ViaSat, Inc.

Thank you for bringing [redacted]’s complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation might have caused.   On April 16, 2016, [redacted] created a new account as he was moving to a new location.  At the time a customer chooses to move their...

services, a new 24-month Customer Agreement is required. This is advised to each customer at the time of the new connect. Additionally, the Customer Agreement is electronically signed by customers during the service installation process.  An account cannot be established without the customer’s electronic signature.  Our records show [redacted]’s electronic signature on the Customer Agreement dated April 25, 2016.      [redacted] contacted ViaSat on August 2, 2017, to request the disconnection of his ViaSat account as he had alternate services.  During this conversation, [redacted] was educated on the disconnection process including the leased equipment return policy, and the early termination fees. Subsequently, on August 28, 2017, ViaSat collected $126.04 from [redacted] for the early termination fees.   Given this information, ViaSat does not agree to refund any charges collected for the early termination of his ViaSat account as these charges are valid.  As Ms. Gordon has returned his leased ViaSat equipment, no further charges shall occur on his account.   Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Well maybe you need to update your system because it was not due to me making payment twice because both times I called in and talked to a live person not one of your computes and fire the man who messed this whole issue up.
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We apologize for this confusion. The payment collected of $84.52 has been refunded and a stop payment has been confirmed with our finance department.  Mr. [redacted] should receive his refund in three to five business days. Thank you.

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] complaint to our attention. We apologize for any frustration he may have experienced with ViaSat.
The Customer Agreement signed by Mr. [redacted] on April 19, 2015 authorizes ViaSat to charge a credit card or initiate electronic funds transfers from a checking...

account for automatic payments for any fees, including monthly service fees, equipment lease fees, and early termination fees. The Customer Agreement also requires subscribers to commit to a 24-month minimum service term, and early termination fees will apply if service is canceled prior to the minimum service term. Customers are reminded of the early termination fees at the time they elect to disconnect prior to the expiration of the minimum service term.
Our records show Mr. [redacted] called ViaSat on January 20, 2016 to disconnect his account. During this conversation, Mr. [redacted] was reminded of his signed Customer Agreement, early termination fees, and equipment return requirements prior to his request being processed.
On February 20, 2016, ViaSat attempted to collect a payment of $128.79 in early termination fees, but the payment failed. Our review of the payment request shows that it was failed by Mr. [redacted] bank because the credit card number was invalid. On March 14, 2016, this balance was sent to an outside collections agency.
ViaSat received a call from Mr. [redacted] on March 28, 2016 regarding a collections notice he’d received, at which time he was reminded of the early termination fees and advised that the payment for them had failed. During this conversation, Mr. [redacted] was incorrectly advised that he could only make a payment for the balance due through the collections agency. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused him to experience.
As the charge of $28.33 is charged directly by the collections agency and is not collected by ViaSat, however, ViaSat will be unable to reimburse Mr. [redacted] for this amount. ViaSat did not report the delinquent balance to any credit reporting bureaus.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] complaint to our attention. The Customer Agreement provided to each new customer, and signed by Mr. [redacted] on December 5, 2017 and also available at exede.com/legal, commits each customer to a 24-month minimum service term, and states that early...

