Frontier Communications

[LS8]

Long story short (ok maybe not):

My wife works from home now, her company requires a dedicated 1.5 mbps / 512 kbps DSL connection which they will pay for. The upstream is important because she will be using a VoIP phone. We already have a 10 mbps / 1.5 mbps cable connection from Charter but her company wants its own dedicated DSL line, fine, no problem.

Called Frontier Communications and asked if they could provide 1.5 mbps / 512 kbps DSL service, they said yes. Asked the phone rep to check with her tech department and be absolutely sure they could provide this service for our address, they said yes, absolutely. Order the install over the phone, waited a week for the install guy.

Install guy comes and installs service. The connection is 1.3 mbps / 256 kbps. Install guy says he can't change speeds and we must call support. Call Frontier and tell them this isn't the service we ordered; they say that 1.3 mbps / 256 kbps is the absolute MAX for our address and there is no possible way to get 1.5 mbps / 512 kbps service.

So basically this is a bait and switch by Frontier. They promised us and sold us a certain service and then installed something else hoping we wouldn't noticed and are technically incapable of providing the service they sold us.

We immediately canceled the service and let them know we would not be paying them a dime. Thanks for wasting a week+ of our time! Now I have to find another DSL provider and schedule another install and wait another week.

 

[moshquerade]

Time Warner/Roadrunner in your area?

 

[spidey07]

It's not bait and switch - you are just a little farther/weaker signal than they estimated it would be. It's a case by case basis, very doubtfull another DSL provider could offer anything different.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It's not bait and switch - you are just a little farther/weaker signal than they estimated it would be. It's a case by case basis, very doubtfull another DSL provider could offer anything different.

I hate to agree with UFOhead, but this is not a bait and switch.

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It's not bait and switch - you are just a little farther/weaker signal than they estimated it would be. It's a case by case basis, very doubtfull another DSL provider could offer anything different.

It absolutely IS a bait and switch. I saw the work order the install guy had, it clearly stated 1.3 mbps / 256 kbps. If Frontier was incapable of providing the service we required (and they are not) to our address they should have said so over the phone before we ordered the install. Instead they lied to us, hoped we wouldn't notice and wasted a week+ of our time.

Let me be clear - they installed 1.3 mbps / 256 kbps and it worked and WAS reaching that speed without a problem. The issue is we were sold over the phone 1.5 mbps / 512 kbps service and that isn't what we got - we were then told that it was impossible for us to receive that service.

 

[ithec]

I do tech support for frontier communications.

Try getting your wifes company to buy a BDSL account. I don't think they pulled the bait and switch...your contract or whatever should have said they guaranteed 70% of your speeds. This is because not everyone will have the best signal. I'm sure most ISPs have similar agreements.

though If i had the choice between frontier and any other ISP. I would go with the other.

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: ithec
I do tech support for frontier communications.

Try getting your wifes company to buy a BDSL account. I don't think they pulled the bait and switch...your contract or whatever should have said they guaranteed 70% of your speeds. I'm sure most ISPs have similar agreements.

If i had the choice between frontier and any other ISP. I would go with the other.

I don't care about the "packages". If we were guaranteed 1.5 mbps / 512 kbps then whatever they install had better be that speed or greater, I don't care how it's packaged from your marketing standpoint.

 

[ithec]

guaranteed means nothing if you didn't sign for GUARANTEED

i do agree do. frontier has some shady practices. For example one of their more recent promtions makes me sick. Not too sure on the prices because i CHOOSE not to sell it


the promotion promises a free dell laptop 300+ value with some sort of direct tv service.

now they have probably updated this promotion to reflect the actual product but.

the $300 laptop was the dell mini. GREAT old people signing up to DSL to be "in" now have to work with a 9" screen when their eyes are horrible to begin with.

and

"HEy um I just recieved my new dell mini laptop along with my modem. I'm trying to setup the modem with the cd...but where does this go on my laptop?"

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: ithec
guaranteed means nothing if you didn't sign for GUARANTEED

This is why we won't be doing business with Frontier. If you guarantee us one thing over the phone and then do something different at the install hoping we won't notice that is a bait and switch.

If Frontier could not provide the service we required they should have told us that when we called to order not after the install took place.

 

[geno]

Are you being charged for the 1.5/512 line? It does suck they robbed you of ~256k on both the up/down, it's not the end of the world though. VoiP doesn't use that much bandwidth, 64K is about the upper limit depending on the codec used (most fall well below that) I realize that's 1/4 of her upspeed, (and that's at worse case) but if you have to settle with 256K, it should still be manageable. I'd at least bitch to a manager for wasting your time though. Who knows, it might do you some good in the form of a discount *shrug*

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: LS8

Originally posted by: ithec
guaranteed means nothing if you didn't sign for GUARANTEED

This is why we won't be doing business with Frontier. If you guarantee us one thing over the phone and then do something different at the install hoping we won't notice that is a bait and switch.

If Frontier could not provide the service we required they should have told us that when we called to order not after the install took place.

In order for them to know exactly how fast your connection would be before you had it they would have to come to your house and test the line. There is no way they can guarantee a certain speed before the install, they know what their max speed is and sold you on that. Big deal. If you wanted to be able to get a consistent 1500/512 you should look for something more like 3000/768 unless you plan on going with a real BUSINESS CLASS ISP.

 

[Vette73]

Problem is the best you will get is someone to say you will get 1.5/512 and charge you for it. Then when you notice that it does not reach that they will not back it up and/or will say they only have to support up to % of the advertisied rate.

