Armstrong Cable Services

Review: Im having a small problem during last month and my servcies got shut off the first week I recieved a bill after paying close to 300 dollars for over 200 dollars than I just recieved over 400 dollar bill a week after that and they exspect me to pay all that for 2 1/2 months bill...and I dont even have it to pay itDesired Settlement: I feel I dont need to pay all that

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated February 13, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]

[redacted]. We have had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.

Armstrong was forced to disconnect Ms. [redacted]’s service when presented with a check returned for non-sufficient

funds on January 16, 2015. As a result, a returned check fee and additional disconnect/reconnect fees were added to

her account, which already had an outstanding balance. Ms. [redacted] did make a payment on February 3, 2015 and

Armstrong was able to restore service, but an outstanding balance on the account still remains due to the above mentioned

issues. In an effort to assist Ms. [redacted] reduce monthly costs, Armstrong rebundled her services and gave

her a campaign price. According to our records, the current balance on the account through March 15, 2015 is

$373.80.

Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions about

this new program. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any

questions or require further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

cc: [redacted]

Review: I signed up for internet at a special price at about $15 a month. I wanted to know what the price was after 6 months and they stated $44.95. I told that was too much and they said that I would have no contract and I would simply have to call at the end of 6 months and get the next special.

After six months I called to see what the next special was and I was informed that I could not get any new special because I was not considered a new customer. I explained to Armstrong that was not what I was told when I purchased the internet service. Then they stated that I need to be a full price customer for six months and then they could offer me a deal. I was extremely upset from this situation but I did agree to continue the service for the next six months at full price. After all I needed internet for my work and school.

The next six months went by and I paid full price for the service. I called on 7/24/15 to get my deal that I was promised twice before and they told me that I am not able to get it because I was not a new customer. This is just dishonest.Desired Settlement: an apology and refund for the difference in price between what I paid $44.95 and what the promotion price wold have been. If I decide to continue getting the service I would like what I was told I could get, the discounted price.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated July 28, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]. We havehad the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.According to Armstrong’s records, Mr. [redacted] had a 6-month promotional offer of Zoom Internet for $15.95 permonth. This offer ended on January 23, 2015. No new promotional offers existed at the time of the expiration.Armstrong notes that due to a clerical error, the offer began on July 23, 2014, but Mr. [redacted] did not have the systeminstalled until August 4, 2014. Armstrong adjusted the difference and credited the account.Currently, Mr. [redacted] could upgrade to Zoom Pro at $49.95 for 3 months. This is a faster internet speed at adiscounted price. Alternatively, Mr. [redacted] could add services such as television or telephone and be eligible forother promotional offers.Armstrong encourages Mr. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions aboutthis program or if he has any internet issues. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contactme should you have any questions or require further information.Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Teamcc: [redacted]

Review: I contacted Armstrong Cable regarding cable services. I was informed that I could receive a lower price if I bundled my cable and internet services so I did. At no time was I informed that there was a maximum usage limit on the internet service. When I received an email letting me know that I was coming close to my max, I contacted the company and was informed that this information was included in the terms and services. When you contact the company by phone, however, there are no terms and services available for your to read. Also, I had an internet company with no usage limits so the normal customer would not be inclined to ask this. I can no longer go back to my prior internet provider because they no longer offer the service in my area. So I am stuck with Armstrong and have to pay more because I work from home and am on the internet all day and will no doubt exceed the limit monthly. I feel strongly that consumers that contact the company should be informed of this up front. I feel as thought this is a bait and switch tactic to get constomers. Especially since they have the monopoly on internet services in my area. had I known there was a monthly usage limit, I would have never switched from [redacted]. This is a very poor business practice.Desired Settlement: Armstrong Cable should change their policy and make consumers who contact them aware that there is a monthly usage limit. This is important information and can lead to be a costly venture if the usage is exceeded.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated February 12, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted].We have had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.Armstrong has provided a fast, reliable broadband experience for more than 15 years. Throughout that time,Armstrong has annually invested millions of dollars into its network to ensure that Zoom customers continue toexperience a consistent, reliable Internet connection. Armstrong has increased the speed and enhanced the value ofZoom many times since its inception. Additionally, Armstrong provides 24 7 technical support and service at noadditional charge.Armstrong introduced data allowance plans to ensure that the Zoom experience continues to meet customerexpectations while requiring customers who use more to pay their fair share. At this time, more than ninety sevenand a half percent (97.5%) of Armstrong’s customers are not affected by this change. Armstrong updated itsTerms/Conditions on the company’s website on April 30, 2013. It began notifying customers of the change in theirMay 2013 statements. Armstrong provides a mobile app and online usage meter to help customers to monitor theirusage. Customers are also encouraged to contact our support team to better understand their usage and receiveguidance on how to adjust applications using the greatest amount of data.Since the new policy became effective, Armstrong has been automatically crediting the first overage of everycustomer to ensure that all customers are well informed of the new policy and their options to purchase additionaldata capacity.When the FCC enacted the Open Internet Order in 2010, Chairman Julius Genachowski openly acknowledged that itwas fair and reasonable for Internet Service Providers to establish usage limits to continue promoting investment inthe country’s broadband infrastructure as well as to ensure efficient use of existing networks.With that in mind, please note that Armstrong is not the first Internet Service Provider to establish data usage limits.In fact, many of the largest Internet Service Providers in the country have established such limits in the last fewyears and such policies are rapidly becoming industry standard.Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions aboutthis new program. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have anyquestions or require further information.Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Teamcc: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I received the letter from Armstrong to the Revdex.com and conclude that it DOES NOT address the complaint. I am not disputing the fact that there is an internet usage limit. However, potential new customers who call Armstrong for service should be made aware of this policy. Such as me! Armstrong's response was:1. That it only affects a smal percentage of users. It doesn't matter if it affects 1 user. This policy affects the amount you pay and should be communicated to new users2. Armstrong has notified customers of this change in their statements. Again, if you're a NEW user who simply calls the company for service, you're not aware of this. Furthermore, I don't think it's reasonable to expect customers to have to ask about this policy. I was a [redacted] internet user. I only changed to Armstrong because I got a better bundled rate for cable and internet. Verizon doesn't have an internet usage limit so for someone like me, it's not something I would reasonably be expected to ask about. I would not have changed from [redacted] had I known. Now I can't go back to [redacted] because they are at the maximum in my area. And there are no other internet providers in my area.3. Armstrong states that they will credit users for the first time overage. What about after the first time? This policy will have an impact on my bill. Because they failed to inform me of this policy, I would like a committment from Armstrong that my bill will never go over the agreed upon amount for the length of the contract.Arnstrong can enact any policy they want for internet usage limits. But they should also be required to inform potential new users of such a policy so the user can make an educated decision on whether to go with their service.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 16, 2015, regarding the follow up to the informal complaint filed by

Susan [redacted]. Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and

offers the following information.

