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Xpirate
10-26-2008, 01:39 PM
I do not get angry very easily, but dealing with Charter Communications has driven me over the edge. A year ago when I was unemployed, my Charter ISP died. I attempted to correct the problem myself by going through all the steps that one would normally take. Then I brought the cable modem that I owned to their office and asked if they could check to see if it was still working. They could not check it, but they offered to exchange it for another one.

So they took my Motorola unit that I paid for and gave me a Scientific American model. It did not work either because the problem existed on Charter's end. Long story short, it took about a month for them to repair their end. I would have dropped Charter as my ISP then and there, but I was unemployed and I foolishly put my Charter ISP e-mail on all the resumes that I sent out. The big lesson to learn here is to NOT use your ISP e-mail to look for a job. Use gmail or an equivalent.

This is the same company who deleted 14,000 customer's e-mail accounts. You can read about that here (http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9857697-7.html).

After all that, they started charging me rent on my cable modem. I had to spend quite a bit of time on the phone to get them to stop doing this, but they finally did. When I moved to another house, I dropped Charter and started using AT&T DSL. They told me that I would get money back for the unused days of Charter. But instead, I got a bill for "unreturned equipment" to the tune of $25 because they believe that I have "their" cable modem. I ignored it, but they sent it to a collections agency.

I had to spend more time on the phone with them to try to resolve this. The operator finally told me that the fastest way to deal with this is to take the modem to them and let them scan it. I'm not going to deal with this anymore. I will take that modem back and let them have it and get a receipt for it to send to the collections agency. Charter basically stole a $30 cable modem from me and they charged me $40 for the month that I did not have an ISP.

SgtM
10-26-2008, 02:20 PM
Keywords when talking to frontline reps.. Public Utilities Commission, Attorney General, BBB.. Strategic use of these words will get things resolved rather quickly.

Drum Thumper
10-26-2008, 03:19 PM
I'd mail the BBB, MaximumPC, and PCWorld about this. Both MaxPC and PCWorld have columns dedicated to helping the little guy in situations such as this.

mtekk
10-26-2008, 03:33 PM
I'd mail the BBB, MaximumPC, and PCWorld about this. Both MaxPC and PCWorld have columns dedicated to helping the little guy in situations such as this.

I'd go straight to the local Public Utilities Commission as they are the ones who grant Charter a monopoly in your area. You could also contact the consumerist (http://consumerist.com/), they run primarily "company screws over customer" stories.

TheGreatSatan
10-26-2008, 03:45 PM
Take the damn thing in to be scanned, because they will beat your credit score with a baseball bat if you don't. I have Charter too and know all about those idiots. I have a D-link modem because theirs is crap. Plus when their network goes down (every other day) my modems' light turns orange letting me know it's not on my end. I call Charter to complain and what do I have to do? Troubleshoot my equipment!

Seriously though it's not worth having a collections agency on you ass.

SgtM
10-26-2008, 04:39 PM
BTW, you know that if you plug your modem into the NID, it's just as good as plugging into the pole? Next time you have to call, make sure you test that first. If the modem connects, it's a problem in the house. If not, it's a problem on the MSO's (cable operator) side. That's usually what I do for the phone and cable. Take something out to the NID, and then call from there on my cell phone. Before they even have a chance to say "well, it could be a problem inside" I jump in with, "I'm at the NID, fix your stuff".

Oh, and NID = Network Interface Device.

Phone:
http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/images/NewNID.jpg

Cable. If you don't have a plastic NID, then you'll just have a bare ground block:
http://www.summitsource.com/images/products/GRGBS1.jpg

Xpirate
10-26-2008, 04:59 PM
Sorry for the long rant. I was just angry enough to not be their customer anymore. But after all this, I just got mad enough to want to tell other people about what happened.

I did exactly what SgtM suggested and plugged my modem directly outside of the house and used the laptop to try an access the internet. I am glad that this thread turned into an educational thread. When I dropped Charter, they offered to cut the price in half for the next six months, but I still dropped them. Here is a summary of what I learned:

1) I should have complained more heavily when my internet went down because they probably would have lowered the price to keep me happy. (I did not know about the extra firepower SgtM gave us)
2) Exchanging that modem was probably the main cause of this problem. I should have kept the one I had.
3) Never ever use your ISP as your "look for a job" e-mail. Gmail is free and it does not do the advertising banner.
4) Always keep your receipts. I really should have kept track of the receipt for that cable modem.

Xpirate
01-09-2009, 11:00 PM
I know that I'm digging up an old forgotten thread, but I wrote up a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Those guys are singing a different tune now.

FuzzyPlushroom
01-10-2009, 02:31 AM
Good for you, man. If enough people complain, they'll be forced to change their tactics.

crenn
01-10-2009, 03:20 AM
Good for you, man. If enough people complain, they'll be forced to change their tactics.
Wish the same could be said of Telstra.

Twigsoffury
01-10-2009, 03:34 AM
Man Get Cox Communications.

Cheap internet and its the Fastest period Not the "fastest for the price" I'm crusing at 29Mbps down and 1536kbps up. And they uncap the upload speed 12am-5am M-F. I'll see a good 4 or 5 mbps upload rate with there premier package service. its 49.95$ a month.

next step down is 34.95 for 18mbps down 1024Kbps up

next step after is 19.95 3Mbps down 576kbps up

even there 20$ package tramples over DSL's basic package of 768kbps down and 257kbps up

200 kilabytes a second booo boooo boooo booooo