Home › Forums › WSB Reader Recommendations › HELP!! Century Link sucks – need recommendations
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January 4, 2012 at 12:08 am #601759
anonymeParticipantI’m at my wit’s end with this stinking corporation. Every time I renew my plan, I get screwed worse than before. The charges change on a monthly basis; every month I have to go over my bill with a fine-toothed comb to see what bogus charges they’ve added or hidden in there. My old bill for phone and internet came to $67 + $10 in fees and taxes. The new plan – which includes nothing new, and was supposed to cheaper – is $55 + $28 (!!!!!!!) in taxes and fees. Someone please explain to me how the fees could triple on a lower base price? Customer service is worthless. FYI: the new Century Link 5 year guarantee is a ruse to get people to cancel their former “price for life guarantee”. I’m so infuriated that they are allowed to get away with this.
Please, someone make a recommendation for phone and internet service that does not involve legal intervention! I don’t currently have a cell phone, but may need to go that route to get rid of this company.
January 4, 2012 at 12:30 am #744407
amaliaParticipantI feel your pain. I just dumped CLink and went with Comcast. But don’t expect much – Comcast’s customer service reps respond to everything with “Yes, I can definitely help you with that” even when they can’t. One woman was actually googling solutions to my problem while I waited… and waited… and waited…
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Comcast had better speeds, I can say that.
January 4, 2012 at 12:36 am #744408
anonymeParticipantUnfortunately, I don’t have cable and don’t want it. I don’t even care about better speed. I just want to make a deal and keep it, without all kinds of devious tricks. I want to know exactly what I’m getting and for how much. Is that too bloody much to ask?
Generally speaking, the thing they call “customer service” these days is anything but.
I’ve heard decent things about Speakeasy.net, but I think they only serve businesses.
January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am #744409
DBPMemberJanuary 4, 2012 at 12:54 am #744410
anonymeParticipantOK DP, I think I know what “tiraden” means. Can you translate the rest? Rilke may be one of my favorite poets, but I don’t quite speak the language.
January 4, 2012 at 1:16 am #744411
angelescrestParticipantAnonyme–
I’ve had Comcast for six years with zero problems EXCEPT the giant increase that comes after the initial deal of six months (or so). Then, I can usually talk to them and get a new deal at a lower price. What a pain! I tried switching to CL, but what I was quoted on the phone, was not the price I got, and those lil’ extras (voicemail: $10, service-through-contractor: $$$, etc.); extremely annoying and costly.
I’m back to Comcast (and we have no cable either). I’ve liked their tech people, both on the phone and “live”–and we’ve been issueless.
Go on and have a Tiraden.
January 4, 2012 at 1:16 am #744412
datamuseParticipantSpeakeasy at least used to have residential services, we used to have them. They were satisfactory but expensive so we switched to Comcast.
January 4, 2012 at 2:07 am #744413
cjboffoliParticipantI had a HORRIBLE experience with Speakeasy. They over-promised and under-delivered on speeds and when I ultimately balked at the higher price for slower service, they were actually weird and abusive on the phone (think of the very worst 1970’s car salesman tactics). I had Qwest DSL for a while but found the speeds really inconsistent and the service somewhat reliable, not to mention the off-shore customer service agents who seemed empowered to do nothing more than answer incoming calls. I now have Comcast business class service. The speeds are excellent and the service is a good value for the money.
January 4, 2012 at 2:21 am #744414
metrognomeParticipantI agree with amalia that Comcast cust svc reps spend more time promising to help you than they do actually helping you. I’ve had Comcast for about 3 years; it seems slow at times, but I also have an old computer. One thing I noticed recently is that the terms they use for the three speed levels on their website aren’t the same terms they use on their bill, so I’m not really sure what speed level I’m paying for (the prices change so much from offer to offer, it’s hard to tell which price matches which level of service.)
If you also use Comcast for your landline, when the service goes out in a storm, etc., your phone is dead. I don’t have a cell, so it was a shock the first time it happened.
