Police: Cable Company Delayed Finding Suicidal Teen
Published: March 22, 2009
CINCINNATI, Ohio—When a 16-year-old in suburban Cincinnati posted a message on MySpace.com last week saying he planned to kill himself, a friend in Texas called police to ask for help. Cincinnati Police Detective Dave Ausdenmoore immediately contacted the teenager’s Internet service provider, Time Warner Cable Inc., to track down his home address. But instead of acting quickly on the request, Ausdenmoore says the cable company refused to comply without a written request.
The youth posted the message shortly before noon. Police found him dead in his home shortly after 2 p.m. An autopsy showed lethal levels of carbon monoxide in his blood. Ausdenmoore says it took Time Warner about 45 minutes or longer after his initial call to provide the teen’s information. Police say the company’s actions may have wasted precious seconds that might have prevented the suicide. The cable company says it only took 11 minutes to relay the information, and says its policies help protect customers from identity theft.
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Reader Reactions
Time Warner is a mess, but it seems to me this guy really wanted to kill himself, and would have probably succeeded no matter what. If he’d had any doubt, he would have contacted someone who knew where he was and could stop him in time.
Oh my goodness Bodie you are so right on the out of the country customer service reps. Shame on Time Warner SHAME!!!!!!
Sounds like TWC will be in big trouble.They should have a special line set up for things like this.I don’t know why they don’t it wouldn’t be that hard they have a number to call for cable theft.Here goes a rate increase.Prayers go out to this family.
Here’s a thought ... Maybe Customer Service Rep was in New Delhi and didn’t understand Police & plain ENGLISH.
No doubt when the police called TW they got the same kind of brain-dead mutoid we all get when we call their customer service. At the very least, police and other emergency service providers should have a special number to call that puts them through to someone with a brain.
Police were not asking for a Social Security Number or Date of Birth. Just an address !!! Time Warner will no doubt be sued by this young man’s family so they need to warm up the checkbook now because they owe big time.
Just confirms my dislike for this company’s arrogance etc.
i had time warner for years and they have become a monster company that cares nothing for their customers. i now use wide open west, or wow cable, and my bill is greatly reduced, i still can watch my favorite shows on CW and i get great customer service. i hate it when companies get so big and self important that their customers no longer matter to them.
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