termination fees will apply if service is canceled prior to the expiration of the minimum service term.  Customers are advised of this commitment at the time of sale and are reminded of the early termination fees at the time they elect to disconnect prior to the expiration of the minimum service term.Our records show Mr. [redacted] was receiving Viasat’s Unlimited Data Silver 25 service plan at $100 a month, plus Viasat’s EasyCare program at $5.99 monthly, applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. The Unlimited Data Silver 25 service plan provides unlimited data usage at regular speeds up to 25 Mbps. The service is optimized for streaming at DVD quality or 480p.Viasat’s unlimited data service plans do not have a monthly data allowance. Pursuant to Viasat’s Unlimited Data Policy available at www.exede.com/legal, if a customer uses more than 150 GB of data during their monthly billing period, Viasat may prioritize their data behind other customers during network congestion, which will result in slower speeds. Starting on the first day of the customer’s monthly measurement period, all uploaded and downloaded data transmitted using Viasat Internet service will count towards the 150 GB threshold. At the end of the monthly measurement period, the data usage resets to zero. Customers are informed of this information when they select one of Viasat’s unlimited data plans, and it is addressed in Viasat’s Customer Agreement and Unlimited Data Policy  available at exede.com/legal.Due to the nature of satellite-based internet service, there are many variables that can affect speeds, including, weather at Viasat’s facilities or at the customer’s home, network congestion, a misconfigured home network or outdated computer equipment and software.   Because of these many variables, Viasat cannot guarantee any particular speed to you.  Viasat discloses at the point of sale and in its Customer Agreement that speeds may vary and are not guaranteed.On March 7, 2018, Mr. [redacted] contacted Viasat in regards to experiencing slow speeds. The Viasat representative assisting him rebooted his modem and advised that he had reached 150 GB, but that his usage would reset the next day. Mr. [redacted] requested information about his contract, and he was advised that he was still within contract.On March 12, 2018, Mr. [redacted] contacted Viasat in order to request a disconnection of services. He was offered troubleshooting by the Viasat representative assisting him, but Mr. [redacted] declined. The representative correctly advised Mr. [redacted] that Viasat does not provide a prorated refund for services regardless of when service is disconnected. The representative offered a $49.99 credit for the inconvenience Mr. [redacted] experienced with the previous representative, and Mr. [redacted] accepted.At this time, Viasat does not agree to waive the full early termination fee balance due to being unable to troubleshoot Mr. [redacted] service for issues, as required per the Customer Agreement. In order to bring this complaint to resolution, Viasat will agree to waive half of the balance of the early termination fees. Mr. [redacted] will still be responsible for approximately $150, not including any credit that he may have received. Viasat also does not agree to provide a prorated refund for services, as Mr. [redacted] was offered a future dated disconnect and declined the offer. If Mr. [redacted] has any further questions or concerns, he may contact Viasat’s 24-hour Customer Care department at 1-855-463-9333. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] complaint to our attention.Each customer has access to Viasat’s Customer Agreement at exede.com/legal.  New customers are provided a link to the Customer Agreement in the order confirmation email giving them the opportunity to review the Customer Agreement...