January 4, 2012 at 2:31 am #744415
dhgParticipantI knew this lawyer (now tragically no longer with us) who was absolutley certain the reason for these pages long bills is to discourage you from trying to understand them. The big companies just want you to pay the amount at the bottom and good luck figuring out the rest.
January 4, 2012 at 2:38 am #744416
anonymeParticipantUsually I’m reading rants about Comcast, so I’m a little surprised that some of you seem to like it – at least a little! All I need is phone and internet, and it looks like Comcast is pretty exorbitantly priced. I miss the good ol’ days when there was one phone company. They may have had issues now and then, but it was all pretty straightforward. You knew how much you paid, and what for. Now it seems we only have the illusion of choice; the mega corporations really have the monopoly, and consumer’s rights have gone the way of Ma Bell.
In the meantime, my blood pressure is escalating as I re-examine the Century Link bills and find even more hidden (and wildly unjustified) charges over the past few months.
January 4, 2012 at 3:56 am #744417
waterworldParticipantIt may not be a huge help, but Seattle has a Cable Customer Bill of Rights, which you can get on the city’s Cable and Internet Consumer Rights page:
http://www.seattle.gov/html/citizen/cable.htm
The Customer Bill of Rights has a few useful specific requirements that are imposed on any cable operator that also supplies internet service. For instance, you are entitled to 30 days notice of any rate changes, and to summaries of the available service plans and prices, in “clear and concise” written form. There’s a fairly straightforward process for complaining to the city if the cable and internet provider is not following the rules, and for every violation, you get some kind of credit on your bill. I am not claiming that this will resolve major service issues, but at least you can nickel-and-dime the company when you feel a Tiraden coming on.
January 4, 2012 at 4:22 am #744418
KevinParticipantEven if they are the only game in town – Comcast is a great deal. My wife and I have been with them for over a dozen years now. We have internet and phone service through them.
Yes, they do have occasional issues, but they have always been great at fixing things.
Perhaps in time, they will have some real competition, but for now they are the best provider for OUR needs. Your results may vary :)
If you are not concerned with speed, then stay with your local phone company and find a dial up provider.
As for the phone going out – most folks have cell phones anyway. I have had to use my cell phone every now and then to call Comcast. They are usually very good about crediting a day or partial day depending on the length of the service outage.
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January 4, 2012 at 4:37 am #744419
metrognomeParticipantthe good thing about the Comcast phone package I have is that it is all inclusive: free long distance, voice mail, caller ID, call blocking, etc. for one price. Other than occ. usually brief outages due to weather or maintenance, no problems with the phone service. The Thriftway two blocks away still has a pay phone, so if I can’t find a neighbor with a cell, I can go down there to call Comcast to complain. Never tried asking for a credit; will have to do that next time.
with the Internet service, you get Norton Security Suite (and other features) for free, you can have up to six e-mail addresses, there is an appointment calendar and I think there is some limited website hosting. I am overpaying in the sense that I don’t take advantage of all the extras, yet.
January 4, 2012 at 8:27 am #744420
SonomaParticipantAnonyme, per Google Translate, DBP was saying, in German,
There are rules for tirades.
Did you obey them?
My unsolicited comment: I’m sure you obeyed the “rules.” Then again, when it comes to dealing with the likes of CLink, “normal” rules may not apply. Tirade away! Also, I recommend getting a cellphone or smartphone. My provider is T-Mobile, and they’re OK.
And I have little doubt that the long and super-complicated bills are indeed designed to confound us so we just shut up and pay. Nasty business!
January 4, 2012 at 2:38 pm #744421
anonymeParticipantThanks everyone for the concise information and supportive comments. And Sonoma, thanks for the German translation! You’re right, I have complained by phone and in writing to every ‘authority’ at Century Link/QWest, and even the FCC and Attorney General, but it never goes anywhere. Hence the tiraden. DBP, I actually love rules, which is part of the frustration.
dhg, I think your lawyer friend was correct. The bills make no sense – not even the supervisors can decipher them, and the pages and pages of gibberish defy challenge. Several decades ago I worked for Blue Cross and later Blue Shield. We were instructed to randomly deny claims, as only about 20% of policy holders would appeal.
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