Texas is a one party consent state, you actually didn't need her permission.

https://guides.sll.texas.gov/recording-laws/audio-recording#:~:text=Texas%20is%20considered%20a%20%22one,%22reasonable%20expectation%20of%20privacy.%22

Edit to add:

I also think you'll be fine. This would be an easily disputable charge on your end. They aren't organized enough to go after people for non returns even if you didn't turn it in.

I would totally have recorded her. You don't need her permission.

Fine, what she has access to says you don't have that equipment but somewhere, they know you do and whenever they get around to auditing/inventorying stuff, you'll get contacted.

Optimum was buffering horribly at my house. Did a speed test and was appalled what they called 1GIG internet. Rebooted the router and that did nothing. Got Metronet 2Gig installed that same afternoon. IT IS AMAZING. Tech was awesome. It's stupid fast.

Switch when you can y'all.

Switched to Metronet a few months ago and could not be happier. Everything about the experience with them was 5 star+. A couple of weeks after I got it, a quality control guy game by and checked it all out. Imagine Optimum/Suddenlink doing that - lol.

Initially I went to Optimum store to cancel service and turn in equipment. They gave me a number for cancellation that I did not have on anything Optimum ever sent me. They told me I could turn in equipment by placing it in box by the gate at their Bryan facility on 29th. I went there and asked for a receipt. No go. So equipment went home with me.

When I called Optimum to cancel their service, the initial lady I talked to was great. Smooth. But then she said I had to talk to the retention department to complete the cancellation. I argued a bit with her that it wasn't necessary. So finally I said "okay, if that's what it takes." Guy was a complete jerk (being kind) in every sense. He said he was refusing my request because that was not what I really wanted (wth?), and that Metrolink would treat me like dirt, raise my price every 6 months, etc etc. He demanded I tell him all the details about my contract with Metronet. Told him that was none of his business, illegal for him to ask me that etc. He cam back to that several times in the conversation. He told me if I hung up he would not sign off on my request. After 20 or 30 minutes I finally told him I was filing a complaint with the Texas AG. He relented, but then we got into it about turning in equipment and getting a receipt. Told me that would never happen. Gave me option of mailing it to New Jersey at my expense. But then told me they would not sign for it, so do not send it signature required. So dumped it at 29th street in Bryan.

Sure enough, about 6 weeks later I got an invoice from Optimum to pay for equipment I had not returned. I ignored their invoices for 3 months until I got a very shrill nastygram. Did not want to deal with credit score issues etc so called them. Asked for initial call center person's supervisor. Very nice lady and that went great. She rescinded the invoice.

So the wife had a similar situation turning in our equipment last year. I warned her after reading TexAgs about their "parting gift"… The young lady at the counter didn't want the wife and her friend to record her as the wife was turning the gear in,

So, she told her she was just taking pictures of each box as she was handing them in, serial numbers, etc. (just left the phone on record the whole time)… I know, we're terrible people…

Sure enough…. SubOptimum tried to bill us for equipment that was not turned in. Wife called and was extremely pissed, and asked to talk to Mr. SubOptimum…. Sure enough, after having a lengthy conversation, telling this person we had video of the entire exchange, and threatening to turn said video over to the local news and that we would indeed take them to small claims court, they needed a day to "investigate". Wife said 24 hours, that's it. No more. Mr. SubOptimum calls back the following morning, as it turns out, the local office on 29th street "recorded our equipment wrong" when we turned it in, and that it was now fixed in their system.

I even know someone who works there, it's still the crookedest company I've dealt with in many years. Edit to add: Turning equipment in is a scam and just seen as another money grab.

I've never heard of Metronet until reading this thread but my Suddenlink/Optimum bill just jumped from $80 to $110 out of nowhere with no changes made and I only have internet.

Metronet seems to get good reviews here. Is this available everywhere in B/CS? I'm over by the Northgate area.

ETA: I just spoke to Rob whose contact info was listed on page 1. Very friendly and helpful. Said metronet is only available in Bryan but that they should be able to service where I live around August 26th.

