Re: your March 21 article, “Council unhappy with Time Warner service”:

The Star printed my letter, "Appeasing the customer," in February. Since then, I have experienced issues with the cable company and its tactics that I feel are less than aboveboard.

After losing seven channels on my analog lineup, I was forced to switch to digital cable. I opted two tiers. Installation included, the total was $45.45 per month. What they didn't tell me was that my DVD recorder would only record on Channel 3. Now, I can't watch one channel while recording another, nor can I program my brand new DVD recorder to record my favorite programs while I'm out of town.

When I contacted Time Warner, I was told I'd needed its digital video recorder, an additional $8.95, plus $4.95 for DVR service. The installation charge was $29.95, which they wouldn't waive. High definition would be an additional $5 dollars. Now it's $59.35 to get what I had before, without high definition.

After the six-month introductory promotional period, I'll have to drop one of the tiers or pay an additional $5. After a year, the monthly cost jumps to $44.95, a total of $64.35. With an additional $5 for high def, that’s $69.35 a month.

All this is in addition to extended hold times, conflicting information from order clerks and failure to disclose important information, among many factors.

In a Nov. 8 Star article, "Changing channels part of Time Warner's plan," Time Warner Cable spokeswoman Patricia Regoso Cox said: "Analog-channel lineups are not being altered for digital or basic subscribers." That couldn't have been further from the truth.

It looks to me like changing channels wasn't the only part of Time Warner's plan.

— Ben Hall, Simi Valley