Some customers haven't had any channels in six weeks.
By Colleen Hogan
Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 9:58 p.m.
Read more: Local, Consumer, Fact Finder
VERSAILLES -- Missouri's attorney general is now looking into a cable company that wasn't ready for the digital T.V. transition.
KRCG News first told you Monday about the Almega Cable Company. The company provides service to a number of cities in Moniteau and Morgan counties.
The company told KRCG News they were unable to prepare for the digital switch because their technician quit. But their former technician tells a different story.
"They have contracts with these people to provide a service,” said Steve McGowan, former Almega employee. “They're not providing that service, but they're still charging full price."
McGowan says the company lied to KRCG News this week when they said that he and other technicians had quit.
"When I heard that they said that all the technicians down here quit, and gave no notice, i was livid,” said McGowan. “We all got laid off. No one quit."
McGowan says problems with the company have been rampant for at least a year. But last Friday, when local stations switched to digital things got worse.
"We should be getting over 100 (channels) I think,” said Almega customer Michael Conley, “and recently, channel by channel, it's just dropped off, and now we have no cable at all."
Even with no channels, Conley gets a bill from Almega Cable for $70 a month. He says he can't get anyone to fix it.
"You call them and they say they're gonna get someone out to fix it, and they don't,” said Conley. “They pretty much just lie right to you."
Fellow Almega customer Gary Mispagel has also been in the dark. Even with no channels, a $140 cable bill still comes in the mail.
"We can't get sports, we can't get news, we can't get weather,” said Mispagel. “Not one channel."
Mispagel says he's called Almega every day for service.
"We're told, pretty much like everyone else, that your technician is either in California or Tipton,” said Mispagel. “We only have one technician for, it might be five or six counties."
KRCG News called Almega Cable company to get answers. We called to a customer service call center based in Texas. A manager told us a technician had already been out to service Versailles residents. The manager also told us that he would be willing to send the technician out again.
But until someone actually shows up, a snowstorm on the screen is all that Almega Cable customer's will see.
The mayor of Versailles told us he has called the company and is also getting the run-around.
Missouri's Better Business Bureau has received almost 200 complaints against the company, and Missouri's attorney general has also received several complaints about the company.
To send the attorney general a complaint about the company, please click here.
