Hughes Network Systems

Review: In March of 2013 I received a bill with an extra $300.00 added for "non-return of equipment" I called the customer service phone number and was told that was because my account was inactive. I asked for an explanation of that, and was told they had not received any payment. I requested that the phone rep review my account, and she did see my payments received in January, February, and March. However she was not able to explain any further and could not transfer me to anyone who could explain. I had never received any notification that my account was inactive, nor did I receive a request to return equipment. My account was then turned over to a Collection agency, which I called and spoke to about the charges being in error, but was told I have to pay the full amount and if the bill is in error I need to take that up with Hughesnet. I have called Hughesnet several more times requesting assistance with getting this matter reviewed, however I was told that since the account is in collections the billing department is not able to help me.Desired Settlement: I want Hughesnet to remove this from collections and inform the credit reporting agencies that it was sent there in error. I want access to my email account for however long it takes me to retrieve my address book and other information. I want information on how/where to return my "equipment" so that I can be done with this company and find a different internet provider. I want an apology.

Business

Response:

May 17, 2013

Review: In Sept of 2012 I recieved a card in the mail from Hughesnet saying that the new gen 4 system was available in my area.I called and ordered the new gen 4 and had it installed.I was told by both the sales person and the installer I would realy like the gen 4 system.On may 31 the moden went out.I called hughesnet to have it repaired.The tech on the phone informed me I did not have gen 4 but gen 3.He offered to upgrade it for $99.00 more and a new 2 year contract.Why should I pay for something I was supposed to have recieved 5 months earlier.That is outright fraud in my book.Also do a search on hughesnet site and you will not find one return on gen 3.Desired Settlement: To recieve the gen 4 that I had ordered back in Sept 2012.

Business

Response:

June 20, 2013

Review: before agreeing to service I asked if their internet service worked in my area and would it be strong enough for my son to play to x-box and they said yes. they brought equipment out and hooked it up- it didn't do as they said. They didn't want to remove it, the installer said that they would get their money one way or another. Very rude. There are hours and hours and hours of calls with HughesNet. They promise tier 2 will be calling me back and I am still waiting. 12/20/12 they installed it, I disputed through my credit card company. HughesNet responded to the dispute so my credit card company place the bill of $402.03 back on my credit card on 1/3/2013. I decided to just pay for this and stop the hours of phone calls and reduce this stress, so I paid it. HughesNet charged my card automatically again in March of 2013- I have disputed that one and paid my credit card off and changed my credit card number so they can't automatically bill me. (I called HughesNet and asked them why did they charge me again and they said they don't see where I paid it in January) I got my credit card company on the phone and had a supervisor speak with Hughesnet and citinet told her the date and confirmation number that they got their money of $402.03. The teller on the phone said that she can't see it and that she will have tier 2 call me.. this has been over 2 weeks. HughesNet have sent this bill over to collections- the bill is under my son's name [redacted] but with my credit card: [redacted]. There has been many conversations with HughesNet and they have been unhelpful, rude and non caring. We have sent back the equipment as well, which they said they would refund some of the money for that when they receive it. They have acknowledge that they received it but now saying that they aren't going to refund anything because I didn't pay it. (*the dispute that I started in March I have won- the reason I won is because it's not a valid charge) I want them to retract that bill from the collections bureau and stop calling - send an apology via email so I can place it in the credit bureau file as well.

they should not have sold something when they knew good and well it didn't work in my area.Desired Settlement: retract bill from collections

refund the money for the equipment as promised

Business

Response:

June 27, 2013

Review: On May 28th, my internet provider Hughesnet stopped delivering service. My internet connection was completely non functional. When I called the one and only tech support phone number I got a recorded message that told me to call Dish Network, then gave me and number and hung up. When I called the phone number provided for Dish Network, they asked if I was a customer and when I informed them that I was not a customer, they said there is nothing they can do to help me. This situation continued for more than 2 months at which time I was forced to contract with another internet provider ([redacted]) so that I could access the internet. During this time Hughesnet continued to bill my credit card on a monthly basis but I was able to successfully contest those charges and receive refunds. Using the [redacted] internet connection I tried to chat and email hughesnet tech support but to no avail.On Friday 7/19 someone from the collection department at hughesnet called and asked for another credit card to use for the monthly charges. I informed her that hughesnet had broken the contract by not providing any service or any way to contact their tech support. She gave me a phone number to call to cancel my account. I called the number 3 different times, each time getting transferred numerous time, being on hold for more than 1/2 of an hour and then they system hung up on me. Finally, on 7/22 I was finally able to reach someone who was able to cancel the account. When I cancelled the account I was assured by the representative that there would be no more charges to my credit card. However, after the cancellation had been processed he ([redacted] case #[redacted]) informed me that I would be charged an early termination fee even after I had explained that I was left with no internet service and no way to contact tech support for more than 2 months. I informed him at that time that I refused to pay any cancellation fees since they had broken the contract by not providing any service or any way to contact them for support.Desired Settlement: Hughesnet shall NOT charge me any early termination fees and should provide me with a guarantee of that in writing.

