1) 3/8/08 Had new Hughes Net satellite installed. All well at this point.
2) 3/10/08 in PM checked account status online and found my account co-mingled with another, not mine. Both to be paid by a credit card... Mine! Someone either made a mistake on their end or had made a bogus entry.
3) 3/11/08 Called customer service, very long process to access by the way.
Spoke with representative named John. Polite but a little difficult to understand. Spent 1/2 hour on phone trying to straighten things out and get the two accounts separated.
He said that I should pay my bill with the credit card then for the amount that I owed for installation of $454.16. Fine! As that was my charge. The other bill to someone in Bakersfield, Ca (I'm in Oregon) for $494.47 was not charged to my card at that time. He told me that everything was taken care of.
I went to the online account after and it had not changed. The person in Bakersfield was still on my account and a single additional page listed me as subordinate. My credit card was still listed under the other person's name. Thinking there might be a lag in getting the online data changed I went to bed.
4) 3/12/08 7:24am
Email from Hughes billing saying that two accounts were ready to be separated but could not be until both account balances were zero. (mine already was). They were apparently still convinced that the accounts were linked somehow and/or my credit card should pay.
The other account still had as of 3/11/08 a balance of $494.47 and had my credit card number.
Called Visa and sure enough a charge for $494.47 had been made to the card in addition to the correct charge of $454.16 made a day earlier.
5) 3/12/08 10:30am Called Hughes Net customer service. Spoke this time with representative Mark. Once again polite and tried to be helpful. Another 1/2 hour on the phone trying to get things straightened out.
He did manage to finally sort things out but when I asked if the wrong charges ($494.47) would be credited back to my card he said no. I would have to go through the card dispute process that I said I would undertake (which can take 6-8 weeks I'm told) and then I would get my money back.
I have never heard of this before! Once determined to be a mistaken charge the amount in question should be immediately credited back should it not?
6) Here's where I stand:
a) I have paid for a satellite installation and first month's service for someone I don't even know.
B) To get my money back that was falsely charged to me I have to go through a lengthy dispute process.
C) I had to cancel my Visa card to be assured that there will be no further illicit charges placed on it.
D) If I cancel my Hughes Net service now there is an additional $300 charge for cancelling before two years!
Conclusion:
I wish I had never heard of Hughes Net. They just don't care. They want your money, that's all. All I can say is "Buyer Beware" and if you have to do business with them do it by check. Don't give them your credit card number!
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