Armstrong does provide very clear notice of the data usage limits when new customers open an account. Every

new customer receives a copy of Armstrong’s Terms and Conditions upon opening a new account. The specific

guidelines for Bandwidth Usage Limits can be found on page 39 under Section XVII “Special Terms and

Conditions”, (A) “Internet Service”, (4) “Bandwidth Usage Limits”. The Terms and Conditions are also available

for review at any time on Armstrong’s website.

Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions about

this matter.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or require

further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

cc: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I did NOT receive a copy of Armstrong's Terms and Conditions. I received a 'Welcome to Armstrong' book that only goes up to page 15 and is merely an instruction booklet. But let's assume I did. You state that the internet usage limit is stated on page 39. The representative comes to your house to connect everything. When he is done, he gives you the paperwork to sign. Are you saying that at this time the customer is supposed to ask the representative to wait until the Terms and Services are read? To page 39? If this were the case, your representatives would only get a few jobs in daily. As for the internet usage limit policy being posted on your website... I indeed DID go to your website before I switched to Armstrong. I reviewed packages and such. And nowhere is this information stated clearly. I am attaching files with screen prints of your website where I navigated through the internet section. Oh I'm sure it's there somewhere. But it's so buried and absolutely not stated clearly for the normal new customer to see. Since I am now an Armstrong customer, when I log into my account, yes, I can clearly see a link for 'Terms and Services'. What good does this information do me AFTER I've already switched? This information SHOULD be given to potential new customers up front when they contact Armstrong before they make the decision to switch to Armstrong. In my case, I cannot go back to my prior internet provider because they are no longer accepting new customers in my area. So I have no choice but to stay with Armstrong. Had I been given this information up front when I called to purchase your services, I would have never switched.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 16, 2015, regarding the follow up to the informal complaint filed by[redacted]. Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint andoffers the following information.Armstrong maintains that clear notice of the data usage limits is provided when new customers open an account.In addition to the information provided in Armstrong’s previous two responses to this Complaint, attached pleasefind the following:1. A copy of the screen shot from the order page of our armstrongonewire.com website. Please note thehighlighted language informing all potential customers of the data limits before they even place anorder for service; and2. A copy of the welcome letter every Armstrong customer receives upon signing up for service. Pleasesee page 3, paragraphs one and two (highlighted for ease of reference), which clearly note the termsand conditions of service.In addition, Armstrong’s records indicate that Ms. [redacted] has a 250GB data allowance which she has neverexceeded and therefore has never incurred additional charges.Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions aboutthis matter.Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or requirefurther information.Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Teamcc: [redacted]

Review: I paid on 8/1/13 with a check $175.75 and it bounced.So,I went back in paid in cash $387.50 on 8/15/13.They charged me on the September bill previous balance $374.17 + return check $175.75 + return check fee.$25.They double charged me.Then they shut me off on 10/1/13 and I had to pay $316.67 they told me there was a fee for using my card no one said about a reconnect fee.I then get a bill for $80 which has previous balance $374.17, prorate service $0.00 n a work charge of $20. My payment of $314.17 was on the bill which is due 10/21/13.I called to figure out why I got this bill and what the work charge was for.I found out I was charge for $60 and didn't get anything for the interruption in service.But,I had to pay for it being a soft disconnect $20. The lady on the phone told me either I pay it or it will be disconnected because I didn't pay it.I was told before that I only get charged for reconnect if it was someone who came out not for a soft disconnect.I explain I only get paid on the 3rd on the month and I only get $850 a month and I have other bills. She told me that I need to pay something. How can I when I just paid $316 something this month. I have 6 children, and other bills. That I should hold out every month what is the bill is coming is supposed to be.How can I? I'm on a fix income I pay the bill every month. I asked it the date could change and she said no.They are sending me out a new bill on the 5th and that is due on 10/26/13 and it could be shut off again. I have 2 kids in cyber school and I do college online. There is something wrong here.She suggest I get rid of the 400 channels which when you have a sick kid that's the cartoon channels which would save me $14.95. The lady said it was on my September bill that it was going to be disconnected and it does not say it. They keep raising there prices, not letting other companies come in, they are unwilling to work with someone who is on a fix income.I paid 8/15-10/1 I paid $704.17 and 3 months of bills is only $546 something wrongDesired Settlement: I want my due date changed to my pay date.I cannot pay it on 10/21 or 10/26. I don't get paid again until 11/3. I want credit for my service being off which they did not give me any. I want them to credit me with the disconnect fee back. No hidden fees.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. Baker: I am in receipt of your email dated October 7, 2013, regarding a complaint filed by [redacted] (the ‘‘Complaint”). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has investigated this Complaint and we offer the following information. Ms. [redacted]5 s regular monthly invoice is $181.10 per month. Our customer had been invoiced on July 5, 2013 for $362.50. This bill was due July 26, 2013, On August 1, 2013 we received a partial payment of $175.75, This left a remaining balance on the account of SI 86.75. On August 14, 2013 our Collections Department was notified that the partial payment of $175.75 was returned from the bank for non sufficient funds. We contacted Ms. [redacted] and informed her that the total balance due on the account with the returned check was $574.92. We explained that we would need to receive a total payment of $387,50 to continue proving service to our customer. This balance included the returned check $175.75, a $25 returned check fee and the current past due amount of $186.75. We received a total payment of $387.50 on August 15,2013. This left: a remaining balance of $187.42 that was still due on August 26, 2013. On September 5,2013 our customer was sent her invoice for the total amount of $374,17. These charges included the past due amount from the August statement. This invoice was due on September 26, 2013. We did not receive a payment on the account so the service was disconnected for nonpayment on October 1,2013, At this time, all billing ceased on the account. Ms. [redacted] contacted the Armstrong Customer Service Center on October 1, 2013 to inquire about her service not working. We informed her of the account status and quoted her a prorated amount to restore service. Our customer made a payment of $314.17 and services were immediately restored. Upon service restoration, billing resumes and this left the customer with a $60 remaining balance from her September invoice. All accounts that are disconnected for nonpayment accrue a $20 reconnection charge; this notice is detailed on the monthly invoice. The $20 reconnection fee is charged whether a technician disconnects service or the disconnection is done in the office; it is charged to offset account processing and handling. We did bill Ms. [redacted] the reconnection fee which we normally collect at the time of service restoration. On October 5,2013 Ms. [redacted] was sent her October invoice for $261.10. The due date on this current invoice is October 26,2013, This balance reflects a past due amount from the Septemberinvoice of $60 and the $20 reconnection fee that we billed to our customer. Our customer did not make a payment on her October invoice. There was a disconnect notice on that invoice that the balance of $261.10 would have to be paid in full by the due date of October 26,2013. Armstrong disconnected the customer’s services for nonpayment on October 31, 2013. Ms. [redacted] contacted us on this date and inquired about her services not working. We explained that her services were disconnected for nonpayment. As a good faith gesture, we restored the customer’s services immediately without a payment and granted her an extension to pay the total balance due of $281.10 by November 3, 2013, Our customer paid her balance of $281.10 on November 1,2013 and as a onetime courtesy we credited the $20 reconnection fee, Ms. [redacted] has requested that we change her due date on her Armstrong invoices. This request was processed as of November 1, 2013 when her Armstrong account reflected a current balance. Her bills will now generate around the 12th of each month and will be due around the 3rd of the following month. Ms, [redacted] indicates in her complaint, that Armstrong is not willing to consider payment arrangements with any customer. To the contrary, we have worked outside our normal parameters to accommodate our customer. Ms. [redacted] did not pay the balance in full back on October 1, 2013. We accepted a partial payment of $314.17 when the invoice was for $374.17. We would normally require the entire balance to be paid before service can be restored. For the non pay disconnect that occurred on October 31, 2013, we immediately restored her services without a payment and granted an extension to pay the balance on November 3, 2013. Armstrong did also credit the $20 reconnection fee as a courtesy to Ms, [redacted]. Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Agency Complaints Response Team

