No Internet!

[DrFaroohk]

It's back on now, thankfully. My wife and I use the internet for basically everything. It's one of our main forms of communication, we watch our TV shows with it, I look for jobs largely with the internet, etc....

Unfortunately, we frequently forget to pay the bill. This is not really a big deal, as all that happens is a few days after it's due, some automated switch kicks us off line. Then I call the automated phone line, type in my credit card number, and an automated switch puts us back online. It takes about five minutes.

But this time when I tried to call, I was informed my balance was not the usual 30 dollars, but 50. Upon speaking with a customer service rep, it was actually like 150, because they apparently decided to send someone out to physically disconnect us. Even worse, with the holidays a lot of people were either getting service or needed service repaired, so it would after the new year before we got plugged back in!!!!

I know what some people might be thinking. "Well, pay the bill on time and that won't happen!"

That's the same thing the customer service rep told me. It's not their fault of course, its mine for not paying the bill. My problem with this is that they've never done it before. It had become an established routine, through repetition, that I don't get disconnected for missing a payment. I get shut off, and a quick payment puts me back on. I like to think of it as a little thing called precedent.

"But, but, but, they must have gotten tired of reminding you! It wastes man hours to have someone shut off your account, take a payment, and then turn it back on!"

Actually, it doesn't. It's all automated. The only human being involved is me.

I honestly think it was a mistake that they shut me off, because my service was mysteriously reconnected on Tuesday. I'm guessing that with all the extra business someone got confused and unplugged the wrong wire. I'm sure its happened before.

[jackfaire]

I agree though it's BS to change what they do and then blame it on you not paying the bill.

[blas87]

I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who constantly don't pay their bills, but I do have an issue with companies slapping huge fees on a person who does it ONCE or even better, if the payment gets "lost" and they refuse to reverse it, like AT&T did twice to my mom.

I'm glad you got your internet turned back on.

Around a year or so ago, Charter's service was so willy nilly that for a period of time, you never knew from day to day if you'd have service or not. So you'd call tech support, thinking it was an issue on your own end, but it was theirs, but before they even tried to fix it, they'd harrass you for several minutes about upgrading. UGH!

[boringscreenname]

We have had a similar problem with our internet. We paid the bill late a couple times, but it got paid. Regardless they still send someone out to our house to physically disconnect us even though the bill has already been paid. And of course showing the tech our receipt doesn't solve the problem, they still insist on calling their corporate office just to make sure we've actually paid.

[Greenday]

We have had a similar problem with our internet. We paid the bill late a couple times, but it got paid. Regardless they still send someone out to our house to physically disconnect us even though the bill has already been paid. And of course showing the tech our receipt doesn't solve the problem, they still insist on calling their corporate office just to make sure we've actually paid.

You have to look at it this way: They JUST got told to shut off your service. Obviously this order came after you paid so they don't know what's changed since then. They have to cover their ass to make sure they are doing the correct action.

[DrFaroohk]

At least they called to check. A guy from the electric company showed up here once to disconnect us, and when I told him we already paid, he was like "oh well, I've got a disconnection notice here." I told him to call the company and he just said it wasn't his job. Cost us an extra 60 dollars to have him come back later and turn it on. And they're the only power company out here, so its not like we can boycott them.

[jackfaire]

At least they called to check. A guy from the electric company showed up here once to disconnect us, and when I told him we already paid, he was like "oh well, I've got a disconnection notice here." I told him to call the company and he just said it wasn't his job. Cost us an extra 60 dollars to have him come back later and turn it on. And they're the only power company out here, so its not like we can boycott them.

You can complain to your local PUC (Public utilities commission) Either what they did is against policy or soon enough it will be .

[Fashion Lad!]

I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who constantly don't pay their bills, but I do have an issue with companies slapping huge fees on a person who does it ONCE or even better, if the payment gets "lost" and they refuse to reverse it, like AT&T did twice to my mom.

I'm glad you got your internet turned back on.

Around a year or so ago, Charter's service was so willy nilly that for a period of time, you never knew from day to day if you'd have service or not. So you'd call tech support, thinking it was an issue on your own end, but it was theirs, but before they even tried to fix it, they'd harrass you for several minutes about upgrading. UGH!

If I were a business owner, I'd crack down more on people who were consistently late on their bills. I'm sorry, but being late more than just a few times is just horrible in my opinion. Nothing against anyone who pays their bills late religiously, it's just annoying to try and collect on consistently over-due accounts.

Secondly, Blas... Charter... For the longest time, Charter was great. Never had an issue. For the past four to five months, they've been horrible. Can't order HD UFC Fights. Internet is slow... not up. I call, I say "my internet is slow, I'm already directly connected to the modem. No router. I ran speed tests in safe mode. I have 20 meg and I'm only getting 4 meg." They ask me to do everything I told them I did. Then they try and upgrade me to a faster speed to which I say, "I thought I had the fastest?!" I hope this doesn't last for a year...