Business

Response:

August 2, 2013

Review: Upon signing with hughes net I rented the equipment so the equipment belongs to them. They placed the equipment on my roof of my house and I have disconnected service with hughes net and they require the return of the equipment. I have no problem returning the equipment that I have access to (the modeum and the power supply but I am not able to acces the radio transmitter because it is attached to the satelite on my roof. Hughes net will not remove the equipment without a 100.00 charge because they deal with contractors and they have to get paid for their services, but that expense should be applied and paid by hughes net. They placed the equipment there they should be required to remove it if the wish for the return of the equipment. They refuse to remove the equipment and I am not able to access this equipment. Hughes net informed me that they will charge my account (which is closed) and apply to my credit the charge of 200.00 if the equipment is not returned (300.00 total if all equipment is not returned). I have not received the service in which I was paying 70.00 monthly for and I have filed against this company in the past for services not rendered. It took my complaint with the Revdex.com to get any response from the company. I never have received all that I had paid for or never receieved adequate compensation for the services that I had paid for and never recieved. I was given a discount for 6 months and upgraded to the next available downloading availability but this did not really make much difference. I refuse to pay for the company to remove their equipment from my roof and I will dispute any charges made to my credit concerning this matter. Hughes net is not a company that services its customers with their customers interest in mind. They have poor customer service which is outsourced outside the United States so actually getting someone that can actually help you with issues is almost non-existing.Desired Settlement: To have hughes net remove their equipment with additional charges to me and they pay for the removal of THEIR equipment. This is the only logical result when speaking in terms of customer service. As a customer why would I want to pay for something that does not belong to me. I rented the equiment so that I could be returned to Hughes Net and upon beginning service I was instructed that Hughes net would remove the equipment. I was not told that it would cost me to remove. This concept is not one that would be popular within the general publuc of consumers. When I started the service the equipment was installed incorrectly and had to be reinstalled. This was also a fight with hughes net. They also wanted to charge me for installing the equipemnt the second time which means they wanted me to pay for their mistake to begin with. I had nothing to do with the installation of the equipment and it was apart of the services provded upon beginning service. So the same should be effective upon disconnecting service. It goes with the service that I had already paid for, the installation, and the mothly fees for continuing service. All of these charges should be built into the installation of the service. I refuse to pay to have my service disconnected. [redacted]

Business

Response:

August 19, 2013

Review: I called and inquired and accepted Hughes net services about 4 months ago. They promised me on the phone that the satellite based service was faster than DSL. That my plan that I agreed too had a reasonable amount of unlimited bandwidth and would support steaming television and telephone. And that the equipment (dish & modem) had a small footprint.

As it turned out I could tell on installation day that part of this was a direct lie. The dish on my roof is HUGE! The modem inside takes up half a coffee table with 4 or more unyielding leads going to it. Soon after that I noticed that the service was not fast on normal days and even slower on non existent on stormy days. After only a month or so I then noticed that the service was slower still and I asked my son to check it out we discovered that the service had been THROTTELED for over use for ten days. And that the set rate limit was only a few gigabytes. About the same as a couple of DVD's my son tells me.

I am an elderly woman and I do not use my PC's often I could not believe this was true so I called and after only an hour on the phone with a person who did not speak English I was told that I had to fill out of some forms and then go back to my modem and input something and than go jump up and down a few times it was all ridiculous as if they did not want to help. They THROTTLEING continued after just a week or so after the bill for month 2 and 3

Finally I called to cancel I was threatened by a male with a bad attitude and told I had a two year contract and it would cost $300 to cancel. They expected me to return the equipment a modem as well as the LNB outside on my roof. That in order for them to come out and remove the LARGE dish on my roof it would be $99. I'm an old lady get real I am supposed to get on the roof? And that If I did not it would be another $300 charge.

finally the total cost of the monthly service was $30 more than was promised I was told the bill would be $45 on the phone. It was actually $75Desired Settlement: You will remove ALL of the equipment from my house. I want credits issued for the lies I was told about the contract and the monthly cost of this service and for half the monthly total time I had the service

$300 early termination

$99 for removal

$100 refund for bad service

Business

Response:

August 21, 2013

Review: we have been a customer sense 2010 with HughesNet . we have been leasing their equipment all this time . For 3 months or longer now we have been having a lot of problems and have not been getting service over half of the time .we have called and complained over and over and have ask them to come out and fix it .no one has ever came. they told us they could never get ahold of us .but we have not received a call from them. we would call and they would run a test and tell us all we needed to do was unplug it . we called again and told them if they didn't fix it that we were going to end our service .they then told us it would cost us over 180.00 to come out and fix it .before they said before all we needed to do is unplug it .we told them no we wanted to end our service .then they offered us 6 months free if we stayed .we said no we are not getting any service it does work .they then told us we will owe them a $400.00 early termination fee .we have no contract with them all we got is poor/no service from them for over 3 months. we just want to end our service. and send their stuff back .Desired Settlement: we do not want to owe them for anything for the very poor/no service. we just want a box to send their things back and be done with them forever.

