Customer Service Complaint

[MelissaGrim]

I have been having connection issues with Hughesnet from my first month of service. I take online classes and cannot stay connected long enough to get through an hour long class. Last month after I had paid my bill Hughesnet reversed payment for some unknown reason and charged me a $25.00 return payment fee. NOTE: HUGHESNET not my bank reversed this payment, it isn't even showing up for my bank as a returned payment, with the bank it shows only a single transaction, my payment and it cleared the day after I posted it! So, I contacted customer support to find out why this happend. I got a tech who did NOT speak English as his first language. This is the actual email confirmation response I received. "Contact Reason: Billing Info - Explanation of Charges - Educated Customer" Whoa! Educated customer!!!!! Sorry but I do NOT need a ignorant tech support person educating me on anything!!! Offended, **bleep** yes I am! 

I was biting the bullet with bad connection service until this little piss ant decided that he had educated me. I had to go away on a business trip the day after this call, when I came home they had disconnected my internet for nonpayment. I sent support a copy of my bank statements showing I had paid, nothing, crickets......totally ignored. After waiting a few days I contacted my bank and had the payment reversed! Not getting my money after being so insulting and then ignoring me when I was paid in full on my account. I am stuck with this dang 2 year contract paying over $80 a month for service I can't use and I can't get a live person that speaks English as their first language on the phone if I can even get anyone to answer I am surprised.

If you know anyone thinking about using Hughesnet tell them to run as fast as they can. I have had nothing but problems from the day the tech showed up to install the dish on. I won't even go into all the details and multiple trips from another state just getting this company to plant a dish entailed. I will say this, I WILL NOT CUT DOWN ANOTHER TREE for this company!

[Brooke]

Hi MelissaGrim, welcome to the community and thanks for posting your concerns. I completely understand your frustrations. I do want to explain that the email you received was not a personal attack on you. When we are helping customers, our case system has categories to summarize the call. "Educated Customer" is one of our predefined selections and can be used in various situations, such as customer inquiries. I don't believe your email should have had included that particular detail, so I apologize for any distress that put on you, and I will escalate this to management to investigate. I do appreciate you bringing this to our attention, so thank you. 

I pulled up your account regarding the payment reversal, HughesNet does not issue reversals. The reversals come through the bank, usually per customer's request. If you didn't initiate the payment reversals, the bank disputed the charges and set up the payment reversal. I suggest calling your bank to determine why, I'm sure what they did had your best interest in mind. 

If it helps to understand, I've had a similar situation, and it came down to the bank protecting my account to make sure the payments were authorized by me. 

I'd also be happy to assist you with your service once everything gets sorted out with your bank. 

Thank you,

-Brooke

[MelissaGrim]

Thank you for responding Brooke, I had already checked with the bank after this incident. They did not show a reversal and could not explain why Hughesnet said there was one. I had sent all of this in an email and it was never responded to. As far as the commentary on the email, I agree I should never have seen that response. It only served to infuriate me! That tech also promised me $30 in credit for the  issue, I don't see it applied anywhere. I went ahead and paid my bill again today. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't get kicked out again. I used my American Express and I don't like doing that for this service. Now, if you can kindly send someone out to fix my connectivity issues and not charge me for this service it would be helpful, but keep in mind, regardless of what the installer says I will NOT be cutting down any more trees. If there is not a good line of sight option to prevent interrupted service is it going to be possible for me to discontinue service and cancel out the remainder of the contract without being charged for it. I really believe that the tech knew this was an issue and purposely did not convey the problem as he should have done prior to making my contract. I wasn't even told that satellite was the only option available until he showed up. I wanted fiber optic or cable internet.

[Brooke]

Hmm, that is odd. Once again I'm sorry you had to go through this. Bills are stressful on their own, in addition running into these reversals just add more stress. 

Please check your private messages, I sent you a message to address the rest of your concerns. 

-Brooke