>Service & Installation Policies
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>Subscriber Privacy Notices
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>Parental Control
Installation work will be performed on an appointment basis. Appointments are usually scheduled in four-hour blocks during normal business hours. If you have special needs beyond this appointment option, please call us and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Standard installations will normally be performed within five business days after an order has been placed. Underground installations may require additional time.
If it is determined that a non-standard installation is needed, the estimated cost and completion date will be provided to the customer in advance.
If our installer or technician is running late, we will attempt to contact you and reschedule the appointment at a time convenient for you.
Our technical staff will not enter your home to perform work unless a responsible adult over 18 years of age is present. We have established this policy to protect you and our employees.
Repair and maintenance to the cable lines outside your home and repairs to any cable company-owned equipment are currently provided to you free of charge.
Outages/Service Interruptions
We will normally respond to service interruptions (outages) as soon as possible, and normally within 24 hours or the next business day from the time we are notified of an interruption. We will normally respond to other non-outage service problems by the next business day. For outages beyond our control {such as natural disasters or severe weather-related problems), we will respond as promptly as possible.
We do everything to ensure trouble-free reception, but from time to time equipment failures can occur. Generally, it is our policy to issue a credit, upon request, for service interruptions over 24 hours. Windstream Cable Television customer service representatives are available during normal business hours, and after-hours emergency reporting service is available 24 hours a day. Please call us in a timely manner when you notice the problem. We will not issue credit for service interruptions if we are not notified promptly or for situations beyond our control.
Service And Rate Changes
We reserve the right to change our equipment, prices and/or fees at any time. We also reserve the right to rearrange, delete, add to or change the services provided on our cable service.
In accordance with federal and local regulations, we will notify you in advance of changes in rates and/or services and inform you of the effective date of those changes.
Termination Of Service
Unless a contractual agreement for cable services is in place, you may cancel your service at any time by calling 800-345-3874 or writing to us at P.O. Box 400, Cornelia, GA 30531. Please do not write disconnect requests directly on your bill.
We reserve the right to terminate your service if any contract terms are violated, or for failure to rectify conditions that interfere with normal cable operations, or if you fail to pay your bill when it is due. Unpaid disconnected accounts are forwarded to a collection agency. You may not assign or transfer your service without providing the cable company with proper notification.
Bad Check Policy
A fee of $25 will apply to any returned checks. If payment is not made and the account is delinquent, the account will be disconnected and a reconnect fee will apply.
Service Call Policy
Windstream Cable Television will maintain all the outside wiring that we have installed free of service charges. A service charge will apply for repairs to inside wiring or customer modifications to our wiring. A charge may also apply for repairing wire/cable damaged by the customer or others working on the customer's property.
A service charge may apply for a service call to help connect a digital video device or VCR or to reprogram a TV, a digital video device or VCR.
Cable TV Protection Plus Coverage
Windstream Cable Television is responsible for all cable wiring up to 12 inches beyond the grounding point normally located or installed on the outside of the customer's residence. The customer is responsible for cable wiring from that point. A large percentage of trouble reports are caused by inside wire, cable outlets or Jacks and customer-owned equipment. Cable TV Protection Plus provides protection from repair costs when a problem is found with the customer's inside cable wiring or existing cable outlets. Cable TV Protection Plus includes the repair or replacement of existing approved cable outlets and inside cable wiring. All inside cable wiring repairs are subject to WINDSTREAM's discretion for post-wiring standards and will not include cable wiring that runs through inside walls. The addition or moving of existing cable outlets or jacks is not included.
Cable TV Protection Plus added on a repair call/visit will be billed at a standard monthly rate. A service call charge may be applied if a problem is found in the customer's wiring. However, the customer may take the Cable TV Protection Plus inside wiring protection plan for 12 months and repairs will be made on up to four existing outlets for a one-time activation fee.
If a customer chooses not to take the Cable Protection Plus plan, inside wire repairs can be made on a time/material basis. If a customer chooses not to take the Cable TV Protection Plus plan, or doesn't want us to repair the inside-wiring problem, then a service call fee will be applied.
Late Fee
A late fee will apply to all accounts not paid by the due date stated on your cable bill.
Equipment Policy
Equipment installed by your cable company, placed under, over, on or about your home or property in connection with the delivery of service, is the property of the cable company.
Billing Procedures
Cable services are billed one month in advance. Partial month charges will be included on your bill if you add or change services between billing dates.
Customers agree to pay us monthly by the payment due date as shown on your bill and for any administrative fees due to late payments or other charges due us. Customers agree to pay all federal, state, local and user taxes, franchise fees and other charges, if any, which we may now or in the future be required to assess you. Billing rates are subject to periodic adjustment as permitted by franchise agreements and federal law.