Review: In 2013, Armstong Cable started putting caps on how much data can be used for a high-speed cable service. Their website makes claims about average Residential usage being less than a third of their "complimentary" cap of 250 gigabytes (GB). In the age of streaming video and cloud computing, that number is impossible to believe for a family of four like mine. There is no documentation provided to back that claim up. I find myself keeping a close eye on my internet data and not cellular data as each month my family is pushing the limit, which when exceeded caused us to be charged more money. Twenty miles down the road in the state of Maryland where [redacted] and [redacted] compete with one another, there are no data caps for high-speed internet.

I can understand the need for caps in the cellular service industry, but not cable or fiber...at least not a cap so small. Bandwidth is very large for those mediums. A cap for cable can be understandable for amounts in the terabyte range. Their charge for an additional 100GB is more than half I'm being charged for the service itself, and I sincerely believe that they strategically set their data limits so that most people will indeed exceed them (contrary to their average statement on their webpage).

Armstrong monopolizes this region of high-speed cable market as there are no comparable competitors from which to choose. I imagine it's a matter of building new infrastructure. If I want high-speed internet, or need it as I do for my job, I have no choice but to pay Armstrong what they demand for the data I consume.Desired Settlement: Besides talking to Armstrong (which I did) regarding my complaints about their self-imposed service limitations, I believe contacting Revdex.com is a better way to get my concerns across. Obviously my desired outcome would be for Armstrong to change their policies to reflect more reasonable data consumption. Especially during non-peak hours (which is the majority of the day) there is absolutely no need to count our data against us.

But ideally I just want my concern to be compiled together with others, which I hope have been reported to Revdex.com regarding Armstrong's data capping practices.

Kind Regards,

Kurt

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated January 11 2016, regarding the informal complaint filed by Kurt H[redacted]. Wehave had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.Armstrong has provided a fast, reliable broadband experience for more than 15 years. Throughout that time,Armstrong has annually invested millions of dollars into its network to ensure that Zoom customers continue toexperience a consistent, reliable Internet connection. Armstrong has increased the speed and enhanced the value ofZoom many times since its inception. Additionally, Annstrong provides 24 7 technical support and service at noadditional charge.Armstrong introduced data allowance plans to ensure that the Zoom experience continues to meet customerexpectations while requiring customers who use more to pay their fair share. At this time, more than ninety seven anda half percent (97.5° o) of Armstrong’s customers are not affected by this change. Armstrong updated itsTerms/Conditions on the company’s website on April 30, 2013. It began noti~ing customers of the change in theirMay 2013 statements. Armstrong provides a mobile app and online usage meter to help customers to monitor theirusage. Customers are also encouraged to contact our support team to better understand their usage and receiveguidance on how to adjust applications using the greatest amount of data. Since the new policy became effective,Armstrong has been automatically crediting the first overage of every customer to ensure that all customers are wellinformed of the new policy and their options to purchase additional data capacity. Our records indicate that Mr.H[redacted] is allotted 250 GB per month has never exceeded his data allowance.When the FCC enacted the Open Internet Order in 2010, Chairman Julius Genachowski openly acknowledged that itwas fair and reasonable for Internet Service Providers to establish usage limits to continue promoting investment inthe country’s broadband infrastructure as well as to ensure efficient use of existing networks. The FCC reaffirmed theuse of bandwidth caps as a reasonable bandwidth management tool in its Open Internet Order adopted on February26, 2015. With that in mind, please note that Armstrong is not the first Internet Service Provider to establish datausage limits. In fact, many of the largest Internet Service Providers in the country have established such limits in thelast few years and such policies are rapidly becoming industry standard.Armstrong encourages Mr. H[redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions aboutthis program or if he has any internet issues. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contactme should you have any questions or require further information.Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Team

Review: I am building a new home and have attempted to get assistance and professional service for the location and installation of cable and internet service in the new home before the drywall is in place. I have called more than ten times and each and every time was was told sure no problem. In some instances I was told I would get a call the next day which I told them I was skeptical Of course they guaranteed it and it didn't happen. Last time was friday the 17th of April they said the Zelie office would call on monday the 20th and of course this was a lie. They did respond one time after I called because the drywall was in and I hadnt heard a word. They called and said they would gladly install now but would have to rip out the drywall in some areas or lay the cable across the floor. I stated I wanted to meet someone at the house and consult about what to do. They never showed up. This has been going on for months and I still get an arrogant screw you type attitude everytime I call. Ten times since january and still the idea that we need them more than I need themDesired Settlement: My desire is that the people in charge of the customer service get fired but we all know that wont happen. But since I cant get armstrong to show they can be help ful I want it known that Armstrong is second rate when it comes to quality of service and as a public utility and somewhat of a monopoly they can have their service area diminished. A Since note or call from someone who cares but quality of service is job 9 at armstrong

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated April 21, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]. We

have had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.

We received a request for cable service for new construction from [redacted] on February 25, 2015. The

turnaround time to determine serviceability for a new construction location is 5-7 business days. Armstrong

investigated the serviceability of the address given by Ms. [redacted] on March 3, 2015 and determined that it did

fall within the Armstrong footprint. It was also determined that the actual installation could not be completed until a

utility trench was dug on the property. On March 17, 2015, [redacted] contacted Armstrong’s customer service

center to say that he had an open utility trench at the property and wanted to schedule installation. The very next

day, March 18, 2015, an Armstrong service technician arrived at the property only to find that the utility trench still

had not been dug and there was no power to the residence, making installation impossible at that time. On April 6,

2015, Mr. [redacted] contacted Armstrong to say that drywall was going in the following week but that Armstrong cable

would not be installed as he would be utilizing satellite. On April 8, 2015, Armstrong received notice that the

property was finally serviceable and called Mr. [redacted] to follow up and let him know. Armstrong did not hear from

Mr. [redacted] again until April 17, 2015, when Mr. [redacted] called and was upset that prewire was never done and now in

order to install cable the drywall would be damaged. Armstrong never received an order for prewire from Mr.

[redacted] and at no time did Armstrong ever tell Mr. [redacted] that there would be any damage to his walls or drywall.

