Scott Shepherd
05-06-2012, 9:39 AM
They are hitting the area really hard with marketing right now, and I have a family member that has been using satellite internet for years, because they have no high speed connections available. A couple weeks ago, a sign appeared at their neighborhood, telling them that CenturyLink now had high speed available to their area.
So he asked me about it, and then stopped by work one day and called from the desk next to mine. He'd constantly say "Hold on a minute" and then ask me about what he was just told or if I had any questions.
This is what he was promised :
1) DirectTV- 4 cable boxes, 2 HD, 1 DVR.
2) Broadband Internet - I asked if it was DSL. He asked the guy on the phone "Is this DSL" and the response was "No, it's not DSL". The speed promised was 10Mbps download.
3) Free HBO, Cinemax, Starz for 3 months, I think.
4) $250 in gift cards
5) No installation fees
6) 5 YEAR price guarantee, locked in at $109 for 5 years.
Price- $109 per month, complete. He repeatedly asked the guy about all of this stuff. He was on the phone with him for about 45 minutes. When he hung up, I said "No way, there is no way you're getting all of that for $109 per month", yet I heard the conversations myself where he repeated confirmed things with the guy.
So the paperwork shows up, it only shows 3 boxes, not 4. So he calls and the price goes to $138, not $109.
The come to install the TV, install it, no free movie channels. He calls. Sorry, no can do, you're not eligible for that.
He's spoken to no less than 4 people now that have all assured him he will have 10Mbps internet.
They had scheduled the internet installation for the following day between 8 and noon. 1:00 rolls around, not a peep. He calls them, they say "It's a self install".
If it's a self install, then why would you give me the time from 8:00-noon for them to come install it?
We install it, it's DSL. Doesn't work. I personally call in, they tell me it has to be setup at the box down the road, and that won't happen until the next day. So the next day rolls around, someone knocks on their door, says they are there to install it. Huh? The guy says "I just connected it at the box, and just to let you know, your maxed out at 1.5Mbps at the box". He explains to the guy that he was promised 10Mbps and the guy says "I don't know who promised that, but it's maxed out at the box down the road for 1.5 and there is nothing I can do about it".
So he gets on the phone, starts working up the tree. He's told by the manager of that call center that 1.5 should be good enough. He repeatedly tells he to that he's been promised by every person he's talked to (and he had employee names and ID numbers, all documented), that he would have 10 Mbps speed.
She looks through the account and says he's right, she can see it noted repeatedly, but it's not going to happen. Plus, they shouldn't have quoted that price to you, it's now going to be no less than $158 per month.
Anyone with CenturyLink have any upper level contacts to get this worked out? I told him that he should expect it to be far more than the $158 when it's done because they seem to keep saying "their services" and I suspect he's going to get popped for a monthly fee for all the equipment on that, that he was always told was included.
How anyone can have it's employees make promise after promise to their customers, and then just change the price and say "Sorry" is beyond me. There is no accountability. The manager even agreed with him. He told her he had very detailed notes and she said "my records indicate your notes are correct".
So, it is DSL, it's not 10 Mbps, it's no free movie channels, no free gift cards, no free installation, and the bill is about 45% high than originally quoted, and I find that out AFTER you install it????????
Is this normal for CenturyLink? Any suggestions on how to get it resolved, short of ripping it all out and giving it back to them?
So he asked me about it, and then stopped by work one day and called from the desk next to mine. He'd constantly say "Hold on a minute" and then ask me about what he was just told or if I had any questions.
This is what he was promised :
1) DirectTV- 4 cable boxes, 2 HD, 1 DVR.
2) Broadband Internet - I asked if it was DSL. He asked the guy on the phone "Is this DSL" and the response was "No, it's not DSL". The speed promised was 10Mbps download.
3) Free HBO, Cinemax, Starz for 3 months, I think.
4) $250 in gift cards
5) No installation fees
6) 5 YEAR price guarantee, locked in at $109 for 5 years.
Price- $109 per month, complete. He repeatedly asked the guy about all of this stuff. He was on the phone with him for about 45 minutes. When he hung up, I said "No way, there is no way you're getting all of that for $109 per month", yet I heard the conversations myself where he repeated confirmed things with the guy.
So the paperwork shows up, it only shows 3 boxes, not 4. So he calls and the price goes to $138, not $109.
The come to install the TV, install it, no free movie channels. He calls. Sorry, no can do, you're not eligible for that.
He's spoken to no less than 4 people now that have all assured him he will have 10Mbps internet.
They had scheduled the internet installation for the following day between 8 and noon. 1:00 rolls around, not a peep. He calls them, they say "It's a self install".
If it's a self install, then why would you give me the time from 8:00-noon for them to come install it?
We install it, it's DSL. Doesn't work. I personally call in, they tell me it has to be setup at the box down the road, and that won't happen until the next day. So the next day rolls around, someone knocks on their door, says they are there to install it. Huh? The guy says "I just connected it at the box, and just to let you know, your maxed out at 1.5Mbps at the box". He explains to the guy that he was promised 10Mbps and the guy says "I don't know who promised that, but it's maxed out at the box down the road for 1.5 and there is nothing I can do about it".
So he gets on the phone, starts working up the tree. He's told by the manager of that call center that 1.5 should be good enough. He repeatedly tells he to that he's been promised by every person he's talked to (and he had employee names and ID numbers, all documented), that he would have 10 Mbps speed.
She looks through the account and says he's right, she can see it noted repeatedly, but it's not going to happen. Plus, they shouldn't have quoted that price to you, it's now going to be no less than $158 per month.
Anyone with CenturyLink have any upper level contacts to get this worked out? I told him that he should expect it to be far more than the $158 when it's done because they seem to keep saying "their services" and I suspect he's going to get popped for a monthly fee for all the equipment on that, that he was always told was included.
How anyone can have it's employees make promise after promise to their customers, and then just change the price and say "Sorry" is beyond me. There is no accountability. The manager even agreed with him. He told her he had very detailed notes and she said "my records indicate your notes are correct".
So, it is DSL, it's not 10 Mbps, it's no free movie channels, no free gift cards, no free installation, and the bill is about 45% high than originally quoted, and I find that out AFTER you install it????????
Is this normal for CenturyLink? Any suggestions on how to get it resolved, short of ripping it all out and giving it back to them?