Wireless / Mobile > Wireless Users Chat > Question: How do these people stay in business???

Question: How do these people stay in business???

What company is this?

Partnership Broadband....North Texas

Thought I was on the thread when I replied...

Newbie here.

reply to StilettoRed
The BBB is a hardly a source I would consider in company dealings.

Many WISP's (including us) are backlogged for a long time with installations. I will be the first to say sometimes it takes at least a week for me to call people back about new service depending.

I for one would like to hear the gruesome details.

What exactly do you expect them to refund?

I don't see where their website contradicts what you are saying - they just haven't included all the details. You actually made out in that you weren't charged the $200 in addition to the "equipment rental" $10 a month for equipment rental is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. $60 a year for free equipment replacement is again reasonable although I would think it would make more sense to spread the $60 out and make the rental more per month.

reply to StilettoRed
I am with Skybeam Texas, an alternative to partnership wireless. If you like I would be available to sit down with you to discuss your needs and see if our service would be available to you. Please either PM me on here or reply and we can make arrangements through another medium. Thank You.

reply to wirelessdog
The BBB is a hardly a source I would consider in company dealings.

...and why do you hold that opinion?

Many WISP's (including us) are backlogged for a long time with installations. I will be the first to say sometimes it takes at least a week for me to call people back about new service depending.

Perhaps you should reread my post... I was not complaining about the installation time frame, it was the service, or in this case lack of service after the sale.

I for one would like to hear the gruesome details.

It was nothing more than a series of phone calls in which I requested help to identify and fix the problem and their promise of a tech returning my call which never happpened.

What exactly do you expect them to refund?

Perhaps you should revisit their website.... it states a 30 day money back guarantee.

I don't see where their website contradicts what you are saying - they just haven't included all the details.

The devil is in the details... it could be construed as a deceptive trade practice. What is so difficult about updating the website when the terms and conditions of the agreement change? Simply posting the contract would suffice. In my mind their failure to update the terms typifies the shoddy operation they are running.

You actually made out in that you weren't charged the $200 in addition to the "equipment rental" $10 a month for equipment rental is perfectly acceptable in my opinion.

Your bias and short sightedness is showing. The point is I expected to pay the $200 installation charge and not a $10 monthly rental fee. $200 is a one time fee....$10 a month goes on forever.

$60 a year for free equipment replacement is again reasonable although I would think it would make more sense to spread the $60 out and make the rental more per month.

Its called a cost of doing business... I will take my chances that God will be kind to me, and not strike my antenna with lightning.

reply to Skybeam
I would be available to sit down with you to discuss your needs and see if our service would be available to you.

Your website indicates service is not available in my area. I did leave my name and address on the web reply should it become available.

reply to StilettoRed
"It was impossible to get them to answer questions by email when I was considering the service."

"Against my better judgement, which I stated to the girl to whom I was speaking, I asked to have the service installed. "

"I was not complaining about the installation time frame, it was the service, or in this case lack of service after the sale."

Contradictions speak for themselves.

Again, what exactly have you paid? You didn't pay the $200 installation. What do you expect them to refund?

This appears to be the typical customer that shows up with unreasonable expectations, knows everything and can do no wrong.

That being said you have no idea what the "cost of doing business" is.

The BBB is very biased. Google it. I'm sure if they responded to frivolous complaints that people like you make and paid the money to become affiliated with the BBB they would have an A+ rating. There are large cable companies that sport "F" ratings that literally have thousands of satisfied customers. Then there are companies like Paypal that have an excellent BBB rating with literally thousands of unsatisfied customers.

We're obviously no getting the entire picture here. My guess? You pissed off the wrong person at the company and now nobody will return your calls. Face it, when you use terms like "I also bitched about the..." you obviously didn't make any friends.

Contradictions speak for themselves.

What contradictions? My statements are consistent with my experience as I related them prior to having the service installed.

Again, what exactly have you paid? You didn't pay the $200 installation. What do you expect them to refund?

You really don't get it do you. There is a monthly service charge that I paid, for which i received approximately 20 to 30 minutes of service.

This appears to be the typical customer that shows up with unreasonable expectations, knows everything and can do no wrong.

Huh,..... and here you are sitting behind a computer having no first hand knowledge of the situation and have the audacity to make assertions about an issue of which you know nothing.

That being said you have no idea what the "cost of doing business" is.

Another assertion with no basis in fact.

The BBB is very biased. Google it.

I did, and I found this article that speaks to online business. After reading it, I might tend to agree with you and there may be some basis for your premise. However, without researching it to a greater degree I choose not to take a position. If I might make a suggestion, there was a portion of the article that you might pay particular attention to, the "proactive better solution" section of the article.

»www.searchengineguide.com/david-···ived.php

I'm sure if they responded to frivolous complaints that people like you make

Another imaginative assertion..... when you are in the service business and don't provide service or timely communications relative to a no service issue, the complaints are not frivolous, and if you take that attitude with your customers I feel sorry for them.

There are large cable companies that sport "F" ratings that literally have thousands of satisfied customers.

How large a cable company are we talking about? I Googled "BetterBusiness Bureau cable companies" and within the first few returns I found:

»akron.bbb.org/codbrep.html?wlcl=···3&cons=y

Which contradicts your statement.

Then there are companies like Paypal that have an excellent BBB rating with literally thousands of unsatisfied customers.

I Googled "Better Business Bureau Pay Pal" again among the first few returns I find this article which once more contradicts your statement.

»news.cnet.com/2100-1017-251418.html

We're obviously no getting the entire picture here. My guess? You pissed off the wrong person at the company and now nobody will return your calls. Face it, when you use terms like "I also bitched about the..."

You guessed wrong.... again, I stated my dissatisfaction to the installer when he gave me the contract to sign and at which time I made payment. He (installer) obviously has no control over company policy. Only when I cancelled the service did I express my dissatisfaction to an individual in the office, again someone who has no control over policy. I was never connected to a manager when requested, nor did a manager ever return my calls.... the crux of the problem.

you obviously didn't make any friends.

And you all knowing, WIFI guru and thread deity IMO have some deep seated prejudices and short comings when dealing with your customers that are revealed in your posts. When you are in the service business complaints go with the territory. Sometimes they are deserved, and sometimes not. Regardless every complaint should be evaluated from the perspective of cause, justification, resolution, and what I can do better to improve performance (which reduces complaints.) Good communication goes a long way in reducing complaints. Had there been any communication and follow-up (that means a response to my request) I may still have been a customer of Partnership Broadband.

Unfortunately for your customers, your attitude toward complaints appears to be the same as Partnership's.

reply to StilettoRed
Well since you seem to answer questions like a politician I will answer this one for you:

Partnership's monthly service rate ranges from $39.95 to $89.95 plus the $9.95 equipment rental fee. I seriously doubt you were paying for the $89.95 plan so, lets say you have the base plan. They **may** owe you $50.

The cable company I was referring to is Atlantic Broadband. They are a fairly large company on the East Coast with several thousand customers. They have actually moved up from "F" to "D-" recently but here you go:

»www.bbb.org/pittsburgh/business-···4003970/

I think the fact PBB apparently has many thousand customers and only a very few negative reviews on this site speaks for itself.

Face it, there is obviously nothing they can do to salvage you as a customer. Why don't you head over to the Millenicom forum - if you have decent cell service in your area you can get them.

If you had taken the time to read through your posts the contradictions would be very clear.

Your attitude is the same that is seen here over and over and over again. Every time I investigate further it is very obvious where the problem lies and it is seldom with the ISP. Maybe that is why they are in no hurry to refund your money.