Customers may pay for multiple months of service in advance if that is more convenient. However, no discounts are generally given for advance payment. If changes in rates occur after advance payments are made, customers are responsible for any adjusted rates as of the applicable rate change effective date.
To ensure your account is properly credited, mail your check or money order along with the remittance stub to the address printed on your bill. Please write your account number and service address on your check or money order and allow five to seven days for processing. DO NOT MAIL CASH. To ensure prompt attention, please write your inquiries or requests on a separate piece of paper rather than on the bill itself. Payments received after the due date are subject to a late charge. In addition, service may be disconnected and collection proceedings initiated if the account is past due. If you change the service you receive, we may charge you a change of service fee.
A late fee will apply to all account balances not paid by the due date stated on your cable bill.
Any disputed charges or billing discrepancies must be brought to our attention during the current billing month or all charges will be accepted by the customer.
Non-Pay Reconnect Policy
Once an account has been disconnected for non-payment, the total amount due on the account must be paid in order to reconnect service. In addition, a reconnect fee is required to be paid at the same time. The amount due and the reconnect fee must be paid in full before service is reconnected. In most cases, reconnection is done within three to five working days. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
Theft Of Cable TV Service
The 1984 Cable Act, as amended by the 1992 Cable Act, was enacted by the U.S. Congress and created both civil and criminal penalties against manufacturers, suppliers and users of unauthorized cable devices. This federal theft-of-service law supplements any existing state or local laws.
The federal law prohibits the interception or receipt of any communication service over a cable system, unless authorized by the operator. This includes the theft of audio, video, textual, data or other service, including data transmitted to or from a subscriber over a system that has interactive capability. Further, the law pertains to both the manufacturers and distributors of equipment, as well as individuals.
The Cable Act provides a cable operator the right to seek substantial monetary damages with regard to theft of its cable services. In addition, if the violations are willful and for commercial advantage or private financial gain, the court may award damages of up to $50,000 in civil cases and a maximum of $100,000 for certain criminal violations, in addition to a maximum of five years imprisonment for subsequent offenses.
Congress has taken the foregoing actions because it believes that theft of cable service poses a major threat to the economic viability of cable operators and cable program suppliers, and it creates unfair burdens on cable subscribers who are forced to subsidize the benefits that other individuals are getting by receiving cable service without paying for it. Also, tampering with cable lines often causes reception problems for paying customers like you.
If you are aware of persons receiving unauthorized cable service, please call us confidentially. We will follow up to ensure that the service you receive is not affected by someone else's tampering.
If you experience a problem, please follow the steps outlined below:
First, contact our office and tell us about your problem. If your problem concerns the signal quality of your cable service and we cannot resolve it over the phone, we will immediately schedule a service call. (We do not repair televisions or VCRs)
If a technical problem has occurred such as a power outage affecting a large number of our customers, it is possible for our telephone lines to become overloaded with calls. You may receive a busy signal in this instance because your neighbors are also reporting the problem. Please be assured we will act to resolve your service problem as soon as possible.
In the vast majority of cases, we can promptly resolve any problem that you may experience. If we are unable to resolve your problem to your satisfaction within a reasonable time period, you may contact the local government official responsible for dealing with cable television complaints. The local government official should be contacted before any contact with the Federal Communications Commission.
