I ordered BellSouth DSL FastAccess Service in October. As of January my "fast access" is downloading at 65K. Whew!
I called BellSouth in October to pay my telephone bill. The woman in billing suggested I order DSL. I told her that I did not have time to fool with a lot of computer problems. She assured me that "all I would have to do is plug the modem that they would send me into the wall jack and the computer and install the software". It was just supposed to be that simple. Yeah right! This is when the nightmare began.
When I received the modem the instructions stated that there had to be a wall jack mounted in the wall within a couple of feet of the computer. My computer is located across the room from the wall jack. So I called BellSouth DSL... After about 40 minutes on hold... They said they would send a technician to my home to install the jack at my expense of $80.00. I told them to just send me a return label and I would return the modem. They put me on hold again, 40 minutes later... I gave my mailing information and the guy told me that my return label would be on the way (I still have it). I asked to speak to a manager about a refund on the modem and after being on hold about another 20 minutes the manager told me that they could send a technician to my house at no charge (the charge showed up on my phone bill).
The technician came to my house, did not install a wall jack, instead installed a network card inside my computer, rewired the jack in the basement, worked on the lines on the poles at the street, and 4 hours later checked my internet speed. A whopping 65k. Whew! He told me that he thought the problem was that I might need new lines to the house from the pole. He then instructed me to wait 3 weeks and if the speed didn't improve to call him. (I was also billed on my phone bill $99.95 for the installation... Still waiting for the credit to appear after arguing with billing over the fact that they weren't supposed to bill me.) I waited three weeks for a speed improvement, no improvement, I called the technician back. He answered, told me to call him right back using my cell phone so that he could check my phone lines.
I called him right back, no answer, no answer, no answer... I called him the next day and he told me to call BellSouth Telephone Repair service and tell them I needed a new telephone line. Which I did. The woman I talked to told me that they would have someone call me to set up a day and time for them to come out, they came out the next Friday and I wasn't home... I didn't make an appointment... They left the following message: "I was by, checked the line to the house, you don't need a line to the house, you already have one".
I called BellSouth again made another appointment for someone to come out and check the lines. They checked the lines from the pole to the house, from the pole to the junction, said that they "changed the load coil" and "the line may have a bridge tap but that won't hurt it", that it is a "modem problem".
So I called BellSouth DSL again, 40 minutes on hold, talked to a DSL technician again, was told that there were only two options left, they were going to try to replace a NID card on their computer and check my computer again the next day after 7:00 P.M. Using www.toast.net to see how fast my DSL is running. If the DSL wasn't running any faster then I should call them again. It wasn't so I called, placed on hold for 40 minutes, and then told the technician that I want to just cancel my service.
It is January and I am still trying to get this DSL to work. I spoke to a supervisor there who told me that if I cancel my service I will have to send them an additional $100.00 for the modem. This I don't understand. (I am consulting an attorney.) This supervisor told me that they would send a technician out this Tuesday to install the modem and that I would not be charged but I am leary of that because they said that when the technician installed the DSL in October. (I am still waiting for a credit of $99.95 to show up on my phone bill).
This is what I have already been charged and had to pay via my phone bill.
Activation Fee $50.00
Service Charge Oct 08-Oct31 $16.99
Service Charge Nov 01-Nov30 $21.95
Service Charge Dec 01-Dec31 $21.95
Service Charge Jan 01-Jan 31 $21.95
State Taxes Oct - Jan (approx $5.00 per month) $20.00
UUNET Monthly Service (approx 2.50 per month) $10.00
Internet Modem - $99.95 ($24.99 per month x 4 months)
$99.95 Install Assistance (Charge I wasn't supposed to get)
Now if I choose to cancel the "FastAccess" 65k DSL service, "whew!" I have to pay them an addtional $100.00???
Is there something wrong with this picture? I read their contract and they do a great job wording it so that this seems legal "no minimum level of speed is guaranteed" (See Service Agreement #1 B first paragraph, last sentence). I am consulting an attorney because their name implies "fast access" and 65K is not fast access which to me is false advertising. If they cannot guarantee fast access how can they use FastAccess in their name???
Karen
Louisville, Kentucky
U.S.A.
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