WSVN — You may have heard that Channel 7 and AT&T are in a dispute over cable fees, which means U-verse customers can’t watch Channel 7. It’s bothered a lot of Channel 7 viewers, and it’s why they have called Help Me Howard to find out if they can get some money back. Let’s see.
Most jobs are hard, which is why they call it work. So, by the time you get home, you want to relax.
Watching TV helps Tammy Sayer unwind.
Tammy Sayer: "That’s why I do. I do that now."
Fortunately for us, Tammy is a big fan of Channel 7. Unfortunately, she was an AT&T U-verse subscriber, and right now cannot get Channel 7.
Tammy Sayer: "I am sure I am not the only AT&T customer who likes Channel 7 that is upset about this."
Because of a dispute between WSVN and AT&T over how much the cable company pays Channel 7 to carry their signal, this is what a U-verse customer gets when they click on their TV: a blank screen that say AT&T fighting for you.
Seeing this leaves Tammy in a fighting mood.
Tammy Sayer: "I miss ‘American Idol.’ I am very upset. ‘Inside Edition, I like ‘Inside Edition.’ I like it when the news comes on at 10."
And Tammy called Help Me Howard because, well, she kind of likes us as well.
Tammy Sayer: "You help the little people. The people who have issues like a lot of us have. Matter of fact, I hate it when I miss it. It’s one of those little perks when I watch Channel 7. I like Help Me Howard very much."
Tammy gets hundreds of channels from the cable provider, but she says WSVN is different to her.
Tammy Sayer: "And to be cut out of that when you’re paying a monthly high premium bill and not be able to see your local news, to me that’s just wrong."
That’s why Tammy called Help Me Howard. Her cable bill is $170 a month, and since she can’t get Channel 7, she wants her rates cut or some money back.
Tammy Sayer: "Yes, of course. Who wouldn’t? I don’t want to keep on paying for something very basic."
Well, Howard, you pay for a package of channels, and now as a U-verse customer, you aren’t getting one of those channels. Can you get money back?
Howard Finkelstein: "Yes, I think they can get some money back, but how much? It really depends on your contract and your situation with AT&T. That’s something each customer has to work out with the cable company."
I contacted the AT&T spokesperson to find out if they were giving every customer credits on their next bill.
Kelly Starling told me, "We strive to earn our customers’ satisfaction and work with them individually to do our best to meet their expectations."
Bottom line, they are returning money to customers who complain. One viewer said he got $25 off his next cable bill. Another viewer told me she got a $42 credit off her next bill, and when she asked if she could cancel her U-verse contract if the dispute is not resolved soon, she was told "yes."
If you would like to talk to AT&T U-verse to get money back, the number to call is 1-800-288-2020.
Howard Finkelstein: "If you are not satisfied with what you get back, try to cancel your contract and go with a different company, or just get an antenna. You can get 50 or 60 channels, and it doesn’t cost anything each month."
Help Me Howard cant settle the AT&T U-verse dispute, but we can hook up an antenna for Tammy. With the antenna, she can watch Channel 7 again, including those guys from Help Me Howard.
Tammy Sayer: "Yes, now I can. That’s so funny because Channel 7, Help Me Howard, helping me out, and I’m like, ‘I can’t watch it to see what’s going on.’ They air it, so this has been really great."
Patrick Fraser: "Glad we could help Tammy watch Channel 7. Now, obviously, if you are one of the U-verse customers who can’t get Channel 7, you can’t watch this, so if you have a friend or family member who is a U-verse customer, let them know they can go to our website at wsvn.com to watch this Help Me Howard and see the number to call to ask for some money back. It’s worth the call.
Paying for a product and not getting it? Wanna disconnect from the problem? Hook up with us. Our antennas go up when we hear you need help. With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
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Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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