Complain about a product or service

RCN

Katherine of Lansdowne, PA August 19, 2008

I called on or before Friday August 15th to request payment arrangements for myself, I informed them that due to an unforseen health matter, I have a financial burden this month and it will take me 2 months to get back on track at which time my account with them will be updated. I have been a customer with RCN for about 5 yeas now and have had a fairly good business relationship with them. This request was approved, I was told not to worry, my account is in good standing and a note was written on my account to this effect.

The following day, I received a default account message at home phone number. I called them this morning (Aug 19th) to request that they suspend the harrassing mesasges, I told them it wasn't necessary and it makes me feel very uncomfortable to feel hounded like that, I didn't wish to recieve any further calls, reminders and to please not send me any cut off notices. The customer service rep's and manager's response to all this was that "they cannot suspend the messages or out going cut off notices."

I told them that I find them harrassing and I didn't need any reminders as I am a fully "aware" adult and am not in the habit of oweing monies to any type of agencies, ergo do not need nor appreciate any collecting messages. The manager refused to comply and we left it at that.

Elizabeth of Chicago, IL November 18, 2007

I called RCN to cancel my service in September. The customer service rep informed me that one of the technician would arrive on october 8th to disconnect the service completely from the building. He also informed me that I had 30 days from Oct 8 to return the cable equipment and if i did not return it within the 30 days i will receive a bill in the mail for it. Before the 30 days, RCN charged my credit card without my consent and post it as a form of payment by phone. I never called or gave them any permission to use my credit card nor was i under the knowledge that they kept my credit card file in their records.

I returned the equipment and I called and explain this to the supervisor, Linda. I told her that charging my credit card without my consent was a form of theft. I explain to her what the customer service rep explained to me as far returning the equipment in 30 days from october 8. I told her that due to the charge it caused my bank account to be overdrawn and I was charged a overdraft fee. I ask her is there anything she could do to refund me and accommodate me for the whole inconvenience. She not do anything and informed me that the money may take 2 weeks to be refunded. I am not happy with the level of customer service it was very poor. The supervisor was very rude and did not do anything as far to help the situation.

I feel i'm a victim of theft. I will no longer ever become a customer with RCN based on my horrific experience. I also want to inform others that this is a company who steals from their consumers. The level of customer service is so poor and to pay so much money I feel I should be treated fairly even if i chose to not be a consumer anymore. I also I should be accommodate for the horrible experience.

Rodolfo, of Allentown, PA July 28, 2007

I get the services 2 weeks ago (telephone cable and internet) 89.99 that was i was supouse to pay everey mounth. and i just get the services for 3 days no more and now they send me a bill for 285.31. when i called to ask why that bill no one explain me what is happenning i called few times and all what they say is " they don't see any problem with the services" and that is a lie.

Florenci of Elmhurst, NY July 12, 2006

AGAIN, they've added a feature(MACH 10) in my internet service without me ordering it. I've sent them an e mail but I didn't get a reply, also I've tried to call their customer service, I was on hold for 30 minutes and all I could get were pre-recorded messages. I want them to cancel this added feature wich I didn't order in the first place.

Amanda of Essington, PA July 7, 2006

I had a large cable bill caused by my fiancee buying payper view. When I called to cancel service i waited on hold for 20 minutes on July 6, 2006. The person finally go on the phone and told me he could not help me and he was transfering me. I got transfered to a department that closed at 5 p.m. and it was 5:02 p.m. I called again the next day, I was on hold 30 min. someone finally got through to me, told me that they could not help me and was transfering me. I got transfered and I was on hold again for an hour where I got disconnected.

I called back again and I was on hold for another hour. I started my call on 7/7 at 3:50 p.m. I was still holding at 5:12 p.m. This is crazy, all because of the high balance the people that have transfered me told me that they could not help me. I am no longer at that residence and I want the cable shut off. Being on hold this long is not good customer service, and my bill is still accumalating. I will never be dealing with this company again.

Ralph of Middle Village, NY February 22, 2006

I called RCN to have my cable setup. I had an appointment for 11-2 on 2/22/06. The driver pulled up to the house and never stepped out of the van. Instead he tried to reach me on my cell phone without even ringing the bell. As a result the installation was not done for cable or internet. The soonest available date was 5 days later. My wife was at home waiting for the cable guy to show up and he never rang the bell.

Dan of Salinas, CA March 5, 2004

I terminated their internet services last year, they then started re-debiting my visa check card for 9.95/mo. in Dec. After 6 months of disconnect. Several letters have gone unanswered.

Nathan of Chicago, IL March 1, 2004

I purchased a static IP address from RCN in July, since then it has changed 5 times and it takes up to 2 weeks at times to get the IP address that I paid for restored. Since the beginning of February, I lost the static IP again, and my cable modem service stopped functioning. RCN refused numerous times to restore the IP address that I paid for. Shortly after getting connectivity again, I lost service and it took a week and 5 technicians to find the problem and correct it. The my service lasted a day after that.

