Cox Communications...or Not? (Phoenix, Surprise: HOA, new home, to buy) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

cjs123 · 06-02-2007, 11:31 AM

Anyone have the package deal with Cox? Do you like it?

Live in Queen Creek and our HOA dumped the contract with Cox. Looking into various providers but have heard so many horror stories about satellite, maybe will stay with Cox for TV/internet and possibly get phone service with them too.

But have also heard that Cox has messed up people's phone lines out here and since I telecommute, maybe will stay with Qwest for phone (though don't like dealing with them).

Really liked Cable America but when Cox took over, the rates when through the roof (38% increase to keep the same channels) so dumped all digital channels to keep costs down. Maybe a package deal is the way to go but they quote a nice price and then say "not including taxes, fees, or equipment". Need to make a decision by June 15th so asking folks' opinions on various providers.

Unfortunately no matter which company it is, with rare exception the customer service 'reps' are inept at best and atrocious at worst. And if you find a good contact, good luck on ever reaching that person again.

Appreciate anybody's "two cents"...Thanks.

ibarrio · 06-02-2007, 11:55 AM

I would also like to see some suggestions. Prepping my house in Surprise and I'm wondering the Cable Options and High Speed Internet options. In California I have Time Warner and it sucks (they took over Adelphia).

I have never done Satellite and the only reason I can think of going to Satellite is for the NFL Ticket.

blueeyz911 · 06-02-2007, 12:31 PM

I live in Phoenix and I have had a Cox package deal for a couple of years. I pay $139 a month for expanded digitial cable, DVR, high speed internet and a complete home telephone package with all the features.

I have been very happy with my service. I plan to buy a home in Queen Creek this summer and the HOA will pay for basic Cox cable so this will knock $19.95 off my current package price. So I will be staying with Cox for now.

cjs123 · 06-02-2007, 02:58 PM

"...the HOA will pay for basic Cox cable so this will knock $19.95 off my current package price..."

You may already be aware of this but in case not: We thought the HOA paid for basic Cox cable too; actually, we paid the HOA quarterly for our basic Cable, instead of paying Cox monthly.

You DO save around $9/mo by having your basic Cable through your HOA. And it is nice to have a new home already set up with Cable when you move in. However, we are being penalized now that our HOA has gotten out of the contract, and if we want to keep our basic Cox cable, as individuals it will run us an additional $8.65/month.

Another reason for considering a package deal, if staying with Cox.

Best wishes on your future move to Queen Creek!

blueeyz911 · 06-02-2007, 03:20 PM

I just spoke with Cox the other day and currently our HOA is still providing basic COX cable. Even if they decide to not provide it, I would still keep my package since it's only $139 a month and I have been very happy with it. The HOA better keep the cable incentive because the HOA is $67 a month. We need to get some perks out of it.

I don't care for HOA's.

Thanks. I am looking forward to moving to Queen Creek except for the commute to downtown Phoenix.

sablebaby · 06-02-2007, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueeyz911

I just spoke with Cox the other day and currently our HOA is still providing basic COX cable. Even if they decide to not provide it, I would still keep my package since it's only $139 a month and I have been very happy with it. The HOA better keep the cable incentive because the HOA is $67 a month. We need to get some perks out of it.

I don't care for HOA's.

Thanks. I am looking forward to moving to Queen Creek except for the commute to downtown Phoenix.

Wow, what else are you getting for your $67 a month? That's pretty high for an HOA for a house. I usually see them from $12-50/month, average usually at $20-25. It doesn't sound like you'll actually be saving anything.

cjs123 · 06-02-2007, 04:49 PM

"I just spoke with Cox the other day and currently our HOA is still providing basic COX cable."

Would check with your HOA to see if by "providing" they mean "paying for".

We were told by the seller that our HOA "provided" basic cable, but what that really meant was that our home would have cable at move-in, not that the HOA was actually paying the cost. The first quarterly HOA bill was a shocker.

The breakdown of our quarterly HOA dues has been:

33.00 for Trash pick-up (twice weekly, paid to HOA quarterly instead of to the trash company)

34.80 for Basic Cable (11.60/month, paid to the HOA instead of to Cox)

and

116.25 for HOA Dues (or 38.75/month).

Total has been 184.05 per quarter, now will be 149.25/quarter since we will no longer pay our basic cable through our HOA, but will pay Cox directly. However, at no point did our HOA actually foot the bill for our basic cable.

Don't care for HOA's either, and really don't see what they are doing with all that money they are collecting.

Good luck with that commute !

blueeyz911 · 06-03-2007, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Wow, what else are you getting for your $67 a month? That's pretty high for an HOA for a house. I usually see them from $12-50/month, average usually at $20-25. It doesn't sound like you'll actually be saving anything.

The HOA pays for garbage collection, common area maintenance which would be the pool, park grassy areas and street maintenance. I know I think HOAs are stupid and I think this one is rather high.

I have not seen any that low out here for a house. Even Johnson Ranch is $50 a month. My parents pay $75 a month for their HOA and a friend of mine pays $100 and these are both in new housing developments. I have never heard of an HOA being as low as $12 or even $25. That sounds more like it. Where are these neigborhoods with such low HOAs?

azloafer · 06-03-2007, 01:24 PM

I have Cox for Internet, Cable TV and Phone. It is strange how they put packages together. For example, they advertize the phone package as $19.95 with all the popular features. I took it and then found that I did not have the ONE FEATURE that I really wanted...Voice Mail! I had to pay extra for that one. Also I got my bill and the phone had gone to $29.95 plus $5.95, NOT the $19.95 they advertize. I called and complained. Their answer is that voice mail is not one of the package features and that if they don't charge me $29.95 other things on my bill will go up and I will pay more in the end! I have gone over the bill and have called and talked to supervisors and I always get the same answer. I even wrote a certified letter with a copy of circled items on my bill. I continue to get the same answers. It is a take it or leave it type thing.

When my email stopped working for three weeks, I continued to get spam, but not any of my personal mail. I get 10-15 spam a day thru Cox. I called and complained and they said that a large portion of the state of Arizona was without email. I, of course, asked why the spam was making it thru the system. No explanation. They said that I should get a business account if I was dependant on getting my mail. They said that the regular email account is called RECREATIONAL and comes with no guarantees! Of course the business account costs more. My son has Roadrunner for his ISP (not available here) and gets no spam at all!

The TV support is great and everything is fixed within 24 hours, but the internet support stinks.

mfpd · 06-03-2007, 01:50 PM

I have had Cox for quite a while. We have the full package, and I am overall pretty happy with it.

I have not had any problems with email being not available. However, I don't use Cox email. I purchased a domain so I could have my own email address no matter where I move.

We occasionally have service disruptions, but they are usually minor. In addition, I have Vonage phone service, and Cox works perfectly fine with that.

Good luck!