prior to service installation. Pursuant to the Customer Agreement, signed by Mr. [redacted] on February 13, 2015, customers are given the opportunity to terminate service by giving Viasat written or telephone notice.  The Customer Agreement states that Viasat does not accept notice of termination via email.Mr. [redacted] was responsible for returning Viasat’s modem and transceiver within 30 days after disconnection, or he would be subject to an unreturned equipment fee of $300.00, not including taxes, per the Customer Agreement.  A UPS box with a prepaid return shipping label should have been delivered to his home address within a week after his disconnection, and it includes return instructions.Mr. [redacted] first contacted Viasat in regards to disconnecting his services on September 17, 2015. At the time, he attempted to email Viasat’s support team in order to do so, and was advised to contact Viasat’s Customer Care department via phone. No contact was received.Mr. [redacted] emailed Viasat on October 5, 2015, again to request the disconnection of his services. The Viasat representative assisting Mr. [redacted] advised of contacting Customer Care and its hours. No contact was received from Mr. [redacted]. On October 6, 2017, Mr. [redacted] emailed Viasat to advise that he had believed this account to be closed out, and was again advised that he would need to contact Customer Care to disconnect his account.On November 30, 2017, Mr. [redacted] contacted Viasat to request disconnection of his services. The Viasat representative assisting him advised that a request could be made to refund the charges he had received since September 2016, as well as a request to waive the equipment charges. Both requests were correctly denied, per Viasat policy. On January 16, 2018, Mr. [redacted] was charged $300 for failure to return his leased equipment. Mr. [redacted] contacted Viasat to advise that he had been charged the amount, and stated that he had already returned the equipment. The Viasat representative escalated a request to have the amount refunded, which was correctly denied due to showing no equipment as returned. At this time, Viasat does not agree to refund the $300 charged for failure to return Viasat’s equipment, nor does it agree to refund the 6 months of charges incurred to Mr. [redacted]. Viasat believes that all proper actions have been taken in regards to Mr. [redacted] account. If he has any further questions or concerns, he may feel free to contact Viasat’s 24-hour Customer Care at ###-###-####.Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] rebuttal to our attention. In ViaSat’s previous reply, we informed Mr. [redacted] that his current connectivity issues were directly related to his breach in the Data Allowance Policy. As of today, May 12, 2016, Mr. [redacted] has used 17.9 GB of his 10 GB plan. Pursuant to the Data Allowance Policy, speeds may be slowed or restricted for a period of time when customers use their entire monthly system usage. This means that web pages and email will take significantly longer to load and most other internet activities will not work.  Between March 20, 2016 and April 20, 2016 (usage reset date), Mr. [redacted] used 45.7 GB of his purchased 10 GB plan. Mr. [redacted] usage is scheduled to reset on May 20, 2016. Mr. [redacted] services are also currently being affected by a weather outage. Due to the nature of satellite-based internet service, there are many variables that can affect speeds, such as weather at the gateway or customer’s home, network congestion, as well as the customer’s computer equipment.  Speeds can also be affected by programs that are running in the background, the router, and day-to-day activity. Mr. [redacted] does have the ability to transition his service plan, purchase additional usage (1 GB at $9.99), or utilize the Late Night Free Zone. If the Exede 10 GB plan is not a sufficient plan for Mr. [redacted], ViaSat’s new Liberty service plans are available in his area. The Liberty plans provide customers with a monthly Priority Data allowance with download speeds of up to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 3 Mbps, and a Liberty Pass, which offers customers download speeds up to 1-5 Mbps once they have exceeded their monthly Priority Data. The following plans are currently available to Mr. [redacted]: Liberty 12GB - $69.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Liberty 18GB - $ 99.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Liberty 30GB - $ 149.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Liberty 12 GB Boost 25 – WiFi, $79.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Liberty 18 GB Boost 25 – WiFi, $109.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Liberty 30 GB Boost 25 – WiFi, $159.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Essential 10 GB Boost 25 WiFi - $59.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee.Essential 10 GB - $49.99 a month, plus applicable taxes and a $9.99 monthly equipment lease fee. Since his installation on October 12, 2012, ViaSat has been to Mr. [redacted] location on eight separate occasions to resolve his connectivity issues: June 5, 2013 – Modem replaced, $95.00 DiscountDecember 4, 2013 – Quality of Installation Inspection, $95.00 Discount December 16, 2014 – Dish Repeaked and Pointed, $95.00 Discount September 24, 2015 - Dish Repeaked and Pointed, $95.00 DiscountNovember 7, 2015 - Dish Repeaked and Pointed, $30.00 DiscountJanuary 20, 2016 – Wiring replaced, Dish Grounded, Speed Tests performed (10 Mbps download), $95.00 Discount April 6, 2016 – Performance Follow Up, No charge May 4, 2016 – Dish  replaced, No charge Mr. [redacted] account was flagged this year on our Poor Performance Installation List (PPIL) and therefore, on April 6, 2016, a ViaSat technician went to Mr. [redacted] home to determine the issues he may have been experiencing. Since installation, Mr. [redacted] has been credited a total of $924.82 as a gesture of good faith due to his service issues. Provided this information, ViaSat believes this complaint has been resolved, and does not agree to provide Mr. [redacted] with any further service credits. Mr. [redacted] may contact ViaSat’s customer service department if he feels our services are not meeting his needs and wishes to disconnect his ViaSat account. ViaSat’s 24-Hour customer service department may be contacted at [redacted].Thank you.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:This company in their response has shown that there is a problem with their service. A customer has to call and complain this many times is ridiculous. It's funny that they did not indicate the severity of the issues until we pointed it out in our last response. They didn't tell you that before they tested service they gave additional data in plan to see if that was the issue. They determined that service was still poor even with sufficient data and me going over wasn't t the issue. In fact service was slow on blue sky days also. They also stated on taped line that other customers in area were experiencing the same problem that WASN'T weather related. I'm am requesting a transcript of all recorded conversations between myself and this company for this account. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for bringing Ms. [redacted]’s complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologized for any confusion or frustration this situation might have caused. The Customer Agreement signed by Ms. [redacted] on February 25, 2012 states that monthly service and lease fees are payable in advance.  Customers...

are also made aware of this at the time of the sale.  Ms. [redacted] contacted ViaSat on April 28, 2017 to request the disconnection of her ViaSat account. During this conversation, Ms. [redacted] was educated on the disconnection disclosures including the equipment return policy. On this same date, ViaSat collected $60.68 from Ms. [redacted] for the advance monthly services.  In order to bring this complaint to resolution, ViaSat will agree to refund Ms. [redacted] the $60.68 collected on April 28, 2017. The refund of $60.68 was issued to the payment method on file as of May 2, 2017. The refund should be received by Ms. [redacted] within three to five business days. If Ms. [redacted] has any additional questions or concerns, please have contact ViaSat’s 24-hour Customer Service at [redacted].Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

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

Thank you for bringing [redacted] complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. ViaSat understands that [redacted] moved and experienced some issues getting the service moved to the new location as there was no installers in that area. In February 2016...

ViaSat placed a sales channel change which means [redacted] account was moved directly to ViaSat so they could send a technician to the new location. This did not happen as [redacted] believed that his account was discontented in January 2016. ViaSat shows no documentation supporting the account being disconnected in January. [redacted] account remained active as of today June 22, 2016. ViaSat has now disconnected the account as of today June 22, 2016 and made sure that the early termination fees were waived and the balance on the account was removed leaving [redacted] a $0 balance. At this time [redacted] will receive a prepaid shipping label and box to send back two pieces of equipment. This equipment must be returned within 20 days of receiving the label and box in order to avoid any future charges to the account. Thank you for allowing ViaSat the opportunity to respond.

