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anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

new dsl modem fee

latest bill has a notice
"Effective February 3, 2014, a monthly modem fee of $1.99 will be billed to your account."

I called the indicated contact number and pointed out that I am on their (grandfathered) 'Priced for Life' program. They responded that I would not be subject to the charge.

FWIW, the last time they tried to add a 'below the line' monthly fee to my bill, I took it to the utilities commision and CBT eventually removed and refunded it for all 'Priced for Life' customers.

fusenet
@fuse.net

fusenet

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

The same notice ("Effective February 3, 2014, a monthly modem fee of $1.99 will be billed to your account") is on my latest Cincinnati Bell bill. I, too, am on their (grandfathered) 'Priced for Life' program. Today (1/24/14) I called the indicated contact number and was told that despite my being 'Priced for Life', the new monthly modem fee WILL apply to me. The rep said that the 'Priced for Life' program applies to services, but not to equipment. I replied that I knew that, but I also told the rep that I would have no functioning ZoomTown SERVICE without a modem. Thus, the new modem fee is a fraudulent and deceptive way to raise the price of the ZoomTown service, despite the fact that no service increases are permitted under the terms of Cincinnati Bell's 'Price for Life' program.

The rep said she understood why I felt that way. Despite that, though, the monthly $1.99 modem charge will begin with my next bill.

dcurrey
Premium Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

dcurrey

Premium Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

Don't you just love how sleaze-ball companies raise rates.

If only someone would enforce truth in advertising laws.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous to fusenet

Anon

to fusenet
hmmm...

Fighting it through the system takes some time, and given how Kasich slashed funding for the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, I'm not sure how much help they can provide now-a-days. But filing a thoughtfully worded complaint with PUCO, OCC, and BBB is the first step. I also contacted one of the local TV stations.

Argument I used last time (it was some bulls**t 99 cent/mo fee) was that the charge they were trying to add was a cost of doing business. I'd probably approach this as it being a cost of providing service that was previously factored into the bill for the service. (What's next, a dial-tone electricity surcharge? A DSLAM maintanence fee?) Of course multiple people filing complaints helps.

We'll have to see what actually happens on the next bill.

DeathK
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Cincinnati, OH

DeathK to anomynous

Premium Member

to anomynous
It wouldn't be as big of an issue if they had equipment fees from the start, but they're tacking these fees on way down the line. You could be using the equipment for years with no fee then all the sudden they want to start charging you for it? That's not right. The real kicker is they'll continue to charge you that fee month after month, year after year to the point where you've paid well over and above their original cost for it (that's ignoring the depreciation of the equipment).

It's nothing more than a money grab. They're all doing it these days so it's no surprise CBT hopped on the bandwagon.
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17 to anomynous

Member

to anomynous
I agree that this fee is bs, but - fyi, I was told by a technician that you can buy your own, and return the modem they gave you. I did this with fioptics previously, and now I'm doing it with their dsl. Bought a modem for $15 off ebay, and I'll make back the fee in 5 months.
Crispin
join:2003-06-04
Fairfield, OH

Crispin to anomynous

Member

to anomynous
Do you have to call them before you return their modem? Or can you just drop it off at the nearest Cinci Bell store?
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

I just dropped mine off last night. Make sure you keep the receipt, because last time I moved out they tried to charge me $100 for my cheapo modem...

dcurrey
Premium Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

dcurrey

Premium Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

That must be the norm. When I moved and turned in my equipment they lost the modem. Wanted to bill me $100 for it. Thank god I keep the receipt.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous to xur17

Anon

to xur17
Thought about fighting the bs fee (again), but decided to just get a modem instead. Dropped old one off today (and filed away the receipt). Guy in store had to ask co-workers about removing modem fee from account; we'll see if it 'sticks'.

Hope someone else files a PUCO complaint, as I hate seeing them wiggle out of 'priced for life' by adding below-the-line fees.

ktwh
@fuse.net

ktwh

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

Is there any specific type/model of modem I should get to replace the Westell 6100? I'm using it for ZoomTown service right now. Will just any DSL modem work? Thanks for your advice!
CVGNet
join:2012-04-10
Cincinnati, OH

CVGNet

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

Most modems supporting ADSL 2+ should be able to work.

xur172
@fuse.net

xur172 to ktwh

Anon

to ktwh
said by ktwh :

Is there any specific type/model of modem I should get to replace the Westell 6100? I'm using it for ZoomTown service right now. Will just any DSL modem work? Thanks for your advice!

