Qwest DSL Consumer Reviews - Page 2

TACOMA, WASHINGTON -- I hardly know where to begin. I ordered DSL 2 weeks ago; the rep I spoke to was very thorough and I felt confident that I knew everything I needed to know. The modem arrived a week later, and Thursday night I installed it myself with no problems. So far so good. To make a long story somewhat short, it has randomly not worked ever since. Unplugging the modem worked until Monday morning.

I called tech support, which has apparently been outsourced to India, and talked to a rep who seemed to be reading off of cue cards--she repeated the same thing no matter what I asked. FRUSTRATING. After walking me through checking the connections (I had already triple-checked them before calling), she told me that she could send a tech out to check on it. If it was OK on the outside, he'd have to come in and I would have to pay a minimum of $100 because I don't have a "linebacker". Well, of course I don't--I've never even heard of it. I thought that was a position in football.

I said forget that, but he can check outside. So he did, said there was nothing wrong. So after he leaves, the DSL magically begins working again. BUT--the phone doesn't work. No dial tone. So I call for a phone repair. This guy tells me that he can send a tech, but if the problem's not outside, I'll get charged $85 just because the tech came out--even if he doesn't set foot in the house. Why would the problem be in my house? I haven't sabotaged the phone jack, nor have rats eaten through the inside wiring. Why on earth can't a company just come out and check things out?? "Regulations". Yeah, regulations created to jack the customers.

When my phone stops working after the tech comes out, like hell am I going to pay a dime. This last rep finally told me, after I said I was so frustrated I didn't even know what to say anymore, that I could test my own phone outside to see if it was the phone line. He told me what to do, which was simply to open the outside box and plug in the phone. I asked if that was what the tech was going to do to get paid $85. He said that was the last thing the tech would do, after inspecting the wires to the house. So, don't bother with the tech--just do it yourself!

My phone magically started working inside after I checked it outside, although it didn't appear to work outside. Go figure. And it hasn't even been a week!! It boggles my mind that I am apparently expected to pay for a service that's not working, plus pay for them to come figure out why it's not working when my phone has worked just fine until I got DSL. I also did not appreciate being told to go look something up online and send an email when I couldn't access the internet. Great--thanks for the help! Not only am I going to look for another DSL company, but I'm looking for a new phone company.

TUCSON, ARIZONA -- I would like to share my recent experiences with Qwest “Spirit of Service” customer service… We recently moved into a new home and decided to make Qwest our telephone and internet service provider. We were particularly motivated because we noted on the website that high-speed internet was offered in our new area by this provider. After hearing about a bundled package, we also decided to change our mobile phones to Qwest and add on DirecTV Satellite Service.

Unfortunately, the internet was not accurate in that our area is not covered by high-speed internet. Still, we decided that this move would be the most appropriate for our needs. Much to our disappointment, we have come to learn that the customer service with Qwest is severely lacking. If we hadn't already invested in the change, we would gladly transfer to another provider. As it is, we are currently exploring our other options.

My husband set up service for almost an hour and a half with a customer representative a few weeks before our anticipated move. We were told that our new mobile phones would be delivered within the next few days. When we didn't receive them, he called back to inquire. Apparently the order was cancelled because the “database” used did not show a match for his social security number or date of birth. He asked where this database originated and was unable to get an answer.

He spoke with ** who was both rude and took an accusatory tone telling my husband he would have to call the social security office to clear this discrepancy. She ended up calling the social security office with my husband on the line to establish that the information provided was in fact correct. Our biggest problem with this issue was that we were never contacted and let know that the order was cancelled. My husband was informed that he would need to call another number to set up service again.

My husband called and left numerous messages for an associate at the number given. He was finally able to reach someone who could reorder the service. He was on the phone for nearly an hour with them. Much to our amazement, we were charged twice for the cellular phones. Another call had to be made to get a credit for the cancelled order. We are not wealthy people that can have nearly $200 withdrawn from our account unexpectedly without financial ramifications.

Had there only been one incident, we could certainly understand that unforeseen events happen with even the best of companies. Unfortunately, this was only the tip of the iceberg. We were told that we would be able to activate our cellular phone service on Sunday, September 3rd. I called on Saturday to verify this information since the activation information stated that this service was not available on Sundays. The representative I talked to said that she thought maybe some offices were open and that is why I was told that.

Of course, they weren't available on Sunday. Monday was a holiday, so we weren't actually able to activate service until Tuesday, September 5th. This wouldn't have been so bad if we could rely on our previous provider, but Qwest diligently cancelled that service on the 3rd. So we were left without telephone service for two days. I find this unacceptable. Especially considering that I have three small children and do not live in a highly populated area where telephones are easily accessible.