| HABERSHAM COUNTY | ||
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Jim Butterworth, Chairman- Douglas Vermilya, County Commissioner Gerald Dunham, County Commissioner Charlie Miller, County Commissioner Dr. Rick Austin, County Commissioner 555 Monroe Street, Unit 20 Clarkesville, GA 30523 706-754-6264 |
Audrey Turner, Mayor of Alto P. O. Box 215 Alto, GA 30510 706-778-8035 |
Dr. Terry Greene, Mayor of Clarkesville P. O. Box 21 Clarkesville, GA 30523 706-754-4216 |
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Mark Reed, Mayor of Baldwin P. O. Box 247 Baldwin, GA 30511 706-778-6341 |
Malcolm Hunnicutt, Demorest Mayor P. O. Box 128 Demorest, GA 30535 706-778-4202 |
Margaret Ballard, Mayor of Cornelia P. O. Box 785 Cornelia, GA 30531 706-778-8585 |
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Gary Morris, Mayor of Mt. Airy P. O. Box 257 Mt. Airy, GA 30563 706-778-6990 |
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| TOWNS COUNTY | ||
|---|---|---|
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Bill Kendall Towns County Commissioner 48 River St., Suite B Hiawassee Ga 30546 706-896-2276 |
Dan Nichols, Mayor P. O. Box 122 Young Harris, GA 30582 706-379-3171 |
Barbara Mathis, Mayor of Hiawassee 229 Chatuge Way Hiawassee, GA 30546 706-896-2203 |
| UNION COUNTY | |
|---|---|
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Lamar Paris, County Commissioner 114 Courthouse St., Box 1 Blairsville, GA 30512 706-439-6000 |
Jim Conley, Mayor of Blairsville P. O. Box 307 Blairsville, GA 30514 706-745-2000 |
| WHITE COUNTY | ||
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Chris Nonnemaker, Chairman-White County Commissioners Joe Campbell, County Commissioner Craig Bryant, County Commissioner 59 S Main St., Suite A Cleveland, GA 30528 706-865-2235 |
Donald Stanley, Mayor of Cleveland 85 S. Main Street Cleveland, GA 30528 706-865-2017 |
Mayor of Helen P. O. Box 280 Helen, GA 30545 706-878-2273 |
| LUMPKIN COUNTY | |
|---|---|
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Stephen W. Gooch, Chairman- John Raber, Lumpkin Commissinoer Debra Hutcheson, Lumpkin Commissioner Clarence Stowers, Lumpkin Commissinoer Clarence Grindle, Lumpkin Commissioner 99 Courthouse Hill, Suite A Dahlonega, GA 30533 706-864-3742 |
Gary McCullough, Mayor of Dahlonega 465 Riley Road Dahlonega, GA 30533 706-864-6133 |
| DAWSON COUNTY | |
|---|---|
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Mike Berg, Chairman- Dawson Commissioner Gary Pichon, Dawson Commissioner Mike Connor, Dawson Commissioner Julie Hughes-Nix, Dawson Commissioner 76 Howard Avenue, East Suite 100 Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-344-3501 |
Joe Lane Cox, Mayor of Dawsonville P. O. Box 6 Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-265-3256 |
| CLAY COUNTY | |
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Herbert Cheeks, Chairman-Clay County Commissioners Harry Jarrett, Clay County Commissioner Stephen Sellers, Clay County Commissioner P. O. Box 118 Hayesville, NC 28904 828-389-0089 |
Harrell Moore, Mayor of Hayesville P. O. Box 235 Hayesville, NC 28904 828-389-1862 |
| JACKSON COUNTY | ||
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Pat Bell, Chairman- Tom Crowe, County Commissioner Jody Thompson, County Commssioner Bruce Yates – County Commissioner Dwain Smith, County Commissioner 67 Athens Street Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-1199 |
Doug Haynie, Mayor of Arcade P. O. Box 417 Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-5500 |
Jim Joiner, Mayor of Jefferson 147 Athens Street Jefferson, GA 30549 706-367-5121 |
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Charles Hardy, Mayor of Commerce P. O. Box 348 Commerce, GA 30529 706-335-3164 |
Ronnie Maxwell, Mayor of Nicholson P. O. Box 365 Nicholson, GA 30565 706-757-3408 |
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| PICKENS COUNTY |
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Robert Jones, Sole Commissioner 52 North Main Street, Suite 201 Jasper, GA 30143 706-253-8813 |
| BANKS COUNTY | |
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Douglas Cheek, Mayor of Homer P. O. Box 146 Homer, GA 30547 706-677-3510 |
Gene Hart, Chairman-Banks County Commissioners 144 Yonah Homer Road Homer, GA 30547 706-677-6200 |
| WILKINSON COUNTY | ||
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Kenneth Turner, Mayor City of Gordon P. O. Box 387 Gordon, GA 31031 478-628-2222 |
Dennis Holder, Chairman Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners P. O. Box 161 Irwinton, GA 31042 478-946-2236 |
Edna Brown, Mayor City of Irwinton P. O. Box 359 Irwinton, GA 31042 478-946-9997 |
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Ann Evans, Mayor Town of Ivey 148 Highway 243 Ivey, GA 31031 478-628-2479 |
Roger Smith, Mayor City of Toomsboro P. O. Box 67 Toomsboro, GA 31090 478-933-5257 |
Jack Bache, Mayor City of McIntyre P. O. Box 38 McIntyre, GA 31054 478-946-2037 |
Section 631 of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 ("Cable Act") requires us to inform you of the following matters:
1. Collection
The Cable Act requires us to inform you of the nature of personally identifiable subscriber information that we collect and of the nature of the use we make of such information.
General IX, the Cable Act permits us to collect and use only the information needed for the business of providing cable and other services to subscribers. In order that we may continue to provide reliable, high-quality service and maintain adequate records, we keep regular business records that contain your name, address, telephone number, social security number and other personally identifiable information.
