Charter cable customer service is absolutely terrible. Over the last 4-5 years that we had Charter we have experienced several nightmares. First a tree fell across the street and brought down the power and cable lines. Charter connected the service by laying a cable in my front yard in the grass and it took me about 14 calls and several personal visits to their office over nearly a year to get them out to hang the cable.
Second our internet service never worked properly. A tech came out and ran a new cable from the house to the pole and it worked better for a while. After a year, the cable is still laying in our yard.
Third, about 8 months ago they called to ask if I wanted to upgrade to a digital package with a six month "trial rate" lower rate than we already had, so I accepted. They told me the tech would be out a few days later and we arranged a time. He never showed at the stated time and they never called to confirm or check it out. Since I was getting a better rate, I blew it off for six months until the "trial rate" was over.
Forth, and the best. At the same time our internet was still not getting good reception so I called on 11-03-08 to cancel both the digital package that I never received mentioned above and our internet service. I was told that I could not cancel my internet because I had an "outstanding balance" ($171.21) and that they "would cancel my internet once it had been paid". I immediately paid it and the 171.21 payment cleared my bank 4 days later. Guess what, my December statement STILL HAD BOTH SERVICES, NEITHER HAD BEEN CANCELED. When I called to question this and get it resolved the customer service person "Anthony" advised that when my outstanding balance was paid "I was supposed to have called them back to tell them back to remind them that I still wanted my internet service canceled". When I told him that no one had told me I had to "call back after my payment had cleared" and asked why I had to call them back he said that they couldnt cancel my service "without my authorization". I said "WHAT"?!!! I just told them 4 days before the payment cleared that I wanted it canceled did they have record of that? He said yes, but I was still supposed to call and tell them that "that was the way their system was set up". I told him its not my problem the way their system is set up. I lived up to my end of the agreement. I went through TWO supervisors, "Diana" and "Charline" and they all sounded like robots telling me the same thing and even adding that they would not cancel it now, nearly 2 months later because I had another "outstanding balance" ($105.65) which included the 2 services that I asked them to cancel nearly two months ago! In other words, they are now charging me money for 2 services that I have already asked them to cancel nearly two months ago and no longer use (I have had ATT internet since October) and one I never had, and STILL will not cancel because they want payment for those 2 services which I told them that I did not want nearly 2 months ago! It was absolutely incredible display of customer diservice and I feel may have even breached a few laws. I Am looking into it. I felt like I was talking to people from another planet. I have never heard of someone not being able to cancel their service anytime they wanted without a contract. I was so upset I told them to cancel my cable TV also and did not ever want to do business with them again. I immediately hung up and ordered Direct TV.
Charter Communications has had a multitude of consumer complaints filed with the BBB and is rumored to be filing chapter 11 bankrupsy (who would have thought with their questionable business practices). Look it up and see for yourself.
Bottm line... Do not do business with charter communications, you will live to regret it!
Captainkbt
Conroe, Texas
U.S.A.
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