We were also told that our land-line telephone service, internet, and satellite service would be connected on Saturday, September 2nd. DirecTV came and were very polite and helpful. Qwest did not come. We were home all day waiting. When they did not arrive, I called to inquire. I was informed that new service is never set up on the weekend and that we were scheduled for Tuesday, September 5th before 5:00 pm. I again waited at home all day with the kids. I called at 4:15 to make sure that there were no problems with the address and that we were still on the schedule. I was told that yes, we were scheduled and that someone should be here before 5:00.

I waited until 5:00 and called back again. I was told that the technician was running late but we were still in line for service. I then called at 6:15 and was told that we weren't set up for jack installation though it was in the comments section. Unfortunately, we were disconnected so I called back. I was then told that jack installation was part of the order but since a technician did not come, we were going to be rescheduled for Saturday, September 9th.

First, I was astounded that we were never called and notified that nobody would be coming out. Second, I was in disbelief that it would be rescheduled for four days later and on a Saturday (which, if you will recall, I was told they never set up service on the weekend.) I told them that this was unacceptable and requested to speak with a supervisor.

The supervisor I spoke to was named **. I explained my situation and he told me he was sorry, but that there was nothing he could do but file a formal complaint. After a long conversation with him, he contacted scheduling and was told that one of the technicians called in sick, that another went home early, and the third didn't realize that the first had called in sick. He said they might be able to fit us in on Wednesday, September 6th and that someone should call in the morning to let us know when they would be out. I asked if we should have been notified the same today and he said yes.

Again, we were never contacted at all. I asked if there was anyone else I could contact to share this information, and ** gave me the address for the Executive Office. He asked if there was anything else he could do and I asked him to make the formal complaint formally offered. His response to me was, “I thought you were going to do that.” I couldn't believe that he was pawning this responsibility off on me.

I am completely astounded by the poor customer service and complete lack of accountability met in these exchanges. It does not appear as though any department knows or has access to knowledge of what the other departments are doing. This is particularly frustrating in that this company prides itself on combining services which is supposed to benefit its customers. I would not recommend Qwest to anybody I know and do not plan to be a customer for long. I am dreading future interactions with Qwest and can only hope that our telephone and internet services will actually be connected soon without further difficulties.

I ordered Qwest WIFI service for a small apartment complex that I manage - was told that all they could do was 3 megs @ $90 per month. I agreed to that - no worries. Got the bill - they tapped me for $372.65. Here's how it broke down: Qwest Installation charge + Qest Office Basic (whatever that is): $149.99. Service charge for First Jack (wtf?...): $110.00. Broadband BUS 3m/640k: $9.99. Charge for service not previously billed: $8.50. Charge for service not previously billed (again!): $0.53. Qwest Broadband: $93.00. Taxes: $0.64.

I called them up. I explained that I had not been quoted anywhere close to $279 just for the friggin' install. Mr. Useless (name changed to protect the idiot) explained in so many words that I could either pay my bill... or pay my bill, and go away. I just got a quote from a competing company - $25 install.

Qwest.com: You got me. You got me good you [bleepers]. But one good lick is all you're going to get. I'm canceling your sorry arses before the next bill comes due. If you're thinking of buying anything from Qwest, do some homework. You can get a better product for less elsewhere. I learned that just a little too late.

Qwest technical support is awful and the customer service is just as bad. I mistakenly decided to upgrade my internet, since the one I was using with QWEST was soooo slow even though it was DSL. Within a couple minutes of my signing up online with Qwest to upgrade my service, I noticed my pages taking an eternity to open only to get an error message saying the connection timed out or the page just NEVER opening. I found this odd, but my upgrade it said wouldn't take effect until 3 days later, so I thought it must have just been a coincidence. That was Aug 2nd.

To this day, I still have problems opening certain pages on my internet to include my MSN.COM homepage, Hotmail, several of my credit card companies pages, and sooo many more. When I contacted Qwest several days after the upgrade to tell them I wanted to cancel my upgrade because of the problem, they wouldn't let me and told me it must be MSN or my computer that is messing up. They contacted MSN, called me back and said it was my computer. So, I contacted Toshiba, and they couldn't figure out the problem, saying it must be my modem.

I called Qwest again, they said NO! Toshiba said restore to factory default. I did that but it still didn't work (only made it worse because the connection at my house won't let me do any of my updates or download drivers and software, to include my antivirus program and print drivers). I called and emailed Qwest, the one guy hung up on me!!

I took my laptop to a coffee shop and EVERYTHING works fine! Proof it is my home connection with Qwest... it has been almost two months; Qwest is still charging for my Internet and my upgrade, but they haven't even tried to help resolve the issue. I even got an advertisement in my mail saying I am eligible for a free upgrade!!! Woohoo... we know where that got me in the first place. DON'T USE QWEST THEY WON'T HELP YOU IF THEIR SYSTEM MESSES UP!