Such records include billing, payment, deposit, complaint and service records, records of information you have furnished to us such as the location and number of television sets connected to cable and the service options you have chosen.
We use this information to sell, maintain, disconnect and reconnect services to make sure that you are being billed properly for the services you receive, and to maintain financial, accounting, tax service and property records, including records required by the terms of our franchise. Periodically the information is used for cable-related market research by the company and others.
2. Disclosure
The Cable Act allows us to collect personally identifiable information and to disclose to a third party only if (a) you consent in advance in writing or electronically; (b) disclosure is necessary to deliver cable service and other services we provide to you, or to conduct related business activities; (c) disclosure is required pursuant to a court order and you are notified of such order; or (d) for mailing list as described below
The Cable Act requires us to inform you of the nature, frequency and purpose of any disclosure that may be made of such information, including an identification of the types of persons to whom the disclosure may be made.
We may make your records available to employees, agents and contractors to install, market, provide and audit cable service on each occasion access is needed for the specific job at hand. Access for this purpose is routine and does not occur with any specific frequency.
We may also occasionally release our subscriber list to a customer research organization to conduct market research. This typically occurs no more than once each year.
Further, we make our subscriber list available each month to an independent billing house to send bills; to mailing services and programmers each month for sending program guides; to programmers and outside auditors to check our records whenever such checks are required, which occurs irregularly; to attorneys and accountants on a continuous basis as necessary to carry out service to the company; to potential purchasers in connection with a system sale which occurs only at the time such sale is contemplated; and to franchising authorities to demonstrate compliance at the irregular times when compliance concerns are raised.
Subscriber information may also be disclosed to our bill payment lock box service each month as necessary for processing subscriber payments, and information on delinquent accounts may be supplied to collection agencies and credit bureaus when delinquency occurs. We take reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorized access to this information.
3. Mailing Lists
The Cable Act also allows us to disclose your name and address for mailing lists and other purposes unless you object. We do not presently sell our subscriber list or otherwise disclose it to commercial users, and do not anticipate making any such disclosure in the future. Should we make any such disclosure in the future, we will not disclose the extent of your viewing or use of a particular service or the nature of any transaction you may make over the cable system, but we may disclose that you are among those who subscribe to a particular service. If you do not wish to have your name and address included on a subscriber list disclosed to commercial or charitable users, please contact us at our system business office. Please refer to your bill for the address of our system office, our phone number and our office hours.
4. Retention
The Cable Act requires us to inform you concerning the period during which we will retain subscriber information. As required by the Cable Act, we destroy subscriber information that is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected unless there is a legitimate request or order to inspect the information still outstanding. Paper records such as work orders and installation records are generally retained for up to three months. Subscriber records maintained in our management information system are routinely deleted from our records as newer information is added. The age of these records varies from address to address, depending on the date when service commenced and the number of transactions.
Ledger data is deleted after a varying period, at the most six months.
Older records in the system may be deleted occasionally to free storage space for new records.
Information concerning location and number of outlets and other information you have provided to us upon installation is retained so long as you are a subscriber and may be deleted from the system within two years after you terminate your subscription, provided your account is fully paid.
Market research information is retained for a maximum of two years. Accounting and billing records are retained in historical ledgers for six years for tax and accounting purposes.
5. Disclosure by Court Order
The Cable Act also provides that the government may obtain disclosure of personally identifiable information by court order, if it offers evidence that such records are material to a criminal case, and if you are given the opportunity to appear and contest the evidence.
6. Subscriber Rights
As described above, the Cable Act establishes your rights as a subscriber and the limits upon the cable operator with respect to the collection and disclosure of subscriber information. You have the right to inspect our records that contain information about you and to correct any errors in our information.
If you wish to inspect the records pertaining to you at our system office, please contact us at the system business office during business hours to set up an appointment. You may bring a private civil action in U.S. District Court, and you may seek to recover damages, costs and attorney fees if the limits under the Cable Act have been violated.
If you experience problems with your television reception, keep in mind that it may or may not be related to your cable TV service.
If the problem is only on one channel, it is probably just a temporary transmission problem from that particular network.
If the problem affects more than one channel, here are a few things you can check before calling for repair service:
Troubleshooting Tips
- Check to see if there is a break in your cable cord. If there is, please give us a call.
- Make sure that the cable connections on the back of your TV or converter are secured tightly.
- If your TV or converter is plugged into an electrical outlet controlled by a wall switch, check to make sure the switch is on.
- If you are using a converter box, make sure your TV set is tuned to the designated output channel (2, 3 or 4).
- Check the TV switch on your VCR.
