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BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to GeNomer

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to GeNomer

Re: BHN price?

said by GeNomer:

I know in my area (Indianapolis) Ubee is the only one you can get from Bright House if you have turbo or lightning and you have phone, but I think that in other areas they might have an Arris available. I have a friend who has a Motorola surfboard that does his internet and an MTA (can't remember the type) for his phone and they are just split off the same outlet. So maybe they can do that too, but usually you don't want unnecessary splitters because they can cause problems with signal going to the modem.

This is also not correct. There are several brands available in each region depending on your level of service and even that doesn't matter. If you have been told otherwise it is not correct.

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

Thanks for setting us straight. For some reason an old SNL skit sort of comes to mind a bit though.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· Vx5gQz6w
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

4 edits

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by paradigmfl:

Thanks for setting us straight. For some reason an old SNL skit sort of comes to mind a bit though.

It shouldn't...

People tend to assume things when their personal experience is consistent so much so that they share such information with others thus perpetuating the experience or information whether it is correct or incorrect. Forums and the internet in general are flaming examples of such myths, rumors and simply bad information gone wild. I caution folks not to make assumptions based purely on their experience and even more so about something they read on the net or that was shared from a friend...especially as it applies to this industry because there's a ton of garbage out there.

If I correct your post it's to prevent the wrong information from being perpetuated any further because all such information does is serve to add further confusion and headaches for everyone left with the task of debunking it down the road.

I want you guys armed with the facts so you can make logical and informed decisions that are in the best interest of everyone and that ultimately meet your needs. From time to time you may not like the answers I give you...unfortunately that happens sometimes but rest assured it's with your best interest in mind.

The fact remains that in each of our regions there are several brands of MTA's that may be installed regardless of service level. The tech will make the determination in the field as to which device you get based on availability and what's technically appropriate. Just because you received a specific brand consistently you should not assume that we only have one brand/model for your area because that just isn't the case.
swbrains
join:2004-04-14
Land O Lakes, FL

swbrains to BHNtechXpert

Member

to BHNtechXpert
said by BHNtechXpert:

I answered your question...two days ago (check your PM)

Thanks -- Didn't see the flashing icon. And I actually didn't get the email notification about the PM until this morning at 9:00 am!

I think I'll wait until I can use just the one device before I make a move.
Boilermaker
join:2001-12-20
Carmel, IN

Boilermaker to GeNomer

Member

to GeNomer
said by GeNomer:

I know in my area (Indianapolis) Ubee is the only one you can get from Bright House if you have turbo or lightning and you have phone, but I think that in other areas they might have an Arris available. I have a friend who has a Motorola surfboard that does his internet and an MTA (can't remember the type) for his phone and they are just split off the same outlet. So maybe they can do that too, but usually you don't want unnecessary splitters because they can cause problems with signal going to the modem.

For the record, in the same area, I have an Arris TM502G for my phone service and a Netgear CGD24-CPR for the Internet service (below Lightning).
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to swbrains

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to swbrains
said by swbrains:

said by BHNtechXpert:

I answered your question...two days ago (check your PM)

Thanks -- Didn't see the flashing icon. And I actually didn't get the email notification about the PM until this morning at 9:00 am!

I think I'll wait until I can use just the one device before I make a move.

No worries
DJStarfox
join:2000-07-05
Orlando, FL

DJStarfox to picrthis

Member

to picrthis
I didn't change anything, and today I check my bill (that's already paid automatically) that they increased cost by $2.59. Every f***ing year they raise their prices, yet I my service doesn't get any better. $15 in 2010, $10 in 2011, $2 in 2012, and another $3 this year have been the increases. Basically, I'm paying double for the same service from 3 years ago.

GeNomer
join:2013-01-21
Indianapolis, IN

GeNomer

Member

It sucks, but that's what happens. Costs go up and so does price. :/

geo44
join:2013-03-20
Saint Petersburg, FL

1 edit

geo44 to DJStarfox

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Price increases happen with every cable company that I have been with , its not necessarily all the cable companies fault. Content providers have gotten greedy. I believe they are the main reason for price increases. The cable company has to pay a fortune to get the programming that customers want. Out of all them , Brighthouse by far has the best service Ive seen in a long time. They have way more features than the rest. I actually feel like I'm getting my moneys worth.