Did a pre-order and was offered 500 mb for $60 a month for 12 months and then will increase to $70. That's a helluva lot better than paying $110 to Optimum for 400 mb. He actually offered me 1 gig for $80 a month which is what I was paying a month ago to Optimum but I don't really need 1 gig. Can't wait to drop Optimum like a bad habit in two months.

I called and canceled Optimum. They offered me 2 free months and dropped my 1 gig price down to $60 a month. I told them to pound sand. Then they told me that the reason my speeds were slow was because the modem they installed back in February was the wrong one.

Me: "So unless I hadn't called you and told you I was canceling, complained that the reason I was canceling was because my speeds were crap and Metronet had already installed new service in my house I would never have known that I have a bad modem and I could be saving myself $20 a month and have gotten 2 free months?"
Retention Rep: "Yes Ma'am! So will you be staying?"
Me: "Yeah..that's gonna be a big fat no from me."

So for those of you who are stuck with Optimum, threaten to cancel, get a new modem from them, get your bill lowered and see if you can get two free months.

Just discovered that neither Frontier nor Metronet services our neighborhood in CS.

Charpie said:

---

I called and canceled Optimum. They offered me 2 free months and dropped my 1 gig price down to $60 a month. I told them to pound sand. Then they told me that the reason my speeds were slow was because the modem they installed back in February was the wrong one.

Me: "So unless I hadn't called you and told you I was canceling, complained that the reason I was canceling was because my speeds were crap and Metronet had already installed new service in my house I would never have known that I have a bad modem and I could be saving myself $20 a month and have gotten 2 free months?"
Retention Rep: "Yes Ma'am! So will you be staying?"
Me: "Yeah..that's gonna be a big fat no from me."

So for those of you who are stuck with Optimum, threaten to cancel, get a new modem from them, get your bill lowered and see if you can get two free months.

---

Just saw this, and just know that they can do better. Anyone else looking to do so as well!

I'm waiting on the Metronet construction, but got them to do the same since I'd gotten T-Mobile HI for my primary home internet in the interim.

They sent me a new modem (as my Arris CM8200 wasn't supported now, for some reason), three months of free service, and a rate of $29.95/month plus taxes for the gigabit service ($35.23 total).

Still going to cancel them at the first drop of any problem, but figured I'd keep it as a backup until Metronet installs.

Metronet laid the conduit in our area months ago. We are getting the construction signs in the yard still. I don't know what they're waiting on. Ready to switch.

Will metronet have to dig in the areas where frontier has already been? I live in Shenandoah and Frontier has already been here.

farmersfight said:

---

Will metronet have to dig in the areas where frontier has already been? I live in Shenandoah and Frontier has already been here.

---

Separate runs in our hood.

Apparently everyone on our street has Metronet. I got on their site earlier to check out prices and I could pick a time tomorrow morning to have it installed, yet we got signs in our yards a couple weeks ago saying they were about to do construction. Not sure what the signs are for.

Y'all are paying that much for internet with Suddenlink/Optimum? I have 400 mbps only and my bill is $113 a month. $80 for internet, 400mbps is $30 and I have a $20 "credit."

Are those new customer rates? We aren't new customers so I never get the new customer rate.

Thisguy1 said:

---

Y'all are paying that much for internet with Suddenlink/Optimum? I have 400 mbps only and my bill is $113 a month. $80 for internet, 400mbps is $30 and I have a $20 "credit."

Are those new customer rates? We aren't new customers so I never get the new customer rate.

---

That's correct. I have Internet service only (no TV services). I've been a customer since the pre-Suddenlink days, so definitely no new-customer rates. Mine was $94.15/month all-in before.

Basically, I threatened to cancel, and said (truthfully) that I have an alternative which provides reliable service at $30/month.

After hemming and hawing, the retention person said "How about this..." reiterated the deal from earlier, and said "just in case they don't work out".

So, a few months free, free modem and gigabit service at $29.95/month plus taxes and fees.

Call up, threaten to cancel, and mention that you've signed up with T-Mobile Home Internet (as I have) and when I did that late last year it worked.

Whoa! They are getting really desperate. I guess Frontier and Metronet are really cutting into their subscribers.

In related news, did anyone else get a notice in the mail regarding a class action settlement against the Suddenlink parent company, Altice?