Have you ever gone on vacation or had to be away from home and thought that you may want to suspend your TV/Internet service?
Anything is possible, but for a price.
Let's take three major companies: www.directv.com, www.timewarnercable.com and www.verizon.com. I have been a customer of all three. (Choice of programming is not the issue here as that is a more individual decision.)
Directv is the best company when it comes to putting your account "on vacation." Directv allows you to suspend services for no less than a minimum of 30 days and up to a maximum of 6 months within one calendar year. You don't have to do it consecutively either. There are no charges associated with doing this. Your account has to be up to date in payments and for the months it is suspended, you will see a "$0" balance.
Time Warner Cable permits a "seasonal disconnect" for no less than a minimum of 30 days and also for no longer than 6 months in a calendar year. They do charge you $10 for the modem and $10 per cable box each month of the "seasonal disconnect," even if you are not there to use it. Your account must be paid in full before asking for a "seasonal disconnect."
This leaves Verizon as the last and the least cooperative. I was informed that if I temporarily suspend the account I would lose whatever promotion I was locked into and would have to take whatever the price is once I reinstate my account. Granted, there may be a better deal later on, but the fact is that you feel as if they are punishing you for putting your account on suspension. And who is to say that they would actually offer you a better deal when you call to reinstate your account?
We never know what may take us away from home, but considering how much it costs us each month for our TV and Internet, it would be nice to deal with a company who worked with you in those circumstances.
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