About Us

2009 Customer Information

Updated 12/10/2008

For additional information, find your local contact information

 

Your Privacy Rights as a Cox Customer

We updated this year’s privacy notice to make it easier to read and to discuss new services. We show any important changes for you in bold. In keeping with our commitment to be the most trusted provider of communications and entertainment services, our basic privacy policy remains:

We keep only the personal information needed to provide our services, treat it as private, use it only for what we offer you, do not sell it to others, work to keep it secure and destroy it when no longer needed. We will tell you in advance if there are ever any exceptions and give you the right to say no.

We cannot cover here every situation that affects your personal information, but we have included those we believe you are most interested in. Our websites at http://www.cox.com or http://www.cox.net include updated information for you. You can also learn more about your privacy rights through the Federal Trade Commission, http://www.ftc.gov, and Federal Communications Commission, http://www.fcc.gov. If you receive your bills electronically, we will send this notice by email. If you would like a written copy, contact us at https://www.cox.com/privacyrequest.

Information We Collect

Personally Identifiable Information – In providing our services, we sometimes ask for personal information (“your information”). This information may include names, addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, premium services you select, demographics, user IDs, passwords, PINs, email addresses and communications records. We maintain information concerning subjects like credit, billing, payment, security deposits, maintenance, repair, equipment and services. We may also collect information about your video equipment, computer hardware and software, modems, routers, settings and preferences to aid in customer support. Our policy is to collect only the personal information needed to provide the services we offer with the quality you deserve. We take reasonable steps to keep that information secure and retain it only as long as needed for business purposes or the law requires. We take reasonable precautions to identify you or your authorized representative when we receive an inquiry on your account. We sometimes collect personal information for special reasons, such as for research, in surveys or registering at our web sites. If so, we will tell you first how we will use it, and you may choose not to participate. When we offer new services to you, we will tell you what information we need and how we may use it.

Cable Television Services – We do not collect customer specific information concerning most video program viewing, except as needed to bill you, without your prior consent.  In providing some cable television services, such as pay-per-view, interactive, and entertainment-on-demand, we do maintain usage information for billing, programming and related purposes.  We compile aggregate information that does not identify you for programming, advertising and similar purposes.  Some digital video recorder services collect usage information.  If this applies, we will tell you when you receive the DVR.

Internet Services – Like most Internet service providers, we automatically collect Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (an identifier given to your computer while online), bandwidth used, connection performance, browsers used, and connection dates and times. We keep these records for about six months. We keep messages you send or receive only in your Cox High Speed Internet folders. We do not store information on websites you visit. For more information, see our Online Privacy Policy at http://www.cox.com and http://www.cox.net.

Telephone Services –In providing telephone services, we receive usage information, including calls made and received and their duration.  We treat this information as private and retain it for up to eighteen months, except in California and Virginia where we are required to do so for three years.  We do not share these records with others, unless we receive a lawfully issued request. If you change or terminate your service, it will result in loss of any voice messages stored in your account.

We do not listen to or record your calls to third parties.  We do monitor certain calls to Cox employees or agents for quality purposes.  If you object to this, tell us when you call Customer Care.  We keep records of these calls for up to two years and treat the information as private.

Use and Sharing

Use Policy – We consider your information confidential, and use it only in providing our cable television, Internet and telephone services for such things as sales, installation, operations, administration, advertising, marketing, support, network management, maintenance, customer care, communications with you, and billing and collection. We may also use or share it in dealing with fraud and unauthorized use of our services.

We use and share aggregate information about usage by groups of customers for a variety of purposes. Aggregate information does not identify individual customers. Cox may use aggregate and demographic information in association with yours to better offer our products and services to you.

Sharing Policy – It is our policy not to disclose your information to others outside of Cox our affiliates, vendors and business partners without your prior consent. You can ask us to note your account with a special flag as added assurance of this promise. You can also notify us if you prefer not to receive marketing contacts. Simply write to the address on your bill or contact us online at https://www.cox.com/privacyrequest.

Outside Parties – We sometimes use affiliates, vendors or partners in providing our services and may share your information for such purposes. We require these parties to assure at least the level of confidentiality we maintain and prohibit them from using your information for any other purpose.