One thing that really bother me is that I have heard that the cable company has to pay local broadcast stations to be carried on cable.
To me that seems backwards. Since local channel can be gotten for free over the air. they get their revenue form advertisers. Seems to me that the cable company is doing local channels a favor.

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl to picrthis

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to picrthis
You can switch to Earthlink and get $29.95 pricing for 10/1 service for 6 months and then it goes to $41.95 and NO MODEM FEE. That's about $25/month savings for the first six months then over $10 / month savings thereafter. Not bad.

»www.earthlink.net/ Check for availability and then it should show the offer.

How it usually works to switch:

1. Verify availability at Earthlink.net
2. Call Bright House to pay off your bill prorated to today.
3. Call Earthlink and switch. They will bring in BH to handle the switch. It should be up and running within 5 minutes of your hanging up- if it's not working while you are on the phone.

Tips:

1. If when calling a BH rep they claim that they no longer work with Earthlink just hang up and get someone else. They are either incompetent or they are from the sales department and are lying because they don't get commissions for switching you to EL.

2. When calling EL if you get a rep who seems to not know what they are doing just hang up. You want to get one who has done this before. Some will have no idea.

3. It SHOULD be "office only" which means no truck roll. If anyone claims otherwise politely hang up and call back tog et someone else.

Gotchas:

1. If you are on a bundle package you might not save.
2. Technically EL claims 7/1 service. But everyone I know of gets 10/1 anyway.
3. If you are using a roadrunner email then you will likely lose it.
4. I don't think the BHN wifi hot spots come with the EL service. I could be wrong.
5. Some bad reps and techs will always try to blame EL for all issues that you have rather to try to diagnose the problem and fix it.
6. It seems most EL support is outsourced and foreign. I've had horrible reps but also very good reps.
7. Maybe there are other gotchas. YMMV

F.Y.I.: The deal exists because of an agreement between EL and TWC back around 2001 when TWC merged with AOL.

I hope this helps some to save some money.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

4 edits

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by paradigmfl:

1. If when calling a BH rep they claim that they no longer work with Earthlink just hang up and get someone else. They are either incompetent or they are from the sales department and are lying because they don't get commissions for switching you to EL.,

Fiction - all Sales and CARE reps know how to handle Earthlink requests. It has nothing to do with commissions Paradigmfl. In the unlikely event you get someone who is new and doesn't know simply request to speak to a supervisor and your request will be handled...do NOT hangup and call back.

1. If you are on a bundle package you might not save.

Fact

3. If you are using a roadrunner email then you will likely lose it.

Fact

4. I don't think the BHN wifi hot spots come with the EL service.

Fact

5. Some bad reps and techs will always try to blame EL for all issues that you have rather to try to diagnose the problem and fix it.

Fiction - don't even start with that nonsense Paradigmfl because it just isn't so.

6. It seems most EL support is outsourced and foreign. I've had horrible reps but also very good reps.

Fact

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

said by BHNtechXpert:

1. If when calling a BH rep they claim that they no longer work with Earthlink just hang up and get someone else. They are either incompetent or they are from the sales department and are lying because they don't get commissions for switching you to EL.,

Fiction - all Sales and CARE reps know how to handle Earthlink requests. It has nothing to do with commissions Paradigmfl. In the unlikely event you get someone who is new and doesn't know simply request to speak to a supervisor and your request will be handled...do NOT hangup and call back.

1. If you are on a bundle package you might not save.

Fact

3. If you are using a roadrunner email then you will likely lose it.

Fact

4. I don't think the BHN wifi hot spots come with the EL service.

Fact

5. Some bad reps and techs will always try to blame EL for all issues that you have rather to try to diagnose the problem and fix it.

Fiction - don't even start with that nonsense Paradigmfl because it just isn't so.

