Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I utilized Optimum for internet from August 2013 until February 2022, mostly because it was the only ISP that provided internet service to my apartment community. When I first started using Optimum, my monthly internet bill was close to $50/month. Now, I pay $109/month because they frequently increase their costs. As of February 15, 2022, I've relocated to another municipality and can now use ******* ***** Three weeks prior to my move-out date, I called Optimum to find out exactly what I need to do to ensure that I won't be billed beyond my move-out date of February 15. At that time, I was told that I simply have to call back on my move-out date, so that's exactly what I did. However, in reality it wasn't quite that simple. I am attaching a file of the the sequence of events that transpired, as well as a copy of the conversation that I had with an online rep. I don't care if the online conversation makes me look like a crazy person - I've had nothing but issues with this organization since day one and for a company that has the nerves to charge so much for just internet they should really be investing in better customer service and have a flexible cancellation policy since people relocate ALL THE TIME.

  Business response

  02/17/2022

  In the complaint **** ****** stated that she asked to disconnect the services because she is moving to another provider, and she was informed that no other payments will be made.
  

  
  

  In response to the complaint, Optimum spoke with the customer on February 17, 2022, and explained our Disconnect Policy, which states that service disconnections are effective on the last day of their then-current billing period. Our records indicated that this customer requested to disconnect service on February 15, 2022, and their monthly billing period ends on the 7th of each month. Therefore, this customer’s account will be fully disconnected on March ,7, 2022. Optimum provided our direct contact information to the complainant should any further assistance be required.

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The problem with the internet service got started on 02.09.2022. I called to the Optimum office, they tried to help me but unsuccessful. On 02.10.2022 technician came. With no success. I pay them $40 monthly for the internet with the 50 Mgps speed. My internet never was more than 10 Mgps. Now it is more lower. I ordered technician for the 02/13; 02/14, and for 02/15/2022 - nobody came, nobody informed me that technician will not come. Tonight they rescheduled me technician for tomorrow from 10 am till 8 pm. I asked them to schedule him in the morning, they said No. This provider is the monopolist in my area, I do not have choice. I work remotely from home. I loose my job because of this company. Help me please!

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  In response to the complaint, Optimum spoke with *** ********* on 02/16/2022, to acknowledge the receipt of her complaint and apologize for the receipt of her complaint.

  We spoke with *** ********* on 02/23/2022 and she confirmed that the service is now working within her level of satisfaction. The proper amount of credit was applied to the account for the verified service interruption. *** ********* was provided with our contact information should further  assistance is required regarding this matter.

  
  

  According to our investigation :  

  • *** ********* called on 02/09/2022 to report having slow speed internet and a service visit appointment was scheduled and completed on 02/10/2022, as the technician  was able to change the outside wires. 
  • *** ********* called again on 02/10/2022 and a service visit appointment was scheduled to be completed on 02/15/2022 and it was cancelled as an outage was affecting the area.
  • *** ********* called again on 02/17/2022 and we submitted a maintenance order that was completed on 02/17/2022 as the technician checked the signals level and escalated the matter to our field service department 
  • *** ********* called again on 02/20/2022 and a service visit appointment was scheduled and completed on 02/21/2022 as the technician replaced the router.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 30, paying bills online, I meant to pay a credit card bill but accidentally sent that payment to Altice (Optimum Online). I sent them $6766.66 that I did not owe them. I chatted online with customer service 3 times (Jan 3, 6, and 17, 2022); each time I was told they had received my overpayment and would refund it, assuring me that I would hear from them in 2 to 3 business days. On Feb. 1, 2022, I spoke with customer service by phone and was told that the refund order had been written and that I had nothing to fear; I would receive a refund. (I have uploaded transcripts of these 3 online chats and a summation of the phone conversation.) I have yet to hear from the company. While the original error was clearly mine, after 44 days of finding no solution, I am tremendously frustrated by their broken promises or bureaucratic incompetence. I don't know where else to turn and thus am filing this complaint with the Better Business Bureau

  Business response

  02/18/2022

  In response to the complaint, Optimum contacted  *** ********** on February 17, 2022, to acknowledge receipt of the complaint and apologized for the poor experience he encountered, he was also advised that The Refunds team, made several failed phone and email attempts, to request proof of the payment made via the customer's personal online banking. After 30 days, we presumed that a bank return for the payment was not underway, analyzed the account tenure, good standing and payment history in order to move forward with the refund, The electronic reversal was processed on February 11, 2022, , after normal banking hours. We anticipate the funds should become available to the customer by next week, depending on their financial institution and/or third party banking liaison, We also advised  *** **********, to contact his bank, as the refund has been completed on our end, also an email was sent to her with the above, The customer has our direct contact information should any further assistance be required. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Price increase on bill call them to try to resolve issue they double talk you and increase your bill even more

