Do You Qualify for a Cablevision Refund?

An official Connecticut utility watchdog is encouraging state consumers to apply for refunds from their cable television provider, and Cablevision has announced it will refund customers.

Here's a news release from the state Office of Consumer Counsel:

Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz is encouraging cable customers to contact their service provider if they qualify for a loss of service credit as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Connecticut law, Conn. Gen. Stat. § § 16-331l and 16-331w, provides a credit or refund to cable subscribers who experience a service outage for more than twenty-four continuous hours in “an amount that represents the proportionate share of such service not received in a billing period, provided such interruption is not caused by the subscriber.”

Customers should call or email their cable service provider to request this outage credit and not assume it will be granted automatically. “If you were out of service for over twenty-four hours, you are entitled to a credit, and should absolutely claim it,” Consumer Counsel Katz said.

The Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) has been focused on storm-related issues and investigations for over a year now. “The cost of such an event adds up, and since Connecticut residents have the chance to realize a savings, we want to make sure they are aware of this opportunity,” said Katz.

The Office of Consumer Counsel is the state of Connecticut’s advocate for all utility ratepayers. OCC seeks to ensure just and reasonable rates and reliable utility service for customers of Connecticut’s electric, gas, telephone, and water utilities and reasonable protection for cable television customers. For more information, visit www.ct.gov/occ.  

Cablevision announcement

Here's a Nov. 2 news release from Cablevision, which Patch has previously reported:

In light of the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy on our customers, Cablevision Systems Corporation today announced the following credit policy for Optimum customers whose service has been disrupted as a result of the hurricane.

Optimum customers can receive credit for any full or partial day during which they were unable to access Optimum services, even if the disruption was caused by a loss of electrical power. The company is asking customers to call after their Optimum service is restored, so it can calculate and apply the full credit to which a customer is entitled.

"Many of our customers have been severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and we want them to know that credits are available for the period of time that they have not had Optimum service, including when electrical power was not available," said Kristin Dolan, Cablevision's senior executive vice president of product management and marketing. "In addition, customers will not be responsible for any damage to Cablevision equipment caused by the storm, and will be able to exchange damaged equipment at no cost."

Customers who have experienced a loss of service should contact Cablevision within 30 days of service being restored and request a credit for their regular monthly charges during the period when Optimum TV, phone or Internet products were unavailable, including periods when there was no electricity to the home or business where the services are received.

Additionally, customers who have damaged Cablevision equipment—set-top boxes or cable modems—should inform the company of the damage and we will exchange the equipment without penalty.

Customers can request outage credits or facilitate an exchange of their equipment by calling their local Cablevision service number or e-mailing the company through the contact pages at Optimum.net or Cablevision.com.