Business

Response:

September 12, 2013

Review: I cancelled my service with Hughes net in June 2013. I was told that I would receive pre-paid boxes to return the satellite radio and modem back to the company. I called in July and again in August and was told to wait for the boxes. I did not receive any contact with Hughes net until August 20, which was an email stating that my un-subscription was successful (I have kept a copy of this email). On 5 September my back account was charged $106.00 by Huges net. I called them to ask why. I was told that the money would be held until they received their equipment. I have never received any boxes from them. the customer service rep told me they had delivery confirmation from UPS but refused to give me the UPS tracking number, put me on hold then told me she could not find the UPS number. I have been on hold for over 30 minutes shifted between customer service reps.Desired Settlement: I would like to have the boxes so I can send them their equipment, and I want the $106.00 back.

Business

Response:

September 24, 2013

Review: When I first called Hughesnet, I was having trouble finding an internet provider that would service my location. At first I was very happy to find one that would. When I signed up, I was told that the service I would be getting would be inferior for about a week until the Gen4 service would be available and then I would be upgraded immediately. Installation was upwards of $200 initially and I was told that it would be a one time fee. After the first TWO weeks, instead of the ONE week the Salesman "[redacted]" told me it would be, I was informed that to completely upgrade, I needed entirely new equipment installed and that I would be charged another one time fee of $340.13. As I and the rest of my family are heavy computer users, I ignorantly agreed and had the "new" equipment installed. At the time of the upgrade I was NOT told that there would be an overnight download allowance versus the unlimited overnight download I would get for the "Lesser" service I was getting. I was also unaware that the billing period and the download allowance period were not the same. Billing is from the 18th to the 18th of every month and the download allowance if per calendar month. I found this out after several phone calls.

Initially, the service seemed just ok. Not great, but ok, until I started to notice that the download speeds were less than half of what I had signed up to get. Hughesnet advertises the fastest speeds over any other company. This is an outright lie. I have experienced download speeds of 512kbps and 1052kbps. As opposed to the advertised 6mbps and 12mbps that were supposed to come with my particular plan"Which happens to be the most expensive"

I am thoroughly unhappy with the service I am getting, and the responses from the customer service department have been a joke. I have been told that my usage is too high and that I have gone OVER the allowance amount, during times when my computers were turned off. I believe that they are falsifying usage for my location and locking down my service. I have requested the usage reports and have been denied access to them since it is apparently against their policy to provide me with that information.

I will be cancelling my service early and paying the termination fee that they require even though the service provided was not what I was paying for. This was a horrible learning experience and this company should be investigated. The sales staff and outsourced technical support staff are scripted to flat out lie to the customers and potential customers.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund of my pending early termination of service fee.

Business

Response:

October 17,

2013

Review: April 2010 I entered a 2 year contract with Hughes Net internet service. Payments have been made regularly through auto deduction to my personal checking account. I recently started having connectivity problems and called customer service. I was told an upgrade would be necessary, since my leased equipment was out of date. I told them I would have to call them back regarding this.

I received a phone call tonight from a customer service representative who explained to me that the system I have is going to be shut down in the next few months, since the company was turning off the satellite that the system connects to. He stated it would be a free upgrade but I would have to extend my contract with them. I do not see this as legal practice. If Hughes Net is shutting down a satellite, then shouldn't it be their responsibility to transfer all service customers to the new satellite? I have held up my end of the deal by staying with the provider for 2 years. I was not told that the contract would have to be renewed during the initial installation process if and when they upgraded their satellites. I realize if I were the one wanting the upgrade, a new contract would be acceptable and practical. However, I am not the one initiating the upgrade. The reason I am opposing this contract, is because broadband service is slowly becoming available to my area, and I am wanting to change to this service as soon as it available. I do not and will not be forced to pay Hughes net a huge fee to get out of their service plan. I believe they are trying to keep customers from doing what I am doing and using unethical practices in order to accomplish their goal.Desired Settlement: I want my service to continue under the original contract. If an upgrade is necessary, then Hughes Net should upgrade my equipment and not force me to sign a new contract. If they cannot hold up to their business agreement, to provide me with service, I will be forced to file suit.

