CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS Bundle Rebate Scam Madison, Wisconsin

Charter Communications "thanks you for being a customer" by offering a promotion that includes a gift card - question is, will you ever get it? If you do - will you actually get what you're supposed to? We signed up during a $200 rebate promotion and have been told that it was actually only $75.

We have had nothing but problems with Charter since we started their services in February of this year (2010).  Our installation took the tech over 3 hours. During that time he; walked around my house in his snow and mud covered shoes, was rude to me and my children, and then when my husband questioned the excessive cords hanging out everywhere - the tech informed him that "we could shove them behind the tv and that some of them were junk, we could throw away".

After he left, our TV and internet didn't work right - if at all. We tried everything, and finally two days later we called Charter to find out what was wrong. The first thing we were informed of was that we didn't pay our installation fee - which we did, and we had the receipt to prove it. We faxed our receipt and they scheduled a tech to come out.

Our 2nd tech was much nicer, and in about 10 minutes he figured out that our 1st tech never configured our settings... Which is why nothing worked right. It took him about 1/2 hour and boom - we had internet and cable tv! It took Charter about 1 week to send us a bill including an additional charge for the 2nd tech to come out. I called Charter and after about 45 minutes on the phone, we had our charge taken off. 

Just when we we about to get off the phone, the Charter rep I was talking to told me that we were infact being charged for the tech that was at our house "today" - which, we didn't have a tech at our house that day!!  That took about another 15 minutes to clear up.

Going on 6 weeks and we get our "thank you for being a Charter Customer" envelope in the mail to "choose our gift card".  The amount was for $75 - not the $200 that we were told (and have in writing from a member of Charter's sales staff).  I called Charter to inquire about the amount, and to get a fax number to send our documentation to - only to be told that they "don't have access to a fax". So, we decided to try the "live support" option... 2 hours later, we're told again that our rebate amount was $75 - and again when we asked about sending our information/documentation via fax we were told that they "don't have access to a fax" but they would look into things and that I should call back.

Which brings me to today.  Call Charter this morning to get a status update and I get to speak with Justin. Justin didn't ask me any information - name, account info, nothing. When I explained my situation to Justin, he suggested that I go to our local office (24 miles away) and have them fax our documentation to the "appropriate party" at Charter. When I asked why I couldn't fax it, I got the same response as before, no access to faxes. Very frustrated by now I asked for a Supervisor. Justin argued with me that I didn't need a supervisor and that he could help me. When I explained that I wasn't going to drive 24 miles to have someone else fax it for me and that I really wanted to speak with a Supervisor, he again told me this is something he could help me with. So I asked him how he could help me without looking at my account and he stated that I didn't need a supervisor for that, and for the 3rd time I asked for a Supervisor and he put me on hold which is where I stayed for over 15 minutes listening to Charter propoganda and all the "wonderful things" Charter could do for me. No Supervisor ever picked up the phone.

Not one to give up easily, I called back. This time I got a very pleasant lady who asked me my name and account information right away and she got me to a Supervisor. Unfortunately, the supervisor works on the technical installation side and she wasn't able to give me any assistance except to refer me to the company who manages the mailing of their promotional rebates, Customer Motivators. 

Here's my question to Charter - how does a company as large as you are not have access to a fax machine?? How does a company like this train their staff? Is this how you thank your customers; give them substandard service, waste their time, pass the buck when they have problems, and when you have proof of their offer and you have it in writing, magically Charter doesn't have access to receive this documentation?? Funny, they had access to a fax machine when they wanted me to prove we paid our installation fees...

As trivial as $125 may sound to some, I was raised that you followed through with what you said and that you should fight for what belongs to you. After reading several other websites, including a state newspaper that followed another customer who was attempting to get their rebate from Charter - I can't help but wonder why Charter doesn't care about their customers??

Rest assured, a copy of this letter and all the supporting documentation I have will be sent to this newspaper for them to add to their inquiry.