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auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

[Troubles] Sheridan, AR - Paying for 12 mbps getting .21 mbps

I like in Sheridan Arkansas, Grant County, which is about 40 miles south of Downtown Little Rock. I could throw a rock and hit the windstream building in my area. Currently I pay 52.99 a month for 12mbps. From about 2am-10am I get 12mbps and love it. From 10am-4pm and get about 6mbps and I can live with that. From 4pm-2am I get speeds ranging from a max of 1mbps to as low as .07mbps and yes I mean .07 and not even .7, while my upload speed is an ever constant .61mbps.

I have called many, many times over the last 6 months since we upgraded from 3 to 12. At first the issue was that we had not been 'turned up' correctly and had only been upped to 6. They fixed that but the problem in the evenings persists.

I was told by a CS rep to call every day if I ever wanted any credits on my bill or if I ever wanted it to be fixed. When I asked why I should have to spend so much of my time trying to get the service I am paying for she just told me that it was the way things worked.

Starting about 3 months ago I was told this was a known issue in my area and that there was no date for it to be fixed. A month ago I was told the issue was resolved and that it had to be my problem. The next day a tech came out and told me that there was still the same issue and that there was a scheduled upgrade in my area for the end of October. I called tonight and was told they have no issue on record but the tech did acknowledge that the higher packet loss when my modem was not plugged into my computer did mean it wasn't my hardware causing this issue.

Granted I have not called everyday. I don't have time to go through their script every single night because they can't provide me the service I am paying for and was told I would receive. I do however call about once a week. I am giving them until November 1 to have started to repair this issue and then I am filing complaints with the Arkansas Attourny General the BBB and the FTC. Maybe then they will get their act together.

It sickens me how many people here probably do not realize they are being ripped off. From experience there are many people in this area that are not tech savvy at all and probably don't know better or even that a speed test is something you can do for yourself.

Here is a test. 10:14pm local time on October 22,2012 (an hour after I called tech support today.)


auraxoxo

auraxoxo

Anon

Re: [Troubles] Sheridan, AR - Paying for 12 mbps getting .21 mbp

Blazing speed tonight at 9:02 pm




Only upside is the 52.99 Windstream credited me today after 40 mins on the phone talking to three people explaining the "known" issue and finally having someone actually check for this latency block issue with the technicians. They still assure me it will be fixed by October 30... We will see.
auraxoxo

auraxoxo to auraxoxo

Anon

to auraxoxo
Wow, now this I can live with. Multiple tests, never below 3 mbps and pings all below 80. Average 5 mbps. Maybe they really did fix it. Will be watching but pleased to have a good connection tonight at 10 pm.


auraxoxo

auraxoxo to auraxoxo

Anon

to auraxoxo
Back to breaking my my heart I jinxed myself by thinking it might be fixed after 2 night at 4 mbps during peak (33% of what I pay for but it was good enough) Now 9:30 pm




Why do you do me this way Windstream. Remember you said no later than 10-30-12 to have me running right. 5 days and counting then I start submitting some complaints.
pabloAR
join:2010-12-30

pabloAR to auraxoxo

Member

to auraxoxo
Hi. see that you are also in Arkansas. have you tried working through the state's attorney general's office -- consumer affairs-- "got your back Arkansas" (google that term) program?

it might help... just explain what's going on; what you pay for; what you get... what you've been told; what's really going on...

good luck,
Pablo

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

I am giving them until Nov 1st since I have been told by several people that it will be fixed by Oct 30 at the latest. After that I am going to start contacting the AG, FCC OR FTC and file a complaint.

I have it on record with a technician that it is not my hardware causing this so they can't try and use the old 'it's your computer/software/virus' they like to throw in their complaint replies. My packet loss was over 3 times higher when the router wasn't hooked up to anything. So it's either their service or their equipment which is only just a year old.

I have noticed my window of terrible speeds seems to be shrinking so maybe updates are in progress as we speak. Now I only get really bad speeds from like 6pm-11pm instead of 4pm-3am.

9:01pm - less than 2% of my purchases speed


Maar
join:2009-04-09
Story, AR

Maar

Member

I am in Arkansas also and just passed the 2 year mark since my first complaint regarding over subscription. This area was "promised" a fiber upgrade in December 2010 that was to be complete by September 2011. I followed up every 3 months or so and was told each time that the upgrade was on schedule. I spoke with Amanda in their complaint dept. on August 3rd 2011 and asked once more if the Sept. 9th date was still on schedule. She assured me that everything was going as planned. Then on August 29th (less than 2 weeks from when the upgrade was to be complete) Windstream called me to inform me that NOTHING had been worked on and my area would be "reevaluated" in 2013.

So don't fall for their bullshit like I did, because if they are good at anything, it is telling lies. If you have another ISP, switch immediately. If not, then your just as screwed as PabloAR and I. So start filing complaints now. You are in for a long fight with this cheap ass company. Good luck.