Business

Response:

November 1, 2013

Review: This company guaranteed me that the internet involved would work. We were told it would work with netflix, gaming and wifi. We were also guaranteed military discount, which it see** to me that thr price is the same as it is for others. I have had their technicians out twice in two months and had to schedule a third technician. The internet will work for about a week after the technician comes out then it fails. It had played two non-HD movies on Netflix in the time we have had this company. The internet is not strong enough for daily use. It will not even load the hughesnet webpage. My husband called two days after our trial period with another complaint. He was told that he could disconnect for $385. I feel as if we have been cheated, the internet will not work long term, the employees and condescending via customer service, and their only answer is to send a technician out. I have been told that weather could be a factor, yet we have seen a low of 95 degrees and no rain to alter the signal. We have no trees nearby or any obstructions of the satellite.Desired Settlement: I would like Hughesnet to discontinue our service without charging us a disconnection fee. The services they guarantee have not worked. Why should I pay to disconnect when they failed to follow their end of the bargain?

Business

Response:

November 15, 2013

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter dated August 14, 2013 to the Executive Customer Care division of Hughes, we have contacted **. [redacted] with our sincere interest in resolving the outstanding matter.

Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records prior to establishing contact with **. [redacted]. Our records indicate that **. [redacted]'s account was activated on June 11, 2013. **. [redacted] ordered her service through Communication Solutions LLC (CC) and claims she was promised she would have a military discount. **. [redacted]'s sales call is under review.

**. [redacted] contacted our technical support team on several occasions due to service issues. After evaluation, it was determined that **. [redacted]'s service was not performing within acceptable parameters. Hughes ordered two complimentary field service dispatches, on July 18, 2013 and on September 30, 2013 to thoroughly evaluate the operational capacity, and replace or repair system components of **. [redacted]'s equipment. **. [redacted] continues to report service issues after the repairs.

Hughes values **. [redacted] as a new customer. As an executive courtesy, on October 14, 2013 Hughes issued a three month service credit to **. [redacted]'s account in the amount of $119.97. On November 14, 2013, Hughes shipped a new HT1100 modem to **. [redacted]. Hughes will continue to monitor the performance of **. [redacted]'s service, and we are committed to working with **. [redacted] to ensure she is satisfied with her service. In addition Hughes applied a $10.00 off 12 month discount in honor of their military service. Should **. [redacted] remain unsatisfied with the performance of her service, Hughes will allow **. [redacted] to cancel the account without an early termination fee.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Review: Since I have already filed a complaint and "[redacted]" responded to help me and I evidently had to have cable installed to fix my issues and I did install tv, it did not help me to be able to watch a few random things on yahoo, etc. This system is costing me tremendously more than I should have to pay in this day and age. I should be able to watch anything I want do now that I have INTERNET AND TV. BAD BAD BAD SERVICE and SYSTEM……I'M VERY PISSED! Especially since this is not my fist complaint,

Business

Response:

December 6, 2013

**. [redacted]

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

Case # [redacted] & [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter dated December 4, 2013, to the Executive Customer Care division of Hughes, we have contacted **. [redacted] in an attempt to resolve the outstanding matter. **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding the sale of her HughesNet service and is seeking to resolve her service issues. **. [redacted] ordered her service through [redacted] LLC (SA) and claims she was promised she would be able to watch many videos. **. [redacted]’s sales call is under review.

Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records prior to establishing contact with **. [redacted].

Our records indicate **. [redacted]’s account was activated on October 5, 2013.

At the time **. [redacted] ordered her service, she had to agree to the terms and conditions of our subscriber agreement to begin his HughesNet service. The section 8.2 FAIR ACCESS POLICY of the Hughes’ subscriber agreement contains specific language advising our customers that “to ensure fair Internet access for all HughesNet subscribers, Hughes maintains a Fair Access Policy. This policy establishes an equitable balance in Internet access for all HughesNet subscribers. Hughes assigns a download threshold to each service plan that limits the amount of data that may be continuously downloaded. The small percentage of subscribers who exceed this limit will experience a temporary reduction of speed.”

Hughes values **. [redacted] as a new customer and we wish to retain her business. To that end, Hughes has agreed to resolve the

sales and service issues. As an executive courtesy, Hughes issued a first month service credit to **. [redacted]’s account in the amount of $59.99 on November 12, 2013. On November 11, 2013 Hughes ordered a complimentary field service dispatch, to thoroughly evaluate the operational capacity, and replace or repair system components of **. [redacted]’s equipment. Hughes will continue to monitor the performance of **. [redacted]’s service; we are committed to working with **. [redacted] to ensure she is satisfied with her repair. Should **. [redacted] remain unsatisfied with the performance of her service, Hughes will allow **. [redacted] to cancel the account without an early termination fee.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

