Forum Discussion

Alwayspayin's avatar
Alwayspayin
New Poster
5 years ago

Down & out over account lockdown

Sooo, this would be funny in some other time and space but right now it's just making me completely crazy. TWENTY DAYS AGO-- the same day I made a payment as usual on my account--my service stopped working. So I called customer service (of course they weren't calling me) and was informed that my service was suspended and my account locked automatically due to something about breaking rule 92: using 3 credit cards in a 12 month period that are in different names from different countries. Ok. This sounds like a simple thing to resolve doesn't it? I mean, they've accepted my payments, right? Should be easy enough for them to verify the source of the money. Yes, one would think. And of course it would be easy I was told. It will take 3-5 business days during which our corporate management team will review the account and have your service restored. So how funny and complicated is it that I'm now 20 days into this forced state of no wifi and believe me when I say, there's no end in sight. I have talked to 20 different agents who have literally said they have no information, had my case escalated 16 times, been promised a call back, been told no I can't call them because nobody knows the number (right?! One guy said he had a fax number..🤪) and last night a reassuring promise of restoration of service and end to this nightmare within 24 hours. So upon my yet another call to customer service just now at the 24 hour mark, you know what they actually told me? That it would be 3-5 business days, etc etc. OH MY GOD!!! Oh my god. To be clear, my one and only card that I've used to pay Hughes net for years now is issued by a real bank right here in Georgia USA and no, it isn't in a funky name or from a funky country. If I had an alternative to Hughesnet, I would be begging at its doorstep right now. But since I don't I guess I'll just keep going round and round on the 3-5 business day ride FOREVER. Someone just take me out of this misery!!!
Sincerely, 20 days worth of internet withdrawal
  • maratsade's avatar
    maratsade
    Distinguished Professor IV

    "using 3 credit cards in a 12 month period that are in different names from different countries."

     

    Is this accurate or an error?  

     

    The whole thing sounds insane, and I hope that now that you posted here, the site mods will be able to resolve this for you. 

  • Alwayspayin,

     

    Thank you for posting and welcome to the community. This is a very rare predicament. After reviewing your account it does in fact appear that your account was suspended due to fraudulent activity regarding the different cards and originating countries used within a certain time frame. We do refer to this as "Lock reason 92: Identity Theft Multiple Countries". I see that the team this was escalated to has been trying to unlock your account but are unable to due to a $63.54 amount that is owed. I would like to help you with this but the case is already being handled by a different department that I would not be able to interfere with. I understand your frustration with the amount of time you have been waiting to regain service, but our only option is to wait until you receive a response from the corporate billing department. I would also like to compensate you after this issue has been resolved, for the days without service. While I do not have an exact amount or method of compensation, I can guarantee something will be done for your troubles. 

     

    -Damian    

    • Alwayspayin's avatar
      Alwayspayin
      New Poster

      Hi Everyone! I'm finally making it back around to post an update and add an ending to this thread I started and the crazy situation I was in! It was truly aggravating at the time, to be cut off from service for a most preposterous reason--a reason with absolutely no semblance to any activity in my account. And no matter who I called or chatted with, literally the only response I could get was that there was no information that could be given to me, that I would just have to wait on some anonymous phone call from the mysterious corporate office that nobody could provide a phone number for, and that it would take 3-5 business days (like, 16 times I was told that!). And I am incredibly grateful for finding this support community just to be able to vent some of that frustration and know that i wasn't just losing my mind for no reason!

