Here is a kind of tricky question for anyone with knowledge pertaining
to the installation of cable internet in homes. Let us assume there are
people in the world who one way or another happen to enjoy free cable.
By this I mean, maybe they moved in a home hooked up their TV to the
cable jack, and what do you know it works. Lets also assume it has
been a couple of months and these people have never been contacted by
the cable company whatsoever. Now on to the question: If these people
are now interested in actually paying for cable internet, will their
free cable be noticed and therefore billed? In other words, if the
cable company comes over to do the cable internet installation, will
they somehow know the new customers have had free services for months
now? Or will the cable co. simply come out, hook up the internet,
leave, and only bill the people for the known new service? Thank you
all in advance for your help with this hypothetical question.

On 10 Nov 2005 07:13:20 -0800, Jesse wrote:
Here is an un-hypothetical event
http://www.geocities.com/flutocracy/cablemodem.htm

Never Anonymous Bud wrote:
Exactly what I was thinking!

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 16:30:55 GMT, Never Anonymous Bud wrote:
It showed the customer was accused of cable tv theft because there was
not a trap blocking tv therfor they were getting cable tv for free.

Jesse wrote:
Let's assume the person was dumb enough to leave the TV's hooked-up when the
installer was coming. That would qualify the person for a collection of
stupid criminal stories.

Cable TV theft is a violation of Federal law, not just some city ordinance
or state statute (although it could also be those as well in some places.)
If they're getting both cable Internet and cable TV installed, the cable
company is not going to worry much about what they might or might not have
been doing when they didn't catch them.

But if these people expect to continue to steal cable TV after having the
cable Internet installed, not getting caught by the cable Internet installer
is not their biggest risk -- unless, as I said, they are dumb enough to
leave it all hooked-up when the installer is coming.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.

This fall, vacuum up your leaves instead of raking:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blac...r/blowers.html

"Jesse" <jmowen@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:1131635600.021622.23690@g44g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
Most likely, they would simply hook up your internet service, and install a
filter that blocks the TV signals unless you also sign up for TV service
from them.

Jesse <jmowen@adelphia.net> wrote:
Many cable companies require you to get cable TV service in order to get
internet service. Most of the ones that don't require it have a
surcharge for non-CATV subscribers that just happens to be about the
same as basic CATV service. The very few that actually allow you save a
few bucks by not having CATV service almost certainly ensure (by
installing filters on the pole, for example) that you will not get free
CATV service after the internet service is connected.

-Larry Jones

I never get to do anything fun. -- Calvin

Jesse wrote:

It's called theft of services. They know they are getting for "free",
something they're paying for.

Virtually all cable companies now have folks who drive around and check
for signal leakage into unpaid addresses. They then dispatch techs to
"pull the plug" at the distribution box. Different areas have different
check rates. Around here it seems to be 3 to 6 months.

You friend "free" (stolen) service will likely go away in a few months.

James Knott wrote:

That should read "something they should be paying for".

James Knott wrote:
Thank you for clarifying that you DID NOT answer my question.

Jesse wrote:

Don't mention it. It's the least I could do. ;-)

As to your original question, the fact still remains that it is theft of
services and I will not do anything that encourages such theft. You're
getting the service, please pay for it or cancel it.

James Knott wrote:

Thanks again, I will re-post and ask anyone who's name is not James
Knott to help me out. I mean, why answer a question to not answer the
question? Must be a very moral person....

I think you're going to get the same response from most people here. I
don't have much interest in helping people steal.


"Jesse" <jmowen@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:1131739309.755498.139220@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...

"Bill M." wrote

So just disconnect the TVs. There is no proof, even with the TVs
sitting all over the house next to outlets, that the TVs were ever
connected to the outlets. And the cable companies know that and
they would rather have a happy custome paying for internet (and maybe
later subscribing to TV) than an angry customer who comlains for the
rest of his life about the Evil Cable Company who prosecuted him.

*TimDaniels*

Timothy Daniels wrote:

Wouldn't hurt to hook up some rabbit ears or something that resembles
an antennae before they arrive.

$Bill wrote:

By the way - many cable companies have an amnesty program - you might
want to check that out.

On 2005-11-11, David Ross <news11@raleighthings.com> wrote:
The service isn't stolen if the cable company screwed up & didn't
disconnect the legitimate service by the previous owner. As it is
mostly "buyer beware", then the cable co need to do their job correctly
as the new residents didn't do anything to "steal" service.

The other point is whether the "home" is a condo or apt where basic cable
is provided "free" with the rent/maintenance fee.

plew@csus_abcdefghij.edu wrote:
How did the coax get connected to the TV? Magic?

Someone in the residence had to do something. Even if it wasn't the resident
in control of the property, that person had to have (or is expected to have)
knowledge that cable TV was connected to the TV, and that it wasn't being
paid for. So even if it was connected by magic, that it was allowed to
remain connected was an affirmative act, and that act can be defined as
theft of cable service.

Then why does this person think they're not supposed to be getting the
service. (Which, by the way, is another indication that they know they're
not paying for a service that they're taking - stealing.)

But when it comes down to it, if they disconnect the coax from the TV set
before the installer arrives, and if they're willing to start paying for
their cable TV service, the cable company is likely going to smile, say
thank you, and forget all about any previous theft (which they can remain in
the dark about, and will have no compelling reason to investigate.)

If they're not willing to start paying for it, and they expect to re-connect
the coax, and once again start stealing the service as soon as the installer
is out the door, then eventually they'll either lose the service, and/or
find themselves in big legal trouble, perhaps paying a big fine. (And
probably lose the cable Internet service, and be put on the list of people
to whom service will never be offered without the payment of a huge
deposit.)

By taking the service without paying for it, they *are* stealing. That the
cable probably shouldn't have been live in the first place does not mitigate
their active theft of the service any more than a burgler can escape
prosecution by noting that the victim had left their door unlocked.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.

This fall, vacuum up your leaves instead of raking:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blac...r/blowers.html

plew@csus_abcdefghij.edu wrote:

Sure it is - if you hook up to it without subscribing it's stolen.

Now that's another matter.