6. It seems most EL support is outsourced and foreign. I've had horrible reps but also very good reps.

Fact

I did have a rep recently claim that they no longer worked with Earthlink and that "In fact they were calling customers to switch them over to Roadrunner". In fact I almost gave up on it until common sense told me something was wrong and I decided to call back. I wouldn't lie about this. It's what actually happened to me. Contacting a supervisor might be a good idea but it's easier just to hang up and get someone else. Plus there is the chance of retaliation against you or getting involved in a dispute with nothing to gain from it (when all you want is the service for the cheapest price).

I could probably get you an exact time and date for the phone call if you can listen to it. But to be honest I'm not sure that is in my best interests.

About reps and techs blaming Earthlink for issues I'm not the only one to mention this (I've read about it in the Earthlink forum). Unfortunately there are always some bad Apples out there. The majority of reps and techs are good but bad ones exist and if a customer doesn't know better than can have the whole experience ruined/get taken advantage of by them.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

1 edit

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by paradigmfl:

I did have a rep recently claim that they no longer worked with Earthlink and that "In fact they were calling customers to switch them over to Roadrunner". In fact I almost gave up on it until common sense told me something was wrong and I decided to call back. I wouldn't lie about this. It's what actually happened to me. Contacting a supervisor might be a good idea but it's easier just to hang up and get someone else. Plus there is the chance of retaliation against you or getting involved in a dispute with nothing to gain from it (when all you want is the service for the cheapest price).

I could probably get you an exact time and date for the phone call if you can listen to it. But to be honest I'm not sure that is in my best interests.

About reps and techs blaming Earthlink for issues I'm not the only one to mention this (I've read about it in the Earthlink forum). Unfortunately there are always some bad Apples out there. The majority of reps and techs are good but bad ones exist and if a customer doesn't know better than can have the whole experience ruined/get taken advantage of by them.

Paradigmfl I'm gonna call you on this because there would have been no reason for you to do that since you have had Earthlink since you first start posting here years ago unless you are conjuring up something from long past memories. You seem to forget that your posting history here is forever and we've been down this path before.

Show me on the Earthlink forums where what you claim is correct and when was YOUR contact with BHN where this allegedly happened and what were the circumstances of the encounter and I will look into it.

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

said by BHNtechXpert:

Paradigmfl I'm gonna call you on this because there would have been no reason for you to do that since you have had Earthlink since you first start posting here years ago unless you are conjuring up something from long past memories. You seem to forget that your posting history here is forever and we've been down this path before.

Show me on the Earthlink forums where what you claim is correct and when was YOUR contact with BHN where this allegedly happened and what were the circumstances of the encounter and I will look into it.

1. I've switched back and forth from RR to EL in order to avoid fee increases and to take advantage of promos a few times. Without giving you my IP address I give permission for a DSLreports admin or mod (other than you) to verify that my IP has indeed recently changed from a RR IP to an Earthlink IP and to publicly verify this here in the topic. I switched from RR to EL within the past week in fact.

2. I don't have a poor posting history here. In fact I would say it's quite the opposite. I have at times said things which you disagree with or which BHN probably would rather not see discussed. But I've never been warned on this forum about breaking any rules and have been here for many years.

3. I will attempt to locate messages in which customers indicate they have had problems with being given false information from BHN or TWC reps and techs in regards to Earthlink. However I don't get paid to research this sort of thing so it might take some time for me to find the given messages. I'm not sure that it's such an extraordinary claim though that some reps or techs gave out false information in order to make a sale or keep a sale.

4. I thought my post was helpful and fairly thorough in describing the pros and cons of switching from RR to EL in order to save $10-$25 a month. I certainly didn't expect this degree of trouble when I took the time to write it.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

1 edit

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

1. The only promo benfit you would derive would be on the earthlink side as we offer no promos that include earthlink so did you really save any money over a complete package with us? Having spent considerable time in the sales area I can say with reasonable confidence you didn't really save anything other using the $29.95 EL new customer promo (something you really should only have received once so I applaud your success in getting them (Earthlink) to waive it.