Review: We tried to bundle our directv with Hughes Net Internet services but we were lied to from the beginning about what they offered and how their services worked. They installed the dish on our deck and when I asked how do we get the internet to work, I was instructed to by $100 modem. The equipment he installed would not give us internet unless we had the $100 modem. That should have been told to us prior to the installation. I immediately canceled the service after the installer left. I received a box to return the equipment and the shipping label was missing. I called and it took 4 days for a new label to come. I had the box sealed and immediately put the label on it and took it to UPS to return. Hughes net took out $50.73 on October 7th which was not authorized because I canceled the service and we never used it. That money caused our bank to overdraft this week because they did not return the money, until Thomas authorized it. We would not have known that if we didn't call them today 11/7. We did not use the service so there should not have been any charges. Equipment was returned in a very quick timeframe. We live paycheck to paycheck and yes that $50 caused us to have $74 in insufficient fund fees a month after they took it out and never returned it. We were told they took it from Hughes net but it was waiting for approval from Thomas to put it back into his account. What would have happened to the money if we didn't call today? No one see** to know. They are selling a service and not giving all the information needed to the customer to make and informed and accurate decision. Their business practices are unethical and need to be stopped. They did not have authorization to take funds from the account because we did not keep their horrible services. We canceled within an hour of the installer leaving. There were no services used so how can they take any money?Desired Settlement: We want the $50.73 returned immediately and the $74.00 insufficient funds because we would not have had them if they didn't take money that was not theirs to take. No service No payment. Please help us get what is owed to us due to their terrible business practices.

Business

Response:

December 6, 2013

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor

Washington DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

Case # [redacted]

Dear [redacted]:

In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of Hughes, it is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding her HughesNet service and is seeking a refund to her account due to canceling after the installation.

Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records prior to attempting to contact **. [redacted]. After further review, we have issued a refund of $51.37 to the credit card on file. We would need to speak directly to **. [redacted] in regards to the refund of insufficient fees.

We left a message on 12/06/2013 and are currently awaiting a return call.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Review: 8-27-2013

This letter is in regards to the dispute I have with Hughesnet internet provider.

On July 10th 2012 I contacted Hughesnet to inform them that yet again our internet service was not working properly. After trying to troubleshoot through the problem I was informed that I had to purchase another modem at my expense. After having nothing but trouble with the internet service through the years, which required us to have a service representative replace modems and fix our dish countless times and eventually move our dish to the roof, I decided to not purchase a new modem and wait to find a new internet provider.

We knew that a new internet service, [redacted] Broadband, was coming to our area soon and waited to see if we would be able to have our internet service through them. On July 16, 2012 we switched our internet service to [redacted] Broadband and called Hughesnet to cancel our internet service with them. We were told by the Hughesnet representative that they would stop our internet service immediately and that the removal of the dish on the roof was our responsibility.

When I received my August 2013 [redacted] statement I noticed the $69.99 charge from Hughesnet so I looked back at my passed statements and realized that they had never stopped charging me for internet service even though it had been canceled on July 16th 2012.

I called Hughesnet to have this straightened out and to have my bank account reimbursed for the fourteen months that we had no internet service through them and was charged anyway. I was transferred to a manager, who refused to provide his name. He informed me that Hughesnet would not reimburse me for those months because I did not contact the accounting department about closing my account and that is why I remained active. The service representative that I talked to on July 16, 2012 did not tell me I had to do this and was assured that our internet service was terminated and that I was responsible for removing the dish from our house.

The Hughesnet representative said they would remove the August 2013 bill but refused to help any further.

They can surely see that we have had no internet usage through them since July 16 2012.

Thank you for your help in this matter

Sincerely,

[redacted]. [redacted]

Since this letter has been written we had [redacted] stop all automatic withdrawals by Hughesnet. Now we have received a letter from a collection agency to try and collect three months of payments! This means not only did Hughesnet not reimburse us for August, but they are charging us for it and two additional months in spite of the numerous calls we have had with Hughesnet explaining that we canceled our internet service with them!Desired Settlement: I wish to be reimbursed for the amount taken from our account after our service was canceled with Hughesnet and for them to stop billing me for a service we have canceled.

Business

Response:

November 22,

2013

Review: I called Hughesnet about wifi internet service, which they said they had for $39.95 for the first few months, and it was installed 7/5/13. Their modem never worked properly. The power supply cord did not connect tightly to the modem, and it had an intermittent signal connection problem. They told me to buy a router from [redacted] and that would provide the wifi. This connection never worked and there were continual proble** with their modem, the signal, and the wifi. I had to call them every day or two because the internet was down. I have 2 laptops, a [redacted] and a standalone. The wifi connection never worked consistently, and for the [redacted], not at all. I contacted them to replace the modem within the first few weeks and the person said they would sent another modem. After a week I called to find out where it was. They said there was no order for it. They finally agreed to send a new power supply cord which arrived about a week later, but did not solve the problem. After they lied to and mislead me all month, I was now past the 30 day cancellation period.

I was then billed 8/5/13 for $60.65, way over the $39.95/month. It took a week to get some of these additional charges removed.