I have had problems with Qwest since DAY ONE. Never in my life have I seen such a corrupt and deceiving company and I would honestly rather pull my own fingernails off with a pair of pliers than to call their customer service line!

I was FORCED to join Qwest for internet when I moved into my apartment complex because they were "contracted" through Qwest. Every single bill was wrong. I was promised a certain price and then my bill would come in nearly $30 more than what was discussed! Their bills are like hieroglyphics to decipher and calling their "customer service reps" is a waste of time because 50% of them are the rudest bunch I've ever come across, talking over me and ignoring what I am trying to explain... the other 50% are just as dumb as can be and seemingly tell me false information just to get off the phone with me.

At the apartment complex we were charged a "BSI" charge because to get our DirecTV service we were all using a communal satellite on top of the building. This charge was $6.24. This past fall I bought a house. I called Qwest's customer service number, the number that is right smack dab in the middle of my bill on page 1, and requested that they complete all the necessary steps to get my service transferred. They assured me it would all be switched over and that service at the old apartments would be disconnected.

In the following months, I kept getting that BSI charge. I called in each month to inquire about it and was told each time it would "fall off" and that "information was probably still getting sent over" or "that was from the previous month and it will be credited back to you once information is updated." All sorts of excuses.

I also was promised 2 free months of internet for upgrading my service. I only ever got 1 free month and from what I can tell on my bills... I am being double billed for about 5 days on each bill. There are also several charges on my bill that say "Other charges-5.99" "Current Charges-0.25" with absolutely no explanation as to what they are! They're scamming the unsuspecting general population and nickel and diming us! Bottom line... go with Comcast. They're cheaper than DSL and I am sure that their bills aren't 6 pages long for a simple internet service!

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA -- I had used Qwest DSL for 5 years successfully without problems. Then I had one problem where I had to contact customer service and it all went to hell. My new DSL modem stopped working. After hours on the phone, I was told that it was a line problem that allowed a lightning strike to burn out the modem. The person I spoke to on the phone was obviously reading from a script and didn't understand anything about DSL or what I was saying. She put me on hold a dozen times and then we would have to start over again with the conversation since she would lose track.

They ended up sending me the wrong modem. Another hour on the phone just trying to get someone to talk to who understood the problem. They swore they would get me a new modem by Thursday and that they would send someone to install it. The technician came on Thursday before the modem did and already had such a modem in his truck. He said that they could have just sent him over on Monday to replace it. I then spent another hour just trying to get someone to tell me how to send back the bad modems. All in all, I spent about 6 hours on the phone to get the matter resolved just about ready to pull my hair out.

Qwest seems to have two different customer service units - one local that know what they are doing and one remote (outsourced?) where the English is poor and they just read from scripts without really knowing what they are doing. The whole experience cost me 4 days of DSL access which translates to 4 lost days of business. Couldn't even find a complaint department to contact. Worst customer service I have ever experienced.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA -- I cancelled DSL service with Qwest in February 2011. At the time that I cancelled, I was told that I would not have to return the modem because I had purchased it. This made sense to me, as I had easily paid for value of the modem several times over during the many years I was a Qwest DSL customer.

However, a couple of weeks after I cancelled my service, Qwest sent me UPS shipping labels to return the modem. I dropped off the modem at UPS on March 28, 2011. I have delivery confirmation from UPS that states that the package was delivered to Pueblo, CO April 4, 2011 at 1:34 PM and signed by **.

On May 13, 2011 Afni sent me a letter stating that they were a debt collector attempting to collect a debt on behalf of Qwest. When I called Afni to discuss the letter, I was told that the debt was owed for the modem mentioned above. I told Afni that I would like to dispute the debt and provided them with the UPS tracking number, which shows proof of delivery. I received another letter from Afni May 24, 2011; which stated that Afni had verified the debt was valid, and intends to continue to pursue collection of the debt.

On May 24, 2011 I contacted Qwest customer service and talked to someone who gave me the ID **. She told me that she worked in Qwest Billing, and that she could not find a record of the returned modem; and that there was nothing else she could do.

I am finding that in every detail in this matter, Qwest has shown poor customer service ability. From telling me that I would not have to return the modem, to turning the account over to a collections agency to denying that they had received the modem, despite the clear UPS paper trail from me to the Qwest facility in Colorado; it is difficult to find anything that is not disappointing about Qwest in this matter.

