Rapides Parish Police Jurors unhappy with how Optimum handled a recent equipment upgrade, leaving many customers upset about fewer television channels and bigger bills, decided Monday to see if they could start a movement to revoke the company’s state permit.
Juror Craig Smith made a motion to discuss and take action against Optimum, saying service from the company — formerly Suddenlink — had improved a bit in the recent past “but it’s just horrible” now. He said jurors have been receiving calls from angry customers about the change.
“I think people are looking at us, the parish, to address it,” said Smith, who said he is an Optimum customer. “They give us this cable box … I lost half of my channels that I was paying for, but they said that I wasn’t supposed to be getting them to start with. I was getting them until I plugged my box in.”
Juror Bubba Moreau chimed in, calling it bad business not to notify customers of the change at least 60 or 90 days ahead of the change. Jury President Joe Bishop said the entire jury feels the same, even though Optimum officials addressed the jury about a month ago.
Bishop said he also is an Optimum customer, paying about $260 monthly for a basic cable and internet package. He said he had 90-plus channels, but that shrunk drastically to less than a dozen after installing the cable boxes on his televisions.
“So I loaded up all my boxes and brought it back to them,” he said. “I looked like Santa Claus.”
Local jobs ready: Manufacturing Month puts spotlight on Central Louisiana industries, jobs available
Historian: Truth about Alexandria founder Alexander Fulton may shock some
He said he kept Optimum’s internet, but switched to YouTube TV so he could get local channels.
Optimum has a franchise through the jury to provide services in Rapides Parish, but Bishop said they needed to go “above and beyond that and reach out to our state delegation.” He said he would like to see the state revoke Optimum’s permit to operate in Louisiana.
“Let them step up to the plate, and look at pulling their statewide permit from Optimum,” he said.
Jury Vice President Sean McGlothlin asked legal counsel Greg Jones if the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) should be included in that effort. He said yes, although he reminded jurors Optimum is not a public utility and isn’t subject to PSC regulations.
McGlothlin said he wanted to “throw all the heat on them as much as possible.” Smith said it was time to “start some kind of process.”
Bishop said he considers Optimum an “unmetered utility” because a person’s television doesn’t even have to be on, but they will continue to receive a bill.
“You could be in the hospital, or you could be on vacation,” he said. “They’re gonna still bill you. Nobody has to come out to your house and read a meter or anything. They just send you a bill every month, whether you use it or not. And for them to go up on this like this is shameful.”
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: ‘Shameful’: Rapides Police Jury sets sights on Optimum’s state permit
#Rapides #Police #Jury #takes #aim #Optimum #upgrade #angers #customers
