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Account cancellation + ETF waiver for misrepresentation

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MolliWog
Freshman

Account cancellation + ETF waiver for misrepresentation

Hi,
I would like to cancel my service with HughesNet and have the ETF waived due to misrepresentation on behalf of the representative who LIED about my ability to transfer account ownership. I began my HughesNet service on March 23, 2017 after moving into a new residence, but due to harassment on the part of a neighbor I decided to not renew my lease and moved from that residence at the end of December 2017.

In preparation of my move I called HughesNet to inquire about my options for handling the account. I asked the representative about the possibility of transferring the account to the new tenant of the residence I was leaving and was informed that it was not possible, but that my account could be suspended for up to 6 months while I decided how to proceed with the account in my new living situation.

Fast forward to May 2018, my 6 month service suspension ends on June 19, 2018 so I contacted HughesNet about canceling the account and was informed the total ETF (internet + phone) would be almost $500. I opted not to complete cancellation during that call as the language barrier was obstructing my ability to update my payment information for the ETF and I still had a few weeks before the suspension period ended to try again at a slightly later date. I decided to explore other possible options for my account in the meantime and came across this: https://support.hughesnet.com/faq/account_billing/change-account-ownership-form

Apparently it’s actually 100% possible to transfer ownership of an account still under contract. Had I not been LIED TO by the representative I interacted with in December 2017 I would have done just that and would not be subject to the extremely steep ETF I was recently quoted; hence why I would like it waived.

This isn't the first time a HughesNet representative has LIED to me either. In July of 2017 my equipment failed and caused a week long interruption in my service. I may not be a professional IT, but I’m certainly not technologically illiterate and I knew from the beginning it was an equipment failure as my modem ceased displaying any lights at all.

When I phoned tech support about it, and described the state of my equipment, I was told that “weather was affecting a transponder in Texas” and that that was instead the reason for my interrupted service in Northern California. That representative refused to considered my equipment concerns and so did the representatives I spoke to each day for the next 2-3 days who continually gave the same line about the “transponder in Texas” being the culprit of my issues.

After a few days of support calls I finally got a representative who acknowledge it was in fact my equipment that had failed and sent out a new set up (which solved the problem, but waiting on the shipment extended the interruption duration to about a week). While on the phone with that representative I mention the “transponder in Texas”, inquiring as to whether or not they thought it would continue to cause me issues with the new equipment, but was basically told they had no idea what I was talking about; only leaving me to wonder why it was necessary for the other representatives to repeat that FALSE line for DAYS and treat me like a idiot who had misdiagnosed the obvious failure of their equipment.

Not only have HueghesNet's representatives FLAT OUT LIED to me MUTIPLE TIMES during our interactions, but one of those LIES is about to cost me almost $500. At this point I'm beginning to suspect it might have been intentional to keep me on the hook for the ETF once my suspension period ended, but you’re welcome to prove me wrong by waiving the ETF and canceling my account since it was YOUR REPRESENTATIVE'S LIES that caused this conundrum I otherwise could have avoided had they provided me with accurate information about transferring account ownership back in December 2017.

Updated: I'm not sure why you immediately rejected my first attempt at posting this complaint (I have screen shots), but here's my second attempt.
14 REPLIES 14
Jorge
Alum

Hello Molliwog, I was looking into your account to see why it was you ere told you could not transfer account ownership. Although it is possible to transfer account ownership it can only be done for customers who have purchased their equipment. I apologize for the misunderstanding and the lack of an explanation as to why the account transfer was not available to you.

Hi Jorge,

Thank you for the quick reply. Information about how the lease vs. purchase equipment options would affect my account in the future was not provided to me during sign-up. Had it been more informed decisions could have been made. Would HughNet be willing to compromise on the ETF amount due the the lack of complete information on the part of their sales representative during my initial sign-up?

MolliWog, Did you inform the sales representative that you would potentially move prior to the end of your commitment? If the sales representative intentionally set you up with services knowing that you would not be able to carry out the full term of your commitment, I would be happy to work with you.

I appreciate your potential cooperation Jorge and I believe the 1 year term of my lease was mentioned during sigh-up with the sales representative. That said, whether or not I was aware of the potential, or did or did not have intent, to move prior to the full term of my commitment doesn’t absolve the representative of responsibility to provide complete information and allow fully informed decision making on the part of a prospective customer.

Ultimately however, I do need to cancel my account by June 19 to avoid further service fees when my suspension term ends. Are you able to facilitate that through this format as well?