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

9:05 pm



I don't know if it is just lucky but like I said my window of terrible service is shrinking it is now slow from 6-12 instead of for 12 hours a day. I am hoping they are working on it.

I don't have any on to switch to, but I will say this, for as long as this problem persists I will be calling every month and getting a bill credit and after Oct 30 I will be filing complaints.
auraxoxo

auraxoxo

Anon

at 1:00pm on Sunday...


auraxoxo

auraxoxo

Anon

10:30pm on a Sunday




This is getting even more ridiculous than usual.
auraxoxo

auraxoxo

Anon

It is now 7:45 on October 30th - the day I was told was the latest it would be for the fix of the latency block in my area.




On the phone now asking why I am still getting less than 2% of my purchased speeds

Anon
@windstream.net

Anon

Anon

I live in sheridan as well and have noticed this issue for over 3 years now. Dramatic drop in speeds and extremely high latency during peak hours. I've attempted several times to contact and let them know but after hearing the same bs of a brighter day i became aware of how futile my complaints were.

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

Also I wonder why my thread is ignored by the Windstream presence here? GA seems to get responses and KY why no response for those of us in AR?
auraxoxo

auraxoxo to Anon

Anon

to Anon
I called Nov 1st and asked why an issue I was told would be fixed on Oct 30 at the latest had still not been resolved. The tech guy told me that maybe something they fixed made other things need to be fixed and now that there was no date for this to be resolved. I will be calling and getting my bill adjusted every since month until it has been fixed.

Here is 11:54pm on Sat Nov 3




9% of purchased speeds.

mlwynn
@ar.us

mlwynn

Anon

I too live in Sheridan and have been geting blazing speeds of less than 1 Mb/s. I'm doing great if I can get a half a Mb/s. I'm sick of dealing with Windstream. My wife is working on her Masters degree on line but the speed is so slow she has to go to McDonalds to use their wifi. We need to come up with a combined effort to combat this problem.
SynMonger
Premium Member
join:2012-07-04
Thornton, AR

SynMonger to auraxoxo

Premium Member

to auraxoxo
I'm about 30 minutes south in Thornton (a few minutes from Fordyce). We are also getting the terrible latency and low throughput during peak hours, and have been for the last two years.

We've put in a complaint with the consumer protection division of the Attorney General office. If you feel like you've taken this as far as you can with Windstream, you may want to consider this as the next course of action.

You can find the site by googling for gotyourbackarkansas.

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

As usual Saturday at 8:30pm




Blazing at about 4% of purchased speeds.

Though I will say that as far as I can tell the window for terrible speeds has gotten smaller. More like 6 instead of 12. It's only too bad those 6 hours on the ones when I actually want to use my internet service.
ThatRandom13
join:2012-11-11

ThatRandom13 to auraxoxo

Member

to auraxoxo
This issue will never be fixed, WindStream is so unreliable. I've had this ISP for 2 years and it has never been good, I've made multiple calls over these past years, obviously nothing has worked so i gave up. Oh and i made an account just to tell you this.
»www.speedtest.net/result ··· 8849.png speedtest at 2:55pm
jin17
join:2012-01-15
Hazard, KY

1 edit

jin17 to auraxoxo

Member

to auraxoxo
sounds like you're not getting fast and reliable service to me.
Is that not what windstream offers?

I don't understand how these companies can lie to their customers and get away with it.
Everyone just sits around and does nothing...

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

I called WS tech support last night when my internet got so slow that I couldn't even stay connected. I unplugged my modem and restarted it and was getting 19 kbps.

I feel bad every time I have to call tech support because they can't do anything about it. but if I don't call I won't be able to get a credit. The call started out with her telling me that a latency outage was reported in my area on Oct 30. For those of you following along you know I was promised by three different people, all in different departments that my outage would be fixed no later than Oct 30. My reaction was not a happy one.

The mind boggles at how Windstream justifies their policies and lies and how they are just allowed to do this to people. If I told them I would pay my bill when my service was fixed and didn't call every month for a credit, I would be disconnected and they would surely come after me in collections, yet I have to call at least once a week to keep my ticket open and to ask them not to make me pay full price for a service I am not even receiving.

I have called no less than 20 times and yet I only have 1 open ticket even though my issue has never been resolved. Now they are trying to claim the outage started the day it was supposed to be fixed.

For what it is worth the tech people are always polite and I have no doubt they are just as tired as I am of the run around Windstream gives its customers since they are the ones who have to deal with the frustrated people who just want to get what they are paying for.