I'm not sure, but you can purchase the Westell 6100 for $15 on ebay - it's what I bought, and it works great:

»www.ebay.com/itm/Westell ··· fdc692f0

DeathK
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Cincinnati, OH

DeathK to ktwh

Premium Member

to ktwh
Back when I had Zoomtown I had switched from the Westy 6100 to a Netopia 2241N-VGX. Worked fine.
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

I just got my most recent bill, and I am now being charged $4.99 for my modem, despite returning it last month.

Here's what the agent told me:
- Both the wireless modem and non-wireless version cost $4.99 / month (supposedly there was a notice on the January bill, but I couldn't find it, and the agent couldn't find it...
- There is a $1.99 non-modem fee that the first agent told me about, but the supervisor didn't seem to know anything about this.

So, now I'm paying $34.99 for 10mbps internet. Does anyone have experience with Time Warner? Their site says $34.99 for 15mbps if I bring my own modem. Does anyone know if that is a special rate, or if it goes up after some amount of time?

DeathK
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Cincinnati, OH

DeathK

Premium Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

TWC's advertised prices are promotional (3Mbps service and higher). After 12 months it goes up. CBT does this as well. How much TWC's prices increase I do not know. They refuse to divulge that information. CBT's promo pricing increases $10 after 12 months for services up to 30Mbps, and $15 for 50 and 100Mbps.

»www.timewarnercable.com/ ··· ans.html
»www.cincinnatibell.com/i ··· /10Mbps/
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

But it's not a contract? In that case I can switch after 12 months. I'm mostly just mad about the $1.99 / month "non-modem fee". What am I paying for? The opportunity to not have a modem?

Interestingly, Cincinnati Bell seems to have dropped the price of their faster internet services. 100mbps used to be $300, and now it's $85 ($100 after a year). I'd be a lot more tempted to actually consider their faster service now. It used to not make any sense, since 100mbps was 3x as much as 50mbps.
CVGNet
join:2012-04-10
Cincinnati, OH

CVGNet

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

The price reduction on the 100Mbps service is a welcome change. Unfortunately CB currently still only seems to be willing to provision static IPs on services up to 30 Mbps which is rather poor!
Crispin
join:2003-06-04
Fairfield, OH

Crispin to anomynous

Member

to anomynous
I also got my first bill after returning my modem and sure enough, there's a $4.99 charge for it on there. I called their Billing line this morning and after 29 minutes on hold, was told that even though I returned the modem I'm still going to be charged $4.99 because I "have the service." I told her that wasn't acceptable because it's an equipment fee and I already pay for the service. I then waited for another 10 minutes for a supervisor.

The supervisor told me the fee is not for the equipment but for the "option" of using the equipment. So it will be charged regardless of whether I have the modem or not. Ridiculous. If it's not an equipment fee, then just raise my rate. Don't try to tack on a fake equipment fee for something I don't need.

The best she could do was drop the fee down to $2.99 since she insists it's for Cincinnati Bell's service and not the actual modem. She said this is Cincinnati Bell's policy and she can't remove the fee.

Cincinnati Bell, your phone support is worthless. They are argumentative and obviously have little guidance or instruction. I've never had a good experience with them. On top of that, this fee is arguably fraud if you're not actually charging for equipment. This needs to be addressed by your management.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

Have not gotten my next bill yet, but sounds like it is time to go BBB / OCC / PUCO route...
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

I filed a complaint. Took about 10 minutes to fill out, and I'm tired of talking to them on the phone. Hopefully they actually respond, I'm getting tired of dealing with them.

Here's the link for those interested:

»www.bbb.org/consumer-com ··· mplaint/

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

Interestingly, I didn't receive a paper bill from them this month. However, it appears that my bill has increased - ie they've added the $1.99 'modem fee' even though I'm a 'priced for life' customer AND have returned their modem (using my own now).

I guess I'll be filing complaints with BBB and PUCO etc

(xur17, looked for your complaint but couldn't find it).
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

said by anomynous :

(xur17, looked for your complaint but couldn't find it).