Armstrong apologizes for any confusion on this matter, as it appears there is some misunderstanding regarding the

difference between open trench installation versus prewire of the home. We have no record of Mr. [redacted] ever

requesting prewire service and Armstrong’s notes indicate this was always to be an open trench installation. The

last e-mail Armstrong received was on April 21, 2015 when Mr. [redacted] stated for a second time that he would not be

installing Armstrong cable at this residence. The tone of the e-mail was aggressive and abusive. In addition, he

indicated that the trenches for the utilities were still not complete on his property.

Armstrong strives to offer a positive experience for all of their customers. Should Mr. [redacted] like to schedule a

prewire of his home or if the trenches on his property are complete and he would like us to provide service, he

should call 1-877-634-2314 and Armstrong will be glad to complete the installation.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Consumer

Response:

I dont knwo who this [redacted] is that they show in the letter. Nor have I been contacted by Armstrong. I have called ten times and each time was blown off even after the Revdex.com was filed. I asked fro assistance in determining more than just a trench I asked to get assistance in determining locations within the house before the drywall was up for what I needed for placement location etc.

Review: I ordered cable tv service and internet service from Armstrong on 12/08/2014 via their website. An installation appointment was scheduled for 12/11/2014 from noon to 4:00pm. The installation technician arrived on 12/11/2014 at 4:00pm. He spent sometime walking around the home and informed me that he was not able to set up our cable because the signal was too weak, -8, and a new cable would have to be buried. He phoned the operator to inform her of his findings on speaker phone in my presence. The operator was very unhelpful to him as well as me. The technician informed me that I would receive a phone call within a week to schedule the "drop". I called Armstrong on the 877 number on 12/15/2011 and spoke to a customer service operator. She informed me she had no new details and called the local office which informed her that I would be given a call to schedule the "drop". I called again on 1/5/2015 and was told the same information. On 1/12/2015 I called and informed Armstrong that I would cancel by Friday 1/16/2015 if someone was not in touch with me with further information or scheduling. On 1/16/2015 I still had not received any phone calls, even though the rep had passed my number to the "local office". I canceled my service on 1/16/2015 and finally spoke to an extremely helpful rep [redacted], who spent an hour trying to get answers for me from the local office. She informed me that she told a local office supervisor that they needed to get in touch with me, they owed me a courtesy phone call. The local office informed her some of the hold up was due to burying under a road, but our residence is on a very dirt road, so obviously no one had been out to inspect. I continued to go ahead with canceling Armstrong services. It is 1/20/2014 and I still have received no phone call.Desired Settlement: I am left with no option but to use Armstrong as my internet provider. I have gone with [redacted] for television service because they installed my service in 24 hours. I would like Armstrong to take into account the six weeks I waited for a phone call and/or television service and give me much better service and some financial consideration for the internet service I will order.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated February 2,2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]. Weapologize for any delay in response, we do not have a record of ever receiving this complaint back in December.We have had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.According to our records, Armstrong attempted to contact Ms. [redacted] on several occasions about this matter but wereunable to reach her. Since the date of the complaint, Armstrong has continued to reach out to Ms. [redacted] and wereable to confirm our ability to carry her internet service. An appointment to install the internet service has beenscheduled.Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions.Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or requirefurther information.Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Teamcc: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I received a copy of the letter Armstrong Cable sent to the Revdex.com. I never received any communication what so ever from Armstrong. It was not until I contacted the company a month after filing the complaint to Revdex.com that I was told that an employee at the local office had tried to contact me. I had made several calls to this employee on both a personal cell number and a company phone number I was given. I left messages on both numbers and never received a return phone call. I was then contacted the next day by a person named [redacted]. The person seemed concerned and scheduled an appointment for someone to come install internet. [redacted] never followed up with me and I was given no compensation for time wasted and uncooperativeness. I am extremely irritated and disappointed in the company to receive a letter stating they were never able to get a hold of me. I have no record of missed calls, emails, or voicemails from anyone at Armstrong. I do not appreciate the implication that I was uncooperative.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 18, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]. We

have had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offer the following information.

Armstrong apologizes for any confusion on this matter, and certainly did not intend to offend our valued customer.

Our records indicate we were able to provide Ms. [redacted] with internet service at a discounted rate and, in addition,

would like to offer Ms. [redacted] a one month credit in the amount of $24.95.

Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or require

further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

cc: [redacted]

I would not recommend Armstrong to anyone. The data cap for one is a load of BS and a way to money-grab. As far as my internet connection goes, I am paying for a "fast" service but it doesn't seem to be much faster than my old Windstream service, and I have constant connection issues on most of my devices that I did not experience before using Armstrong.

I have had nothing but problems since switching to Armstrong, and on top of all that, Armstrong support will not return my emails.

Winstream might have been a little slower but at least I could stay connected.

Unquestionably the WORST provider of cable television service I have ever encountered. After numerous failed DVR boxes (10 to 15, so many I've lost count) and excuses for failed service ("we've never seen that error code before"), one can only hope that this company gets acquired, so the rich folks running it can get their "olden parachute" buy-out and the less fortunate will get laid off and be taken over by [redacted] (which I never had a problem with during my time in PA). Currently will be searching for a dish provider and high speed internet cable provider to dump their sorry behinds. Utter garbage!

Review: My household has been using Armstrong Internet over the past few years. During the last 2 years we we’ve been experiencing severe latency issues (download speeds consistently as low as 1.0Mbps). When contacting the Armstrong service provider, they suggested that we increase our package size to allow for higher speeds that would accommodate movie streaming, etc. After switching over to a more expensive package, which was supposed to offer 50.0MBps in download speed, our speeds increased a little, but were never close to the 50Mbps range and often we would receive speeds around .50Mbps range (this is not a typo).

We spent months on the phone with their service department and technicians coming in and out of our home sporadically offering possible causes, but never following up with us, or following through on a solution. Patience wearing thin, we started insisting on being compensated for the speed issues, since we only upgraded our package due to their service issues and per their suggestion. We asked to at least be charged the lower package price until the issue was fixed. It seems unethical to offer an upgrade as a potential fix when the outcome is that we're spending more money without better service. We were advised by multiple call center agents that they had to fix the issue before they would offer us a service credit. I even mentioned to their customer service department that with this much time passing, they were not going to want to absorb the credit we're due and they should consider making the credit monthly--until the issue is fixed and/or at least credit the retroactive months we had without reasonable internet service. They assured us they would take care of us once they could provide a permanent solution to our speed issue. Their representatives also recommended that we test/replace our wireless router and Ethernet cable (which we did to no avail).

It took additional months and months of tireless follow-up to push their technicians to identify a root cause. While their technicians kept confirming that we were receiving very low speeds and attempted to swap out modems and replaced old cables, their local office was not seeing a consistent drop in speeds. They realized that while they had several channels feeding speeds to our area, only one channel was sending speed information back to their office. So they recently replaced some equipment to capture missing data from all other channels and they were to add more bandwidth in our area. Now our download speeds are getting up to where they should be (between the 40-50 download ranges). Not really a surprise, but Armstrong is not willing to offer us a credit anywhere near the amount of months we went without usable service. At speeds of .50Mbps, you can’t even run a speed test, let alone open an email and my husband and I work from home, relying on internet access 100% of the time we work.