So you can call another DSL place but will get the same quality as the line is still the same.

 

[ithec]

LS8. I don't work for frontier directly, but I do tech support for them. I'm advising you to RUN.

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: geno
Are you being charged for the 1.5/512 line? It does suck they robbed you of ~256k on both the up/down, it's not the end of the world though. VoiP doesn't use that much bandwidth, 64K is about the upper limit depending on the codec used (most fall well below that) I realize that's 1/4 of her upspeed, (and that's at worse case) but if you have to settle with 256K, it should still be manageable. I'd at least bitch to a manager for wasting your time though. Who knows, it might do you some good in the form of a discount *shrug*

We didn't recieve any paperwork from the tech installer and we haven't received any sort of bill or invoice from Frontier stating what actual service we had.

According to the tech installer's internal paperwork (his work order) he was sent to install a 1.3 mbps / 256 kbps connection. After he installed the service I of course ran a speed test and saw that it was not what we were sold over the phone. I asked to see his work order and he showed me. At this point we called Frontier and they said it was impossible to receive the service that previously guaranteed and sold us over the phone.

 

[dud]

My condolences ...

No bait/switch as they didn't try to sell you an alternative, more expensive service. THEY are the ones who came out to your house and installed the equipment at THEIR expense.
Stop whining and take it to B&M.

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: Crusty

Originally posted by: LS8

Originally posted by: ithec
guaranteed means nothing if you didn't sign for GUARANTEED

This is why we won't be doing business with Frontier. If you guarantee us one thing over the phone and then do something different at the install hoping we won't notice that is a bait and switch.

If Frontier could not provide the service we required they should have told us that when we called to order not after the install took place.

In order for them to know exactly how fast your connection would be before you had it they would have to come to your house and test the line. There is no way they can guarantee a certain speed before the install, they know what their max speed is and sold you on that. Big deal. If you wanted to be able to get a consistent 1500/512 you should look for something more like 3000/768 unless you plan on going with a real BUSINESS CLASS ISP.

Well, regardless they DID guarantee the service. If they shouldn't have done that, well, that's their problem. Like I said we canceled the service already and won't be doing business with them.

Trust me, I would be getting a real Telecommuter line if that was possible but my wife's company won't pay for it. Like I said, we required 1.5 mbps / 512, but of course, more is always better.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: ithec
LS8. I don't work for frontier directly, but I do tech support for them. I'm advising you to RUN.

Gee, pretty much anyone could have told him that about Frontier eons ago. Having lived in Rochester for a while, I can officially say Frontier sucks. TWC is marginally better, though they overloaded their Rochester cable network for several years (Henrietta was HORRIBLE).

 

[LS8]

Originally posted by: dud
My condolences ...

No bait/switch as they didn't try to sell you an alternative, more expensive service. THEY are the ones who came out to your house and installed the equipment at THEIR expense.
Stop whining and take it to B&M.

Of course it's on their dime. They attempted to deliver a service that was contrary to the service we were sold over the phone and later claimed it was impossible for them to deliver the service they sold us over the phone, plain and simple.

Anyway like I said, we already canceled the service and won't be doing business with them. This post was just to share my annoyance with their bait and switch nonsense and the fact that they wasted a week+ of our time.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: ithec
I do tech support for frontier communications.

Try getting your wifes company to buy a BDSL account. I don't think they pulled the bait and switch...your contract or whatever should have said they guaranteed 70% of your speeds. This is because not everyone will have the best signal. I'm sure most ISPs have similar agreements.

though If i had the choice between frontier and any other ISP. I would go with the other.

256 isn't 70% of the speed for upload.

 

[MrMatt]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: spidey07
It's not bait and switch - you are just a little farther/weaker signal than they estimated it would be. It's a case by case basis, very doubtfull another DSL provider could offer anything different.

I hate to agree with UFOhead, but this is not a bait and switch.

I agree with the OP, that's definitely a bait and switch. They told him they'd be putting in one product, then gave him another.

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
Time Warner/Roadrunner in your area?

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter - his wife's company is requiring a DSL line.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Yup if they had installed a 1.5mb/0.5mb connection and the line maxed out at 1.2-1.4/0.35-0.4 they would be right in that they couldn't do anything about it.

BUT the work order should have been for 1.5mb/0.5mb, since that is what was requested.

 

[allisolm]

bait and switch - "a deceptive way of selling that involves advertising a product at a very low price in order to attract customers who are then persuaded to switch to a more expensive product."

What they did wasn't good for you but it wasn't bait and switch. At least you've learned now to check the work order BEFORE the work gets done.

 

[kranky]

I don't think they tried to pull a fast one on you.

This is my guess: The first rep checked their system and it said 1.5/512 was available to you. They entered a install order. The person arranging the install checked their system (a different system) and it said 1.3/256 is all that will work at your address, so they went ahead and installed that.

Yes, they should have made a point to let you know it wasn't going to be what you requested, but the person who saw that 1.5/512 wasn't going to be available isn't a customer service person, so they just went ahead and arranged for something that will work.

Probably nothing more sinister than inaccurate systems and employees who don't raise a red flag when something is wrong with an initial order.

I would be upset too, but I really don't think they were hoping you never noticed. They didn't care if you noticed. They were just going to charge you for what you got.

 

[GoPackGo]

it would be like ordering a mustang and getting a pinto.