2. Your posting history here is unique Paradigmfl. You often post as an authority on BHN when in fact you are not. We've had several interactions related to just this attribute in your communications here. Your posting history and previous interactions is how I know you have been an Earthlink customer for quite some time.

3. Thank you for taking the effort to find those posts as that will help me in isolating if and where this is coming from because that just is not the case.

4. Your post might be helpful to those who are not in currently in all in one promotions however not so much otherwise and of course the speed and other benefit offerings are not available to Earthlink.

I caution you against posting as an "authority" on the things you raised above because your experience is unique and not at all the norm. If you didn't have a history of posting from this stance with similar sentiments about our techs and other folks I probably would have let it go but this is your mantra and has been all along.

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

2 edits

paradigmfl

Member

said by BHNtechXpert:

1. The only promo benfit you would derive would be on the earthlink side as we offer no promos that include earthlink so did you really save any money over a complete package with us? Having spent considerable time in the sales area I can say with reasonable confidence you didn't really save anything other using the $29.95 EL new customer promo (something you really should only have received once so I applaud your success in getting them (Earthlink) to waive it.

2. Your posting history here is unique Paradigmfl. You often post as an authority on BHN when in fact you are not. We've had several interactions related to just this attribute in your communications here. Your posting history and previous interactions is how I know you have been an Earthlink customer for quite some time.

3. Thank you for taking the effort to find those posts as that will help me in isolating if and where this is coming from because that just is not the case.

4. Your post might be helpful to those who are not in currently in all in one promotions however not so much otherwise and of course the speed and other benefit offerings are not available to Earthlink.

I caution you against posting as an "authority" on the things you raised above because your experience is unique and not at all the norm. If you didn't have a history of posting from this stance with similar sentiments about our techs and other folks I probably would have let it go but this is your mantra and has been all along.

1. Prior to switching from RR to EL within the last week I have had RR for at least a year. Possibly two. Both the BHN and the EL rep confirmed with me that the price will be $41.95 with NO MODEM FEE after the promo ends. In fact the EL rep specifically mentioned it without my asking. I currently pay $52 - $55 for the 10/1 internet alone with road runner. So I will be saving after the promo.

2. I'm not "posting as an authority". I'm posting from the perspective of a customer and trying to help others. Just like most other people here.

3. You're welcome.

4. Yes. For some customers with only internet service I calculate that switching to EL may save them over $200 for the first year. That is why I switched.

I have the right to post as far as I know. I don't believe I am "posting as an authority" on things. I'm only sharing knowledge and experiences as a long time customer. As far as I know no mod or admin here has a problem with my posts. At least I have not been notified as such. I'm thinking this topic might be getting off topic and seems to be focusing on me personally (my posting history, whether I am "acting as an authority",etc) but I don't think that is necessarily my doing. I'm here to discuss my internet services, not defend myself and my reputation from accusations.

GeNomer
join:2013-01-21
Indianapolis, IN

GeNomer to picrthis

Member

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Interesting about the Eathlink thing, but there's no Earthlink Lightning now is there?

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

said by GeNomer:

Interesting about the Eathlink thing, but there's no Earthlink Lightning now is there?

Not that I know of. I think there is a Turbo equivalent though. At least it was an option I saw.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to picrthis

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to picrthis
No with EL you get one speed tier option only.

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

2 edits

paradigmfl to picrthis

Member

to picrthis
It looks like in some Time Warner markets they offer something like Turbo.

»Re: [TW] earthlink cable setup confusion?
»[TW] earthlink cable setup confusion?

But I checked the availability again at earthlink.net again and it didn't seem to show a "turbo option"

It does however show (for my location in Volusia county/CFL ) :

"Cable Up to 768Kbps $29.95/mo.

Cable Up to 7.0Mbps $29.95/mo [paradigmfl note: this is a promo price]"

So it looks like there is a RR lite type option. There is a big page with a lot of details once you click "Learn more" where they show other options but it also says that not all plans are available in all areas. I think that is where I read of it.