Here’s a list of the excuses we received from Armstrong yesterday regarding why the service issues will not be fairly compensated.

• Due to our policy, I can only authorize a credit no higher than $200.00

• We don’t guarantee our speeds because you’re not in a contract with us (Are we saying they can offer speeds of .50Mbps and have us pay for speeds of 50.0Mbps?)

• You could have been using your work VPN, which was causing the problems.

o First, my children would often bring their laptops to us with extreme latency issues in the evening. Also, the problem was causing us not to be able to get on our VPN because it wouldn’t load. Moreover, knowing their technicians came out using their own computers to troubleshoot makes this preposterous!

We were asking to at least be compensated for the difference of their lower package. I feel victimized by Armstrong’s business practices and I feel foolish for trusting them.Desired Settlement: Changed service package to Enterprise as of July 2013

Speed issue improvements noticeable since February 2015

Current monthly Armstrong bill is $120

I had proposed to receive a credit of $1,080.00

Formula: July 2013 to Dec 2014 = 18 months

Monthly fee of $120 divided by 2 = $60

Resulting in 18 x $60 = $1,080.00 Minus the $120 credit that was issued one time ad hoc by their billing department after multiple compliants = $960

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 18, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted]. Armstrong has had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offers the following information.Armstrong first became aware of speed issues in Mr. [redacted]’s area at the end of September 2014. On October 13, 2014, we received our first complaint of speed issues from Mr. [redacted]. Armstrong immediately began working on a resolution to the problem. Ultimately it was determined that Mr. [redacted] was utilizing a VPN server which was the cause of the delayed speed. Since the VPN server was disconnected we have confirmed that Mr. [redacted]’s service is running at 98% of the subscribed speed and the issue is therefore resolved.Armstrong credited Mr. [redacted]’s account $124.95 in February 2015 to compensate him for his inconvenience. In addition, when Mr. [redacted] requested a refund, Armstrong offered him an additional $200.00, which he refused. Armstrong encourages Mr. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or require further information. Sincerely,Agency Complaints Response Team

Review: I just upgraded my internet to a "faster" service and by doing this something happened to cause my connection to get slower. Armstong couldn't do anything remotely so they said they would send out a tech to fix the issue. Instead of sending out one of their on call tech they scheduled a tech a week out from the day I had issues. Just so everyone knows if you upgrade anything from them and something happens they don't consider that a big enough issues to waste their time to send out a tech until they can fit it into their busy schedule.Desired Settlement: I want that week of internet for free not getting what I paid for and they are in no hurry to fix it.

Business

Response:

I am in receipt of your email dated February 21, 2014 regarding a complaint filed by [redacted] (the “Complaint”). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has investigated this Complaint and we offer the following information.

Our customer contacted the Armstrong Customer Service Center on February 20, 2014 to report an intermittent speed issue with the customer’s Zoom Pro service. Our Technical Service Representative (“TSR”) performed diagnostic testing on our customer’s modem and found the modem to be online. Speed tests were completed after resetting our modem and the customer’s router and the speeds did vary. We asked the customer to bypass the router and directly connect their device to the modem. Results of the testing indicated that the speeds were still less than the provisioned speed for this level of Zoom. We recommended that we schedule a service call for a technician to come out and fix the issue.

Our customer was given a variety of appointment times for scheduling this appointment. We had service appointments as early as Monday February 24, 2014. Our customer mentioned that they needed an evening appointment and that they were only available on Thursday February 27, 2014. The appointment was scheduled in a 4PM-7PM time slot on the desired date.

Our service technician did arrive on February 27, 2014 at the scheduled appointment time. His findings were that the cable modem needed to be replaced. He reported that the modem was online and that the upload and download speeds of the internet were acceptable for the Zoom Pro service.

Armstrong does acknowledge that there was an intermittent speed issue with our customer’s Zoom Pro service. We understand that this can be frustrating for our customer and we scheduled an appointment that was convenient for our customer. The internet service although slower than its provisioned speed at times, was still online and able to be used. As a good will gesture, we issued a credit for the Zoom Pro service for the time the service was impaired. The credit of $11.99 has been issued and will be reflected on the March invoice.

We encourage [redacted] to contact the Armstrong Customer Service Center at ###-###-####with any further questions.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

We have been with them for a while, and rates seem to constantly rise, in addition things are bundled, so if you want to save money by getting rid of your land line phone...your cost actually ends up going up rather than down. By the way, don't bother to try to return your equipment to their office and settle the bill with a credit or debit card, because they will charge you a $2.50 fee. Nice guys, eh?

Just another example of big guys getting over on little guys. Business should be mutually beneficial, not a one-sided transaction favoring the stronger party.

Review: We call to have cable, internet, and phone installed. They set the appointment for September 12 from noon till 4pm. I sat here all day! Witch cost me money as I am a small business owner. And couldn't be on a job site. They never showed up. When I call them they said they tried calling all day! Yah the phone number they were to install. Then they said that they looked for the house for an hour but we gave them turn by turn directions to our house. When I talked to lady on the phone she was very rude. And refused to do anything to help fix this! I told her I could not wait another two weeks for them to come out! Because I needed the internet for my business!Desired Settlement: For them do the job they said they would do I a timely manner and a discount on my service!

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the recent complaint filed by [redacted]. Thank you very much forproviding notice of this complaint. His complaint is very important to us. Unfortunately, Federal lawprohibits educational institutions from disclosing student records (which are broadly defined) to thirdparties without the student’s written, signed and dated specific permission to do so. Since, we do nothave the student's written permission to do so; we cannot provide a completely substantive response. Our review of Mr. [redacted]’s account indicated that Mr. [redacted] chose to enroll in the Bachelor of Sciencein Web Design & Interactive Media degree program. He attempted a single class during his enrollment.Mr. [redacted] elected to utilize federal financial aid funds to finance his education. All applicable Title IVregulations were followed during his enrollment. Mr. [redacted] was charged in accordance with collegepolices for the courses he attempted. At this time no adjustments to Mr. [redacted]’s account arewarranted. We have reached out to Mr. [redacted] directly to address any concerns that he may have. Should hecontact your office directly, please let him know that he may contact me directly at the toll-free numberbelow. Respectfully, Director, Student Conduct & Resolution

Review: Service for my mom was disconnected 1/23/14. Equipment was returned. A payment for the next months service was taken by electronic payment on 1/24/15.

