Inside the Box: Customer Service and Billing Practices in the Cable and Satellite Industry

This report focuses on customer service and billing practices at three of the largest cable and the only two satellite television providers in operation when the Subcommittee’s investigation began in 2015: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Charter, DirecTV, and Dish.

At the end of 2015, these companies collectively had more than 71 million subscribers. This represented about 72% of all American households that paid to receive television programming and more than 53% of all American households. Many cable and satellite customers have been frustrated by the cost and complexity of their bills. This report reviews four of the most frequent areas of complaint related to billing for new and current subscribers: (1) the initial pricing, (2) expiring promotions, (3) additional fees and changes, and (4) price increases. This report also reviews the adequacy of the cable and satellite providers’ efforts to explain their billing practices to customers.