Abuse of suspended account status

[VT_customer]

In May 2020 I wanted to cancel my account because I am not currently living at that address. A HughesNet representative convinced me instead to put the account into Suspended status - it was free, and would reduce hassle if I wanted to reactivate it someday. In June 2021 HughesNet unilaterally reactivated my account without telling me, and began billing me again, auto-debiting the charges without my approval. I have now been charged hundreds of dollars for service I am not getting. 
When I call to cancel the account, I am told that the Cancellation Department is closed. If I ask to speak to a manager, I am put on eternal hold. I used to recommend HughesNet to others, but now I have to do the opposite. This discourages me from using HughesNet again when I return to my address of record. If I don't get my money refunded and my account canceled, I will post this on all my social media accounts and file a complaint with the government communications commission. A lot of people in my area use satellite services, but there are other alternatives available.

[maratsade]

"In June 2021 HughesNet unilaterally reactivated my account without telling me, and began billing me again, auto-debiting the charges without my approval."

You grant them approval via the subscriber agreement. Read Part III, Section 6.1, which states, in part, that "You agree to pay all applicable taxes and Universal Service assessments related to your use of the Service or the use of the Service by users of your account. Information on charges and surcharges (if any) that are to be paid to us and are incurred by you or by users of your account will be made available to you on the Website, and you agree that this is sufficient notice for all purposes as to charges incurred and paid or to be paid to us."

They do not need any extra approval or permissions; they inform you of charges through the Website, where you can see your monthly invoice and your account status. 

You can only cancel your account via phone. To cancel, you will need to call 866-347-3292. They are not open 24/7. Try them during business hours M-F.  

[MarkJFine]

Unilaterally? Before the accusations fly, there's a simple explanation for what happened:

There's a set time limit that you can have an account suspended before you have to call and have the period extended. I thought it was for only six months, but apparently your's lasted a full year. They hadn't heard from you so it was restarted.

Pretty sure this stipulation is all laid out for you before you agree to suspend.

[GabeU]

Like Mark, I'm a little surprised with the twelve months, as I was under the impression the suspensions only lasted for a maximum of six months at a time, as is shown in the FAQ.

Whatever the case, service suspension is not permanent.  As well, if leasing, the monthly lease fee and taxes are still charged during the suspension.