A bill was received for equipment charges. Statement date was 1/28. I called Armstrong and was advised by [redacted] on 2/2/15 that the equipment was received and a

refund for $64.23 would be MAILED to my mom. On 2/23 spoke with [redacted] who advised a check for $64.23 would be sent to my address but she did not know the

date. Today, 3/3 spoke with [redacted] an a supervisor Jean who advised it takes 30 days

for it to go to corporate and about 4-6 weeks for a check to be sent. The delay in issuing a refund considering that the money was electronically taken for

a payment without delay is inexcusable. I insisted to hold on the phone until someone could give me the exact date that the check would be mailed. While

writing this complaint , yet another supervisor names Sherry advised me that the check would be mailed on Friday the 6th. I explained to her that I understand

that she cannot guarantee when the check will be delivered. However, I can verify the date on the check and the postmark. So if she was just telling me this

to get me off the phone, I will know. Bottom line is, I still do not have the refund check and no guarantee of receiving it next week. The company's refund

policy is perhaps not illegal but immoral. I understand that perhaps the company did not have time to stop the billing when the service was disconnected, though

I was told that there would be no bill when I asked during the termination phone call. BUT the refund should have been provided long before the 30 days of the

termination . I have been handling this process for my mom who is in assisted living. I would hate to think how many people simply forget or get tired of

tracking refunds from Armstrong.Desired Settlement: Receipt of the refund promised since the payment should not have been taken in the first place. And a letter of apology for the company's current refund

policy. If I had the authority to change their refund policy, I would do that also so others would not be billed when service is terminated and receive a prompt refund,

not a refund that takes what will be over 6 weeks IF a check is in fact received next week. Who knows how long the refund would have taken had I not called and kept

demanding to speak to the next level of supervisor for an exact date that the check would be sent. I do not considered this matter closed until the check is in my hands.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 4, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted].

Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offers the

following information.

Armstrong apologies for any inconvenience Ms. [redacted] and her mother have endured with regard to this

matter. Armstrong’s refund procedure does take approximately six weeks to complete. Ms. [redacted]’s refund

was mailed on March 6, 2015, as promised.

Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions

about this matter. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any

questions or require further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Review: Previous message Next message Back to messages

RE: horrible customer service?

RE: horrible customer service

Armstrong Customer Service ([redacted]) Add to contacts 2/27/15 Keep this message at the top of your inbox

To: '[redacted]'

Thank you for contacting Armstrong, Ms. [redacted].

Destination America HD and Science Channel HD were recently moved and also now require subscription to the Variety Package of channels. This change was made due to network agreement obligations. We must negotiate contracts with the networks that we provide, and sometimes the agreements must change in order to keep the channel at all. Through our negotiations with broadcasters we attempt to keep costs for our customers to a minimum while maintaining the programming our customers are used to receiving. This can be difficult at times.

Some contractual agreements to carry a station have many stipulations. Some Networks request multiple channels in order to carry a channel, and others demand a certain amount of guaranteed viewership in an area. These, and many other factors, play into our negotiations with a network.

We sent notice of this change to all of our customers with last month’s billing, as we typically do notify of lineup changes, but the agent you spoke with was correct, we are not required to do so. We apologize for the frustration this has caused you.

We did, however, send separate Rate Adjustment letters to our paperless customers regarding the recent price changes. You should have received that letter. If you did not, again, we apologize.

We hope this information is helpful, but please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service Center at ###-###-#### with any other questions. Our agents will be happy to discuss your television service and channel information.

Sincerely,

[redacted] Customer Service

Technical Support; ###-###-####

Hours of operation:

Monday - Friday: 7 am - Midnight

Saturday - Sunday: 7 am - 11 pm

From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]]

Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 3:48 PM

To: [redacted]

Subject: horrible customer service

I called Armstrong this afternoon to find out why we were missing channels today. I was told by "[redacted]" that he couldn't help me and transferred me to "[redacted]" who was no help whatsoever. My issue is this: we signed up for paperless billing and online payment, therefore we do not get a paper statement in the mail. I was told that the missing channels (and the $5 price increase btw) were notified in the statements (which we don't get). I went online and checked our last 3 statements and there was NO notice provided. Then I was told Armstrong is not "required" to provide notice, so which is it? These channels were not "moved", they were put in a different package tier entirely which I would have to pay $10.50 more a month. This is a definite bait and switch! I asked for 3 months (exact time frame of my "notice") of the new tier package ($10.50) at 1/2 off and was refused. So for $15 you are now going to lose a customer and have a complaint filed with the Revdex.com. I know that I am not the only check-free paperless statement customer with this issue. Armstrong advocates going paperless and then pulls a stunt like this. Please also make your customer service representatives aware that they need to stop repeating the exact same lies, I mean lines, over and over. They don't even answer the question you are asking. As soon as we get our appointment with our satellite company your services will no longer be required and I will do EVERYthing I know of to let as many people as possible, and also our Borough Council, aware of these shady practices. Shame on you Armstrong for being so greedy over $15 to a long time customer.

[redacted]Desired Settlement: I want 3 months (exact time frame of my "notice") of the new tier package ($10.50) at 1/2 off

Business

Response:

Re: Your reference: [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

We are in receipt of your letter dated March 2, 2015, regarding the informal complaint filed by [redacted].

Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has had the opportunity to investigate this Complaint and offers the

following information.

Armstrong apologizes for any confusion caused to Ms. [redacted] with regard to this matter. However, Armstrong

respectfully disagrees with Ms. [redacted]’s claim that she did not receive notice of the channel moves. Not only did

Armstrong provide a notice letter to all of its e-bill customers within the requisite 30 days prior to the change, but

also ran ads noting the upcoming change on its stations.

Armstrong encourages Ms. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if she has any additional questions about

this matter. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions

or require further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Consumer

Response:

This answer does not even address my issues. My issues were : we were NOT notified of the channels being moved and they weren't "moved"-they were put in a whole different pricing tier. I am not complaining at all about the $5 price increase on the cable service itself. We did NOT receive anything in the mail notifying us I don't care what they say. Their customer service reps refused to accept any responsibility for my call and kept passing me on and they were ALL rude.The supervisor told me she "did" have the authority to help me with my problem but she would not do it because she didn't have any offers to give me. Moving a channel from one pricing tier to another is not moving a channel. Moving a channel is going from one number to another at the same pricing tier. Unless they advertised THAT on the channels they moved then I would have no knowledge. On one hand Armstrong says they don't "have" to notify me and on another they say they do so which is it? It is also shady business practice to actively encourage customers to sign up for paperless billing and then claim to have notified you via your statement.All I asked for was a total of $15 credit over 3 months ($5 a month) which is 1/2 off the new pricing tier for the same amount of time that they claim to have notified me. Armstrongs response to my complaint does not address ANY of these issues.

