Earthlink and Brighthouse Networks, formerly known as Time Warner Cable - ongoing trouble with service

Earthlink and Brighthouse Networks, formerly known as Time Warner Cable - ongoing trouble with service

From: Jeanette Braxton Secret [Email User]

I'm still traumatized by what has happened to me after I signed up for a wireless cable with Earthlink on December 09, 2003. In Florida, Time Warner Cable sold their company to Brighthouse Networks. The service is worst now. I had to filed with the State of Florida's Attorney General Office to resolve these problems with Earthlink and Brighthouse Networks, formerly known as Time Warner Cable.

These Internet Providers and cable companies must come under the regularatory agency i.e. Federal Communication Commission. Notwithstanding, consumers will continue to get rip-off.

My formal complaint that I file with the State of Florida's Attorney General Office is as follows: "Office of The Attorney General

Citizen Service Unit

The Capitol, PL-01

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050 Attn: Jack, Analyst Pursuant to our telephone conversation, I’m following up my complaint against Brighthouse Networks in writing. My Internet Service Provider has been Earthlink.net for the past five (5) years. Also, I have been an AARP member for more than 10 years. Earthlink.net sent me a promo code 1018092 to claim my special AARP Bank One Cardholder savings for Earthlink.net’s high speed Internet cable. I ordered an Internet cable from Earthlink.net. After ordering the Internet cable through Earhtlink.net, I was told that they partner with Brighthouse Networks to install the Internet Cable. Therefore, I was contacted by Brighthouse Networks to schedule a date and time to come to my house to install the Internet Cable. On the first date (12/11/03) of the installation of my Internet Cable, Brighthouse Networks sends a subcontractor to install the Internet Cable. I was never told beforehand that Brighthouse Networks uses subcontractors to install Internet Cables. The subcontractor sent by Brighthouse Networks was dirty with long stringy hair, and he looked like a hippie. Also, the subcontractor said that he couldn’t install the Internet Cable that he had come out to install.

The subcontractor said that a wireless cable would be easier to install. Therefore, I told him to go ahead an install the wireless cable that would cost me an additional $99.00 (Unlimited Dial-up Wireless Box) to install because I needed the cable right away. Also, I didn’t want to wait another 10 days before Brighthouse Networks would get the installation scheduled again. Then the subcontractor advised me that he didn’t have the wireless cable in his truck. I told the subcontractor to go get the wireless cable because I would wait for him to return. The subcontractor told me that he would be right back with the wireless cable. I waited four (4) hours for the subcontractor to return to install the wireless cable before I called Brighthouse Networks. The subcontractor lied to Brighthouse Networks about stating that he would return to my house to install the wireless cable that day. Brighthouse Networks scheduled the supervisor of the subcontractors to come to my house to install the wireless cable on 12/12/03. However, there wasn’t anything in the promotional literature, and telephone conversations with Earthlink.net and Brighthouse Networks that they use subcontractors to do the installation. Customers should be informed at the very beginning in the promotional literature and telephone conversations that they are dealing with multi-contractors and subcontractors. Especially, since these people are coming into seniors’ residents. I don’t know if these subcontractors are licensed, bonded, background checks, etc. If a crime is committed inside someone home as a result of one of these subcontractors, the city and state that license them will also be liable. Also, I talked with Denise Lawton, Supervisor, Brighthouse Networks @ (727)431-8513 on December 12, 2003. According to Denise Lawton, I would get the first and second month of Earthlink FREE for $29.95 each month. Also, when I initially ordered my Internet cable through Earthlink.net, I was told that they would continue to bill me as my Internet Service Provider. Therefore, I would be billed by Brighthouse Networks for the Internet Cable only. However, I’m currently being billed by both Earthlink.net and Brighthouse Networks as my Internet Service Provider. I received my first Brighthouse Networks’ bill for Wireless Cable dated December 28, 2003. The Brighthouse Networks’ bill also included my existing TV cable bill. However, I was overcharged for the wireless cable and charged for TV Cable services that I have never authorized and that I have never had when I had TimeWarner install basic TV cable approximately November 2002. (1) Brighthouse Networks’ Overcharges for the Wireless Cable:

$29.95 Earthlink High Speed (01/04 - 02/03?)

$29.95 Earthlink High Speed (02/04 - 03/04)

$22.21 Earthlink High Speed Partial Month(s) 12/12 -

01/03?

_______

$82.11 Total Reimbursement for the Wireless Cable (2) Brighthouse Networks’ Charges for TV Cable Services that I didn’t

authorized & Don’t have: *$13.95 X 12 months = $167.40 HBO/MAX (12/02 - 12/03)

