I transferred my cable TV and broadband internet service from one location to another due to moving. About a month went by and I had not received a bill at my new location. I received an online billing statment on February 7, but it said that my account balance was zero. I received a courtesy call from Charter Communications on February 12 informing me that my services would be disconnected on February 13.
I then called the Customer Service Department. I informed them that I had not received a bill. They verified my address and said they would send one out. While on the phone with the Customer Service Department, I was told that my services were not scheduled to be disconnected until February 23 and that would only be for a "soft disconnect" but as long as they received a payment by me before the 23rd of February my services would not be disconnected.
I made a payment arrangment to pay $100 via online on February 16. I logged onto the Charter Communications website to make my online payment of $100 on February 16. My account balance was still listed as zero. I was therefore unable to make a payment of $100 because according to the website there was nothing to pay. I was at work from 8:30am until 5pm on February 16.
I know from past experience in dealing with Charter Communications that you can never get something resolved on the phone with them in less than five minutes. I did not have time to call the Customer Service Department until 5pm on February 16. I was extremely upset to learn that my services had been disconnected outside of my house at noon that day. They said the reason for the disconnect was due to non payment.
I tried to explain the situation about not receiving a bill and the bill I did receive online being wrong and since the online bill was wrong that was why I was unable to make my payment. Charter said that I had a balance that carried over from my previous residence and that is why I got disconnected. They also said that I was supposed to update my new information with the local Charter office.
I was never informed by anyone from Charter to do this when I transferred my services. They said that was the reason the online bill was incorrect. They then said that I would need to pay the entire balance which was up to $400 by this time, (since I had not received a bill for the past month of service). I would also have to pay reconnection fees and my services would not be able to be restored until some time during the following week in which they could only schedule a technician to come to my house between 8am and 12pm. They could not give me a more specific time than a four hour period.
I said I could not pay the entire balance at this time, nor should I have to due to the disconnection accuring from their error. I said I would not be paying any reconnection fees due to this again being their error. I also said that I could not take off a half day of work for them to reinstall my services since the disconnection should not have been an outside disconnect in the first place.
I was told previously that it would be "soft disconnect" unless they didn't receive payment by the 23rd of February. Charter was completely unwilling to admit that they misinformed me and did not send me a bill. They refused to take any responsibility for any of the errors that accured on their part. I even went as far as to offer to pay them $175 if they could have my services restored on February 19.
They were insistant that I needed to pay the entire balance before I could be reconnected and also said that they could not waive the reconnection fee. I spoke with a shift supervisor and a representative from the Charter Communications Corporate Office. I was told the same thing by everyone.
I have been unhappy with Charter Communications Customer Service for years but they are the only company in my area that provides broadband internet service and Cable TV. After this incident, I decided it is not worth it to continue doing business with them ever again and I would just have to go without broadband internet service and Cable TV.
Charter has ripped me off for the last time. They really should spend some of their money on implementing better customer service practices and hiring competent employees. I am so glad that I will never have to do business with them again.
One last note; isn't it funny that two days after my services were disconnected I received a bill in the mail from Charter already adding on the amounts for the equipment that I had not yet returned. How convenient! Charter Communications is a joke!
Cara
Duluth, Minnesota
U.S.A.
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