Regards,

Review: I have been using Armstrong's service for over 3 years on their $40 'unlimited' a month plan...Two months ago, they changed my plan and started charging me by 'usage', which the bill is over 3 times what my PLAN was. I will NOT pay anything over what I signed up for. And why didn't they even notify anyone??? Not to mention the fact that the service sucks anyways. Every time we watch a 3 hr movie, it takes about 5 hrs just because the 'buffering' or being kicked off the internet completely with a message reading "cannot find service connection"...so ultimately isn't even worth the original $40 a month....The service sucks and I am not going to pay anything over WHAT I SIGNED FOR....THIS IS A SCAM AND RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVEN...I looked into another carrier to find that they are the only provider in my area. Isn't that a monopoly??Should I seek a lawyer???Desired Settlement: Quit overcharging me for my unlimited $40 month plan

Business

Response:

I am in receipt of your email dated December 4, 2013, regarding a complaint filed by [redacted] (the "Complaint"). Armstrong appreciates that [redacted] has taken the time to express her concerns about our new Internet allowance plans.

Armstrong has provided a fast, reliable broadband experience for more than 15 years. Throughout that time, Armstrong has annually invested millions of dollars into its network to ensure that Zoom customers continue to experience a consistent, reliable Internet connection. Armstrong has increased the speed and enhanced the value of Zoom many times since its inception but has never raised the price. Additionally, Armstrong provides 24 / 7 technical support and service at no additional charge.

Armstrong introduced data allowance plans to ensure that the Zoom experience continues to meet customer expectations while requiring customers who use more to pay their fair share. At this time, more than ninety seven and a half percent (97.5%) of Armstrong’s customers are not affected by this change. Armstrong updated its Terms/Conditions on the company’s website on April 30, 2013. It began notifying customers of the change in their May statements. Armstrong’s also provides a mobile app and online usage meter to help customers to monitor their usage. Customers are also encouraged to contact our support team to better understand their usage and receive guidance on how to adjust applications using the greatest amount of data.

Since the new policy became effective, Armstrong has been automatically crediting the first overage of every customer to ensure that all customers are well informed of the new policy and their options to purchase additional data capacity.

When the FCC enacted the Open Internet Order in 2010, Chairman [redacted] openly acknowledged that it was fair and reasonable for Internet Service Providers to establish usage limits to continue promoting investment in the country’s broadband infrastructure as well as to ensure efficient use of existing networks.

With that in mind, please note that Armstrong is not the first Internet Service Provider to establish data usage limits. In fact, many of the largest Internet Service Providers in the country have established such limits in the last few years and such policies are rapidly becoming industry standard.

Armstrong encourages [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions about this new program.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Review: I set my bill up for automatic payments using a debit card. For some reason, my card doesn't like Armstrong, and declined them. Money had been available since the 15th, and I spent more than the bill was worth in the following days. On the 23rd, they called me to say it was declined. I paid immediately with another card. They then notified me that a $25 fee would be added to my account.I challenged why they charge $25 for a decline of a Mastercard, and they said they get charged $10. I have worked with credit card processing for two decades, and the most I've ever seen for a declined card was 40 cents. I then looked to their own policy, and it states an NSF Check fee of $25. I know bad checks can be costly, but a Mastercard is not a check. I could see a late fee.I challenged them twice more by phone, and was refused the courtesy of waiving the fee.I have since filed complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Mastercard.Since collection of debt is specifically excluded from the arbitration clause, I have also been seeking others who have been charged this fee to work towards a class action suit, which would be necessary to challenge such an amount in an economical way.Desired Settlement: I want Armstrong Cable Services to:* Remove the $25 fee from my account* Remove or refund NSF fees charged for declined cards from ALL accounts* Update their policy to spell out whether this applies to payment methods other than checks.

Business

Response:

Re: Your reference: [redacted] Complaint ID # [redacted]

Our reference: [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

I am in receipt of your email dated September 26, 2014 regarding a complaint filed by [redacted] (the “Complaint”). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has investigated this Complaint and we offer the following information.

Our Collections Department contacted Mr. [redacted] on September 23, 2014 to inform him that his direct debit payment drafted on September 20, 2014 was returned due to insufficient funds. He was informed at this time that there would be an additional charge of $25 due to the payment being returned for insufficient funds. Our customer paid the balance along with the returned payment fee with a different card. He also requested that direct debit payments be discontinued for his account and we accommodated his request.

The Armstrong Terms and Conditions of Use of Services and Products does stipulate that payments returned because of insufficient funds are subject to a returned fee of $25 and that this charge will be added to your Armstrong account. This policy can be viewed on our website at www.armstrongonewire.com.

Mr. [redacted] is requesting that his $25 fee be waived. As a goodwill gesture, we will credit this charge to his Armstrong account. Our customer will see this adjustment on his next month’s invoice.

If there are further questions we encourage [redacted] to contact the Armstrong Customer Service Center at ###-###-####.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me as a resolution of my specific case.

Review: I have been dealing with a service issue with my cable and internet since July of 2013. The issue started with my internet cutting in and out several times a day. The issue then started to affect my cable off and on as well for several months. As the filing of this complaint (10/15/14) my internet is still cutting in and out at lest three dozen times a day. I have been in contact with several people in the company and as of yesterday (10/14/14)they said they will no longer be doing anything for me concerning my issue. Up until June of 2014 I have paid for my services and was even given a credit for some of the money (still had to pay $150) but after dealing with this for over a year I told them I was refusing to pay until the issue was fixed. I have talked to the local manager for the Youngstown office, [redacted] (VP of customer service) and [redacted]. from the corporate office all of these people are quick to blame my place off residence saying that it is the cause of the problem because of the wiring in the house. Their techs have been to my house several time and they have informed me that the equipment that the company is using is faulty and has a lot of problems.Desired Settlement: I would like to be credited all the money for the time that my service have not been working (since July of 2013).I would like the service issue to be fixed and correctly done and for them to stop blaming stuff other than there service.and if it cant be fixed then a continuous credit for the internet

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your email dated October 15, 2014 regarding a complaint filed by [redacted] (the “Complaint”). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has investigated this Complaint and we offer the following information.

Armstrong is aware of the intermittent connectivity issues Mr. [redacted] has experienced with his internet and television service. Armstrong has completed several service calls at Mr. [redacted]’s residence since he became an Armstrong customer in 2012. Unfortunately, intermittent connectivity issues are sometimes very difficult to solve, as the connectivity problems are not always occurring simultaneously with the customer’s report and therefore often elude usual troubleshooting procedures. In an effort to correct Mr. [redacted]’s connectivity problem, Armstrong has replaced equipment, power supplies and fiber drops in Mr. [redacted]’s residence. Armstrong has determined that the internal wiring in the residence seems to be the cause of Mr. [redacted]’s intermittent connectivity issues. Armstrong does understand Mr. [redacted]’s frustration over these issues and we apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused through the course of trying to diagnose the problem.

To date, Armstrong has credited Mr. [redacted]’s account $642.94. In addition, Armstrong has replaced the equipment in Mr. [redacted]’s residence on several occasions and provided him with a new wireless router (valued at $104.00) free of charge.