I wish I had any other choice for internet than this company.

uraslackerto
@windstream.net

uraslackerto

Anon

Having the same troubles with windstream dsl. Live just outside sheridan, Ar. in the center grove area. I am calling support in the morning to complain. I wish there was another service.

auraxoxo
@windstream.net

auraxoxo

Anon

I'm back. Not that my service ever improved but there is only so many times you can beat your head against a brick wall before you knock yourself out.

Once someone from windstream said that speedtest.net isn't accurate which is sad for them because it is usually faster than any of the other speed test sites.

It is bad enough that my connection is never stable. My green internet light always blinks and it's not always rapid and I lose connection all the time, but tonight speedtest gives me a .31mbps after a reset. speedtest.windstream.net gives me a whopping, super fast 54kbps out of the 12mbps I am supposed to pay them for. What's more my line is only showing a possible total of 8.8mbps tonight even though I am subscribed for 12. Good news my upload speed which I never use is more than double what it is supposed to be...

I just got off the phone with them after hearing the same old "latency outage in your area" and the old "no repair date scheduled" spiel that the business end pretends not too see in my file every time I call for a bill credit which they eventually give me after arguing with me for 40 minutes about not seeing an outage in my area and seeing all my tickets as resolved even though I have NEVER given the okay that any of my issues have been fixed.

Honestly I only keep calling tech support once or twice a week when it gets so slow I can't even load a single page so that I can get my bill credit because I know it is never going to be fixed, not after tech phone, tech ground, customer service and billing all told me my repair would be done no later than Oct 30th only to call Nov 2nd and be told maybe when they fixed whatever was scheduled that it made other stuff stop working, then the next week was told there is no record of repairs or a date for it to happen.

I know the phone people don't control that but whoever makes the calls about all this misinformation at Windstream is a liar and a despicable human being that I would gladly offer a swift kick in the behind as recompense for services rendered by this company. If they didn't have a monopoly in rural areas I have no doubt they would either have to clean up their act or go out of business because no one would stay with this disgrace of a company if they had any other choice.
auraxoxo

auraxoxo

Anon

At 2AM



2am ...really.... this stinks.

uraslackerto
@comcastbusiness.net

uraslackerto

Anon

I talked to a different person today, they are supposed to look into the issue. we shall see.
borisbadenov
join:2005-12-05
Barbourville, KY

borisbadenov

Member

good luck keep your expectations low

mlwynn
@ar.us

mlwynn to auraxoxo

Anon

to auraxoxo
I have called numerous times just wanting a date to correct the problem. The latest date was 2/28/12. The web site to file a complaint is »gotyourbackarkansas1-px. ··· trk.com/ I understand that their CEO Jeff Gardner does NOT like customers complaining to him personaly. His mailing address is: 4001 Rodney Parham, Little Rock, AR 72212. If anyone can get his email address please post it. It's time to take Windstream on and make them feel it instead of them just taking our money every month. Everyone file the complaint with the AG's office and write or hopefully email Jeff Gardner if we can get thi email address.

Liv
@windstream.net

Liv

Anon

This is the thing everyone needs to file with their states attorney general. I have contacted mine and they are sending out the forms, which btw I asked if I could copy and give them out locally. They said that was fine as long as everyone fills their own out. So my advice become proactive and do the same, get the papers make copies go to your neighbors your local businesses the people in your small towns that have windstream and have them fill them out.

I am going to collect them all and mail them back in a big ole package.

xsbell
join:2008-12-22
Canada

xsbell to mlwynn

Member

to mlwynn
said by mlwynn :

I have called numerous times just wanting a date to correct the problem. The latest date was 2/28/12. The web site to file a complaint is »gotyourbackarkansas1-px. ··· trk.com/ I understand that their CEO Jeff Gardner does NOT like customers complaining to him personaly. His mailing address is: 4001 Rodney Parham, Little Rock, AR 72212. If anyone can get his email address please post it. It's time to take Windstream on and make them feel it instead of them just taking our money every month. Everyone file the complaint with the AG's office and write or hopefully email Jeff Gardner if we can get thi email address.

Judging by how all of their other addresses are formatted, it's probably firstname.lastname@windstream.com

William Bellando is another guy people should be pestering.

Windstream
Premium Member
join:2009-03-31
Twinsburg, OH

Windstream to auraxoxo

Premium Member

to auraxoxo
We apologize that you are having problems with your service. If you would like us to investigate, please join DSLReports and send us a PM with the phone number your DSL service is under, visit us at our Direct Support Forum »Windstream Direct or send us the information to the email address in our signature. We'll take a look and be in touch.
Patricia
Support Specialist II
Broadband Tier II

mlwynn
@windstream.net

mlwynn to auraxoxo

Anon

to auraxoxo
I think I'll mosey on down to the local paper and see about taking a full page ad out to give everyone in Sheridan the web address for the place to file a complaint with the AG office. Usuckbell, I've tried the email format for Jeff gardner's email and it don't work. Would love to know his email address to include in the ad.