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] complaint to our attention. We apologize for any frustration he may have experienced with ViaSat.
The Customer Agreement, signed by Mr. [redacted] on January 17, 2015 and available at exede.com/legal, states that customers are responsible for returning...

ViaSat’s modem and transceiver within 30 days after their disconnection. Failure to return this equipment will result in an unreturned equipment fee of $300.00, not including taxes. Customers are reminded of this when they choose to disconnect their service, and ViaSat supplies customers with a prepaid UPS box with illustrated instructions for the return of this equipment. This box is typically delivered to a customer’s home address, or a shipping address of their choosing, within a week after the disconnection of the account.
Our records show Mr. [redacted] called ViaSat March 16, 2016 to disconnect his account, at which time he was reminded of his signed Customer Agreement, the early termination fees, and the equipment return requirements. Per his request, a service call was ordered for Mr. [redacted] so a technician could assist him with the removal of the transceiver, and scheduled for March 24, 2016.
ViaSat’s technician went out to Mr. [redacted] home on March 24, 2016, as scheduled; however, Mr. [redacted] was not home. Mr. [redacted] called ViaSat on March 25, 2016 to reschedule his appointment to March 26, 2016.
Once again, the ViaSat technician went out to Mr. [redacted] home, at which time it was determined that the technician did not have a high enough ladder to reach Mr. [redacted] roof. When the technician advised Mr. [redacted] that he would have to pay for the technician to rent a higher ladder, he refused. ViaSat’s technicians are not required to carry 32’ ladders. Mr. [redacted] was advised that he would be charged for not returning the transceiver if it was unable to be removed. The service call was rescheduled for March 29, 2016.
On March 29, 2016, ViaSat’s technician went back out to Mr. [redacted] home, at which time he was able to successfully remove the transceiver from the dish and delivered to Mr. [redacted] to ship back to ViaSat.
We apologize for any frustration Mr. [redacted] may have experienced. We feel the resolution previously agreed to and the actions taken by ViaSat adequately address Mr. [redacted] complaint.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Per ViaSat’s previous reply the refund was issued and should have been received within three to five business days. However, due to the holiday, the refund was issued on January 6, 2015. ViaSat stands behind our previous reply that we will waive half of the early termination fees of approximately $105, not including taxes. The early termination fees will therefore be approximately $52.50, not including taxes. This charge will occur on January 28, 2016. We believe this is an applicable and reasonable response. Thank you!

Thank you for bringing Ms. [redacted] complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused.  Ms. [redacted] contacted ViaSat on May 13, 2016 to request the disconnection of her ViaSat account. During this conversation, Ms. [redacted] was...

advised that the account was disconnected; however, due to a system error the account remained active.  Upon receipt of Ms. [redacted] Revdex.com complaint, ViaSat looked into the error occurring while attempting to disconnect her account. This error has since been resolved, and her account has been disconnected as of today, July 29, 2016. Additionally, the past due balance of $112.28 has been waived, and is not owed by Ms. [redacted]. Her account has not been sent to any outside collections agencies, and when her bill cycles on August 20, 2016; her account balance will be zero.  Again, we apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Complaint: 11032579
I am rejecting this response because:
Problem:We started with Viastat under the agreement that we would not be under any form of contract. The sales person told me several times confirming it that we would not have a contract. Come to find out, when I did try to cancel this awful service, that we are locked in for 2 years and would have to pay $150.00. I would like out of my "contract" that I never agreed to in any shape or form. We have had this service unplugged for 2 months since it just slows down out cell phones when internet is on. I just want out and I don't believe we should have to pay anything if they honor our original agreement.Desired Outcome:Cancel service at no charge
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for bringing [redacted] complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologize for any confusion or frustration this situation may have caused. The Customer Agreement signed by [redacted] on March 02, 2008 states that monthly fees are payable in advance.  Customers are also made aware of this...