Special Exceptions – We reserve the right to disclose your information if we have a good faith belief it is necessary to: (1) comply with the law; (2) protect our rights or property or those of others; (3) respond to fraud, abuse or unauthorized reception; (4) enforce our standards and policies posted on http://www.cox.com and http://www.cox.net; or (5) act in an emergency to protect your safety or that of another. We may also transfer your information as a part of a sale or transfer of business operations.

Outside Parties – Cox sometimes uses affiliates, vendors or partners in providing our services and may provide your information for such purposes. We require that outside parties maintain at least the same level of confidentiality that we maintain. In addition, any use by the vendor may not exceed that needed to provide its service. We do not share your information with other third parties without your consent. If you become a customer of a third party directly, you should review its privacy policy, as it may differ from ours.

Retention Policy – We retain personal customer information as long as you are a customer or until no longer needed for business, tax or legal purposes.

Telephone Services
There are special protections for personal information we obtain in providing telephone services to you. That information, when matched to your name, address, or telephone number is known as “Customer Proprietary Network Information,” or CPNI. Examples of CPNI include who, when and where you call; how much you spend on local and long distance phone calls; the phone services you receive; pricing plans; billing information; and your PIN number, password and other security measures. Cox does not sell your CPNI information, and your CPNI will not be disclosed to third parties outside of Cox and our affiliates, agents, joint venture partners, and independent contractors, except as otherwise required by law.

Customer Authentication and Notices – If you call to discuss your telephone account, you must provide your “Cox PIN”, found in the top right portion of your bill. If you request, Customer Care can remove your PIN number from your bill to enhance your security. At Cox offices, telephone customers must show a government issued photo ID. If you, or anyone authorized by you, make certain significant changes to your telephone account, Cox will send you notice to confirm that you made these changes. If you suspect that someone may have made unauthorized changes to your account, contact Customer Care. If we discover any unauthorized access to your account, we will send you notice promptly, in keeping with applicable law.

Use For Marketing to You – By law, we can use your CPNI to offer our communications-related services to you, unless you request otherwise in the next 30 days. You can also withdraw the right for us to use your CPNI for these purposes at any time by contacting us at the number listed on your bill, or by email to privacy@cox.com Regardless, we do not share your CPNI with independent contractors, vendors or any joint venture partners for marketing purposes without your prior consent.

Some of our services, such as cellular telephone and Cox Digital Cable, are non-communications related. When you contact us, we may ask for your consent to use your CPNI in marketing Cox packages containing these services. This consent applies only for the duration of the call or Internet session. As an alternative, you can consent by writing to the address listed on your bill or by email to privacy@cox.com. Restricting our use of your CPNI will not affect your service. If you previously contacted us to approve or restrict our use of your CPNI, we will continue to honor your request and you do not need to contact us again.

Listings - Our telephone customers can designate their listings as non-published for print or electronic directories or for directory assistance services. We do not publish these directories and are not responsible for their content or accuracy. Because of the complexity of this process and the involvement of others, errors sometimes occur. Our telephone services are subject to tariff or contractual terms that limit our liability in the event of such errors.

Cable Television Services – We aggregate information concerning some video service viewing and provide it to programmers, advertisers and certain other third parties. When you use an interactive service to participate in or to order a product or service, we will ask for your permission to provide contact information to the appropriate party.

Internet Services – We do not read any of your online communications, unless you send them to us. We do automatically scan incoming and outgoing email messages to filter out likely spam, harmful messages, viruses, spyware and related problems that could harm your equipment, the network or others.

Internet Security

Taking Proper Precautions – Maintaining the security of your personal computer is an important way to protect your privacy and to help us protect our network and customers. You must follow our policies posted on http://www.cox.com and http://www.cox.net and maintain your antivirus software, firewall, wireless network security and your operating system to prevent harm and potential theft of data. You should regularly back up your computer to preserve your files, including messages you want to keep, and change your login password regularly. Cox may take protective action related to your service or contact you directly from time-to-time to help with security. Always be sure whom you are dealing with before clicking on an Internet link or giving personal information. We encourage you to visit our website at http://www.cox.net or the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) at http://www.ftc.gov for tips on protecting yourself. When communications enter the Internet, it is possible for outside parties to access them. Since we cannot control web sites or services operated by third parties, you should review their terms of service and privacy policies.