I also continued to have to call them about the persistent problem with the internet. About the middle of August, 2013, I was transferred to one of their consultants, and he said he would recommend a new modem. This never happened. I started to check the signal when it was working to find out why it was so astoundingly slow and would stop even when it was supposedly working. The upload speed was at 20-30% of the 1mbps, and the download speed was 40-50% of the 5 mbps it was supposed to be. When I questioned this, they said they only had to provide 60% of the listed speeds. But, they weren't even doing that. Therefore, the internet was down a minimum of 80% of the time. This is fraud. They lied about the service they provided and the cost. They blamed the proble** on the router they said to purchase, and then said their modem did not work with a router??? Are they kidding? They should have said that in the first place because I needed wifi for a family member taking online college courses, and for the laptops and the [redacted]. I wouldn't have signed up if I had known this.

They require a credit card when you sign up, but they have felt free to charge additional charges to my card. When I finally cancelled the service 10/5/13, they charged $385.00 cancellation fee to my card. A contract is a two way agreement. That means they agree to supply a service for which I agree to pay them. They breached the contract by not supplying the service that I paid for in the first place. They went out of their way to stall any repair in the first month, knowing that would extend past the 30 day cancellation period. Now they want me to pay for cancellation. What they did is illegal and a scam. There was nothing in their contract you could rely on, except that they would threaten you with these charges if you cancelled. Add to this, the continual aggravation of trying to get their internet to work practically daily and then trying to get them to fix it. They should be paying me. This is why I finally cancelled them 10/5/13.Desired Settlement: I am asking that the $385.00 charged to my account by Hughesnet be refunded to my credit card.

Thank you

Business

Response:

January 29, 2014

**. [redacted]

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

Complaint ID [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Support division of Hughes, we have attempted to contact **. [redacted] to resolve the outstanding matter. It is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding her HughesNet service.

Our Executive Customer Support representative reviewed all pertinent database records. Our records indicate that **. [redacted]’s service was activated on July 5, 2013. On October 4, 2013, **. [redacted]’s account was cancelled. As a result of cancellation within her contractual agreement, **. [redacted]’s account was charged an early termination fee in the amount of $385.00.

Regarding **. [redacted]’s request to cancel without penalty, please be advised that when **. [redacted] subscribed to the HughesNet Service, she expressly agreed that she would be subjected to an early termination fee in the event she cancelled her service within her contractual agreement. Consequently, we believe that we have a contractual right to assess these fees. However, in recognition of **. [redacted]’s circumstances, Hughes agrees to make an exception regarding our cancelation policy.

In light of the difficulties **. [redacted] experienced with our service, we have issued a credit of $232.50 to her account representing the early termination fee and one month service credit. In addition, that amount has been refunded to the card on file.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Review: Intermittent loss of signal. On cloudy days, no signal at all. Out for three days. When I called the call center, automated system cannot find my phone number. Transferred to a disconnected number. Tried to cancel service on Jan. 10th, but the line operator could't cancel and transferred again to a line that does not exist.Desired Settlement: cancel and refund

Business

Response:

January 29, 2014

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

Complaint ID [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter, to the executive customer support division of Hughes, we have attempted to contact **. [redacted] to resolve the outstanding matter. It is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding his service.

Our Executive Customer Support representative reviewed all pertinent database records. Our records indicate that **. [redacted]’s service was activated on September 19, 2013. At the time **. [redacted] ordered his service, he had to agree to the terms and conditions of our subscriber agreement to begin her service with Hughes. Hughes’ subscriber agreement contains specific language advising our customers that we do not guarantee minimum speeds. “HNS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE ERROR-FREE, SECURE OR UNINTERRUPTED OR OPERATE AT ANY MINIMUM SPEEDS.” When you connect to the Internet using HughesNet, the upload and download speeds you experience will vary based on a variety of factors including the configuration of your computer, the number of concurrent users, network or Internet congestion, the speed of the Websites you are accessing, and other factors. Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed. During peak hours, actual upload and download speed will likely be lower than speeds indicated.”

While Hughes makes every effort to disclose our benefits and limitations, Hughes understands **. [redacted]’s frustration and concern. As a result, Hughes will work with **. [redacted] to insure that his service is operating the way it should be for his level of service. **. [redacted] needs to conduct speed and web response tests using our supported customer care site supportcenter.myhughesnet.com and then attempt to troubleshoot with technical support. Our records indicate one call into customer support since his install on January 9, 2014 requesting to cancel service. There is no history of troubleshooting. If his speeds are below average speeds, we will put him in contact with our advanced level technical support to troubleshoot the issue and have it resolved as soon as possible.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:I am running a business and can't have down time. When you state sometimes when high volume the system runs slower. The computer would show no signal and not start. I called 10 times and could not wait for a cust service rep. the system couldn't find my phone # I asked to cancel my service and I got transferred to a # that said it was disconnected. Iwould have to leave my home to get to a place to get to a internet service to reach my customers with their information. I was misinformed by the sales rep. when told about your system. If there is a intermittent loss of signal on a consistent basis that is not what I signed up for. Again I am running a business and cant wait for a few day let alone hour for a tech to repair the problem. I was lied to when I was told high speed internet. Intermittent signal is what I have. I am happy to pay for a service that is functioning properly but refuse to pay for one that doesn't work when I need it for my lively hoodI tried to cancel on the date you have me calling in and was current with my bill prior to that date. please send a recovery pack so I cand you the rougher and dish asap!! If your wouldn't have sent me to a disconnected # I would have sent it back a month ago!!