at the time of the sale.  Regarding the charges to [redacted] ViaSat account, ViaSat attempted collected an advanced payment for the monthly services on February 4, March 4, and April 4, 2016. However, each time ViaSat was unsuccessful at collecting these payments. On January 18, 2016 [redacted] contacted ViaSat to discuss moving her ViaSat outdoor unit. During this conversation, the representative advised [redacted] that she would need to upgrade her services from WildBlue to Exede in order to get a technician to her location. [redacted] declined this offer and advised the representative that she would hold off on upgrading her services and obtaining a service call, but would call back at a later date. ViaSat received contact from [redacted] again regarding the moving of her ViaSat outdoor unit on February 12, 2016. Again, during this conversation [redacted] was advised that she would need to upgrade her account; however, she once again declined this offer. On March 7, 2016 [redacted] contacted ViaSat to discuss the disconnection of her ViaSat account as she believed it was to have been disconnected prior to this date. During her conversation with the representative, [redacted] was advised that a goodwill credit would be applied to her account for the $86.55. Due to an error, [redacted] ViaSat account was not properly disconnected at this time and subsequently leaving a remaining balance on [redacted] account for $86.94. In order to bring resolution to this complaint, ViaSat has applied a goodwill credit of $86.94 to [redacted] account. This will bring [redacted] account balance to zero and no further charges shall occur. If [redacted] as any additional questions or concerns regarding her ViaSat account, please have her contact ViaSat 24-Hour Customer Service Department at [redacted]. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

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

Thank you for bringing Mr. [redacted] complaint to ViaSat’s attention. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. At the point of sale, customers are advised that the speed of service is not guaranteed and may vary. Due to the nature of satellite-based internet service, there are...

many variables that can affect speeds, such as weather at the gateway or customer’s home, network congestion, as well as the customer’s computer equipment. Speeds can also be affected by programs that are running in the background, the router, and day-to-day activity. During “peak periods,” subscribers may experience slower download speeds depending on the congestion of ViaSat’s network. Customers are made aware of ViaSat’s Data Allowance Policy, and the 24-month minimum service term agreement at the time of sale. Each of these points are also addressed in the customer agreement signed by you on March 19, 2016 and available at exede.com/legal. We apologize if you feel these points were not communicated to your satisfaction. In order to arrive at a resolution, Mr. [redacted] spoke with ViaSat’s Corporate Care team on March 26, 2016 and they agreed to waive Mr. [redacted] early termination fees. Mr. [redacted] will still be responsible for sending back the two required pieces of equipment that was discussed at the time of disconnection. Should Mr. [redacted] have any questions or concerns he can contact customer care at any time 866-945-3258. Thank you for allowing ViaSat the opportunity to respond. Tell us why here...

Thank you for bringing that Mr. [redacted]’s rebuttal our attention. We apologize for any frustration he may have experienced with ViaSat’s Data Allowance Policy. In ViaSat’s previous response, we stated that Mr. [redacted] was receiving the Exede 25 GB plan. We apologize that the pricing provided was incorrect. Additionally, as stated, ViaSat created the data usage meter for customers to monitor their monthly data allowance and provide them the information necessary to manage their data usage and stay within the data limits of their service plan. ViaSat consistently measures customer’s data usage and provides customer’s access to view his or her data usage through ViaSat’s data usage meter available at www.myexede.net. Consecutively, Mr. [redacted] has gone over his monthly usage allotment of 25 GB the last two months; January and February. In January, Mr. [redacted] used 47.5 GB of his 25 GB plan.  As of today, February 22, 2017, Mr. [redacted] has used 30.3 GB of his 25 GB plan and his usage is scheduled to reset on March 01, 2017. Upon review of Mr. [redacted]’s account, ViaSat determined that the usage was consumed by web browsing, other traffic (software updates, secure networks, and generic traffic), social networking, marketplaces (app stores, and eReaders) and media. Further, since December 2014, on fifty nine separate occasions, additional gigabytes have been added to Mr. [redacted]’s account due to the breech in the data allowance policy. In response to this complaint, ViaSat escalated Mr. [redacted]’s account concern internally to ensure that his data usage meter is working properly. As of February 22, 2017, ViaSat has not found any issues with Mr. [redacted]’s data usage meter. If Mr. [redacted] continues to experience issues with his usage we advise him to look into the programs that are running in the background, whether his router is secure, and to check his day to day activities. If Mr. [redacted] would like to discuss his usage or transition his service to a plan that better meets his needs, he may contact ViaSat’s 24-hour Customer Service Department at [redacted].

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:If you weren't certain that Viasat2 would be available in my area in early February then you should not have told me that it would become available then, as was done twice: the first time during my initial call to Viasat, and the second time by the technician during the installation.Here is a forum thread of people who were up in arms as well after expecting to have Viasat-2 available to them due to false advertising/promises by Viasat:https://community.viasat.com/viasat/topics/wheres-viasat-2-it-is-well-int...⇄ it would seem I am not alone when it comes to having this issue.That you are willing to bend and waive half of my early termination fee indicates to me that you are at least accepting some responsibility, but what you really need to do is fully accept responsibility for your actions.
Sincerely,
[redacted]