Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Wednesday, 7/17/24 I signed up for broadband wireless internet service with Pure Broadband; Michigan (****) after verbal notification that I would have 14 days for a trial period. I was told that I would pay $250 to establish service with $50 for the trial period and $200 as a refundable deposit on the equipment. After the 14 day trial I would be billed an additional $400 for the rest of the equipment lease payment.I received the broadband equipment on Friday, 7/19 so my ***************************************************************** my possession prior to then.I was able to use the equipment, but the service provided was not up to the standards that were advertised prior to my service being established.On Tuesday, 7/30 I e-mailed ****, as instructed, to notify them of my cancellation request. Note this was a minimum of 1 day prior to 2 weeks after I first contacted them. They acknowledged my cancellation request by return e-mail.On Wednesday, 7/31 my credit card on file was charged the $400 equipment charge despite my cancellation request. Upon notification of the charge, I immediately sent an additional e-mail to **** requesting the return of my $200 deposit (upon my return of their equipment) and the immediate refund of the additional $400 equipment fee. I heard no response.I sent the **** equipment back to them on Thursday, 8/1 via **** (tracking number **********************************). The package is shown by the **** as being delivered on Friday, 8/2, exactly 14 days after I received the equipment.As a result of cancelling the service within the 14 day trial period and actually returning the equipment at the 14th day after I received it, I expected to be refunded $600..I have not had any response to my request for refund of the $600 associated with the equipment charges.I am now filing this complaint with the Better Business Bureau in an effort to have my improperly charged $400 equipment fee and my $200 deposit refunded to me.

  Business response

  09/03/2024

  On 7/17/24, ****************** signed up for internet service through our company and paid a $250 deposit (normally $200) towards his activation/programming of equipment. Company policy allows for a 14 day trial of service beginning on the day of activation with the understanding that we need a 2 day notice before trial ends with intent to cancel so as to avoid further charges against the company/customer. If conditions are met, the customer is refunded all but $45 of their deposit they put down. 
  
  His unit was shipped on 7/17/24 and it was delivered on 7/18/24. On 7/30/24, we received a call that he would like to cancel his trial of the service and did not want to move forward as a customer. He was sent information on returning equipment to the office and his invoicing would cease upon its return. On 7/31/24, his card was charged for the balance of his activation. However, it is not standard practice for a new customer's credit card to be saved on file in case of cancellation, so when he made his deposit we believe he saved his card which initiates autopayments. When management realized the discrepancy, he was refunded $450 immediately. His equipment was also received in office and all future invoicing has ceased as well. 
  
  At this time, ****************** is disputing the remaining $200 he had put down as a deposit on his service trial. Since we did not receive his cancellation request 2 or more days before the 14th day, not all conditions had been met regarding the full refund. 

  Customer response

  09/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 22150554
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I believe the policy of starting the "14 day" trial upon order and not upon receipt of the equipment is dishonest and misleading.  The person I spoke to on the phone did not mention that the trial period started upon our phone call and the only place that mentioned the 2 day prior to the end of the 14 days (from order) was in the fine print of the receipt I received for the initial deposit.

  Essentially the game they play is that the trial is only 10 days - 2 days to ship the equipment to me and 2 days prior to the end to actually cancel.

  This is wrong and I believe that I should receive a full refund minus the $45 for the less than 14 days that I could use the equipment while on "trial".  Note the equipment was received by the business exactly 14 days after I received it which I believe meets the reasonable concept of a "14 day" trial period.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  09/13/2024

  As previously stated, service trials start the day service is activated, and we do need notice before the 14th day of cancellation in order to avoid incurring extra fees on the business side as well as the customer side. At this point, the balance of activation has been refunded, and our company is willing to refund the remaining balance of the deposit, minus the $45 necessary to activate the new line. Due to the dispute from ****************** within our invoicing software, we are currently unable to process any remaining refunds. Once the invoice dispute is resolved, we will be able to send the remaining refund. 

  Customer response

  09/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 22150554
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I don't trust the company to actually resolve the complaint once I close it.  I would prefer that they send me a check for the remainder of the amount they agree to refund me rather than me release them from the complaint with them "promising" to send me the remaining refund at some nebulous time in the future.  I would even settle for a $150 refund (vice the $155 they are promising) to cover their processing costs associated with the inability to use their invoicing system.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  Because the dispute is now to be resolved within the banking system, should the banks involved decide that the dispute is warranted, ****************** will automatically be refunded within the invoicing software. We will wait until the Square Invoicing dispute is resolved and move forward at that point. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