  Business response

  02/18/2022

  In response to the complaint, on February 16, 2022, Suddenlink spoke with ********toacknowledge receipt of the complaint and apologize for the poor experience they encountered. Moreover, we explained the promotions on his account confirming that she has the best offer for now. *** ***** was satisfied with our resolution and was provided with our contact information; should any further assistance be required.

  Customer response

  02/19/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Contacted Suddenlink customer service via phone on 02/04/22 and discussed issue with service agent. They acknowledged that my bill was incorrect as I was charged for an upgrade that I did not order. The service agent said that our bill would be credited for the error (about $60) plus taxes. I have not yet received credit (12 days later). The bill is due tomorrow and I am only paying for what I rightfully owe, which is no more than my last bill of $171.66. This company has demonstrated to me many times in the past that they do not operate in good faith and have no reason to believe this time will be any different, hence my request for the BBB’s help. I continue to waste time trying to fix the errors of this company on a regular basis. Unfortunately, we have had no choice in procuring these services from another company in our area in the past. Thankfully that is changing in the very near future with other replacement options.

  Business response

  02/17/2022

  In response to the complaint, Suddenlink spoke with the customer on 02/17/2022 to acknowledge receipt of complaint and apologized for any poor experience encountered.  We confirmed that on 02/04/2022, the TV package was switched from the Value to the Basic TV package. A prorated credit of $51.43 generated, which went towards the current amount due. There is currently a remaining credit balance of $-12.28, which will go towards the next generated statement. Our contact information was provided should further assistance be needed regarding this matter.

  Customer response

  02/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved. However, they have not properly compensated me for my time required to fix their error. They all get paid to resolve these issues… I do not!!!!! My time is simply destroyed because of these dishonest employees who manufacture these problems expecting no push back.
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** *** *****  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Contacted Optimum (Altice) about internet network issue on Feb 7th 2022. My Wifi and internet was not working. I called customer service and the call was disconnected on 3 separate occasions with the rep. Finally, the rep that didn't disconnect the call explained that he couldn't help fix this issue. I told him I would like to disconnect my service and he then transferred my call which put me on hold for 15 minutes then also disconnected. To make matters worse, my DVR service hadn't worked in over 3 months along with the channel guide. Then from Feb 7th- Feb 15th I had no cable channels. (I have video evidence recording myself attempting to change the channels but the only ones that worked were Channels 2,4,5,7 and 11) So I had no cable and no internet from Feb 7th-Feb 15th. I finally was able to get in touch with a service rep who apologized for the inconvenience then set up a disconnection for me. Then this morning Feb 16th, I get an email saying my service will be disconnected on March 7th and that my final bill is $171. Is this a joke? I had no cable and internet service and they are going to charge me and keep my "service" on until the next billing cycle? I am considering pressing charges for fraud. There is no way I am paying this last bill for service that I never received and that I cancelled. I have documented dates and times, pictures and video evidence of all the services that weren't functioning. I am willing to go to court over this.

  Business response

  02/18/2022

  In the complaint, the customer claims that on 02/07/2021 he requested to disconnect services and was put on hold for 15 minutes before the call disconnected. He contests Optimum’s Terms of Service which provides that service subscriptions are renewable on a monthly basis with no refunds provided for partial months.

  Optimum, like many other entertainment, telecommunications and subscription services, makes its services available on a monthly basis; providing customers access to our high-quality products for the entirety of their monthly service period. Optimum’s billing policy is contained within the Billing Information section of each billing statement.

   When a customer contacts Optimum to disconnect their service, our representatives are instructed to remind the customer that their services will be disconnected on the last day of the then-current billing period. For customers who choose to return their equipment early, they can still continue to use our out-of-home services, such as: the TV to Go networks that they can watch on their mobile devices; Optimum WiFi’s more than 1.5 million hotspots, as well as Cable WiFi hotspots; Optimum e-mail; and access to News12.

