compuguybna Posted June 20, 2009 CID Share Posted June 20, 2009 After a downhill battle with HughesNet (after my 30 day "satisfaction guaranteed period"), I've decided to cancel them. Its an endless battle, with only one response from them "SPEEDS ARE NOT GUARANTEED". Here is the Letter I sent to them (and in a modified format to the Better Business Bureau of Maryland). Can you believe the BBB rated this company an "A". Are they nuts ? ? ------------------------------------------------------------- June 19, 2009 I wanted to share some issues with this account and provide you an opportunity to act accordingly before this becomes a long, drawn-out journey. Also, history seems to repeat itself at Hughesnet, you'll understand that later as you read on. First of all, we've already had a Hughesnet account previously(DSS800XXXX if you decide to read all the boring details and a 5 month journey). It was plagued with billing and service related issues from day 1. Your corporate office decided and myself decided it was no longer worth it to continue. So, we decided to "start over"...New install, New equipment, new billing. We placed another order on May 10, 2009, and had our system installed on May 13, 2009. Everything went perfect! Perfect install, new modem, new dish and transmitter, and a FULL 1.5-1.6MBPS (the maximum we could achieve on that plan PRO +). I kept crossing my fingers each day that the service would continue "as it should"... What a difference it was from a system plagued with issues on our first system, to a near perfect system on the second install! To further document system activity (and thus to document things should things start going down hill), I performed regular speed tests and web response tests for my own gathering at that point. The system held a good signal strength of 165-180. Weather never seemed to affect the system, and the speed was an average of 1.5mbps MORNING, DAY, NIGHT. Nothing to seem to affect this system. I could load 50 webpages at once, and the speed would hold. I was very pleased at that point that I finally had a system, and felt the money I'd spent was well worth it to have broadband again. I never once complained at system performance, and never once thought of paying my bill. I was getting what I was paying for (value vs $ spent). HERE IS THE POINT WHERE HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF! On DSS80XXX, even though our billing was messed up from day 1, we maintained pretty consistent speeds for the plan we were on (at the time, we were on the HOME PLAN 1.0mbps)...AFTER OUR FIRST 30 days, things started going down hill.... Speeds in the 200-300 range..the downhill battle begins. Several tech in that long journey were out examining the system. It was up and down. up and down. Finally, after a phone call from Level-4 Tech Support, they tell me my system is running "within normal performance", and there was simply nothing they could do... That I was on a shared bandwidth system, and "speeds weren't guaranteed".......Even your corporate office stated "KEEP THE SYSTEM WITH ITS FLAWS, or cancel"....Wait, First time someone at Hughes admitted there were "FLAWS". So I'm in Executive Customer Care, and these people are doing "what they can" to try to keep me up and running. HOWEVER, network operations never admits any wrong doing, NONE. Was time to depart with DSS8002748, and try again. (Poor William, he tried). Like I said, I was happy with DSS825XXXX (the new account), UNTIL day 32. Here we go on a slow declining battle. 1.5mbps for 30 days straight, then here we go, speeds at low at 200kbps, and web response tests in the 30's. Tech Support in India admitted "VERY VERY VERY BAD" (if you ever watched SEINFELD, you will see the humor in this between Jerry and Baubau (his indian friend).....NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE EQUIPMENT(it still at a couple of times performed to its regular speeds), nothing is different about the pc I'm using, nothings changed in the weather. Here's my theory and why history repeats itself with Hughes. Why is a customer given the regular speeds of his "plan" for the first 30 days, and you just "sock it to ya" on day 32-on. my belief is that you want customers to he happy with their service during their "satisfaction guaranteed" period...sort of a confidence builder.....THEN, after a customer is in a contract with you, you get the regular run-around with "speeds aren't guaranteed" motto. If speeds were at 90-95% of a person's plan, Then WHY would it suddenly change for no apparent reason????? Go on the internet and google "throttling", "flow control", and many other technical terms. some day their bandwidth is severaly crippled during the periods of 4pm to 12am (the time of which you excuse at PEAK TIME".........If that theory was CORRECT, and simply not a myth or excuse, why don't customers experience slowdowns during "peak time" during their first 30 days??? Again, most likely a knowing, deliberate control of your Network Operations. I got 1.5mbps my first 30 days......why just decide to slow it down? many theories that me and other customers have voiced. Like I said search the internet for issues on Hughes, you'd be astounded at the results. Why am I writing this? Because I dont like how I've been done. I signed up for the PRO + package, PAID for the PRO + package, EXPECTED good performance 1.5-1.6mbps, and I got it (for a short period of time [30 days]. Now, I'm into this ridicolous mess of fighting with you only trying to GET what I'm PAYING for. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't that be what you wanted. Its like bait and switch. Give ya "full speed ahead, engage", and then after you feel like you've "got me". you can provide me with any level of service, and somehow manage to get away with it. That's not the way business enterprise works. its simply not an ethical way to do business. Am I mad? Perhaps a little? Overall your service "gets me where I want to go, and helps me get done what I need to".....But then, there is the value versus $. I'm paying EXTRA for the PRO + package, but not getting the benefits of it . . Sounds fair doesn't it? Do I want to cancel? Not necessarily.. but what I WOULD like is a truthful explanation of what is happening and WHY this is a regular practice of hughes... Remember this is my SECOND account. The SAME SERIES of events has happened TWICE, says time frame. I'll probably never get an explanation, and like I said NETWORK OPS (NOCC) will never admit that they are having any effect on any of this. What do I want? I want a service