Armstrong has been closely monitoring Mr. [redacted]’s cable modem for the last month and we have found it to be online and working properly. Armstrong encourages Mr. [redacted] to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional questions about his account.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or require further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

Consumer

Response:

Review: Paying full price for Internet service from Armstrong Cable and for the past 6 months I have not received the advertised download speeds I pay for monthly. As a customer paying full price for the Zoom service I should receive 15Mb download service. I rarely receive this service and am unable to use Internet streaming services during peak hours every single day of the week. I have been in constant contact with them over a 3month period about the service not functioning correctly. I have ran multiple tests for them and have done everything they have asked. I was informed that the local area needed to have the "nodes" updated. This was to be completed by the end of September. This is actually in their notes as well. I was even credited one free month of service due to the issue. It is now the end of October with no resolve and when I contact Armstrong they have no update they can provide. I have wasted too much time on the phone, email, running tests for them, etc.... All for nothing up to this point. They also made it known that everyone in my area is effected. If the other customers don't complain then they get no credit of service, etc. basically Armstrong is stealing customers money for services not provided.Desired Settlement: Full refund for 6months of Internet service. Also free service for every month that the service continues to go unresolved.

Business

Response:

We are in receipt of your email dated October 30, 2014 regarding a complaint filed by [redacted]

[redacted] (the “Complaint”). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. (“Armstrong”) has investigated this Complaint

and we offer the following information.

Armstrong is aware of the download speed issues Mr. [redacted] has experienced with his internet

service. Armstrong has attempted to contact Mr. [redacted] and left more than one message at Mr.

[redacted]’s residence in order to further troubleshoot this issue. Armstrong is aware of a capacity

issue in Mr. [redacted]’s area and is currently working to resolve it with a target completion date of

late November/early December 2014.

Armstrong encourages Mr. [redacted] to return Armstrong’s calls so that we may continue to

troubleshoot his problem and to contact our Customer Service Center if he has any additional

questions about his account.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact us should you have any

questions or require further information.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team

cc: [redacted]

Review: I have Armstrong cable and internet. It is the only non-satellite service offered in my area. The cable service has been great... my problem is with the internet service. My plan states that I am paying for 10 megabytes per second (mbps) but I am lucky to get 5mbps. I know this because I perform speed tests on Armstrong's site ([redacted]/) when I am having internet problems. The results typically show to be somewhere between 1.5mbps and 4.5mbps if I'm lucky. Anything less than 3.5mbps causes Netflix to pause sporadically and I experience this on a regular basis. I run the speed tests about half of the time when I have problems. The other times I just give up for the night out of frustration.The service I received from Armstrong has been friendly but unproductive. After holding for a typical wait time of 10 to 15 minutes I've always talked with friendly representatives that have me do the same tests every time. The tests miraculously show better results eventually while we are talking on the phone but the representatives acknowledge that they can see my poor test results from previous speed tests I performed on their site. I had a technician at my house to look into the problem and I once again got a friendly person (although there was an 8-hour window for his arrival). He replaced my outside connectors and determined they were the problem. I was relieved only to find out a week later that the problem returned.I was on the phone a week ago for another 45 minutes and Armstrong determined that I need a technician at my house again. I work 50 hours a week plus commute time and have two young children. I don't have the time to wait around my house for the 8-hour window and I'm not taking a vacation day. I want Armstrong to set-up an appointment with me on my schedule so that this problem can get fixed. Additionally, I want a refund for previous months when I paid for a service I did not receive - 10mbps or something reasonably close to it.Desired Settlement: I want Armstrong to set-up an appointment with me on my schedule so that this problem can get fixed. Additionally, I want a refund for previous months when I paid for a service I did not receive - 10mbps or something reasonably close to it.

Business

Response:

I am in receipt of your email dated January 4, 2014 regarding a complaint filed by Simon Lee [redacted] (the "Complaint"). Armstrong Utilities, Inc. ("Armstrong") has investigated this Complaint and we offer the following information.

By way of background, Mr. [redacted] subscribes to our Zoom level of internet service. This speed of internet service is up to a maximum of 10 Mb/s for downloading and 2 Mb/s for uploading information.

Mr. [redacted] contacted the Armstrong Customer Service Center on December 3, 2013 to report intermittent speed issues with his Zoom service. Our Technical Service Representative ("TSR") performed diagnostic testing, including speeds tests, on his cable modem. These tests were completed both with and without the customer’s router being connected. Results of the testing indicated that the download speeds did vary. We informed Mr. [redacted] that his issue would be escalated to our Network Operations Center for further review. Our Network Operations found no known network issues that would explain the varying speeds that our customer was reporting.

On December 4, 2013 our customer contacted us to get an update on his speed issue. Our TSR informed him that this was not an issue with our network and recommended that we schedule a service call. The service appointment was scheduled for December 6, 2013 with a request for a call ahead by the technician and that we arrive after 12:30 PM which we were able to accommodate. Our technician’s findings were that some fittings and splitters needed to be replaced and he reset the cable modem. He reported that the service was functioning properly before his departure.

Mr. [redacted] contacted us again on January 4, 2014 to report that he was experiencing intermittent ongoing speeds issues. Our TSR performed testing on the cable modem and found that the modem levels are good and graphs look fine. Our customer said this was happening on multiple web sites. Speeds tests were completed and they were found to be below the provisioned speed. We asked our customer to bypass his router and speeds showed no improvement. Our TSR informed Mr. [redacted] that his issue would be escalated to our Network Operations Center to be investigated further to determine if we were having any network issues. We contacted our customer later this same day and left a voice mail stating that we had no known network issues and that a service call would be necessary to further troubleshoot the issue. Mr. [redacted] did not return our call to schedule a service appointment.

We placed several calls to Mr. [redacted]’s residence on January 14 and 15th in an attempt to schedule a service call at his convenience to try and resolve the issue with his internet service. Our customer did contact us on January 15, 2014 to set up his service appointment. He requested an after 6 PM which we mutually agreed on scheduling for January 22, 2014. Our service technician determined that the cable modem needed to be placed and reported that Mr. [redacted]’s service was online and functioning properly before his departure.

Mr. [redacted] references in his complaint about long wait times to speak to a TSR. According to our records, January 4, 2014 was a noticeably busy day and there were extended wait times. Our automatic messaging informs customers of their expected wait times giving them the option to remain on the line or if they are unable to hold they can contact us at a later time since we are available 24/7. We apologize that our customer called us on atypical days when hold times were longer than normal.

Armstrong did continue to work with our customer throughout his impairment. We exchanged modems and other hardware in an effort to resolve this issue for our customer. We have been monitoring Mr. [redacted]’s new modem and can see that it is online and functioning properly. Armstrong has reviewed the service history on the account and feels that a credit from the day he first contacted us about his impairment on December 3, 2013 to the time the issue was permanently resolved on January 22, 2014 would be appropriate in this circumstance. The total credit of $66.58 was applied to his Armstrong account. We do apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our customer.

A TSR contacted our customer on January 23, 2014 to make sure that the internet service was working to his satisfaction. We did not reach our customer so we left a voice mail stating to call us should he have any additional concerns.

If Mr. [redacted] has any further questions, we encourage him to contact the Armstrong Customer Service Center at ###-###-####.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaints Response Team