Last post this this morning and afternoon. I don’t know why I’m in such a chatty mood.
The Charter Communications issue updated: In preparation for filing a complaint with the BBB and the State Attorney General, I call Charter to get a copy of this contract I supposedly signed. The billing office refers me to another office where the person does not identify themselves, and is in the process of eating a late morning snack, if the sounds into the phone are anything to go by.
I put in my request for a copy of the contract and the person tells me that there wasn’t a ‘real’ contract–I had signed up for the internet service on the internet, and therefore that agreement was binding.
Now I did try to get the internet service through the internet last November because it would be 10.00 cheaper to ’sign up online’. However, there was nothing in the online form that said the agreement would be for a year, and that there would be a penalty if I quit early. More than that, though, Charter never followed through on the Internet order, and I had to go down to the local store and place the reconnect order.
According to the gentleman today, I was misinformed on Tuesday about not being able to disconnect the television portion of the service, and that I could continue with the internet for 29.95. He also tried to resell me the television service for 39.95, leaving me silenced with trying to understand how he got there from here.
I don’t want the television service. I’m calling about the internet service.
I returned to this so-called agreement I had. I said I wanted a copy, a digital imprint, of the page that I had supposedly signed with agreement. A page that contains the information about the year contract and the early leaving penalty. I said since he was telling me this information, they must have a copy of it. That’s when it gets interesting.
They don’t necessarily have the information about what I signed up for. They just assumed that since I signed up on the internet, this was something I had agreed to. Because, as he said all people who signed up on the internet sign up for a year.
So then I tell him about going online yesterday and how the site advertised internet service for 26.95 a month, no contract required. At that point in time he said, well, there really is a three month contract with this offer–but that was besides the point. I would have to maintain my internet service with them through December of 2005, or pay 150.00 just to not do business with the company.
The BBB person I talked to said that Charter Communications in the St. Louis area has had 768 complaints — serious complaints — in the last three years. Well, now they’ve had 769 complaints. And I’m also filing a complaint with the State Attorney General. As for Charter’s ‘offer’ to let me keep the internet connection for the 29.95 a month until December–mighty big of the company, but I’ll pass.