Spam – Cox tries to block incoming and outgoing spam using a variety of methods. You can help by preventing unauthorized access to your computer. We suggest that you remain up-to-date on ways to combat spam by watching for tips on our website at http://www.cox.net. You can forward unwanted spam to spamreport@cox.net to help update our filters. We may use email to send transactional, informational, or relationship messages related to your service. We will never, however, ask you to send personal information to us by unsecured email. If you prefer, you may opt-out of marketing messages we may send by notifying us in response to any you may receive.

Cookies and Web Beacons – Third parties that place ads on our websites may use “cookies” to collect anonymous information about your visit to our website and to manage your preferences while there. A cookie does not give any other personal information about you. It can, however, be read by the website that placed it to note information about your visit, such as your type of browser, operating system and IP address. A cookie also helps to recognize you when you log in as a registered user or as a repeat visitor. You can control the cookies your computer accepts through the settings on your web browser or by deleting them from your files. Doing so, however, may limit the personalization available to you. Web beacons or clear GIFs are a type of computer code sometimes placed by advertisers on a webpage. As with cookies, you can use your browser settings to control web beacons. We use cookies to tailor our site by remembering you and any options you select. We may share non-personal information obtained from cookies with vendors, advertisers and others.

Law Enforcement and Legal Requests

Information Disclosure – We regularly receive legal requests for customer information from government and law enforcement personnel. We also receive discovery requests in civil cases. In all such cases, we cooperate by providing the information required by law. Cox does not volunteer customer information or give access to customer communications to law enforcement or others, except in the "Special Exceptions" detailed above or if we have a good faith belief that an emergency involving an immediate danger of death or serious physical injury requires disclosure. Many criminal subpoenas require that we not disclose or notify you of the request. Due to this fact and the volume of requests we receive, we do not assume any duty to notify you of receipt of any legal requests.

Internet Information – Information concerning your Internet access may be subpoenaed by the government or by others. Files shared over “peer-to-peer” services often include your IP Address, and you could be identified in this way if we receive a lawful subpoena. Law enforcement can obtain details about your Internet access and the content of communications through a court order or similar authority.

Telephone Information – Law enforcement must obtain a court order or other similar authority to use a telephone wiretap or a device to capture dialing information. Voice-over-Internet services are subject to similar surveillance standards. Law enforcement can also subpoena account and call record information. cookie does not give any other personal information about you. It can, however, be read by the website

Cable Television Programming Selections – Records concerning video programming selections may generally be obtained only under court order, after notice is given to you and you have the opportunity to object in court. 

Security Information

We are aware of the many instances of data security breaches and continue to work on new ways to protect your information. For our most sensitive databases, we use encrypted formats within controlled and secure environments that have restricted access. Although we work to ensure the integrity and security of our network and computer systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent unauthorized access.

Children's Privacy

Children should always get permission from a parent or guardian before sending personal information over the Internet. The websites provided by Cox are not directed at, or intended for use by, children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly allow anyone under the age of 18 to subscribe to a service that incurs a charge. If you believe your child may have provided us with personal information, you can contact us at the address on your bill and we will delete the information. You can find more information about protecting children’s privacy by clicking on Take Charge on Cox.com or going to http://www.ftc.gov.

Child Pornography

The law requires us to report any evidence concerning child pornography we learn of. We work closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other groups to eliminate child pornography on the Internet.

Customer Access to Information

You may check the accuracy of personal information in your account by contacting a Customer Care representative.  You may also personally examine your information and advise us of any errors you believe we should correct, upon prior request and at your own cost, during business hours at the Cox office listed on your bill.

Your Enforcement Rights

You can enforce your legal privacy rights concerning our collection, use and sharing of your personally identifiable information. Among your remedies is the right to seek damages under 47 U.S.C. 551.