where I feel what I'm getting what I pay for. I'm not a speed demon. however, I know when my system isn't performing like 'IT USED TO:, and daily for that matter. Again, VALUE in a service. $90 for the **CURRENT LEVEL*** of service isn't. I'm not performing any more speed tests. Documentation is captured in emails, phone calls, and history tests available online at your "performance tests". What do YOU at Hughes feel is fair? You can ask William in ECC. That poor guy tried, and is probably screaming now that he's been given this case back to him (in case that happens). Well, i've said enough at this point. Tech support is supposed to call tonight (only to have me run more speed tests again)...... Lets hear from you hughes! I need to know what you intend to offer as a possible resolution before this journey becomes to long. I'd like to have an answer from someone before March 24, 2009! William, if you get handed this again, I'm sorry buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zalternate Posted June 20, 2009 CID Share Posted June 20, 2009 And it's only going to get worse over the next two years until the next satellites start to get put up. 2 years for WildPoo and 3 years for Screwsnet. Maybe Hughesnet is really heavily loading your beam area(in 10 months?), since you've said that the WildBlue dishes are disappearing. The scam works by giving you awesome speeds during the guarantee and then cut you back to system floating speeds plus or minus the 30 days. But not everyone knows their speeds and that's where the provider gets nailed when the speeds drop and knowledgeable users gets vocal. But I've said. Everyone is a small program on the server. Where they set your low speeds and your top speeds. And you've got to figure that if any remote Government office is using the system, that their speeds are set at full without any loss during high system use by regular users. I guess it comes down to most satellite users believe the B.S. that support tells them for the slow speed times, or just pay the $300 one time fee to go back to cheap dialup. The fee is easy money for any provider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted June 20, 2009 CID Share Posted June 20, 2009 I will never be one to say the BBB means shit other than another org out to get your money. Plain and simple, hughesnet and the rest have paid thier dues to them likewise. For a fee you can join too and get good word. They priced it to me during roofing for $350 for the year. I said I have no bad word, don't bother calling again. Thier chumps......and the ones who believe they will do anything. Like anyone the bigger money wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zalternate Posted June 20, 2009 CID Share Posted June 20, 2009 So I checked out the Hughesnet BBB rating page. The rating may be majorly flawed due to how many years Hughes has been in Business and ten years of reporting out of that. Plus the home user customer base and corporate customer base, as variables. http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?compid=W9864&national=Y Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 1785 in the last 12 months: 818 Complaints Concerned: Selling Practices (109 complaints) 103 Resolved 4 Delayed Resolution 2 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Advertising Issues (119 complaints) 115 Resolved 2 Delayed Resolution 2 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Service Issues (645 complaints) 617 Resolved 17 Delayed Resolution 11 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Customer Service Issues (9 complaints) 8 Resolved 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Credit or Billing Disputes (296 complaints) 283 Resolved 9 Delayed Resolution 4 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Delivery Issues (36 complaints) 32 Resolved 2 Delayed Resolution 2 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Refund Practices (123 complaints) 111 Resolved 11 Delayed Resolution 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Product Quality (214 complaints) 203 Resolved 9 Delayed Resolution 2 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Contract Disputes (112 complaints) 108 Resolved 3 Delayed Resolution 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Guarantee or Warranty Issues (32 complaints) 32 Resolved Repair Issues (90 complaints) 89 Resolved 1 Company made every reasonable effort to resolve Ripoffreport is always fun to read. But I find some people do not even know what platform they are on in reviews on various forums. KA or KU. http://ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q5=Hughesnet&searchtype=0&q1=ALL&q3=&q2=&q7=&q4=&q6=&start=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compuguybna Posted June 21, 2009 Author CID Share Posted June 21, 2009 Yeah, I posted my comments on ripoffreports.com . . . . . . consumeraffairs.com . . . . . and dslreports.com amusing reading anyway! LOL :knuppel2: :tickedoff: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compuguybna Posted June 23, 2009 Author CID Share Posted June 23, 2009 Well, if you've been following my HUGHESNET saga, you wont have to read any longer. The long saga has ended. Yes, The Corporate office Terminated my account today. Goodbye Hughes! They stated they were not willing to go through a long series of diagnosis or send a technician out and troubleshoot. No termination charges, Account to ZERO! Suits me. I didn't any high hopes that any of it would get any better! But it goes to show if you complain enough, state your point, stand firm, and dont let them run you over, you'll win! So, if you have anyone considering Hughes, I suggest you say NO, and have them read some of the comments here. By the way, the "secret" number to Tier-4 Support in Florida is 1-866-859-2275 (of course your case has to have had previous issues..... So, thanks to all that have read my posts! I guess I'll be on dialup for a while until I research the cell phone carriers wireless data plans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compuguybna Posted June 26, 2009 Author CID Share Posted June 26, 2009 The equipment came off the roof today, and was sent back to Hughes today. They sent me a box and prepaid label. The account was closed with a ZERO balance. This ends the Hughes saga. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted June 26, 2009 CID Share Posted June 26, 2009 Nah, for you maybe, but for the forum there is always another down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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