They have sent 2 technicians out to check my lines (which I requested). Both technicians did nothing and left. During the second attempt at getting a technician, he showed up, refused numerous times to perform the repairs requested and attempted only to sell me more services. He was not called to sell me services, only to fix my problem. I called back and was promised his return that day. After an hour of no confirmation I called back and spent 2 hours on hold only to be told that they would not fix my problem. They have scheduled another technician, but I seriously doubt that the technician will do anything upon arrival. I have been lied to about my service being fixed, and overheard conversations while on hold between co-workers on the customer service line talking about drinking alcohol at work.

I have been promised that my problems would be fixed I call but nothing happens. It has been a month of no resolution. I have been told by the supervisor of their call center on 2/28/04 that she did not care about my problems because I was not a corporate account customer. The technician that came on 2/28 refused to give me a signal amplifier and refused to test the signal strength on my cable line. I have spent over 15 hours this month on hold and over 8 hours waiting for technicians in this past month only to not get anything resolved. I have asked to speak with technicians concerning my problems and told that they will not speak with me. My home business is loosing money and customers over this and there is no remedy offered for my loss in revenue.

The customer service representative do not provide information or assistance with anything not involving just turning off my cable modem and plugging it back in. There is something more to this issues than simply unplugging my modem and plugging it back in. It is obvious that there is something else wrong at my residence, and they refuse to fix the problems. The supervisor that I spoke with on Saturday explicitly told me that the customer service representative that promised to transfer me to my local dispatch office probably transferred my back into their queue, which means I was lied to about who they were getting for me to fix my problem.

I was also lied to about the fact that the technician was going to return to my residence that same day and actually fix my problem. I have lost a lot of time and energy that could have been devoted to my business trying to deal with this issue.

Christina of Brooklyn, NY November 12, 2003

I signed up for service with RCN back in April, 2001. The package I signed was called a "gold package" which was suppose to consist of cable, phone (local, toll and long distance unlimited) and internet service. The price of that package was suppose to be around 118.00 per month. However, over time the price had gone up. The bills have ranged anywhere from 135.00 per month to almost 250.00 per month. Back in July of 2003, I started to question why my bills, especially the phone portion, were so high, it turned out the idiot I signed up with for the package NEVER included my unlimited long distance with the package.

In August, 2003 I decided to switch my cable and internet services over to Time Warner Cable and MCI for their phone service. The cable and internet service was switched over with some difficulty, but it got done although it took several phone calls to RCN to pick up their equipment. The phone service on the other hand has been a nightmare. From September of this year till almost the end of October, I have tried to get my phone service switched. RCN has told MCI with each try that my phne number does not exist so therefore it can not be done. RCN had also sent a technician over to my building to cut all my phone wires on Monday, September 15, 2003 without any advanced notice as to why this was done. I called RCN that evening and ask why this happened; they sent someone over the next day who re-connected the wires. He could not understand why RCN would do such a thing. That evening he also took back their internet and cable equipment since no one had shown up to take it.

I have been disputing with RCN over the phone issue for the last few months; I've been told by their customer reps on more than one occasion that the paperwork will be put in and I should see a difference in my next bill. Of course, it was not done so I had decided not to pay them until my service was either switch over to MCI or I get their unlimited phone package. I was sent a turn-off notice that if I did not pay by October 23, 2003 in the amount of approximately 245.00 all my service would be cut-off. When I spoke to them letting them know of my situation I was told by someone in their finance department that they would extend my notice to October 28th and that I could not pay the amount in installments. I found out later this was not true; in some cases they will make exceptions and it doesn't have to be a medical reason.

I decided to pay the bill in person against my better judgment at their office in Manhattan at 625 Third Avenue on Thursday, October 23, 2003. I also requested to speak to a manager about my situation who supposedly switched me over to their unlimited phone service for 60.00 not including taxes, etc. since there was no record of my request for unlimited service in their system.

I received my phone bill from RCN several days ago and was shocked at the amount they are charging me. The bill is for 88.34. I had estimated that if the package is 60.00 per month plus fees and so on it should not total more than 70-75. So why am I being charged almost 90.00?

I am tired of calling them and getting nowhere as well as no answers for their incompetence. Please help me; if you need any further information, I have made copies of my bills for the last few months with them as well as kept records (as best as I could) of who I have spoken to at RCN and MCI.

Tracy of Chicago, IL September 11, 2003

I have a cable service with RCN. Two months back I received a bill which had telephone charges on them. I have never requested a telephone service. I called as soon as i received the first bill and the customer service operator agreed that this was an error.

The next month i receive it again and again i spoke to the custoemr service representative who told me that she would take care of it and credit the amount wrongly billed. This is the 3rd mnth that i have received the Bill and now the customer service representative (Becky) told me that i placed a "verbal" order on the phone. Which is ridiculous..since i never did that.

Secondly the current service provider for the telephone is Talk America (from whom i also receive a bill). I have today (11th Sep 2004) asked them (Rolfe - ID no 4150) to cancel all my services..with immediate effect.

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