MolliWog, I can assist you with your termination. I would like to also inform you that the Early Termination Fee is applicable from the day you started service with us, so the recommendation to suspend the services was not nefarious. Your Early Termination Fee currently stands at $295 for the internet and $150 for the voice service totaling $445. Further, you must return your HughesNet modem, power supply, and radio in good condition within 45 days of cancellation date or be charged a $300 Unreturned Equipment Fee ($100 for the modem and power supply and $200 for the radio transmitter). 

 

If you are ready to cancel I can process the request. Please send me your address via a private message so we can make sure we have the address to send a return kit. Here is a link with more information on the equipment that needs to be returned, http://support.hughesnet.com/sites/support.hughesnet.com/files/inline-files/1041328-0001_a.pdf.

Thank you Jorge, but I believe we had moved on to determining the nefariousness of the issuance of incomplete information on the part of the sales representative who signed me up for HughesNet’s service in early 2017, and not the representative who instituted my service suspension when I moved at the end of 2017.

You asked if I had informed my sigh-up representative of the potential for me to be unable to complete the term of my commitment, and I answered that I believed the 1 year term of my lease was mentioned to that representative. Knowing that I only had a 1 year lease should have been sufficient prompting for that representative to inform me of how the different equipment options would affect my account in the future if I chose to move at the end of its duration, but they did not and as I said above, even if I had not informed that representative of my future potential or intent to not complete my term it does not absolve them of negligence in providing incomplete information to prospective consumers.

Since I did provide the sales representative with information that suggested I might be unable to complete the term of my commitment, and they in turn did not provide me with the necessary information to make an informed decision about the setup of my service, will you waive the $455 ETF?

@Jorge, I need you to address my previous reply before I can approved cancellation of my account. My suspension period ended on June 19 and I would like to get this finalized asap please.

MolliWog, I understand your situation so I am willing to work with you and I will waive half of the Early Termination Fee. Again Please send me your address so that we may send a return kit to the proper address.

Thank you Jorge, I really appreciate your cooperation in waiving half of the ETF and I've sent you my mailing address.

My on file card information is no longer good. Will I be able to just pay online once the bill is generated or should I send you my updated billing info too?

MolliWog, it was a pleasure to help you. Regarding your question, you can make the payment online once the bill generates.

Hi again @Jorge, thanks for all your help so far. I recieved the HughesNet return kit a few days ago and have a couple questions about how to handle curtain aspects of my equipment return.

1. I have a device that hooked up to my router that was for the HughesNet landline I had alongside internet service. It has a power cord and an Ethernet cable that go with it. Do any/all of these items need to be returned? I don't see them mentioned at all in the instructions inside the kit.

2. When I spoke to the representative in December (as previously mentioned) I distinctly remember clarifying with him that I only needed to take the equipment that was inside the house and that I did not have to do anything in relation to the satellite dish, but according to the return kit instructions the radio transmitter needs to be removed from the dish and returned. I do not have the radio transmitter, nor do I have the means or option of retrieving it now.

If I had been properly informed by the representative I spoke to in December I would have the radio transmitter to return now as it was easily accessible at that time, but now it is not. Am I going to be charged for being unable to return the radio transmitter even though my inability to do so is the direct responsibily of the representative who misinformed me?

@Jorge there's another issue now that I've just become aware of. On June 23rd $123.55 was charged to a card that had been on file for auto-payment on my account, but as previously mentioned is no longer a good form of payment for me. I'm also not sure how HughesNet was even able to process the payment as I recieved a new card within the last month due to fraudulent activity that was perpetrated against that credit card account and the information HughesNet had should have been invalid.

Those things aside, why am I being charged $123.55 for what I'm assuming is the monthly service bill when my service was cancelled on June 22nd/23rd? My 6 month suspension period ended on June 19th, that's only 3-4 days of lapse between the end of the suspension period and cancellation of my account. At most I should be subject to a prorated amount for the 3-4 days of lapse, but not an entire monthly bill.

Secondarily, my current account balance shows I owe $308.04 by July 3rd, but when I click to view the current invoice it shows me an invoice for the $123.55 payment that was processed on June 23rd. I do not want any other payments to be processed on the card that was charged on June 23rd. Further, I need you to please reverse the payment from June 23rd, remove the auto-payment information that's on file, and issue me an accurate invoice for the 3-4 days of lapse (at most), the agreed upon ETF, and any other applicable fees that I can pay on my own accord with the correct form of payment.

MolliWog, in your case just return the HT2000W Modem and the corresponding power supply. The voice unit does not need to be returned. I understand that you were not properly informed about the equipment on the dish. I will make sure you don’t get charged for the radio. Once you get the equipment shipped please send me the tracking number in a private message.

Thank you Jorge, I really appreciate your understanding and help with the my equipment return issues. The modem and power supply have been mailed off and I sent you the tracking number. Can you please address my last comment about the payment that was processed on June 23rd?