Other Terms and Changes in Policy

Other terms and conditions affect our service offerings, including the online privacy policies for our websites, service contracts, our Acceptable Use Policy for High Speed Internet service, tariffs and the Terms of Use for our websites. Changes in our service offerings or the law may cause us to make changes to this and other policies from time to time. We will post any changes at http://www.cox.com or http://www.cox.net, along with the effective date of the changes.

Annual Do-Not-Call Registry Notice

To help reduce unwanted telemarketing calls, the FCC offers telephone subscribers the opportunity to register their residential telephone numbers, including wireless numbers, in its national Do Not Call registry. You may register for the list without charge by calling the FTC at 1-888-382-1222 or TYY 1-866-290-4236 from the telephone number you are registering or online at www.donotcall.gov. The FCC/FTC rules contain an “established business relationship” exception that permits a company that has such a relationship with you, like Cox, to call even if your number is registered.

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Annual Customer Notices

Service Notices

Products and Services Offered – Cox offers a variety of video programming tiers and services, including a Limited/Basic service tier that includes many of the local television broadcast stations in your area and, in most areas, an Expanded Basic service tier that includes many additional cable programming services. Many of the local broadcast stations included in the Limited/Basic service tier are also available in a digital format. Where available, there are many additional digital cable programming services that you may purchase with Cox Digital Cable, which includes access to the interactive programming guide, digital music channels, pay-per-view channels and, in some areas, video-on-demand (OnDemand). Tiers of service offered by Cox are generally independent of each other, unless noted in special offers; however, as a prerequisite for subscribing to the various tiers offered including Premium or Pay-per-view events, customers are required by law to subscribe to Limited/Basic service. Cox may also offer customers the option to rent equipment, such as set-top boxes, CableCARDs™, and remotes that may be needed to access certain programming services. Visit us at http://www.cox.com or call us at the number on your bill for more information about products and services in your area.

Prices, Channels and Programming Options – A complete listing of our channel lineup and prices can be found at http://www.cox.com or you may call us at the number on your bill to obtain a printed copy.

Changes in Service or Prices – Subject to applicable law, we have the right to change our services and prices at any time. As a Cox customer, you will generally receive notice of changes in services or prices at least 30 days in advance or in compliance with applicable laws. The notice may be provided on your monthly bill, as a bill insert, as a newspaper legal notice or information channel notice, in a separate mailing or some other written form. Additional information regarding such notices may also be found on the Cox website.

Installation and Service Maintenance Policies – Someone over 18 years of age must be home during any installation or repair of your cable television service. Cox may offer an On-Time Guarantee for cable television installation and service calls in your area. If so, and a Cox technician is not on time for a scheduled appointment, Cox will provide you with a coupon for a credit on your next bill. Cox will also make every reasonable effort to reschedule any missed service appointment at a convenient time for you.

Access to Customer Premises – By ordering service, you agree to allow employees and agents of Cox access to your premises at reasonable times to inspect and maintain the cable equipment at your service address and, upon termination of service, to remove the equipment. Failure by Cox to remove equipment does not deem it abandoned.

How to Use Your Cable Services – Customers may visit us at cox.com or call us at the telephone number on your bill for more information regarding how to use your cable service.

Billing; Miscellaneous Fees – Your monthly cable bill provides the charges, due date, payments and credits for your account, and may also contain special customer messages. Additional information for your area regarding Cox billing may be found at http://www.cox.com or you may call us at the telephone number listed on your bill. A late fee is added to any bill amount unpaid after the due date. If your payment is made with a non-sufficient fund check, you may be charged a fee for handling. Changing service tiers via a coded computer entry may incur a nominal charge.

Complaint Procedures – Customers can direct cable billing or service complaints to Cox at the telephone number listed on your bill. If you believe Cox has not properly resolved your issue, you may contact your local franchise authority. Refer to your monthly cable bill or call the local customer service number listed on your bill for the address of your franchise authority contact designated to receive consumer complaints.

Delinquent Accounts – If your service is disconnected for non-payment, we require full payment of the balance, a deposit, a reconnect fee, and a minimum of one month’s service before reconnecting service.

Disconnect Policy – A request to disconnect cable service can be made at any time. Billing for service will stop on the day you request the service to be discontinued. Equipment provided to you by your local cable office must be returned upon disconnecting or appropriate charges will be assessed.