It looks like it doesn't show up until they post a response (which I'm still waiting for). I'll post when I receive one.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

I really don't know what to make of those folk...
I finally got paper bill in mail today, and yup, there was modem fee.
I called the 565-2795 contact number again (was put in queue, rcvd callback 4+ hours later). Went through the whole thing (on priced-for-life, using own modem, diff reps telling me diff things) and the rep apologized and (supposedly) made an adjustment that will remove the fee for ONE year.

I'd already filed a complaint with BBB, so we'll see if I can get it made permanent.

Frigidman
join:2010-04-22
Cincinnati, OH

1 edit

Frigidman to Crispin

Member

to Crispin
I logged on yesterday (3/3/14) to go pay my bill, and noticed I had a price hike. So after investigating I found buried that it was an Equipment - Modem Fee: $1.99.

I instantly blew a lid. What did this come from? I never received a notice. I looked on my jan bill and didn't see any mention of it. Apparently customer loyalty means nothing, they want to charge a fee after 4 years of always paying on time?

So, I have a couple other modems laying around that all work fine with the connection, so I was thinking of calling them up and saying "well take back your stupid modem and remove that fee". That was until I read this thread where instead of dropping the fee for "renting their modem" they RAISE THE FEE?!?!

Holy moly. Well, yeah, I'm going to file a complaint with the BBB, and PUCO... maybe there is an article for a newspaper in here too. I urge everyone else to do the same. The more people outraged by bad business practices the better.

(edit) Also looks like now that they charge an equipment fee, they are able to charge "State Tax", which they never did before. What a scam this company is growing to be.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

re: different modem fees -

I *think* the differences are whether you are using an ADSL2+ modem (zoomtown service $1.99) or a VDSL modem (fioptics fttn service $4.99). Anyone know what the fioptics ftth modem fee is?

Also note that ADSL2+ modems work fine with the fttn boxes (my situation) but max out at 10M/768K

Frigidman
join:2010-04-22
Cincinnati, OH

Frigidman

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

I have the 10M service, and use their little black Westell ADSL2+ they gave me 4 years ago. Bill shows $1.99 for it. I have not returned it, because I don't want my bill to raise even more =p

Would be nice to know for sure if there is any way to eliminate the extra fee (not raise it because you return a modem), as I get nothing out of the customer service people. Clueless they act.

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

not sure where you're getting the 'increase if you return it' from (one post talks about a drop from $4.99 to $2.99?) but in any event...

If you've got a serviceable modem, swap it in, take CBT's modem to a CBT store and turn it in saying you want the fee eliminated from your account. If they don't/won't remove the fee, then you have the basis for a BBB / PUCO complaint. Alternatively, if you are on price-for-life, you can try that as a basis for a complaint. (In my complaint, I used both arguments - only time will tell...)

addendum: Well ain't that a hoot. Just checked my email, and found an order receipt from my call yesterday. It appears they eliminated the modem fee, but also kicked me off Priced-for-life, resulting in a higher phone service charge.

Frigidman
join:2010-04-22
Cincinnati, OH

Frigidman

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

I guess I misread, it sounded like xur17 was saying that after returning his modem, his bill went UP to $4.99/mo when it originally was what the OP said ($1.99/mo).

Either the case, CincyBell is NOT making it clear or easy to get them to do what is right by the customer.
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

Sorry, for clarification, they originally forgot to remove the modem from my bill, so I still had the modem price of $4.99 (which should have been $2.99 since the technician gave me a wired modem). I called them, and the person said she couldn't remove it without a technician helping her. After she did this, she said there was a new non-modem fee of $1.99. I asked to be transferred to her supervisor, who said the non-modem fee was $4.99, and the $1.99 fee didn't exist.

Interestingly, every time I ask to be transferred to a supervisor, I am transferred to someone that is much more difficult to communicate with. Either the supervisors are located in a separate call center, or they are lying about who they are transferring me to.