Regards,

Business

Response:

January 30, 2014

**. [redacted]

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor

Washington, DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

Complaint ID [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your rebuttal letter, to the executive customer support division of Hughes, we have again attempted to contact **. [redacted] to resolve the outstanding matter. It is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding his service.

Regarding **. [redacted]’s concern of the call being disconnected during a transfer, we apologize and those types of disconnects are never intentional. We understand that **. [redacted] wants to terminate his service, unfortunately that request can’t be fulfilled in writing.

Cancellation requests must be made by phone. Once **. [redacted] calls the number for customer support at ###-###-#### and enters his telephone number that ends with [redacted] when prompted, he can say the word cancel and the system should override the rest of the prompts or questions and directly forwarded him to account management to process the cancellation without having to speak to an agent to transfer the call.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Review: 2 year contract ended January 10, 2014. January bill due 1/10/14, paid 1-6/14 $66.97 debit, confirmation # [redacted]; current account with 0 balance.

February bill due 2/10/14...cancelled service 2/12/14.

I am told I owe $133.00 (approx) and service in the cables will remain active until 3/11/14.

Why would I pay a month in advance with active inline home cables?

I do not object to a pro-rate for a few days; however, I feel a month in advance and service until March 2014 is a scam.Desired Settlement: disconnect the inline house service now, not in March. I have a new server. Why would I pay for two?

Bill me for 2-3 days pro-rate, since I am current. Don't bill be for a month in advance.

Provide documentation on the cancellation policy; billing a month in advance.

Business

Response:

March 5, 2014

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor

Washington DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

File# [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter to the executive customer care division of Hughes, it is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding her service.

While Hughes makes every effort to disclose our benefits and limitations, Hughes understands **. [redacted]’s frustration and concern.

After further review, we would need to speak directly to **. [redacted] regarding her VOIP concerns. In addition, she may visit http://legal.hughesnet.com/Home.cfm to find out about our terms and conditions of service including our (24) month contractual agreement.

We have issued a one-month service credit to her account in the amount of $62.51.

**. [redacted] may contact me at the number below with any additional questions.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Review: Improper billing, poor customer service and unathorized charging

I signed up with hughesnet in December of 2012 and I was asked for a credit cars information so they could do a pending transaction, ONLY. I never revived a bill or any documents with account information and in January 2013 they charged me for two months directly out of my account, which was not authorized. When I called customer service they were very rude and told me that they charge two months in advance. When I stated they had used my information unauthorized is when they decided to "refund" me for a the extra month. When I never revived my refund after 7 business days I called again to find out that they had never processed a refund. Not only did I have these problem within the first 35 days I was stuck for two years because I didn't cancel the service within the first 30 days. But I recived horrible service from hughesnet. It is honestly faster to log off my wifi on my cell phone and use my 4G. Now one year into being stuck with this internet provider I am once again experiencing poor customer service and over charges on my bill. I recently combined bank account with my husband and closed out the one hughesnet was connected to. So I called to update my account information, they asked how I liked the service and I told them I hated it because it was slow. They offered me the next plan up that was $20 more than the $68 that I was already paying and I told them I did not want to pay anymore than I am already paying for internet service I can barely use. So I was offered the same plan for the same rate as I am paying for 6 months. I agrees to try it. When my bill came in this month I was charged $88. So I called and the first person I spoke with told me that it is because they charge two months in advance, the second person said it was an upgrade fee and prorate fee. But I was unaware of both fees, I would not have accepted the new plan if I would have known of the fees. They will not refund the fees even though it is due to the lack of communication they give their customer. They never communicate to their customer about any charges and they lack good customer service and satisfaction. They apparently do know have the customer is always right policy. I would not recommend hughesnet for anyone searching for an internet provider the price you pay is not worth the service that can barely be used.Desired Settlement: I want out of my contract for free. I no longer want or need these service and I am tired of being over charged and getting little to no help when I call.

Business

Response:

February 26, 2014

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor

Washington DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

File # [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

In response to your letter to the executive customer support division of Hughes, it is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding her HughesNet service.

**. [redacted] states she had issues with her billing cycle. As a result, Hughes issued a refund to the credit card on file. In addition, we applied a credit for $20.00 off for (10) months.

Unfortunately, we will be unable to cancel the account without penalty.

We left a message informing **. [redacted] of our decision on 2/26/2014 and we are awaiting a return call.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Hughesnet did NOT give me a refund this January to the charges, the only refund I have received were in January 2013. They are not reading my full complaint, as far as the lack of communicates from the customer service issues with the reps not explaining charges and poor quality service. I am still very unhappy and not a satisfied with any services that I receive from this company.

