They get away with slamming customers with fee increases like this because Washington allows it. Adding $24 per year for a service that you don't want sounds crazy. Is this really capitalism or is it the best system money can buy?
Just to be clear: That's $1.99 a month not to be in a phone book that Time Warner doesn't even publish.
AT&T's and Verizon's fees are a little more understandable. After all, they make extra cash selling ads in their phone books. The more people who choose not to be listed, the less valuable the directory becomes to advertisers, so the phone company wants to discourage people from leaving.
But Time Warner isn't in the phone book business. Its recurring fee for unlisted numbers is a money grab, pure and simple.
And the unlisted number charge isn't the only way that the cable giant has started reaching deeper into people's pockets.
As of Aug. 6, the company raised its fee for customers to pay their bill by phone to $4.99 from $2.99. It also raised it fee for ordering pay-per-view by phone to $4.99 from $2.99.
