My wife and I have been used to using AT&T for our telephone and internet services, however when we moved to Statesboro, GA, we found out that Frontier Communications has a local unfair monopoly on such services. We had heard horror stories about this company, so had considering ditching local telephone service altogether and just getting cable internet, but our apartment complex supposedly doesn't have the wiring for Cable internet even though it is less than a mile from the cable office in downtown Statesboro. Either way, this gave us only one option for internet service which was Frontier Communications. We called them to set up installation and was told that before we could do that that there would be a $150 deposit required. Considering we had just spent around $1500 on moving expenses, security deposits, first months rent etc. We just didn't have the money to shell out for a deposit, so I told the rep that we would have to call back later to set it up. My wife and I were going to tether our cellphones in the interim, so this shouldn't be a problem.
A few days after the original call some of our friends told us about a government run program called lifeline that would wave the deposit. I called in and inquired about this and was told sure they could sign me up for this, but this only allowed for basic telephone service, however the rep said once they hooked up the telephone service she would call be back the following day to set up an appointment for internet. I said sure that's cool. This was on a friday, and the hookup date was the following Wednesday. I asked the rep what time they would be here and she said because it was free installation that there was no certain time it could be anywhere from 8 to 5:30. I sit at the house all day waiting on them and no one shows up. At 6 o'clock I call in and ask what is going on and the rep I talk to tells me it shows they are waiting on a deposit, I of course explain the situation to the rep about how the deposit was supposed to be waived and they say no thats not how that works, that you just get like a 10 dollar credit on your bill, and that I would have to fill out an application to even get this, so she said she was going to mail me the application.
I call back in the next day after not hearing from the original rep and ask for that rep. I get an extension number, but just get a voicemail and I left her a message about my frustration and of course never get a call back. I did however talk to another rep that said yes the lifeline program waived the deposit, but I would have to fill out the application first.
A week after the original install date, I get the application in the mail. I filled it out and faxed it in, and finally get another install date, for the following friday (16 days after the original install date, 21 days after ordering service) but found out that the whole thing about having to install the 2 services separate wasn't true and that they could hook both of them up at the same time. Finally everything appeared to be going well.
The thursday before the install date, I call in just to make sure everything was still as planned. AGAIN, I was informed that their system still showed that it was waiting on a deposit. I explained the previous events to this rep and he hadn't even heard of the lifeline program, but put me on hold for almost 20 minutes and came back and said that from he read they would only waive the deposit if I agreed to have a toll restricted telephone line. I told him that that was on the application for lifeline and I had already agreed to have a toll restricted telephone, because we rarely use our home telephone anyway. He then put me on hold for another forever and comes back and says he had put that through the system and everything was fine for the hookup tomorrow. Had I not called in, I would have had to wait another week for them to figure out what was going on.
They finally come hook the service up the next day surprisingly, and everything was working fine. Everything was going well for about 2 weeks, but now our internet that was supposed to be their ultra max or whatever their fastest speed was is now about on par with dialup. I can't even watch a low quality youtube video without waiting 15 minutes for it to load. I just spent 48 minutes on hold waiting for tech support to only hear a loud beep and a disconnection.
This company by far has the worst customer service of any company I have dealt with and I have dealt with some really bad ones. Every time I called in I was told something different and it took the almost a month to hook up my services. I haven't received my first bill yet, so I'm waiting to see if this supposed promotion I was told about ($46 for internet and telephone) is even on there. Believe me, if I had another reasonable option for internet service, I would not be with these guys.
0 comments