Review by Overquoted 
UPDATED: 219 days ago
member for 220 days, 3 visits, last login: 216 days ago
 Seagoville,Dallas,TX
 $124 per month
 "Good internet tech support (over the phone) & cable techs; Reliable connection"
 "Potential dirty tricks"
 "Good internet service and tech support, but don't let a CS rep get away with inaccurate information or bad service"
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Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I've had a lot of mixed experiences with this company. I used to tell people Suddenlink was a pretty awesome cable company. Good speeds, not incredibly horrible prices, not much waiting for CS reps on the phone, and so on. However, customer service has declined over the years.
Last year in about June, I was offered a digital cable package. Two different CS reps told me it included digital tiers, only to later find out there were none. When I called a third time, I spoke with a rep who put me on a 'pro-rated' package. Part of the issue was another rep's insistence that my bill would be about $15 higher, even after going back to exactly what I had before the change (I'd been paying about $75-$80/month for expanded cable and high-speed net, apparently a left-over from the take-over of Cebridge that simply *couldn't* be put back). I ended up with expanded basic, digital cable, DVR, and 8mbit high-speed internet for about $107 post-taxes. Two or three months later, I get a bill that has gone up by $10 (someone had changed my package to charge me for DVR service).
...Which is where the dirty tricks come in. I ended up being bounced around a bit before a rep spoke with a supervisor about putting the pro-rated package back in place. Within a few days, I was noticing significantly reduced speed. I thought it was a technical issue, until I finally had the good sense to ask what internet speed I was *supposed* to be getting according to the tech's records. He said I was on the 1mbit plan. I end up tossed back to a CS rep and told I'd *always* been on the 1mbit plan. Needless to say, I did have a 'wtf' moment. Spoke to a second rep, was told that I'd been on the 8mbit in April or May (before the original change), and then to another rep, who finally figured out that I'd been put on the 1mbit a few days earlier.
Now, I can understand that maybe someone had the records off, or read them wrong. Whatever. But what burned was that I was put back on the 'pro-rated' package, about $10 less than normal, by dropping my internet package to a 1mbit without my knowledge or consent. And what's worse? The higher internet package was $15 more expensive, not $10.
Now, as the months have passed, my 'pro-rated' package has slowly disappeared until I'm paying a normal rate. No notifications that the package expired, or anything of that sort. Just a few extra dollars a month here and there (on top of overall additions that all customers get). I'm not really annoyed about that, as it's been almost a year since I had the package.
A new addition to Suddenlink's business is a search engine that captures text input. Where I used to be able to type 'newegg' directly into the address bar and have Google, via my browser, redirect me to newegg's website, now I end up redirected to the Suddenlink search engine, which tells me newegg isn't an address but has many suggestions for me. The disable button doesn't seem have an effect anymore (since I've been getting redirected in spite of it for several months). I'm a little concerned by that, as I want Google to redirect me to the actual website, not have Suddenlink redirect me to itself. It's a small annoyance, forcing a change in my behavior, just one that crops up every time I forget to add a .com or just use Google directly. If you haven't gotten used to using the Google/address bar method, then this isn't even a concern for you. Just disable it if it ever directs you, and you'll be fine.
All said, be nice to your reps and tech support. They're just doing a job like anyone else.
~~~ Getting price-quotes can often be misleading (just about every CS rep leaves out taxes and fees - you learn after the 2nd time it happens) and I've had more than one CS rep play with the numbers to convince me I was getting a cheaper bill than I was. Once your bill goes up (for whatever reason), it never goes down...just higher. When you call customer service or tech support (which is 24/7 AND all American), the wait isn't too long. I've probably been on hold longer just to make a doctor's appointment. CS reps are a mixed bag of extremely helpful and responsive, to underhanded and rude. Your basic CS tends to be either the former or just normal, bored CS. If you get a helpful rep, they are often offer normal Suddenlink packages that have recently gotten cheaper. Tech support (over the phone), however, tends to be very good. Mostly it's the lack of occasional rudeness, but it's also often their real desire to fix the problem. They've also recently gotten very good about not treating you like an idiot every time you call (the last several calls I've had with internet tech support, they took into account my familiarity with the whole process). Pricing is about average for what you get, though there's some lack in VOD (I'd have loved some premium channels' VOD). That said, with DSL and satellite becoming more of a presence, Suddenlink is becoming a bit pricey in comparison, depending on where you are in the country and what channels you're desiring. Speeds are usually consistent, but once you have a significant problem, you may end up having to figure out the problem yourself if the techs are at a loss (especially if you're the idiot who caused it). That said, once they've figured out why there's a problem, Suddenlink is very prompt in fixing it. They send techs out on Saturdays, send them out on less than a day's notice of the problem, and so on. Upgrades to download speeds don't prompt higher fees. Several years of service (however long it's been since the Cebridge take-over) and I've had, until the last 7-10 months, a great run with the company. And since individual results vary, chances are you'll have an okay experience with them yourself. They seem to be trying. ~~~
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