      So the total tally was 25 days that my service was shut down due to the Lock Reason 92: Identity Theft Multiple Countries. It was locked on January 30th and finally restored on February 24th, the day my bill was due lol. Which they indeed did try to charge me for!  The highly anticipated and many-times promised call from a corporate office never did occur.  A couple of days after my initial post, I was typically chatting with a rep--by this time the only point in my entire life was to get the internet turned back on lol--who somehow came up with a new phone number for me to call to get some "serious" help. I was connected with a girl who said "oh, you're on the schedule to be called at 10am". Which didnt happen. So I called back after 10 and was transferred to a guy who said "I dont understand why somebody hasnt just reset your account". Which he did, and said the service would be on by the next morning. Which is wasnt. So I called back again just saying "my service was sopposed to be on now but it isnt--could you find the problem for me?" And finally the subject of the $64 due on my account was addressed only to find that the charge was for who knows what. So the next guy took that off my bill, bringing it back to its zero balance, pushed a magic button and I was back in the game.  FINALLY! But as stated, there was no call, no explanation, nothing except Oh, your bill is due.  Haha, needless to say I didnt have any trouble getting that credit!  So in retrospect I dont know what the point of that whole experience was to be...maybe that you just cant control everything--or maybe that patience is a virtue? All I know is that now I'm looking for Damian and that unexact amount and method of compensation lol!!

      **(Many thanks to all who read my post and commiserated with me! )

       

      • maratsade's avatar
        maratsade
        Distinguished Professor IV

        Holy cow, what craziness.  I'm glad you're back online, but it should not have taken so long to resolve the issue.  What did you do during that time? (Besides pull your hair out and scream, that is).  Were you  using a hotspot? 

    • Alwayspayin's avatar
      Alwayspayin
      New Poster

      Hi Everyone! I'm finally making it back around to post an update and add an ending to this thread I started and the crazy situation I was in! It was truly aggravating at the time, to be cut off from service for a most preposterous reason--a reason with absolutely no semblance to any activity in my account. And no matter who I called or chatted with, literally the only response I could get was that there was no information that could be given to me, that I would just have to wait on some anonymous phone call from the mysterious corporate office that nobody could provide a phone number for, and that it would take 3-5 business days (like, 16 times I was told that!). And I am incredibly grateful for finding this support community just to be able to vent some of that frustration and know that i wasn't just losing my mind for no reason! So the total tally was 25 days that my service was shut down due to the Lock Reason 92: Identity Theft Multiple Countries. It was locked on January 30th and finally restored on February 24th, the day my bill was due lol. Which they indeed did try to charge me for! The highly anticipated and many-times promised call from a corporate office never did occur. A couple of days after my initial post, I was typically chatting with a rep--by this time the only point in my entire life was to get the internet turned back on lol--who somehow came up with a new phone number for me to call to get some "serious" help. I was connected with a girl who said "oh, you're on the schedule to be called at 10am". Which didnt happen. So I called back after 10 and was transferred to a guy who said "I dont understand why somebody hasnt just reset your account". Which he did, and said the service would be on by the next morning. Which is wasnt. So I called back again just saying "my service was sopposed to be on now but it isnt--could you find the problem for me?" And finally the subject of the $64 due on my account was addressed only to find that the charge was for who knows what. So the next guy took that off my bill, bringing it back to its zero balance, pushed a magic button and I was back in the game. FINALLY! But as stated, there was no call, no explanation, nothing except Oh, your bill is due. Haha, needless to say I didnt have any trouble getting that credit! So in retrospect I dont know what the point of that whole experience was to be...maybe that you just cant control everything--or maybe that patience is a virtue? All I know is that now I'm looking for Damian and that unexact amount and method of compensation lol!! **(Many thanks to all who read my post and commiserated with me! )

      • Damian's avatar
        Damian
        Moderator

        Alwayspayin,



        Thank you for posting an update. I am also glad the service is up and running now. In regards to compensation, I have private messaged you the details. Please refer there for specific information. 



        -Damian 

    • civildefense's avatar
      civildefense
      New Poster

      How rare is it, this is exactly the problem i have been experiencing over a month, i have called or chatted 5 times been Told i will get a callback in 5 business days, i am a month in and still no callback. Same code they finally gave me on the 5th contact. I was just going to cancel my account and have my brother sign up for a totally new account and tell them he just moved in.

       

      code i was given (Identity Theft Multiple Countries:I92)

      • GabeU's avatar
        GabeU
        Distinguished Professor IV

        civildefense 

         

        To keep your issue separate from the OP's, even though you're experiening the same thing, please start a new topic in this same section (myAccount and Billing).  You can do so here.