Theft of Cable Service – An unauthorized cable hook-up is a severe and expensive problem. It is also a crime punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. Cable theft increases the cost of our business as well as legitimate, paying Cox customers.

Signal Blocking Tools – If you can see images or hear sound from scrambled premium or adult channels that you do not subscribe to, you may contact Cox at the number on your monthly bill for information on tools to block the channels.

Television Picture Quality – If you experience problems with the quality of television signals you receive, you should call us at the telephone number listed on your bill. A fully trained Customer Service Representative can often resolve your problem over the telephone. If this cannot be done, we will set up an appointment for a skilled technician to come to your home. If, in your opinion, the service technician fails to correct the reception problem, you should call us again and we will review the actions taken. Should we continue to be unable to resolve the problem to your satisfaction, we will explain the reasons we cannot solve the problem. You may also refer to your monthly cable bill or call the local customer service number listed on your bill for the address of your franchise authority contact designated to receive consumer complaints.

Television Equipment Compatibility

Most modern television sets, DVRs and VCRs are cable compatible (or "cable ready") and can receive the analog television signals carried on the cable system if those signals have not been encrypted to secure the signals. Many of these newer devices are also "digital cable ready" and may be connected directly to the cable system to receive digital signals present on the system that have not been encrypted. Except with new television sets and other display devices equipped to use the Cable Card technology described below (sometimes referred to as DCR or UDCP devices), digital or high-definition television ("HDTV") signals carried on Cox systems will not be viewable without a set-top channel converter compatible with and authorized by the Cox system providing service to you.

Cable Converters - If you have a cable ready or digital cable ready TV/display device you may not need a converter; however, some models of TVs, DVRs and VCRs – especially older TV sets that are not "cable ready" - may not receive all of the channels offered when connected directly to the cable system. If your TV, DVR or VCR is not able to receive all of the channels desired, you can obtain a set-top channel converter from Cox at a monthly charge, or if available, at a retail store. If you plan to purchase cable services that we scramble or encrypt, such as premium, pay-per-view or some digital services, you should make sure that any set-top converter, navigation device or digital cable ready TV/display device you purchase from a retail outlet is capable of working with separate security cards (CableCARDS™) that we must provide in order for your equipment to access such programming services. Upon request, we will provide you with the technical parameters that are needed for any such device to operate with our security cards and cable system. In addition, you should know that receivers with descrambling units are illegal to sell or use unless authorized by Cox.

If you receive service through a set-top channel converter, you may not be able to use special features and functions of your TV, DVR and VCR. These may include features that allow you to view a program on one channel while simultaneously recording a program on another channel; record two or more consecutive programs that appear on different channels; and, use advanced picture generation and display features such as "Picture-in-Picture", channel review and other functions that necessitate channel selection by the consumer device. You may be able to resolve these issues (and other compatibility issues associated with the reception of non-encrypted programming services) through an additional converter or other equipment that is available for lease from Cox upon request, or from another electronics retail vendor. Please call us for technical assistance with questions about the type of special equipment needed to resolve individual compatibility problems.

Cable Cards - Certain new TVs/display devices (sometimes referred to as DCR or UDCP devices) are sold with a port for a Cable Card, which can substitute for a set-top channel converter. The current generation of these TVs/display devices cannot interact with the cards to allow you to use any interactive or two-way services that we offer, such as On Demand, pay-per-view and the Cox interactive programming guide. Devices capable of supporting two-way services (called Tru2way TVs/devices) will be available in the future, and Cox is committed to supporting that technology when it becomes available. For more information, you may contact us by calling Customer Care.

Remote Controls - Cox includes a remote control unit with set-top channel converters. Some television, VCR or DVD remote controls are also capable of controlling the basic features of your set-top box. "Universal" remote control units that are compatible with the basic features of set-top boxes may be also be obtained from many other sources, such as consumer appliance, electronics outlets or over the Internet. These universal remote controls may not be compatible with certain set top features or services available from Cox in certain markets. If you have specific questions concerning where to find remote controls or their compatibility, we encourage you to contact Customer Care at the number listed on your monthly bill.

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