Charter Internet Charter Communications Charter Internet Stole My Money Sales Bait and Switch Madison, Wisconsin

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AT MY BILL a few weeks later when I see a 396.55 CHARGE TO MY CARD. There were all these other things like buying the router that I was not told about, ok those were "small" like 29.99 but the REAL ISSUE was the INSTALL was billed at 199.99 NOT 99.99 as I was told on the phone - it was TWICE THE PRICE QUOTED. I am NOT old NOT hard of hearing and WROTE DOWN THE INSTALL FEE ON MY CHARTER BILL after discussing it 2 or 3 times DURING THE SALES CALL. 

I called AGAIN and explained what I thought was their oversight and asked for an adjustment. Put on hold, supervisor, Rep came back "Mr Riser" and said "OK that adjustment was approved to what you were quoted on the phone as the price." I felt good and that this was fair because that was exactly what it should have been: 99.99 install, NOT 199.99. I told him I really appreciated Charter honoring what they quote in their sales calls.  I wrote this down too that Mr Riser got me the proper adjustment to a 99.99 install fee as originally quoted in the sales call. Mr Riser also said he made NOTES IN MY ACCOUNT. I asked him to verify that yes NOTES WERE MADE IN MY ACCOUNT as to this adjustment. I asked for any more proof he could give me - "no that's all I can tell you and all that you need." 

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AT MY BILL a few weeks later THAT THE FULL 396.55 CHARGE TO MY CARD WAS PUT THROUGH ANYWAY! I called a THIRD time TODAY and spoke to a rep and a supervisor rep Chuck. I told Chuck I was STARING AT MY NOTES FROM THE FIRST SALES CALL and also at my notes from the ADJUSTMENT CALL that it was NOT POSSIBLE I misheard the sales rep say "99" instead of "199" as I am NOT old or hard of hearing, made notes, and I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT FOR 199 AS I CANNOT AFFORD THAT RIGHT NOW- despite that I'm on auto bill with Charter so they sure got their money.

To add insult to injury, the "highest speed" they have now DOES NOT SEEM ANY BETTER than what I had before. I considered having them downgrade me back to what I had, but 1. I don't want another service call that I have to let them into my house a THIRD TIME for something that was caused by their sales rep's incompetence, and 2. it seems every time a tech comes here and touches the cable or my laptop or the router, something else always goes down requiring more of my time to figure it out, like a peripheral such as a printer, and I don't have this kind of time to waste.

SO MY VIEW IS THAT CHARTER STOLE 100.00 FROM ME FROM QUOTING ME 99.99 FOR AN INSTALL THAT WAS BILLED AT 199.99 DESPITE MULTIPLE QUOTES VERBALLY AS TO THE 99.99 PRICE AND THE CUSTOMER'S NOTES AS TO SUCH DURING 1. THE SALES CALL AND 2. THE ADJUSTMENT/COMPLAINT CALL. They were NOT even willing to give me any "partial adjustment" for my time and inconvenience in having to call multiple times and that I was ASSURED this was taken care of in the ADJUSTMENT CALL, and I now see Charter as a company that does not conduct fair business dealings. They CERTAINLY do NOT work by the motto "the customer is always right!!!" Not by a long shot!! 

If there were another ISP provider here, I would switch TODAY that is how unfair this is. But there isn't, they have a monopoly on this area, so I have no choice.  I just don't want them back in my house, back on my computer, switching anything around again that will just cost me more time and lost money. so they win: CHARTER STOLE MY 100.00. 

All I can suggest is if you buy service from them, maybe WASTE MORE OF YOUR TIME and call them BACK the second day after the quote and ask for the quote to be verified so you are not SURPRISED by a higher actual cost. 

I'm on to the Better Business Bureau NEXT.

Thanks, Charter.