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Cable Company Insists His House “Doesn’t Have Cable,” So He Enjoys Four Years Of Free Service Instead Of Paying The Hookup Fee

by Leona Pham
December 3, 2025
in Social Issues

Moving into a new home is often filled with excitement, but one homeowner’s experience took a surprising turn when it came to his cable service. With the previous owner assuring him that everything was in order, he felt confident about setting up his entertainment. However, when he reached out to the cable company, reality hit him hard.

What should have been a straightforward process quickly spiraled into a labyrinth of confusion and absurdity. The original poster found himself at odds with a company that insisted he had no cable service at all, despite enjoying the channels for weeks. Intrigued by how this tangled tale unfolded? Read on to find out what happened next!

A new homeowner found herself entangled in a cable conundrum that left her both amused and baffled

Cable Company Insists His House “Doesn’t Have Cable,” So He Enjoys Four Years Of Free Service Instead Of Paying The Hookup Fee
Not the actual photo

Cable company told me I don't have cable?

This happened around the year 2000. I had just purchased a house

and met the previous owners while they were moving out.

They were really nice people and we had a friendly conversation about the house.

The previous owner mentioned that the cable bill was paid up until the end of the month

(about 3 more weeks), and that he had already turned in his cable box,

but the cable signal should still be active til the end of the month.

I told him thanks and we let him finish packing up.

We moved in the following week and when I hooked the cable

to my TV I got all the basic cable channels

which was all I was planning on getting anyway.

Come the end of the month, I called the cable company

and asked to sign up for basic cable.

The sales rep told me that there was going to be a $100 h__kup fee.

I told them that the previous owner had left his account active

and that I was literally watching cable as we speak,

so there should not need to be a hook up fee

because the cable was already hooked up.

They just needed to start billing me for basic cable.

The rep then clicked on her keyboard and told me

that her data showed that the address I was at does not have cable

and that they will need to send out a crew to activate the signal.

I told her that I was not paying $100 for a h__kup fee

and said never mind, I don't want cable.

I waited another month (still had cable) and called the cable company back to ask

what it would cost to get basic cable?

A different operator from before said it would cost something like $30 a month and a $100 hook up fee.

I asked why the $100 h__kup fee? She said that it was

because my address does not currently have cable.

I told her never mind, I don't want cable unless they waive the h__kup fee.

She said she was not authorized to waive the fee.

I just thanked her and hung up..

4 years later, we still had cable, but we ended up moving out of state for work.😄

In the face of life’s absurdities, we often find ourselves wrestling with complex emotions and unyielding systems. The story of the Reddit user who inadvertently enjoyed years of free cable service after moving into a new home speaks to a universal truth: sometimes, we are trapped in the tension between our desires and the structures that govern our lives.

This seemingly comical situation highlights how people navigate the intricacies of service providers, customer support, and the underlying human desire for connection and entertainment.

At its core, the Redditor’s experience illustrates a deep emotional dynamic. The OP wasn’t merely trying to avoid a hook-up fee; they were engaging with the frustration of dealing with an impersonal corporate entity that failed to acknowledge their lived experience.

This feeling is common in our interactions with large organizations, where individuals often feel powerless against bureaucratic systems that seem to operate without regard for personal circumstances.

The OP’s situation resonates with many who have encountered similar frustrations, and their decision to forgo cable reflects a broader struggle with fairness and agency.

While many readers might view the OP’s actions as clever or humorous, a psychological perspective reveals a different layer. People often respond to situations like these based on their past experiences and inherent biases.

For instance, while the OP may have felt justified in their inaction, others might perceive this as a moral dilemma regarding honesty and ethical consumption. Gender dynamics can also play a role; research suggests that women are generally more inclined to empathize with service workers, whereas men may prioritize practicality in such encounters.

This variance in perspective can lead to differing opinions on what is deemed acceptable behavior in transactional relationships.

Psychological research shows that even minor customer-service problems can trigger strong emotional reactions. As Gelbrich notes, service failures often involve “helplessness in explaining idiosyncratic coping responses to anger and frustration after service failure.” This highlights how negative interactions can escalate into complex emotional distress rather than simple irritation.

The OP’s decision to ultimately walk away from the cable service reflects an act of self-preservation and emotional resilience. By choosing to disengage rather than succumb to the complexities of customer service, they honored their own emotional needs, which is crucial for maintaining mental well-being.

As we reflect on this Reddit story, it’s a reminder that navigating life’s absurdities requires both patience and empathy, not just for ourselves but also for those we interact with. In a world where connections are increasingly mediated, perhaps the real lesson is to prioritize meaningful engagement over transactional exchanges.

How do we, as individuals and consumers, balance our needs with the realities of the systems we encounter? This question calls for discussion as we continue to navigate our intertwined lives.

