cable New York City regional VP of operations said John Quigley said in a statement. “By posting credits automatically to customers’ accounts in the hardest-hit parts of our service area, we hope these affected residents and businesses will have one less call to make as they recover from the storm.”

For customers with individual or localized service interruptions, Time Warner Cable will provide credits on an individual basis. To request appropriate credit after service is restored, residential customers can call (212) 358-0900 or (718) 358-0900, and Business Class customers can call 1-877-227-8711.

Time Warner Cable will waive any fees or penalties for equipment, such as set-top boxes and cable modems that is lost, damaged or destroyed as a result of the storm. Customers should exchange their damaged equipment at one of our retail locations or give it to a Time Warner Cable service technician during a service call.

For customers who need to relocate temporarily following damage to their home, Time Warner Cable will waive the usual fees associated with installing, transferring or reconnecting service. Time Warner Cable will also waive the fees associated with suspending accounts for customers who need to disconnect their services temporarily to deal with their home situation.

Time Warner Cable is providing regularly updated information on outages at a dedicated web page: www.twc.com/hurricanesandy, with some street-level detail on estimated restoration times.