cussed at. laughed at, hung up on, and transfered more than 18 times

  I didn’t know where else to turn, so I am writing you in hopes to bring some knowledge to you about the way this program (Internet Essentials) is really working, and to get some help.  I have been trying to contact Xfinity, and Internet Essentials for three days now.  This is my experience and my story.  One that I can’t even believe as I write it.

 

I am going through a divorce and am on disability.  As you can imagine with the price of things now, I am struggling.  I found the program Internet Essentials online and thought what an awesome program being offered.  I went online and chatted with an agent.  That agent, said I need to call in.  So, I did. We chatted; she signed me up for the $9.95 plan.  This was in September of 2023.  I go to a lot of meetings online, and I also run a small business from home, and go LIVE via Facebook once a week.  My internet kept shutting down, or freezing, or rebooting.  I went back to the chat, and each time they ran a test, they said that my internet was just fine.  No issues.  It kept happening, so I finally asked for someone to come out and look at the equipment I had, and to run some tests.  The gentleman that came out, was extremely y nice and professional.  He ran some tests, and fixed a few things, and I was still having issues.  He said, you should call in and ask them to upgrade you.  There is a program called Internet Essentials plus, that you qualify for.  So I did.  This is in April, of 2024.  In April, I called and asked about the plus program.  The woman told me that I could get faster internet, more gigabytes, with the PLUS program.  She asked me if I had a phone with them.  I told her no, and she said, you can actually pay $29.95 for the internet, and get the phone service for free.  So essentially you will be paying $30 for both phone and internet.  I asked her if there was a contract, and then asked her if there was a time limit on it.  She said no to both.  She said I qualified for this program to to being on Medicare, and Social Security.  I said great! Sign me up.  First, I had to cancel my phone service with ATT, and then go in the store to get a sim card for the I phone I already had.  I noticed immediately upon upgrading that I had no issues with the internet.  Everything seemed much better.  So, I got my first bill, and paid that, it was $29.95.  Just as she said.  I got another bill and it was $43 and some change.  I didn’t understand why it was more, but I paid it anyways.  I just assumed there was some kind of service charge.  I paid on the app.  That was for June payment.  About two weeks after my June payment, I received a text, and an email, stating I owed $63 and some change.  I immediately went online to ask why.  The agent told me, this is an error in billing, and I will fix it immediately.  Please wait while I do that.  I waited a while.  Then he says okay, its all fixed.  Great.  The next day I get the email again, and another text.  I assume the system had not had time to update.  So by the third day, I decided to contact xfinity again.  I again explained my situation to them.  They told me I owed the $63 for the phone, and $29.95 was for the internet.  I said sir, that’s not right.  I was told that I would get internet and phone for the price of $29.95 through the program.  He again explained to me the bill was for just the phone.  I again explained that wasn’t correct. I asked him to connect me with someone from Internet Essentials.  This went on for hours.  I was connected with eight different people; I wrote down every single one of their names.  Each one had a different answer.  Finally, I asked to talk to a supervisor.  They told me that couldn’t happen because he was chatting with someone else.  I said, Ill wait, They said, no I will help you.  I said OKAY can you explain to me the charges when I am on this special program, I should not have.  They said you owe, and then told me the amount and again it was for the phone.  I was in tears at this point.  I spent hours repeating myself…to 9 different people.  I decided to go into the Xfinity store where I got my sim card.  They said, we have nothing to do with that program, you'll have to call them.  So I came home and called.  I went through my whole issue with each and every single agent.  I was transferred at least 5 times before I stopped counting.  Each one telling me something different. And each of them telling me that there was no such program.  I was crying, it was like nobody believed me.  Finally, someone connected me to a Diego.  Diego was so nice! He understood exactly what I was talking about. He said he got these calls all the time.  I was absolutely correct that I got internet and phone for the $29.95.  I cried, I thanked him, I praised him, and I said you are the best thing that has happened to me in the last two days.  Nobody would believe me! He said no worries, I believe you. I just have to transfer you to our billing dept.  I said, Diego, please don’t transfer me, I am begging you.  He said, I have to, but don’t worry, they will get it fixed and I will make sure they know exactly what you need done.  He transferred me.  The very first thing the person told me was, you owe $63 for your phone. Not hello, not this is who I am, nothing.  I explained AGAIN my situation, and again, he told me there was no such program.  I asked him to transfer me to a supervisor, he laughed at me, and said I can fax you the information.  I said, fax me?  What information?  He said you have to pay.  I said sir, I am in tears over here, I have been trying to get this resolved for two days, and you are laughing at me?  He said, yes.  I can't remember all he said after that, but I heard cuss words, and he was still laughing at me.  I finally snapped and began to yell back at him.  He continued to yell at me, you owe money, you don’t like what I say, go into the store.  I said they told me to call you.  Please let me talk to a supervisor.  He told me NO.  I said why, he said we don’t have one.  I said now I know you are lying.  All while he is still laughing at me.  I was in disbelief, and shaking mad at this time.  I screamed, let me talk to a supervisor. He said nothing, and hung up on me.

 

I had to pray, calm myself down, and take deep breaths.  I have never in my life dealt with so many people, passing me around like a hot potato.  None of them being able to understand me very well, and me not being able to understand them very well.  None of them had the same information.  They were not on the same page about anything.  And at one point, I truly felt they were somewhere in cubicles, just passing me around, and seeing just how mad they could make me.  Because there could be no other explanation for this kind of customer service, or behavior from a company.

 

I called back.  Spoke to a person, who transferred me.  Same thing happened.  I finally spoke to someone who said,  I will not transfer you. I will stay on the line with you.  So he got ahold of billing after a very very long wait.  Billing got on the line, and they spoke about my situation.  The man assured me, he would take care of it.  That is something each one of the people said to me.  Don’t worry, I assure you, I will resolve this.  Yet not one of the dozens of people I talked to could, or would.  He had me on a hold a while, and said, okay, we are fixing it.  We have elevated the situation, and someone will call and email you tomorrow.  I said great, thank you.  I got an email from someone saying they would be calling me.  No call as of yet, but I did get a nice text saying, that xfinity is trying to collect a debt now.  I don’t know if this means I have been turned over to collections or what.  But, I can’t mentally deal with this anymore.  I need my phone, I am on disability, and need to call people for help sometimes.  I need my internet because I do meetings, and go Live for my business.  But, I cant possibly handle another day of this being pushed off onto several people.  Some cussing at me, laughing at me, being condescending with me.  Each one of them making me explain the whole thing over and over again.  And, none of them even knowing about the Internet Essentials, or Internet Essentials Plus program.  Even though half of them said they  were from Internet Essentials!

 

As you can imagine, I am passed frustration.  I am disgusted, and in disbelief.  I tried so hard. I was nice, I was polite, and they kept pushing me.  I have no idea what to even do at this point. I never, ever would have canceled my phone if I knew this was going to happen.  I can’t afford $30 for internet, and then $63 for phone.  I just can’t. I am barely making it. 

 

I hope that you read this.  I hope you don’t pass me off to someone else.  I hope that you can attempt to understand the level of frustration I have with this company, and the lack of knowledge their “agent’s” have on the program.  I am just in absolute shock of the way I was treated.  I just can’t wrap my head around it.  Please, if you can explain to me, why I have got three different bills, all with different amounts, and all for them same thing, I would appreciate it.  If you can tell me why I was told one thing, and then lied to, and charged for something else.  Can you tell me if this program really even exists, or if this is just a scam?  Because I honestly don’t know anymore.