Measure Would Give Consumers More Choices After a Service Blackout
TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Linda R. Greenstein to give consumers greater choice when asking their cable television provider to reimburse them after a lengthy service outage was released today by the Senate Economic Growth Committee.
“While many cable customers may prefer a monetary reimbursement when they experience an extended outage of their services, providing consumers with multiple choices of how they wish to receive their reimbursement is a positive not only for the cable companies but also for customers,” said Senator Greenstein, D-Middlesex and Mercer. “If a consumer is already planning to order a premium channel or purchase a pay-per-view event, it just makes sense to allow them to apply their credit towards these options.”
Currently, cable companies are only allowed to provide either a direct credit or rebate against monthly subscription charges as reimbursement to customers who experience a service outage that lasts at least six hours. The Greenstein measure, S-981, would give consumers the option to instead receive alternative compensation, such as free access to premium programming channels or pay-per-view special events.
The Senate Economic Growth Committee released the measure 5-0. It now heads for a vote in the full Senate.