(edited to add additional link to full thread)
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

1 edit

BHNtechXpert to paradigmfl

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to paradigmfl
........

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl

Member

said by BHNtechXpert:

said by paradigmfl:

You can switch to Earthlink and get $29.95 pricing for 10/1 service for 6 months and then it goes to $41.95 and NO MODEM FEE. That's about $25/month savings for the first six months then over $10 / month savings thereafter. Not bad.

Fiction - Sorry Paradigmfl but this is not correct. While the person who processed your order may have missed it the modem fee will be applied to your account and you would be notified of the error.

Sorry this took so long but just wanted to make sure something hadn't changed since I last worked on this...that said...you cannot avoid the modem fee by subscribing to Earthlink.

You may of course bring your own modem and avoid the fee altogether.

Gary, that's not what I was told by the Earthlink rep or I believe the Bright House rep who handled the switchover of my service.

That's not what Stopthecap.com has been reporting.
»stopthecap.com/2012/11/0 ··· tal-fee/

If I am charged a modem fee I am going to complain to the BBB and every state and federal agency, and media I can at this point.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

2 edits

BHNtechXpert to picrthis

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(Edited because I have more questions)

To be clear... you are still in CFL and you ordered directly with EL correct? Not us? And second would you object to me reviewing your account with you?
BHNtechXpert

1 edit

BHNtechXpert to picrthis

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to picrthis
Look up Paradigm and also check your PM.
Expand your moderator at work
Dampier
Phillip M Dampier
join:2003-03-23
Rochester, NY

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Re: BHN price?

I can't speak specifically about Bright House Networks because I don't know if they use the same billing platform as TWC, which does serve my area. But my readers last fall (when that article was published) told me they were not being billed a modem fee with BHN when using Earthlink. It is possible something has changed since then, and I will be interested to learn if BHN does now bill Earthlink customers for the modem fee. A copy of a bill showing this would be very helpful.

Earthlink new customer promos are perpetually available to customers rotating on and off their service. I have readers who have easily obtained these $29.99 for six month promos at least four times. Customers can bounce between Earthlink and either TWC or BHN on new customer promos endlessly, as long as their division does not have a term contract.

Earthlink's website has not changed much since 2009. Ignore whatever speeds are advertised there. If your area offers two speed options, you will get identical speeds to TWC/BHN's Standard service or Turbo service. If your area only offers one Earthlink package, it will match Standard service speeds.

There is no modem fee for Earthlink customers with Time Warner Cable. I do not have first hand knowledge about BHN customers -- the best way to check this is just wait and see what turns up on the bill. The reason for this is that Earthlink is your designated service provider, not TWC or BHN. Neither company is supposed to be tacking on a modem fee under their wholesale contract with Earthlink, but it can quickly become a moot point if BHN were to apply one to their wholesale accounts, which Earthlink would quickly pass on anyway.

Earthlink is really allowed to resell its service at the pleasure of TWC and BHN, so they don't have much leverage on the matter. But they do specifically state upfront to all who ask that there is no modem fee with Earthlink on either TWC or BHN.

*If* a modem fee does show up on your bill, complain and demand a courtesy credit and then simply go buy your own modem. I did a few months before TWC imposed their modem fee and it will pay for itself in less than two years. I have had cable modems since 1998 and I've never had one die on me. eBay has some of the best deals with Amazon coming in second.
Nayan3
join:2012-08-15
Melbourne, FL

Nayan3 to picrthis

Member

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But for some of us it's like insurance. I hate paying for insurance but I know that some day I might need it. Paying a monthly fee for a modem ensures that if I have an issue with it I can go to the office and exchange it, without having to shell out another $40-$50 or having to wait for one to be delivered. For me, a couple bucks a month is worth it.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to Dampier

Premium Member

to Dampier
said by Dampier:

I can't speak specifically about Bright House Networks because I don't know if they use the same billing platform as TWC, which does serve my area. But my readers last fall (when that article was published) told me they were not being billed a modem fee with BHN when using Earthlink. It is possible something has changed since then, and I will be interested to learn if BHN does now bill Earthlink customers for the modem fee. A copy of a bill showing this would be very helpful.