Regards,

[redacted]

Review: I signed up for Hughes Internet service and worked tirelessly with their technical support to get the performance I was promised in their service level agreement. WE could never get there and therefore, they upped my service at no cost to me to the next performance level. They neglected to credit me for that service until I called and pleaded with them to honor their commitment. We then scheduled technicians to come out to my location 3 times and not once did they show up on the day it was scheduled after I took 3 days off work to meet them. I decided to cancel my service as they cannot meet the performance promised, they never showed up for their scheduled service calls and wouldn't credit me for the lack of service levels. I decided to cancel the service as they couldn't meet their service levels nor meet their appt windows. They refused to alleviate the early termination fee even though they could never get my service to work properly. Breech of contract. Secondly, they refuse to take the equipment off my property without charging me for a service call. They stuck me with huge charges, never met their service levels and now refuse to take the equipment back and I'm stuck with a huge satellite dish n the side of my house. If you read their de-installation guide, there is serious harm that could be inflicted if you don't remove the satellite components correctly and I believe this is also an unnecessary hazard they're subjecting me to.

Lastly, there is a bait and switch component at play here as well. They don't advertise VPN is not supported on their network and when I signed up for the service, they asked me how I would use the service at which point I told them I work from home and use VPN all day long. They never said a word about VPN not being supported on their network. I only found this out after searching the web and locating a host of other very upset customers who learned the hard way.Desired Settlement: I'm not asking for back pay for the service they couldn't meet, but I do want them to credit me the early termination fee and take the equipment off my property.

Business

Response:

March 17, 2014

Trade Practice Consultant

Revdex.com

1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor

Washington DC 20005-3404

Re: [redacted]

File # [redacted]

Dear [redacted]:

In response to your letter to the executive customer support division of Hughes, it is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns regarding his HughesNet service.

Please be advised when **. [redacted] subscribed to the HughesNet Service, he expressly agreed that he would be subject to an early termination fee in the event he cancelled the service prior to expiration of the service commitment period. Consequently, we believe that we have a contractual right to assess these fees. However, in the interest of an amicable resolution, Hughes agrees to make an exception regarding our cancelation policy.

After further review, we have brought the early termination fee to $44.16.

A box was sent to the address on file for the successful return of the equipment which needs to be returned within 45 days to avoid being charged an unreturned equipment fee.

We notified **. [redacted] of our decision on 3/14/2014.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Executive Customer Support

###-###-####

[email protected]

Review: I had a 30 day trial with Hughes net I cancelled before the end because I didn't like there service. After that I was told I needed to return the modem and radio which is located on my roof . When I told them it was not safe To go on the roof because of snow and Ice they said wait till it was safe and then turn it in I said that would work. This also is the case with the directions in the return box that tells you where everything is that needs to be returned. In the directions it states do not go on roof if there is adverse weather conditions. Then they proceeded to take over 300 dollars out of my account which bounced my account causing 120 in over draft fees. When I called them I got the run around and when they finally figured it out I was told no refund till it was retuned. So I sent my husband onto the [redacted] roof to get the radio. Sent in everything and now being told they are giving me a credit to a account I don't even have then I must call back and request a refund witch could take 15 days but before that I have to call back again after asking for a refund and have them remove my credit card from there systemDesired Settlement: I would like my money they took and the $120 in overdraft fees that I was charged from them taking the money out of my account without my knowledge

Business

Response:

April 14, 2014 [redacted] Trade Practice Consultant Revdex.com 1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor Washington DC 20005-3404 Re: [redacted] File # [redacted] Dear [redacted]: In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Support division of Hughes, it is our understanding that **. [redacted] has some concerns about her account. Our Executive Customer Support reviewed all pertinent database records prior attempting to establish contact with **. [redacted]. “Unreturned Equipment Fee (applies to all Service Plans where the Equipment has been leased): Upon termination of Service, whether before or after the expiration of any minimum term commitment, all Subscribers to HughesNet Service Plans are required to return the modem, power supply, and radio (outdoor transmitter) to Hughes. The equipment must be received in good condition within 45 days of termination in order to avoid the Unreturned Equipment Fee (except in cases when the Subscriber Agreement has been terminated for breach, in which case the paragraph below will apply). An Unreturned Equipment Fee of $300 will be charged to your account for Equipment not returned within the allotted time frame. Partial returns will be given credit as follows: Modem and Power Supply – $100; Radio – $200.” After further review, **. [redacted] has returned the equipment and we have issued a refund of $322.13 to the credit card on file. Unfortunately, Hughes is unable to issue a refund for non-sufficient fees. **. [redacted] may contact me at the number below with any additional questions. We sincerely regret any inconvenience that **. [redacted] may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration. Very truly yours, [redacted] Executive Customer Support ###-###-#### [email protected]