Montana Opticom

Review: I have been a residential customer of Montana Opticom since November 2013. My services include V and Internet. We signed a one year contract for service. Since the day the TV service was installed we did not have reception for 2 local TV stations, [redacted] and [redacted]. We were told repeatedly that they were working on the problem. This went on for about 6 weeks. Then approximatley the forst week of March 2014, we started having problems with our DVR (Digital Video Recorder). First it deleted all of our recorded programs we had been saving. Then I set all of the show that I wanted recorded again, and the next day they were all gone again. I called Montana on 3/10/14 to tell them about the problem. I did get a phone call back that afternoon, but was not at home and I was told I had to be home so they could trouble shoot. I called when I got home that evening and had to leave a message on Voicemail. The following I day I stayed home from work from work in the morning so I could try to get this resolved. I called at 9:00 am and again had to leave a voice message. I told them I was at home but had to leave for work soon. I stayed home for 2 hours and never received a call back. I received a cll from them later that afternoon, but again I was not home. I called again when I got home that eveneing and again got voice mail, I left a message and did not recieve a call back. The following Day, Wednesday the 12th I stayed home from work again, I called first thing in the morning and had to leave a message again. I did not receive a phone call back from them that day. I called again on Thursday the 13th in the morning and had to leave a message again. I did receive a phone call that afternoon but I was at work. I called on Friday the 14th and asked if I could cancel my TV contract and keep my internet. I told them how dissatisified I have been with their service from the beginning. I told them my husband and I are not happy the the TV service, they do not offer what we are used to from other cable service providers and as far as I was concerned, they broke the contract from the very beginning by not providing us with the service we signed up for. I was told again that I could not do that. I was also told that a manager by the name of Suzanne wanted to talk tome to see if we could resolve the problem. I was told she would call me back. That was mid-afternoon and I never received a phone call until later that evening when I was not home. I called again this morning Monday the 17th and once again reached voice mail. I left a message again.

I also sent an e-mail to customer support on Firday the 14th, and have not received a response.Desired Settlement: I do not want a refund, or reimbursement. I just want out of my contract without penalty. I want to keep my internet service, I am very happy with that, but I want to cancel my TV service and go back to the provider I had before.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

It is hard for me to just let this customer out of the contract. Our goal is to connect with this customer and get the T.V. working properly.

Thanks

Review: Opticom came into my yard to perform work, damaged the property, and then left it. I now have a dead strip of vegetation that will not recover.Desired Settlement: Fix it.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

This was taken care of by our Sub contractor [redacted]. They went there several times with new topsoil and grass seed and this should not be a problem once the grass fills in.