If you have poor or distorted reception, the most frequent cause of poor quality pictures on your TV set is improper fine-tuning. Following these simple steps can often improve your picture quality:
- Make sure your TV is tuned to the channel designed for your converter box (2, 3 or 4), if you have one.
- Make sure your TV is set in the CATV mode.
- If your TV has automatic fine-tuning, switch the AFT/AFC button on your TV off before adjusting the set.
- Adjust your fine-tuning until you get the best possible picture.
- Adjust the vertical and/or horizontal hold as required.
- Switch the AFT/AFC button back on.
- Refer to your owner's manual for other possible adjustments.
If your troubleshooting has not corrected the problem, please call us. We will assist you over the phone and schedule a home appointment if necessary. We want you to enjoy the best quality service. If any of the following problems occur, there may be a problem with your TV set instead of your cable service:
- Picture, but no sound
- Cross streaks (fuzzy streaks across the screen) Cross streaks are probably caused by electrical interference from appliances, power poles or atmospheric conditions.
- Rolling pictures. If all channels cannot be corrected with the "vertical hold;' call your TV repairman.
- Vertical shrinking (picture shrinks from top to bottom) Check your TV manual for adjustments. If an adjustment cannot be made, call your TV repairman.
- Horizontal shrinking (picture shrinks from side to side) Sometimes caused by power "brownouts." Check TV manual for adjustments.
- Dark lines (dark lines moving either vertically or horizontally) Check your TV manual for adjustments. If an adjustment cannot be made, call your TV repairman.
Mother Nature Can Affect Cable Service
- Lightning. During electrical storms, we advise that you unplug your television set(s) and disconnect your incoming cable line(s). We are not responsible for any damage to customer-owned equipment caused by lightning or any other Act of God beyond our control.
- Picture Distortion/Sun Outages. For a few days in the spring and fall, brief interruptions (5 -10 minutes) in satellite-delivered programming may occur due to an alignment between the sun, the orbiting communications satellite and our receiving antenna. We thank you for your understanding during these brief "sun outages."
The procedure you will need to follow to get the most from your cable service will depend on the features built into your TV and VCR and your chosen viewing capabilities. Please take a moment to review the following information about WINDSTREAM's equipment and your equipment.
Your TV ...Cable Ready Or Not
Many newer TVs are cable ready. This means that they are capable of receiving unscrambled higher frequency channels without a converter box. Some models of TV sets and VCRs that claim to be "cable compatible" or "cable ready" may not be able to receive all of the cable channels offered when connected to the cable. Also, you may have problems such as co-channel interference or inability to receive higher-numbered channels when your TV set or VCR is connected directly to the cable. These problems are often resolved through the use of a set-top converter.
Cable TV Converter Box
We can provide you with an analog converter box if your TV set cannot receive all cable channels on the Basic or Expanded Basic line-ups. (A monthly fee will be assessed for the use of this box.)
Additionally, converters and remotes with basic functions and features are available from various independent retail vendors. The converter box will allow you to receive all unscrambled analog cable channels.
To use the converter, always place your TV set on the required channel (2, 3 or 4), and make sure the converter is connected to your cable line, your TV or VCR.
You will need a converter box if you do not have fully cable-ready equipment (TV and/or VCR).
Digital channels may require a Digital Converter that is leased as part of the Digital Basic service.
High Definition cable channels may require an HD receiver or HD cable card, which can be leased from the cable company.
HD digital video recorders (DVR) are also available for lease. These provide easy recording and playback of cable programming. The DVR also allows a customer to pause and rewind the cable channel being viewed.
A/B Switch
Cable customers have the option of adding an A/B switch to their television and cable equipment. An A/B switch allows you to receive off-the-air local broadcast television stations or signals not carried on cable via your antenna. A/B switch kits are available from various independent retail vendors.
If you desire channel blocking or parental control to prevent children in the household from viewing some premium channel programs at certain times, your TV set may provide parental control. If your TV set does not accommodate parental control, Windstream Cable Television offers a device to block premium channels. This device may be purchased. This device may also be available only by special order and may require a prepayment. Digital customers may also activate a parental control option on the menu settings. From the Main Menu, highlight the "Parents" icon and press "OK." Follow on-screen instructions to enter a four-digit passcode. A rating level or channel can be locked by highlighting it and then pressing "Lock."
The use of a converter box may deactivate the use of certain new television enhancements such as picture-in-picture, channel review, advanced picture generation, display features and remote controls. Also, when a converter is used, you may not be able to view one channel while recording on another channel or record two or more consecutive programs on different channels. You may be able to use special by-pass equipment to regain some or all of these features.