Earthlink new customer promos are perpetually available to customers rotating on and off their service. I have readers who have easily obtained these $29.99 for six month promos at least four times. Customers can bounce between Earthlink and either TWC or BHN on new customer promos endlessly, as long as their division does not have a term contract.

Earthlink's website has not changed much since 2009. Ignore whatever speeds are advertised there. If your area offers two speed options, you will get identical speeds to TWC/BHN's Standard service or Turbo service. If your area only offers one Earthlink package, it will match Standard service speeds.

There is no modem fee for Earthlink customers with Time Warner Cable. I do not have first hand knowledge about BHN customers -- the best way to check this is just wait and see what turns up on the bill. The reason for this is that Earthlink is your designated service provider, not TWC or BHN. Neither company is supposed to be tacking on a modem fee under their wholesale contract with Earthlink, but it can quickly become a moot point if BHN were to apply one to their wholesale accounts, which Earthlink would quickly pass on anyway.

Earthlink is really allowed to resell its service at the pleasure of TWC and BHN, so they don't have much leverage on the matter. But they do specifically state upfront to all who ask that there is no modem fee with Earthlink on either TWC or BHN.

*If* a modem fee does show up on your bill, complain and demand a courtesy credit and then simply go buy your own modem. I did a few months before TWC imposed their modem fee and it will pay for itself in less than two years. I have had cable modems since 1998 and I've never had one die on me. eBay has some of the best deals with Amazon coming in second.

Phillip you have been invited multiple times to reach out to me prior to going to press to fact check things in effort to avoid customer confusion and have thus far not done so. In case you need my contact information here it is again and I will send you my direct phone via pm. Email to: BHNtechXpert@mybrighthouse.com

Now to clarify a few things (after spending the better part of the day trying to digest and verifying Paradigmfl's posted experience).

- EarthLink at that promotional rate and without a modem fee is ONLY available through EarthLink meaning you cannot call BHN to obtain EarthLink service with the 6 month new customer discount OR avoid the modem fee. It appears that Paradigmfl tried to order the service at that promotional rate without the modem fee directly from us.

- If you call us we will be happy to add EarthLink service however it would be at the current rate and the modem fee would apply. There is no way around this and do NOT interpret it as our being unwilling to help you which was part of Paradigmfl's complaint it's just that this is available only through EarthLink direct.

- I see that you have made bold "ordering broadband service from Earthlink" however it is clear folks aren't paying attention or misunderstanding that they cannot obtain the benefits you describe in your article unless they order directly from EarthLink likely because of this sentence further down "No matter. You can skip the hassle and just call your local Time Warner Cable office, which will process your order for Earthlink instantly over the phone." - while that might apply to TWC it does not apply to BHN.

Yesterday upon realizing what Paradigmfl had likely done I reached out to him directly to verify that indeed his order originated from EL and was properly coded and as of this moment have not received a response yet.

- You correctly put emphasis on the fact that those who currently have multiple product promotional rates will not benefit from this however if they return from Earthlink back to Roadrunner it would not be as a new customer as you claimed despite receiving EarthLink direct they are also currrently BHN customers and therefore new customer discounts would not apply. They may qualify for another promotion however depending on the level of service requested.

-

paradigmfl
join:2005-07-16

paradigmfl to BHNtechXpert

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to BHNtechXpert
said by BHNtechXpert:

(Edited because I have more questions)

To be clear... you are still in CFL and you ordered directly with EL correct? Not us? And second would you object to me reviewing your account with you?

Yes. Still in Volusia county, CFL division. I'm not sure it's a good idea for my to give you my account information or to call you personally at this point so I am going to politely decline. I'm just going to leave it at that and not explain myself further unless you push me to do so and explain further (I would rather not do this and request that you not force an explanation). If I see a bill for the modem fee I'll definitely be contacting someone at BHN and Earthlink though.