Thanks

Review: I HAVE LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS SINCE DECEMBER 2013. I HAD HEARD MT OPTICOM HAD A CONTRACT WITH THIS SUBDIVISION I AM LIVING IN. WHEN I FIRST MOVED INTO THE HOME, I CONTACTED MT OPTICOM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASSIONS REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR SERVICES AND BILLING AND THEN REQUESTING THEM TO INSTALL THEIR SERVICE AT MY RESIDENCE. I HAD TO CONTACT THEM A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH ALL THESE REQUESTS AS THEY HAVE A VERY POOR PHONE SYSTEM AND WERE ALWAYS VERY POOR AT RETURNING MY PHONE CALLS. IT WAS EXTREMEMLY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH THEM. AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS AT REUESTING THEM TO INSTALL THEIR SERVICE, I HAD ANOTHER COMPANY'S INTERNET INSTALLED INSTEAD. I NEVER RECEIVED A RETURN PHONE CALL FROM THEM. AROUND A MONTH AGO, MARCH 2014, I RECEIVED A BILL IN THE MAIL FROM THEM CHARGING ME FOR APRIL 2014 SERVICE, THOUGH I USE ANOTHER COMPANY'S SERVICE. I CONTACTED MY HOA AND THEY VERIFIED THAT THE HOA DOES HAVE A CONTRACT WITH MT OPTICOM AND HOMEOWNERS NEED TO OBTAIN THEIR SERVICE. NOT TOO HAPPY, I CALLED MT OPTICOM EXPLAINING HOW I ATTEMPTED TO GET THEIR SERVICE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND NOONE EVER RETURNED MY PHONE CALLS. THEY EVEN HAD ME FORWARD EMAILS WHERE I HAD DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH MY REALTOR. THEY APPOLOGIZED AND SAID A TECHNICIAN WOULD CONTACT ME FOR INSTALLATION. A WEEK LATER, A TECHNICIAN CONTACTED ME AND WE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR INSTALLATION APRIL 1, 2014 AT 11 A.M. I PHONED MT OPTICOM AT 11:15 A.M APRIL 1, 2014 TELLING THEM NOONE SHOWED UP FOR THE INSTALL AND REQUESTING A RETURN PHONE CALL. AS OF TODAY, APRIL 3, 2014, MT OPTICOM HAS NOT RETURNED MY APRIL 1 PHONE CALL. THIS EVENING I CHECKED MY MAIL AND HAD A BILL FROM MT OPTICOM FOR BOTH APRIL AND MAY 2014 SERVICE, THOUGH I HAVE TRIED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO OBTAIN SERVICE AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT.Desired Settlement: DUE TO MT OPTICOM'S LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND RESPECT, I REQUEST MT OPTICOM CREDIT MY ACCOUNT IN ITS ENTIRETY. I DO NOT WANT THEIR SERVICE. I HAVE SPENT HOURS UPON HOURS TRYING TO GET THIER SERVICE AND ALL I'VE RECEIVED IS BILLS WITHOUT SERVICE. THOUGH MT OPTICOM HAS A CONTRACT WITH MY HOA, I FEEL AS THOUGH THEY HAVE BREACHED THEIR CONTRACT BY NOT PROVIDING ME SERVICE, THOUGH NOT FAILING TO BILL ME OR WASTE MANY HOURS OF MY VALUABLE TIME.

Business

Response:

We will be crediting [redacted]'s account for $84.60 and will continue to work with the customer to get the services installed.

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]+

Revdex.com,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I thank them for crediting my account, but due to the poor experiences I have had with them, I do not want their service. If it takes weeks/months/years for them to return phone calls and they routinely miss scheduled appointments, what kind of service would I receive should my internet go down or I have specific questions/concerns?

I do not want them contacting me for installation. I do not want any communication with them.

Regards,

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]

Revdex.com,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Regards,

Hi [redacted],

Review: MT Opticom is billing all residents in area $40 a month to not use their service. When we purchased our house we never signed a contract telling them that they could do that to us. I have contacted them several times, they keep telling me I have to pay for not using them. And keep wanting me to call my HOA and take it up with them. My HOA is against what they are trying to do to the home owners. Montana law even states that HOA contracts can not exceed 10 years. The MT Opticom Contract is written for 30 years. I knew this company existed before this and chose not to use them because of the poor service they provide. Nobody in my neighborhood will say anything good about this company and everybody want MT opticom to leave. Their is a petition for all residents to sign stating that they want the contract removed, everybody signed it. That really tells you something.Desired Settlement: Ideally I want the contract removed for the neighborhood and let it be free choice to use whatever ISP we want to choose, not be forced to use one that has horrible service and poor business practices. But I would be happy if my name and information was removed from their billing list permanently.

