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Hughesnet Informative - Beware - Satellite Internet
Satellite Internet
Signed up for Hughesnet because I was told there were no other providers in the area (except WildBlue - who gets their services from HN satellites and they were "maxed on Bandwidth, taking no new customers). Paid $99.00 for install, plus an additional $50.00 to the installer (contractor) because there was "no good place to put the satellite to get good signal" so he had to put a post in for the dish. Apparently he used all my allowance for the day, because after installation the internet would not work. When I called in they told me that I had exceeded my bandwidth. I fought for three hours to get my service for the day reset, as I had yet to touch a computer when it was "used up". That should have been my first clue. As an extremely low key internet user (a lot of browsing, email, not much downloading, etc) - I thought I could survive their limitations, I was never so wrong. Apparently somehow checking my email and playing Farmville on FB is enough to almost max out my usage in an hour, and I pay for 400mb/day (almost 100/month here after you add in the rental fee and insurance). After three or four days I called in to tell them where to put it, but their Indian tech talked me into going one higher on the plan, gave me free tokens, a six month discount, etc. Another 1 1/2 days to realize that even the "upgraded" service was not enough to play Farmville and check my email - I don't know what they are counting as "downloads", but it's a scam, for sure. So I called back in to cancel my service. After trying to offer me everything except an indentured servant, I finally explained to them that there was NOTHING they could offer me except removal of the bs limitations to keep my service. They told me that since they had already taken the first month service (in advance) from my credit card, they would not cancel me until the 27th, I was unable to get them to refund me and cancel immediately. They also informed me that after paying 149.00 for install - and only having service a few days, I would have to take the satellite down from the pole and disassemble it and modem for shipment back to Hughes, they would not send someone out, and if not they would charge me 300 for the equipment. (I logged in and tried to change my billing info, to erase my debit card info after reading the horror stories online about unauthorized charges, etc, post-cancellation, and it does not give you the option to take payment information OFF their site. The only thing you can even try and hope works is changing the expiration date on your card and updating - which I did in hopes of protecting myself...but I digress - they want me to take it down and ship it in. umm ok, I can't swear I will be able to do it without damage, after all I am only a woman, a disabled woman at that.... The next day my service went out, I cycled my modem, did all the techie type stuff that anyone who has been on the net awhile knows to do - to no avail, every light came back to the modem except the "system" light. Called customer service *repeatedly* and got service back for about four hours, at which point it went down again. After 24 hours of BS and non-helpful "support" from their Indian phone bank, the service miraculously came back for another 6-7 hours at which point it went down again. I have begged them to just cancel me now but they refuse stating that since it is already scheduled for the 27th it cannot be changed (NO they just don't want to give me my money back). I have had to spend 1-2 hours per day on the phone with them to keep my service in working order, I would simply stop, but IF they are going to keep my money, they ARE going to supply me working service until that point. The other person is right - some lawyer needs to start a class-action against this scam passing for a legitimate business. Their practices are questionable at best, and fraudulent bordering on flat out illegality at worst. If you are wise you will avoid this company at all costs, unless you don't mind paying a small fortune each month to be able to check your email, and not much else.
Comments:
Posted by GenuineNerd on 2011-10-09:
I assume you live in a rural area where cable and DSL internet services are unavailable, forcing you to use satellite or cellular-based services, which can be slower than dial-up, judging from the number of Clearwire complaints here. Sadly, your other choice would be good old fashioned dial-up. Hope things can get worked out with Hughesnet.
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