Landlords Can't Force You To Sign Up With One Cable Co... But Can Charge You Extra For Water If You Pick Wrong
from the loopholes dept
For many years, cable/telco/satellite companies would do "exclusive" deals with apartment buildings and other developers, which would limit what services could be offered in those buildings. Back in 2007, the FCC stepped in to say such deals were illegal. But, of course, there are always loopholes. Broadband Reports highlights how a bunch of buildings are using loopholes like telling you can chose any cable company you like... but if you choose a different one they have to pay an extra $40 for water and trash. And... the FCC says these kinds of deals are legal, for now, though it may move against them soon. But, in the meantime, your landlord can effectively force you to choose a cable/telco/broadband provider.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: cable, exclusive deals, landlords, telco
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smash the landlord into next week
would look funny as hell in court
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Re: smash the landlord into next week
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Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
Because landlords could make this an incentive rather than a penalty, how could you legislate against it? Landlords add incentives all the times (sign a one year lease and get one month free, or a portion of the deposit is waived, etc.).
Regardless of whether we like what landlords are doing, we still live in a relatively free market. If people do not like what a particular landlord is doing, they can always choose another place to live.
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Re: Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
And it is indeed a free market and people have a right to choose their cable provider or even choose not to have a cable provided and be free of any frivolous penalties somebody wants to place on them for not choosing what they suggest. And what if this was taking place in a small town that only had 1 major apartment complex? There would be no realistic alternative. The "Free Market" argument goes both ways.
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Re: Re: Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
Move to a different town.
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Re: Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
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Re: Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
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Re: Seems like it would be hard to make this illegal...
Hello there is a thing called streaming. So why should I have to pay for something I don’t use!
Wake up. Landlord is loving it! It should be banned real soon.
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Re:
But there are plenty of other cities.
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Re: Only one cable co?
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what do we expect for nothing?
I guess the alternative is that apartments could be more expensive. I fail to see how that's an improvement.
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Re: what do we expect for nothing?
Okay, there are several reasons why this is a non-starter.
1. If the installs are free/subsidized, then it shouldn't be a huge problem to pay what the normal fee would have been anyway if subscription levels aren't up to par.
2. In your equation, the Telco gets a benefit of the deal, the building developer/owner gets a benefit of the deal, but what is the tenant getting out of all this? Certainly I, someone who has lived in several apartments throughout my adult life, have never seen any great price benefits in cable-uniformed apartment buildings.
"I guess the alternative is that apartments could be more expensive. I fail to see how that's an improvement."
How? It varies by area, but in Chicago apartments are already crazy expensive. The nice thing is that landlords are constantly at war with other neighborhoods, and this type of price hikes while not providing any benefit is the very reason why our neighborhoods constantly cycle in terms of popularity. One year Wicker Park is a dump. The next year it's the reasonably priced home of artists.
Having said all that, I will be trying your Chicken Ragout recipe tonight. You damn well better hope it's good, or feel the wrath of the Helmet thou shall....
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Re: what do we expect for nothing?
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As years passed and the cable company would sell out to another cable company, the original deal has been forgotten. Even though COMCAST admits that such deals were frequently used to get apt. buildings "wired" for cable TV, COMCAST doesn't feel that they are obligated to honor the agreement that was iitially made some 35+ yrs ago.
The net result is: any renter in an apartment building must pay for "basic" cable service.
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Now it happens!
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video signals that you receive.they want to charge the consumers as much as they can and pay the providers as little as they can so they can make the maximum profits.
They get away with this by saying running the cable and maintaining the equipment costs us a fortune. IT does not its all ready been paid for 20 times over.In large part because they havent done what they said they would do and that is wire the whole country.They go so far as to make deals with landlords to go the extra and illegal distance of hassleing and threatening eviction to people who want to put up Sat Dishes.Att was broken up only to come back.
Landlords unless they are paying for utilities as part of the rent have no business decideing what information pipe I use.Its also interesting to note that in this swindle they called upgrade to HDTV the broadcast bandwidth is being sold back to broadcasters to sell subscription broadcast TV on proprietary sets and devices.Im for getting rid of traditional TV cable going back to a free strong broadcast TV and high speed internet cable.In order not to undercut or overprice either market the broadcaster have to go one or the other not both.