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]

Revdex.com,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards to the matter at hand I have contacted you twice by phone to receive a copy of this "contract" I signed, signing me up for your service. I have yet to receive one. I however received a reminder notice and a notice that you will be cancelling our service that we still do not and have never have received. Further more you would like to send me to collections even though we still have yet to receive a copy of the "contract" we signed. In our HOA agreement that was given to me at the closing of our house, in section 1-6N utilities easement it states that each homeowner may contract Vivid Networks to subscribe to the desired services; in my understanding that means we can subscribe to all, none or any desired services. We obviously choose not to use your service, and the fact that our first bill from you came a year and a half after we moved in and had current resident as the address makes it hard to believe that this contract that you are going to send us to collections for is just. We would like you to withdraw our bill from being collected on and not have to pay until we receive a copy of the "contract" we agreed upon. Until that happens it is in our best interest not to pay the $40 you have been charging us without being provided any services from you.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We have been in contact with the customer

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]

Revdex.com,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

I reject your last statement. When you claimed we were in contact you called me a week later and told me I had to pay, that is it. I have contacted you three separate times requesting proof that I signed any contract claiming I would pay you to provide me no services. Two of those time I was promised the signed contract. I have yet to receive any thing from you along those lines. I did however receive two letters threatening to send me to collections if payment has not been received by May 17. On the third call I left a message to a manger. They finally called me back a week later telling me they do not have to provide any proof of contracts with me and told me I have no choice but to pay them. I can not use a company that threatens me and my well being. I request the proof of the contract I "signed". With out that proof I request to be removed from your billing system and to never be contacted by you again by mail or phone.

Review: We signed up for both internet and TV service. Since the start the TV service was not a good experience with multiple issues. We addressed these issues with the company within the first few days and they were addresses but we also had other issues. The contract states 1 year contract. I talked to the company and asked if they had any guarantee of customer satisfaction and they said no. I asked if we could stop the TV service and keep the internet so we still had service with them for the contract and they said no. I still have issues and still not happy that I am stuck in a contract and I can't do anything about it.Desired Settlement: I will keep internet service for 1 year like the contract says, but want to drop the TV service with no penalty.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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

I received a voicemail from Montana Opticom and will call them back.

Thank you.

Regards,

Business

Response:

[redacted]

We are going to contact this customer directly and try to resolve with an offer to meet in middle ground.

Thanks

Review: I entered into a 3 year contract for phone and internet services in September 2009. As an inducement to do so, Opticom (then known as Lightnex) offered a lower monthly rate and an initial 6 months of free service. After 3 years, I called to cancel my service, since I had found a less expensive service with Bresnan. I was told the cancel would be processed. But I continued to receive bills, and followed up with several calls over the next few months. I was always told someone would call me back, but no one ever did.In December 2012 I contacted the Montana Public Service Commission to file a complaint. They contacted Opticom, but Opticom did not even respond until March 2013, while charges continued to accrue. When they finally responded to the PSC, in the course of email exchanges between them Opticom pointed out an inconspicuous proviso not contained in the body of the contract language that stated that the 3 year period did not start until after the 6 months of free service. However, when I signed up I was led to believe that the entire contract was for 3 years, not 3 1/2 years There was no indication anywhere that the duration of the contract was not 3 years. The contract also says the 3 years begins on the service date. Therefore, it cannot be both 3 and 3 1/2 years.The Public Service Commission ruled the contract was ambiguous, and informed Opticom that contractual ambiguities always go to the favor of the party that did not write the contract. They informed Opticom that theadditional six months tacked onto the end of the three year contract should be credited back to me. Opticom disagreed and ignored the PSC ruling.Opticom has since turned me over to collection and has refused to negotiate. I find that very distasteful. In addition, I have since found that another business who also signed up with the same plan at about the same time as I did did not get charged the additional 6 months.Desired Settlement: I want Opticom to honor the ruling of the PSC and credit back to me the unwarranted charges. In addition, I want my credit report to not be affected.

Business

Response:

We have resolved this with Rich by giving him credit for the disputed amount and he approved this decision.

Thanks

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Several weeks ago [redacted] from Montana Opticom called me and asked if I would drop my complaint to the FCC if they eliminated the charges against me. I assented, and she said she would talk to someone and get back to me. No one has, so I can't say for sure if indeed the charges have been eliminated. Actually, I'm still being billed $122.77 for account BBOZ, a discontinued email account.