Here’s what Redditors had to say:

These folks shared funny stories about accidentally receiving free cable or internet

UnhappyJohnCandy − My aunt had free HBO for years for some reason.

Not complaining; back in the day she’d tape any movie

I wanted to see and bring it over for me. She’s a great lady.

scottskottie − Long before the boxes and digital.

They had the box in the apartment with the special s__ew driver needed to take the filter off.

A butter knife popped them off in 2 seconds.

Another time the filter stopped working for the cable modem,

the cable Rep took the filter off, internet started working.

He didn't have a new filter on him, so said enjoy the cable and left.

slick62 − We had our first house built years ago.

Told the builders we didn't want cable to the house so they didn't.

Years later after first kid, we figured babysitter could use cable and they had a $1 installation special.

We called and asked if we could get the $1 install special if the house didn't have cable.

'When was the house built? ' Few years ago.

'Your house has cable. No problem, $1 install'. Well, OK.

They came out and had to trench from the nearest cable drop to our house,

run it into the house, and chase it to the 3 places we wanted connections.$1

Armando22nl − Had a similar experience. No cable.

Turned out later the rebuilding people cut it and plastered the wall where it was.

Phoned the provider but all they could do was point

to a website where you can request a connection.

700 euro from the street into the house.

Phoned again and asked where the cable could be in my garden,

thinking if i find it, i will extend it myself.

They said they dont have anything like that.

Coincidentally my dad knew a guy who works for those companies.

Within an hour I had a map of the whole street with the location of the cables.

We dug where it should be and found it in 5 minutes

drilled a hole into the basement and connected a new cable. Saved 700 euros

This group highlighted cable companies’ messy systems and terrible customer service

Infradad − Cable guy here. The neighbors probably put their address in as slightly different.

S 6 St compared to 6 st S.

The way our billing systems worked was each address had a different house key

for assigning account numbers.

Since the correct address wasn’t built into the system

as far as the people on the phone were concerned it hadn’t had service yet.

PlasticMix8573 − Comcast changed its name to Xfinity

so they could pretend to be a better customer service company.

Turns out it takes more than a name change to improve customer service.

cashew996 − In our first house, out in front, there were 2 cable boxes for connections

(back in the time where they had to put a physical filter

on the cable at the junction to cut out premium channels).

We were hooked up in the box to the east

and the previous owners had removed the filter.

So we had free cable for the longest time.

A year or so later, the cable company sent subs out to replace the boxes. They skipped ours.

Come to find out, our box wasn't listed on their plots or plans or whatever.

They caught up with it about a year later

when they eliminated those filters and computerized it all.

These Redditors described clever rule-bending and malicious compliance wins

SailboatAB − Slight variation on the theme here.

Back in 2000-ish I had cable in an apartment.

The company made us sign an ironclad agreement that included a specific admonition

that I could NEVER REMOVE THE CABLE BOX FROM THE PROPERTY under penalty of law!

When I moved out, I set up one of those infamous appointments

where the cable guy will be here to take posesdion of the cable box "between 8am and noon"

and I have to stay on the premises in case he shows up.

Of course he didn't show.

Although it was a huge problem for me, I hung around until 5pm in case he showed up,

despite having to, you know, move everything I owned to a new place.

Next day I called them and complained.

They said "oh that's all right, you can just bring it in and drop it off." Nope.

Cue the malicious compliance (or is it noncompliance in this case? ).

I told them I am legally forbidden to remove the box from the apartment.

Later they had someone call me back and insist that I bring the box in.

Nope, no can do! They said I would get in trouble.

Sorry, I'll also get in trouble if I remove the box.

No you won't, they claimed, the lawyers don't really mean that.

Oh, are you a lawyer? No, not actually.

Okay, I won't take your legal advice then.

I'll abide by the signed agreement.

By the way, I give up the key and am gone Sunday afternoon,

so your guy better be here before then.

He can't, they said, the schedule is too busy. Oh well, I replied.

Sunday afternoon a cable rep showed up at the last minute and he was mightily pissed off.

[Reddit User] − We wanted cable and Dad didn't wanna pay the hook up fee either.

So he opened up the green box on our property and just screwed the little cable

with our house number onto one of the cable connections.

Turns out that is all that was needed for there to be cable at the house.

So he hooked up every house in the entire box.

The homeowner’s saga with her cable provider raises questions about the nature of service agreements in a world filled with red tape. Do you think it was fair for her to enjoy such a perk while others were paying hefty fees? Or did her cable company drop the ball on their end? Share your thoughts and any similar experiences below!

Leona Pham

Leona Pham

Hi, I'm Leona. I'm a writer for Daily Highlight and have had my work published in a variety of other media outlets. I'm also a New York-based author, and am always interested in new opportunities to share my work with the world. When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Thanks for reading!

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