  According to our records, on 02/07/2021 the customer stated he would be disconnecting service if we could not separate the 2.4 and 5.0GHz channels. The agent sent the customer to the Retention department to disconnect services and the call was dropped. Then, the same agent attempted to call back, but received a busy signal.  Next, on 02/15/2021 a request to disconnect service was made. The billing and service will stop effective 03/07/2022, which is the last day of the billing cycle.

  In response to the complaint, on 02/18/2022 a follow-up was attempted to discuss our findings as outlined above, but we were unsuccessful. An email was sent to the customer that included our direct contact information.

  Business response

  02/18/2022

  In the complaint, the customer claims that on 02/07/2021 he requested to disconnect services and was put on hold for 15 minutes before the call disconnected. He contests Optimum’s Terms of Service which provides that service subscriptions are renewable on a monthly basis with no refunds provided for partial months.

  Optimum, like many other entertainment, telecommunications and subscription services, makes its services available on a monthly basis; providing customers access to our high-quality products for the entirety of their monthly service period. Optimum’s billing policy is contained within the Billing Information section of each billing statement.

   When a customer contacts Optimum to disconnect their service, our representatives are instructed to remind the customer that their services will be disconnected on the last day of the then-current billing period. For customers who choose to return their equipment early, they can still continue to use our out-of-home services, such as: the TV to Go networks that they can watch on their mobile devices; Optimum WiFi’s more than 1.5 million hotspots, as well as Cable WiFi hotspots; Optimum e-mail; and access to News12.

  According to our records, on 02/07/2021 the customer stated he would be disconnecting service if we could not separate the 2.4 and 5.0GHz channels. The agent sent the customer to the Retention department to disconnect services and the call was dropped. Then, the same agent attempted to call back, but received a busy signal.  Next, on 02/15/2021 a request to disconnect service was made. The billing and service will stop effective 03/07/2022, which is the last day of the billing cycle.

  In response to the complaint, on 02/18/2022 a follow-up was attempted to discuss our findings as outlined above, but we were unsuccessful. An email was sent to the customer that included our direct contact information.

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  At my house we switched from coax to fiber and switched the name on the **** from myself to my wife. We are still Altice customer, to this day. Since we had the fiber technology installed, the old equipment wouldnt work. I asked the technician if they can take the old equipment, he said yes. I packed three cable boxes, three remotes, and cable modem in a box and gave it to the technician. I thought that was the end, this was Oct 22nd, i have the work order. - On or around Jan 5th i got a pending charge on my credit card for $735, which went through on Jan 11th. This credit card was on file with optimum for autopay. They didnt send me any notifications of any pending equipment or what the charges will be. - Jan 6th i contacted them and said it was for no returned old equipment. I explained we switched service technology and gave the technician the equipment. They said someone would contact my in ***** hours, no one contacted me.- Jan 10th i contacted them again. I gave them work order and re-explained issue. They said someone would get in touch with me 5-7 days. Again no one researched out.- Jan 20th I contacted them again. Again explained the issue and the agent created a refund form for the amount and took my credit card information. And said it will take 5-7 days to process the refund. Again no refund or contact.- Feb 1 st i contacted them again. They said a refund is pending and they don't refund on credit card but a check will be issues in 1-2 weeks. It is now feb 16th no contact from them and check. I was given a reference number 8a6bbd65.I've wasted a lot time waiting and explaining to each agent the issue, but no resolution. Hope you guys can help. I've uploaded the work order for installation of fiber and the chat with optimum support outlining the above timeline.

  Business response

  02/22/2022

  In response to the complaint : Optimum attempted to reach ********************** on February 8, 2022, to acknowledge the receipt of her complaint and apologize for the poor service she encountered.

  
  

  We attempted to reach ********************** on February 22, 2022.however, we were unsuccessful, therefore we sent ********************** an explanation email advising her with the below and asking her to contact us to further discuss this matter.

  ********************** was provided with our contact information should she require further assistance. 

  
  

  According to our investigation ; we could not  locate the mentioned unreturned equipment charges on *** *********** account 

  Customer response

  02/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   When i filled out the BBB complaint it auto filled **************, they are trying to call ************.  ********************* is my wife, she didn't file the complaint.  I have received two emails about them trying to reach me at the wrong number.  I have called them on the given number **************************.  I left this agent two voicemails one on 2/21 and one 2/22, with my correct number. I have also replied to their email address ******************************** and copied their management, as stated on the email at **************************************** again giving them my correct number.  Either they are not listening to the ** and/or ignoring my emails. This is by far the worst customer experience i have ever had with any company. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

*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. ↩