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Re:
"they want to charge the consumers as much as they can and pay the providers as little as they can so they can make the maximum profits"
Isn't that how a business suppose to operate? I own a business, a computer repair and retail business. In my business I like to purchase my inventories (hard drives, routers, etc) for as little as possible and I like to sell them for as much as possible. Example: I purchase a Seagate 1 TB hard drive for $56 NEW at special, and then I sell them at $120 plus $80 for service and I not only get lots of willing customers, but my prices is still very competitive considering that Best Buy Geek Squad charges $456 for the same exact service.
So, the bottom line is that when you have a business its all about getting your supplies for the best possible price and selling it for the most possible price in order to turn the best possible profit. The cable companies does exactly this and I see nothing wrong with them wanting to pay the content providers as little as possible and then charge the customers as much as possible (while of course remaining competitive with other providers such as FiOS, Direct TV, etc). Its Business.
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Insider view
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local operators
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Dumb Landlords.
Better yet I would build my own wiring and make the cable companies pay me for letting them sign subscribers. They would be using my infra-structure to pass their signals so I would rent that for them.
Very quickly cable companies would pass some law forbidding the practice if there is not one already.
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Re: Dumb Landlords.
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Worth noting.
It probably had nothing to do with consumer rights at all.
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People aren't being charged "Extra" for not using it...
The problem with putting cable, internet, telephone on the RUB is that not everyone will want said utility. They might not have a use for it (landline? why???) or they might want a different provider, but they will pay for it because it is available in their apartment.
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Things to check...
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I once had to move to get HD
At least I have my priorities straight.
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Re: I once had to move to get HD
$75 dollars for basic internet 1 Mgpr and TV cable (and I don't have a TV). So basically its $75 for basic SLOW internet
Now competitors (att) have $40 for 12 GB
Thats less money and a lot more services
$75 ON TOP of the RENT!!! (not included with it)
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Authority?
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Why shouldn't they be able too?
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Re: Why shouldn't they be able too?
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Re: Why shouldn't they be able too?
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Info please!
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Complex telling me I don't even have a choice
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FCC Links about exclusive contracts with apartment buildings
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-87A1.pdf
http://www.fcc.gov/wc b/broadband/chron_list.html
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Deposit
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Forcing one satellite tv service on condo winners
Thans!
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cable
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READ THIS!!! AND LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS RIGHT???!!!! PLS
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my complex because the foundation was coming through my floor. Well I got another apartment but I had to pay another deposit and then when I tried to get my cable company to switch me the complex would not allow them to put up the dish. New management said no. so I had to pay an early cancellation fee to my cable company, Now the complex has a contract with another cable company but I have had that company before and do not like it so I'm stuck with no cable.
What can I do if anything
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my complex because the foundation was coming through my floor. Well I got another apartment but I had to pay another deposit and then when I tried to get my cable company to switch me the complex would not allow them to put up the dish. New management said no. so I had to pay an early cancellation fee to my cable company, Now the complex has a contract with another cable company but I have had that company before and do not like it so I'm stuck with no cable.
What can I do if anything
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Forced into cable!
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picking your own cable provider
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Above topic of land lords forcing a cable bill on a tenent!!
why and how use choose your source of Tv and billing should be the TV owners choice only!!!! And Since The Fcc tells the TV networks they must make it available to all for news weather and normal programing ..these people Who pass these laws must be getting kick backs and be removed from office in the poublice intrest! I smell a bunch of crooks..And since they are always trying to tax or jail the little guy they should taste the same and any judge that disagrees with that statement should also be removed or disbarred! " Next they'll count the rolls of sheets we use to wipe our butts with that paper or make us go paperless for a fee! I guess old folks don't count or poor people..so for enternatment we'll just sign up to walk around the blocks untill todays youth kill us off!
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New Owners "PROHIBIT" Satellites period
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html.
s directed by Congress in Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Over-the-Air Reception Devices (“OTARD”) rule concerning governmental and nongovernmental restrictions on viewers' ability to receive video programming signals from direct broadcast satellites ("DBS"), broadband radio service providers (formerly multichannel multipoint distribution service or MMDS), and television broadcast stations ("TVBS").
The rule (47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000) has been in effect since October 1996, and it prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.
Effective January 22, 1999, the Commission amended the rule so that it also applies to rental property where the renter has an exclusive use area, such as a balcony or patio.
On October 25, 2000, the Commission further amended the rule so that it applies to customer-end antennas that receive and transmit fixed wireless signals. This amendment became effective on May 25, 2001.
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