Nearly every telephone company had its version of a nervous breakdown the last few years. What with deregulation, the Internet craze, cell phones and everyone babbling on about convergence, the phone Dilberts went wild in the streets, comparatively speaking.
Qwest (formerly US West, formerly Mountain Bell), however, took all this to a whole new level. First, it started out with an abysmal record of providing local service in its far-flung Western region. Then it proceeded to make things even worse.
More than most other companies, Qwest tried to be an all-in-one provider, pushing local, cell and DSL service, all on a single bill. Problem was, in way too many cases it couldn't seem to get that single bill right.
State utility commissions around the West have fined Qwest repeatedly but it will take a long time to get this Humpty Dumpty put back together.
Among Qwest's more problematic services is its version of DirecTV:
Travis of FLAGSTAFF, AZ January 9, 2010
I had a bundled service with QWEST which included T.V. and internet. My lease ended at my past address and I moved to another location. The new location needed QWEST technician service to have adequate internet and T.V. The service never happened on 2 separate occasions when they were planned to be there. I never had sustained T.V. service and internet. This is a breach of contract. They have now sent their early termination fee for my termination of service to a collection agency. The exact amount is 143.88 I am sick of these large companies thinking they can do this even with extremely poor or NO service.
Brenda of Mesa, AZ April 7, 2009
Brenda of Mesa AZ (04/07/09) I moved into an apartment complex who has a 10 year contract with Qwest. This all began in October 2008. I previously had cable/phone/internet with Cox who I'd give anything to have back!! I have had a service man out almost weekly since I moved into this complex. I lost two computers that were running perfectly and this came from the TECH that the DSL was uploading corrupt files into my system. It cost me a several days of my business time being down, as well as repair to both of my computers. I was then contacted by the people who were supposed to help with costs and I was wam-blasted by two Qwest employees trying to tell me I had no clue what I was talking about, and that the tech was misguided in what he told me.
Furthermore I was told there was no way that a corrupt file could destroy the hard drive. GEE. Needless to say I lost a 500G External hard drive, plus one computer with a single hard drive and my main unit which has two hard-drives, which still is not working. I lost important documents because of the bad see that was being spread throughout my system. I was not the only one to have this problem in the complex. Then the DIRECTTV goes out, twice within a little over a week. When it went out the first time I was NOT told that DIRECT TV is no longer doing the service calls and they had swithed to another company to do their service calls.
DirectTV is not even involved except as a front. I have refused to pay any bills until all problems are solved. I can live without tv and I can get internet elsewhere and probably will..They are telling me that if I try and back out of the contract they will sue..HA HA.. I hate to let them know I'm a paralegal, and told them go ahead and sue.. I'm losing business and valuable time when my internet is down! Now I am out of work, so they are threatening to cut off services and I told them go ahead, they do and they will end up in a suit.
Qwest always has been and always will be about the sorriest company to deal with I've ever seen in my life. I've told them repeatedly their customer service stinks! They really don't care because they think you can't live without them! My bill increased over 75.00 because I was NOT told by the original person I signed up with on the phone that within 90 days I would be charged for free movie channels that I told him in the first place I never wanted. Iternet plays a vital role in my business. Qwest won't get a dime from me until everything is fixed!
Two computers with blown hard drives, 1 extrernal 500G hard drive blown. Loss of vital files and information stored on my computers. Loss of work due to having to fit into their time frames.
Victoria of Newcastle, WA January 28, 2009
Victoria of Newcastle WA (01/28/09) 11/08 my roommate wanted to get Direct TV and they only way we could was we had to get home phone service through Qwest. After having the Direct TV guy here to find out we couldn't have the service I called and cancelled Qwest. No problems.
When I received the bill, I paid it online 11/4. Two days later, they took another payment out of my account 11/6. When I called they told me they'd send me a check. I've been calling every couple of weeks since then and all they could tell me was they sent out a check, it's in the mail, blah blah blah. Then today I call and they tell me the first check was cashed 11/28 and they won't be sending me another. Doesn't matter that it wasn't me who cashed it... they refused to give my money back. So they pretty much stole money from me.
I've reported them to the BBB and am about to file a dispute through my bank to get my money back somehow. This was the last straw.... I will never ever ever have Qwest even if they're the last phone company on earth... I'll go phoneless!!!
They cost me not only the 35.13 they stole from me but a 20 overdraft fee.
Carla of Peoria, AZ March 24, 2006
Carla of Peoria AZ (03/24/06) I am a Qwest customer and I am writing to your office because my pay per view account with Qwest was and continues to be charged for pornographic material that I did not order and do not want coming into my home inadvertently. I am in school full time and so is my son. I have enabled, on all of my accounts with Qwest, the pre-scribed parental and purchase controls and yet these charges to my account continue to occur many while we are clearly in school. I do not want and will not be paying for pornography that has been illegally charged to my account.
Qwest is trying hard to figure out how it happened, and has acknowledged that there was a problem that they are attempting to ameliorate. For me, the broader problem is how to prevent this sort of situation from recurring in the future as I do not wish to be charged for and held responsible for purchased of any kind that I did not order, but especially this sort of material. I was informed by a Qwest customer service employee that there are more charges for pornography on my next bill. They stated that their corporate policy does not allow them to remove these illegal charges to my account and that although there was some kind of problem that allowed the charges I would still have to pay them.
I do not understand a policy that does not take into consideration the fact that these kind of mistakes in the system happen and remove the charges that obviously do not belong to me, a long term, customer who does not have a history of purchasing this sort of material at all. it is clear that someone obtained access to my account and then proceeded to order daily this filth. I do not want to pay for the present nor future charges to my account for pornographic material. If you were to go over my account it would become clear that I rarely order movies of any kind and especially not pornography. I have already been a recent victim of identity theft and I do not wish to be victimized again.
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