Side note: »www.wlwt.com/news/group- ··· 24796886
xur17

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

Here's the response to my initial complaint that I received today:

Cincinnati Bell is responding to your complaint concerning a fee for the Zoomtown Modem.
Per our Terms & Conditions, Cincinnati Bell requires our customers to use the modem provided by Cincinnati Bell. This is to ensure you get the speeds we can deliver and also allows us to troubleshoot the modems configured to work on our network. If you do use your own router, Cincinnati Bell still must provide a wired modem for your services to properly function. This equipment is what you are being charged $1.99 per month for. You can attach your own wireless router to our wired modem, if you would like.
Cincinnati Bell’s goal is to become closer aligned with our competitors. Time Warner Cable charges $5.99 per month for a wired modem. The benefit of paying a monthly fee for the equipment is that you don’t have to worry if the modem breaks or stops working properly, we’ll replace it, for no additional fees. If the equipment becomes obsolete in the market, we will also replace it.
Per notes on your account, you have returned all modems that Cincinnati Bell has provided. However, we still have to show a modem and power cord on your records. If you were to cancel your Zoomtown service and no equipment is returned, you will be billed $120.00.
If you are not using a Cincinnati Bell wired modem, we will have to ship one.
New customers adding Zoomtown as of January 1st 2014 are subject to the new fee of $4.99 for the wired modem. However, I have gone in and rated your modem fee to the $1.99 as you were quoted. I am only able to add this rate for 12 months. After 12 months, you will have to contact our retention department and request a discount.
On behalf of Cincinnati Bell, I apologize if you feel you were given incorrect information.
Please contact me at ###-###-#### and let me know if you currently have a wired modem provided by Cincinnati Bell.
Thank you.
######
Executive Care Representative
Cincinnati Bell Telephone

And my response:

Please direct me to the relevant section of your terms and conditions (provided on your website here: »www.cincinnatibell.com/s ··· cies.pdf) that talks about:

a) The requirement to use a Cincinnati Bell provided modem.

b) The $4.99 / month modem charge

In addition, I can't find any reference to the modem fee in either of the following pre-signup pages:

a) The invoice I received when I initially signed up for service

b) The webpage detailing your service offerings

When I signed up for service, I was informed of a $2.99 / month wired modem fee that could be removed when I returned the modem. I NEVER received notice (and your customer service was unable to direct me to any such notice) of an increase in this fee.

My main issues right now are:

1) They don't have any reference to a modem requirement OR a modem fee on their website, or anywhere in their terms and conditions.

2) I never received notice of the increase to the modem fee (and customer service was unable to direct me to where it was on my bill).

If they want to keep playing games, I plan to complain to the fcc next. I believe this falls under 'Deceptive or unlawful advertising or marketing by a communications company (does NOT include Telemarketing)':
»transition.fcc.gov/cib/n ··· Cat.html

anomynous
@fuse.net

anomynous

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

Well, at least that clarifies the 1.99/2.99/4.99 thing...

"Cincinnati Bell’s goal is to become closer aligned with our competitors" - I've seen this statement from them a few times recently; an interesting approach to 'competition'. It's a race to the bottom...

Excellent research on your reply! The fcc move could be interesting (or perhaps the ftc)?

Have not gotten a response on my complaint yet.
xur17
join:2003-03-26
Cincinnati, OH

xur17

Member

Re: new dsl modem fee

said by anomynous :

"Cincinnati Bell’s goal is to become closer aligned with our competitors" - I've seen this statement from them a few times recently; an interesting approach to 'competition'. It's a race to the bottom...

The part I find interesting about this is that Time Warner lets you bring your own modem...
CVGNet
join:2012-04-10
Cincinnati, OH

CVGNet to xur17

Member

to xur17
The T&Cs do now seem to be implying their equipment but if so it is inconsistent with the consumer information at:

»www.cincinnatibell.com/c ··· line.pdf

which explicitly says that you can use your own equipment.

It simply looks like another money grab by CB.

edgewood
@fuse.net

edgewood

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

I contacted Cincinnati Bell. The announcement of the new fee was a two sentence blurb at the bottom of the December 2013 bill. No additional information. Called to complain and ask and the call center people know nothing but the company line. I have been told that the $1.99 fee is permanent, non-negotiable and even if I use my own equipment and return the Cincinnati Bell modem that I will still get charged the monthly modem fee.

Nofiop
@fuse.net

Nofiop

Anon

Re: new dsl modem fee

Just got off the phone with CB. They say there was an increase to the service charge. I pointed out that Zoomtown service did not increase; instead an equipment line was added for a modem fee.
They said that the fee would remain even if I returned the equipment, since it was due to an increase in the service charge. A zoomtown increase would be bad enough, but this? Interestingly, they don't know what equipment I have.
What happened to 'You add, we subtract'?