Here is the general outline of what happened regarding my switch:

(Apologies for the length but more detail is probably good here)

1. Approximately 1 week ago I first called BHN. I talked to a woman who claimed to be in Orlando. I asked about switching to Earthlink after asking about any promos being available for just the internet. After stating there were no promos for what I wanted she told me that they were no longer working with Earthlink. I was very surprised and protested a bit. I believe I told her that I was looking at the offer on Earthlink's site and that I knew people were switching over because of the rate increases. She re-affirmed that they weren't doing that any longer and stated that in fact "they were calling people up and switching them over to Roadrunner". She seemed pretty confident of that which she was saying. I may have even asked her a second time if she were sure of this.

She never outright stated she was in the sales department but given what she said it seemed to me that she might have been. I am 100% sure about this conversation. She was pleasant to talk to but I had the feeling that she was probably lying but I was not for certain. I did not ask to speak to a supervisor.

I was puzzled by this so I tried to research it and I found nothing about BHN no longer working with Earthlink. I figured that the rep was either lying or they were incompetent so I decided to call up Earthlink at the number on the website and ask about it.

2. I called up Earthlink and spoke to a gentleman who was probably outsourced and from India. He did not seem to know what he was doing in regards to this. He eventually put me on hold and spoke to a supervisor for a couple minutes and then told me that they could switch me over but I would first have to pay off any past bills I have with BHN and then cancel my internet service. At that point he said they could switch me over. He then took my phone number and we set up a time for him to call me back in an hour or so (he stated there was no way to call in and get to him personally and that this way I would not have to explain it all over again) after I had taken the requisite steps with BHN.

3. I did a little more quick research online after hanging up with the gentleman from Earthlink. I decided that I wasn't sure what I would be doing at this point. Whether I would just stick with Roadrunner, switch to AT&T DSL, or switch to Earthlink.

4. The gentleman from Earthlink called me back and I politely apologized for taking up his time and told him that I had to think about it some more.

5. Some days later I decided I wanted to go ahead and switch to Earthlink. I called BHN again and spoke to a very pleasant and profession female rep. I again explained that I thought I was paying too much and asked if there were any promos. She explained there were none and so I told her I would like to pay off my bill and set up a cancellation date in the near future.

I also brought up the other rep from BHN who told me they were no longer working with Earthlink. I think at first she tried to defend the rep a little bit and she mentioned something about perhaps she might be right and she just didn't get the email. But then I mentioned about how I thought it was part of a government agreement (actually it was a settlement with the AOL merger but I was not aware of that at the time) that they had to offer Earthlink and that the other rep probably could get in trouble for that? I told her I thought it was wrong to lie or act like that because it was dishonest and that eventually these things will catch up with a company. After all it's probably better for Bright house that I switch to Earthlink than I switch to AT&T and that chances are I might switch to Road runner again in a year or two. I explained that I've been a BHN customer for about a decade.

At this point she became even more professional and pleasant at this point. She agreed with me and took a payment to bring the account current slightly into the future and set up a cancellation date.

I have no complaints about this rep. I wish they all could be like her.

6. I then called up Earthlink again to do the switch. After explaining and cautiously confirming with the rep that it will be an "office only" switch we went ahead and set it up. This Earthlink rep (again probably outsourced from India) in contrast to the first was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and knew what he was doing. I had no issues with this rep.

He explained the rate $29.95 for six months and thereafter $41.95 a month. Then without my even brining it up he specifically mentioned that I will keep the same modem and that there would be no modem fee. He then read some other legalese type disclosures, set up my email and password,etc I am 100% sure he stated there would be no modem fee.

Finally he transferred me to a female BHN rep to handle the actual switch on BHN's side. This rep was extremely professional, friendly and knew her stuff. I believe she confirmed the pricing and stated no modem charge however I am not 100% sure about this as I am with everything else above. We talked briefly about who I should call if I have problems and about whether I should unplug the modem, etc and then I was switched over. I have no complaints about this rep from BHN.
BHNtechXpert
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join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

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