I have begun to pursue legal options with Afni. The federal government is very clear about what those options are. It seems that I could pay the amount requested, but I returned the modem and I believe the facts are clear in the matter. I would have no reason to lie under oath regarding such a thing, particularly because Qwest sent me shipping labels; but also because the modem is essentially worthless, not only to me, but also in the general sense the value of the device in question in year 2011. The federal government has various mechanism in place to protect honest consumers like myself from being harmed in circumstances such as this.

I've been with Qwest for 6 years and more or less had no problems with them until I decided to order a high speed Internet. I place an order online on March 9th and purchase supplemental equipment with that which I pay for on the same day with my credit card. A week later my modem is not there. I call QWEST, they tell me "there was internal error, we apologize and all, you will get it in 3 days." OK, deep breath... Three days later, no modem, call again, a lot of sorries, this time will send for sure - expect in three days... Double deep breath, ooooookk... Three days later, my goodness!

It's still not there - well by now I am ready to sue the whole Oregon - they promised this time to send it on the same day and expect it the next day. Well, the big news - IT WASN'T THEIR NEXT DAY BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER SENT!!! Finally, it took like 5 representatives, multiple calls back and forth and emails, it got there 20 days later. And 5 days later showed up a bill that had charges on it for the equipment I already paid for online like 25 days ago. I call yet another representative and he tells me basically I will be charged twice but refunded once, half the price. And, he hung up on me.

I talked to another representative and asked for the manager - she assured me she can help me - sounded like she did, but hey! - I haven't seen the changed bill yet. How many people and days did it take for the company to send me one little modem?

Who does business like that I wonder? Chicken house has more order than that! And to think that I waste my money and time on business like that! What gets me the most is when they screw me over like that repeatedly and then have the guts to ask me if I want to buy TV and cellular services from them. To that I say, 'ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!'

I had had telephone service with Quest for 19 years. I would think I would be exempt from any early termination fees. Then I changed my service and eventually deleted the telephone altogether and used only their Internet services, but every time I asked for a change on my services they set themselves up a whole new contract, which would make me eligible for an early termination fee. So I got wise, and on that last change I told them I would pay more per month so I would not have the early termination fee.

I had a whole lot of trouble with their signal for Internet. I was knocked off at times or had very low signal almost all of the time. I called many times and talked to their tech support. Each time I called it took an hour or so, at least. They would often do something on their end which bumped my signal up for the rest of that day, then the next day it would be down again. I was calling day after day. They sent a tech out to check the computer and lines 3 times, and none of those times corrected the problem.

Then they told me my modem was now old in comparison to the new technology they were using so talked me into purchasing a new modem, for around a hundred dollars or so. That didn't do it either. I was fed up and by then we were planning on moving. So I disconnected the service, and what to my amazement - an early termination fee appeared on my bill. I called and they told me that when they set up a new contract for the Internet line they did set me up to pay the full amount without the contract, but he second time I called tech support I was set up for the lower amount and the contract took effect.

I did not know about this, and now that I have moved and am living with someone else, and have no need of their services they are billing me, after 19 years of service, for an early termination fee and it has gone to collections. And considering their billing - don't even get me started. I had to call them every month for mistakes they made.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- Don't go with Qwest... they are a company who employees individuals that are incapable of dealing with the public... their policies are horrible... that are ripping off the consumer, charging more than should be charged, charging for services that were not bought, and rude, rude, negative refusal to take care of the problem.

Example, I return a modem after being told I have to rent from them, which was a lie, my son came over and told me that is not true, I have proof etc. of when they received modem. I am charged for 3 months of modem rental when I did not have it. When I was asked for a refund/credit for this I was told "we don't give refunds", word games perhaps? When I said, it is against the law to charge a consumer for product they did not have and to charge extra tax on it, he said, "we do not refund taxes"???

I had service from Sept and ended it in December, what a short time for a company to completely destroy a consumer's confidence in doing business with them! I have never nor will I ever do business with Qwest. Hours upon hours of being on the phone dealing with rude and impossible employees and trouble from the very beginning with the order. I have documented it all... keep my calls logged etc. etc.

I have dealt with other companies through the years for similar services, had problems sometimes, but NEVER EVER on the level of trouble, over billing, illegal charges of taxes, not explaining increases in charges, telling me to call the federal government regarding my tax, and from the beginning lying to me about having to rent or buy their modem...

Service Hell with Qwest from Sept 2010 through December 2010 thank God only that much of my time has been wasted. By the way, I spent a lot of time with each bill, for they are confusing, and pulled out each part of it that I actually had service and PAID IN FULL online each month.. so it has ended COMPLETELY.

I am going with Comcast, for all 3 services!!!! Never had problems like this with Comcast and should have never changed. Qwest makes themselves look like a 3rd world company compared to Comcast!!! I would rate them a minus 10!!! Bad billing, policy, service, communication, employee's customer service is the worst and this is a company who provides communication products!!!