| Earthlink trying to say I'm on contract when I shouldn't be. So a few months before ATT added the bandwidth caps I switched to Earthlink DSL..
When I started to look into a alternative to ATT I spent a good week or 2 chatting with online and phone reps.
I made sure to ask a few things that I was worried about.
First being the auto bill pay which I finally got them to say I would be able to switch to paper/check billing (+$2 extra fee for that...)
Then also I would not need to be in a contract since I would be providing my own modem...
I'm now looking into switching to another provider as I can get a better deal for faster internet through TWC (A co-workers brother is a sales rep who is getting me a pretty good deal.).
So I do the online chat with Earthlink as I couldn't find much useful info from the website about my service. He tells me there that I am in a 12 month contract with 203 days left and if i wanted out now I would have a $90 ETF...
I explained to him multiple times that I was told on multiple different occasions that I would not be in a contract as I did not need to have a modem supplied by them. He then said he wouldn't be able to help me with my issue to contact the phone support.
I'm about to do that now as I have about an hour before it closes. But has anyone had this issue and/or have advise for me ? |
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| So spent about 45min on the phone with them.
First rep said she couldn't remove my contract and would only lower the ETF to $45.
Asked for a supervisor .
She tried to tell me the same. I told her to review my original calls so they can go off that. She said they only keep recorded calls for a Quarter so my calls would not be saved anymore (lucky them...)
She said she would do the $45 ETF I told her that wasn't good enough and again said if they can lower it they can remove it. She wouldn't budge so I let her know I'd be contacting the BBB and my local attorney general's office.
She then quickly said she would waive the ETF and put a note on my account stating that if I cancel my service that I would not receive any form of ETF...
So in the end it worked out ok. Now to finish researching and see if I'm actually going to switch or not. |
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 Doctor OldsI Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
kudos:18 | reply to SnoT8282
said by SnoT8282:So a few months before ATT added the bandwidth caps I switched to Earthlink DSL..
When I started to look into a alternative to ATT I spent a good week or 2 chatting with online and phone reps.
I made sure to ask a few things that I was worried about.
First being the auto bill pay which I finally got them to say I would be able to switch to paper/check billing (+$2 extra fee for that...)
Then also I would not need to be in a contract since I would be providing my own modem...
I'm now looking into switching to another provider as I can get a better deal for faster internet through TWC
So I do the online chat with Earthlink as I couldn't find much useful info from the website about my service. He tells me there that I am in a 12 month contract with 203 days left and if i wanted out now I would have a $90 ETF...
I explained to him multiple times that I was told on multiple different occasions that I would not be in a contract as I did not need to have a modem supplied by them.
Huh, what does the Modem have to do with with the contract? You start "new" DSL service that has to be provisioned and the Modem is FREE being included as part of the Welcome Kit every new subscriber gets (regardless if you want it or not the modem price is built into the overall service price) the only cost is the shipping/handling of the Welcome Kit.
»www.earthlink.net/about/policies/isa.faces
quote:
If your Service is canceled by you or by EarthLink prior to the end of the fixed period in your billing plan, EarthLink will bill you the early termination fee set forth in your billing plan.
quote:
Changes to your DSL Service billing plan in months two through twelve may result in an early termination fee. Such changes may include (i) cancellation of your DSL Service, (ii) downgrading or changing your DSL Service to another EarthLink or PeoplePC Service, or (iii) if you move the DSL Service to a new location, change your local telephone company within the same location or discontinue your local telephone service within the same location.
Changes to your DSL Service billing plan in months two through twelve may result in an early termination fee. Such changes may include (i) cancellation of your DSL Service, (ii) downgrading or changing your DSL Service to another EarthLink or PeoplePC Service, or (iii) if you move the DSL Service to a new location, change your local telephone company within the same location or discontinue your local telephone service within the same location.
If you move your DSL Service or change your local telephone company and EarthLink can provide the DSL Service at the new location or on the new telephone line, you must pay a reactivation fee because this change requires a new installation; however, EarthLink will credit a portion of any early termination fee to your account providing you reactivate the DSL Service and begin a new billing plan within 60 days from the date you terminated the previous DSL Service. If EarthLink cannot provide the DSL Service in your new location on your new telephone line, you will be charged the early termination fee.
If you cancel your DSL Service account within the first 35 days from the shipping date of your EarthLink-provided Equipment, you must return your EarthLink-provided Equipment. EarthLink will mail you a shipping label upon cancellation and will not accept returns without an EarthLink-supplied shipping label. All EarthLink-provided Equipment returns must have an EarthLink supplied shipping label or they will be rejected.
If you cancel your account and return all EarthLink-provided Equipment in their original packaging (or equivalent) using an EarthLink supplied return shipping label within 35 days from the shipping date of your EarthLink-provided Equipment, EarthLink will refund certain fees incurred up to the cancellation date, excluding charges for certain usage, for example: international calls, directory assistance and other metered usage, applicable taxes or other governmental fees, shipping and handling.
The only benefit of bringing/supplying your own Modem with a new Earthlink DSL account is that provisioning can begin right after order placement instead of later after the Welcome Kit shipping.
quote:
19. ADDITIONAL TERMS FOR THE DSL SERVICE
This Section 19 explains the additional terms and conditions specific to the DSL Service. EarthLink charges a shipping and handling fee for shipping the DSL self-installation kit to you. The free DSL self-installation kit includes the software needed to begin using the DSL Service and the EarthLink-provided Equipment (DSL modem and filters). After your payment of the shipping and handling fee clears, EarthLink will begin the provisioning process which includes shipping the DSL self-installation kit to you. EarthLink recommends use of such EarthLink-provided Equipment in order to ensure proper ongoing support for the DSL Service; however, if you decide to use another provider's modem, the provisioning process will begin immediately after sign-up.
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What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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| reply to SnoT8282
I'm just going off what I was told. when I originally switched to Earthlink I was told if I supplied my own modem I would not need a contract. Not sure if it was a bait tactic at this point or not. But that's what I was told. |
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Doctor OldsI Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
kudos:18 | said by SnoT8282:I'm just going off what I was told. when I originally switched to Earthlink I was told if I supplied my own modem I would not need a contract. Not sure if it was a bait tactic at this point or not. But that's what I was told.
I've never heard that and I've been a customer for 14+ Years and you would think it would be something they discuss/explain on their policy/terms page yet nothing is there. However, I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything and never will. I also do not work for Earthlink.
Now old Bellsouth did offer what you are talking about, but never heard of Earthlink offering that at all to any subscribers as they all are on a initial 12 month contract. This applied regardless of you using/supply your own Modem. The Modem isn't what costs them much money, it is the provisioning of the line to get DSL signal to you and that has been why they have a 12 month contract in order to recover their high starting costs for line provisioning that they get charged by the Telco.
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What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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