Technology

58303 readers

70 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

678

Cable lobby and Republicans fight proposed ban on early termination fees / Customers should be allowed to cancel cable TV without penalty, Democrats say (arstechnica.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

71 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Cable lobby and Republicans fight proposed ban on early termination fees / Customers should be allowed to cancel cable TV without penalty, Democrats say::Customers should be allowed to cancel cable TV without penalty, Democrats say.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 23 points 11 months ago (2 children)

We're obviously talking about consumer contract law here, so the point of business relationships falling apart is moot.

If cable companies could prove to me that them pressing a button to cancel my service merits the exorbitant cancellation fees that they charge, then maybe I'd change my opinion.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I mean that's why I said this

Rather, this is an issue of consumer protection, and consumer rights should generally be given preferential treatment over contracts for the same reasons unions exist - it levels the playing field between entities of far differing power and means.

"Early termination fees" do not solely apply to cable companies, and by and large are a good thing - this is how they shoved them past what should be common sense consumer protection legislation, which I also mention.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago

They usually can. Installing the wiring to your home and paying the wages of the installers is not cheap. It takes time for that initial cost to be recouped by a company.