Forum Discussion
Hughesnet is a scam
- I think we can all sympathise with your frustrations. However, that still doesn't make the company a scam. It's a business, subject to and operating under business laws. And they have a tech support site (this one) where you can reach out to people who can help you.
- There are things you can do:
- You can call the 800 number and ask if you can downgrade -- keep in mind that this might initiate a new contract. Ask them about this before you agree to downgrade.
- You can work with the reps on this site. They are very helpful and they will try to improve your experience. If they can't, you may have some recourse with regards to the service termination fee. Remember though that this is satellite internet, so it's not like cable or fiber. Keep your expectations realistic.
- If all else fails, you can go into arbitration to resolve your grievance. See section 5 of the subscriber agreement, which explains the arbitration procedure.
- Best of luck to you.
Is Hughesnet a scam?
Okay, am not saying it is a scam,
it is a question.
My question is if the priority data and data tokens are a hustle/scam?
Not to worry. I believe we know where the data was going. A guest recently moved out a month ago, and we for the first time have priority data at the end of our cycle. Resets tomorrow.
Okay, thanks for all the responses.
Your questions are reasonable, and I imagine a lot of people who don't understand how satellite internet works will have similar questions. This is why I hope people who are considering satellite internet will read this site, so they can make a more informed decision. This site is on the open internet, and while non-subscribers can't log in or post, they can read the posts, and that can help them make better decisions.
The priority data and tokens system are neither a hustle nor a scam. Satellite internet is limited in the amount of broadband it provides, because a satellite's output is limited. Terrestrial internet can be expanded by sending a truck somewhere to add more lines, but the satellite has a finite amount of broadband it can provide, and once it's been shot into space, that's it. There are no space trucks that go up there to add more broadband.
Because of this, the broadband has to be shared by all the subscribers. Each subscriber gets a portion, a broadband package of priority data measured in GB. You get the number of priority GB that you pay for, say 100. That has to last you the whole month. If you or someone on your home network uses more than 100, you don't get cut off. You get moved to a lower tier (until the end of the period. Then you're reset to your higher tier). You can still connect, but the speed is not the same as with the top tier. There's an out: you can pay for tokens to restore yourself to a higher tier. I imagine the company reserves some higher tier data for this purpose. Are they increasing profits using this method? Sure. They're a business, not a charity. I personally would rather have the token option available and not the other option, which is you get cut off until the next month.
Wow, it was a guest using your data? I'd be pretty steamed about that. Glad you found out where the data was going, though!