*$ 6.95 X 12 months = $ 83.40 Digital Multimedia Value includes On Screen Guide,

Digital Channels, Digital Pay-Per-View Access,

Digital Music (12/02 - 12/03

$250.80 Total Reimbursement

for the TV Cable (3) $10.00 est. X 12 months = $120.00 Taxes & Fee(s) *When I ordered TV Cable with Time Warner Cable, I didn’t authorized HBO/MAX and Digital Multimedia Value nor was I able to access HBO/MAX and Digital Multimedia Value since I have had TV Cable. When Brighthouse Networks purchased Time Warner Cable, I began to have trouble with my TV cable Box. I couldn’t get any TV cable most of the time. I had Brighthouse Networks come to my house several times to check the TV Cable. Approximately, July 2003, Brighthouse Network removed the Time Warner Cable’s box, and they installed a Brighthouse Network cable box. Still I wasn’t able to access HBO/MAX and Digital Multimedia Value on my TV cable. On January 06, 2004, I contacted Dave Reed, Mayor’s Action Center, with City of St. Petersburg, P.O. Box 2842, St. Petersburg, FL. 33731. (727)893-7171 Community ID# FL0196 (City) Community ID # FL0650 (County), and I was told that they only license cable companies; but they don’t have enforcement powers over cable companies. I was told to contact The Attorney General Office. In addition, the Federal Communication Commission don’t regulate cable companies either, and the FCC advises consumers that cable complaints should be filed with the respective states’ Attorney General Office. However, Mr. Dave Reed was nice enough to walk me through my remote control to see if I had HBO/MAX and Digital Multimedia Value on my TV cable. That is when I discovered that I had the old Time Warner Remote Control. Brighthouse Networks never replaced the old Time Warner Remote Control with a Brighthouse Networks Remote Control. Brighthouse Networks is using every unscrupulous marketing techniques to mislead seniors and consumers by offering First and Second Months service for FREE, and then billing them later for the FREE service. Brighthouse Networks lies to consumers to get them to sign-up, then overchage and charge for services that they don’t receive. Then the customer(s) must spend two to three hours on the telephone with Brighthouse Networks’ customer service representatives who are very rude on the telephone to customers, and give customers the bureaucracy run-around.

Also, Brighthouse Networks knew that the old Time Warner Cable Box and Time Warner Remote Control wouldn’t work when they purchased Time Warner Cable. However, Brighthouse Networks didn’t notify their customers to contact them to get a Brighthouse Networks’ TV Cable Box and Remote Control. Brighthouse Networks is saving millions of dollars at the expense of their customers as well as double billing their customers. In addition, Brighthouse Networks sends subcontractors to your house to do the installation, but they don’t tell you in advance that they are sending subcontractors. These subcontractors appear to look like people hired at Labor Ready. Who is going to be held liable, if one of these subcontractors comes to a customer’s home and commits a crime? If these cable companies aren’t regulator by the Federal Communication Commission soon, the State of Florida and the cities that licensed these cable companies will be held liable for any of their criminal actions while in a resident(s) home. It is a lawsuit waiting to happen! Your immediate attention is appreciated. Jeanette Braxton Cc: Dave Reed, City of St. Petersburg, Mayor’s Action Center

The above message is Complaints.com Consumer Message # 14 January 12, 2004

Comment On This

Brighthouse cut off my service without warning due to a 56.00 overdue balance. After a 15 minute wait, the customer service person told me that they can not control the computer that shuts off service. I had to pay by credit card to restore service. I have been a customer for many years. I urge people to consider this kind of poor customer service when choosing a provider. Your phone and internet service can be cut off without warning. Even though the bill mentions this, I could find no date on the recent bill that gives a date of suspension of services. Bad show, Brighthouse. P.S. They don't care about this complaint and offered no apologies.

Comment On This

Sounds like everyone you run across you would complain about, this stoplight is taking too long, my pizza isn't done enough, this gas pump is too slow, how about life in general, were you abused as a child? Is that why you have to belittle everything that pisses you off? Or were you born a natural whiner? I am speaking on my own behalf, I have had trouble with Brighthouse too, bad cable connections, static in the line, Digital tuner box not working properly, BUT I didn't complain, I DID advise the ppl at Brighthouse of the trouble and they fixed it promply! Instead of focusing all of your troubled life on bitching about how bad you have it.. Why don't you focus on something that you can make a difference in.. Volunteer at a local bake sale or something, as much time as you appear to have on your hands you would make someone a killing..lol Anyway, Youi have been told, end of story.

Comment On This

For two years, from the time that I moved into this home, I have been complaining about poor cable and internet service from Brighthouse. The service is extremely poor, with constant "drop-outs".

Over this period, I placed at least 24 calls to Brighthouse. They responded with broken promises over and over.

This problem could have been fixed with any amount of reasonable attention. The problem was due to an excessivive long "drop" from the trunk to the house. They promised to replace the cable over a year ago, but never did because they never got "permission to go under the street" from Orange County. That's because my house is in the city of Windermere!

Over and over again I told them that temporarily at least, they could boost the signal at my house with an amplifier, but they never did anything! (I'm an electrical/television engineer...used to own my own cable system, so i know what I'm talking about!)

They are disinterested, and incompetent, but because they have a monopoly I am forced to put up with this. Three times I have asked for a refund of service fees, and each time I am told that a manager would call, but a manager never calls. I intend to file a small claims lawsuit to recoup all the fees paid to date.

Customer service is terrible. Complaint calls go to a "call center" not even owned by Brighthouse, and most service calls were made by inexperienced techs that didn't even work for Brighthouse. Many times when it was apparent that the "call center" personell could not deal with the call, I was put on hold for an extended period of time to wait for a manager. Usually I was disposed of by being told that the manager would call back, but the promise was constantly broken.

What other legal recourse do I have against Brighthouse? How may I obtain a copy of their franchise agreement?

Thanks

Bill Kitchen

407-492-4444