Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered internet service online from Hughesnet. I canceled the service through email on November 19&20,2023. The account # is ************. I finally got in touch with a guy when I called on December 2,2023. He stated that I will be charged $400 for termination fees. Told me to return all their stuff or I'll be charged $300. I told him I wasn't told about a termination fee,I'm NOT paying it and as for the material of theirs I sent a email to find out how to return it TWICE. He stated he didn't see any email. I went to the Hughes website pull up the Legal information and tried looking at the fees for termination but nothing showed. I WASNT told of the $400 fee and I don't feel I have to pay especially when I wasn't informed. I didn't pay anything for the service. They did!

  Business response

  12/21/2023

  December 21, 2023
  
  **************************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:*****************************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have contacted **************** and she mentioned she was told to pay $400, pay $200 for something else, then another $100, and that she was not paying all that money.
  Our Executive Customer Care representative explained $400 represents the early termination fee. At the time **************** ordered service, the sales agent presented the terms and conditions of our 24-month subscriber agreement which contains specific language advising our customers that "If you cancel after activation but before the end of your 24-month term commitment, you will be charged a Service Termination Fee of up to $400. The exact amount of the Service Termination Fee will be $400 for the first ninety (90) days after activation of the HughesNet Service. Thereafter, the amount will decrease by $15 per month for each month of active Service". The terms and conditions were understood and agreed to before the activation of the account. Additionally, a copy of the sales order with the link to the subscriber agreement is emailed to the customer for referencing purposes. Lastly, the installer captured a signature indicating the terms and conditions were reviewed and accepted [see attachment]. Consequently, we believe that we have a contractual right to assess this fee. Nevertheless, ******************** December 2, 2023 call review confirmed that the early termination fee has been waived.
  Regarding ******************** concern with paying $200 for something else then another $100, please be advised HughesNet was disclosing the equipment return policy. The HughesNet subscriber agreement at www.legal.hughesnet.com contains specific language advising our customers that "you must return your Equipment in good condition within 45 days of cancellation date or be charged a $300 Unreturned Equipment Fee for HughesNet satellite-only plans ($100 for the satellite modem and power supply and $200 for the satellite radio)". A prepaid shipping label, a box, and instructions were delivered December 20,2023 according to the *** tracking number 1Z7AF3880369738449. We explained the modem, power cord, and the radio transmitter must be returned no later than January 28, 2023 to avoid being charged an Unreturned Equipment Fee of up to $300.
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience **************** may have experienced with customer support and please be assured we will provide enhanced training to our support team to address these concerns. We are hopeful our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith.At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us.Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.

  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hughes Net told us when we signed up for their service that are bill was due on the 26th of the month and also we told them we did not want auto pay. Here it is the 16th of November and debited money out of my bank account. They lie to get people to sign up for their service and that shouldn't happen.

  Business response

  12/07/2023

  December 07, 2023
  **. ***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor
  Washington, DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:       *****************************
  ** ********************************************
  Albany, KY *****
  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Dear ***********************,
  
  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care Team of Hughes, it is our understanding that ***************************** has some concerns regarding their HughesNet billing. Our Executive Customer Support representative reviewed all pertinent records on the customers account.
  
  Upon reviewing the case and call history we found that **. and *********************** signed up for services on 10/15/2023. HughesNet was able to get the services installed and activated on 10/16/2023. Our records indicate that ********************** was informed the card information that he was entering would be used for a total cost of the upfront fee, first month of service, and rental fee minus any promotional offers already covered. The same card will be charged each month for your services.The sales representative also sent the terms and conditions to the customer and verified that they received them (these terms agreed upon during sign up are also available at legal.hughesnet.com). ********************** then called our customer service line on 11/16/2023, one month after the services were installed, asking why they had been charged their monthly bill. They stated that the due date is supposed to be 11/26/2023. The agent explained that the due date displayed on the website is with the 10-day grace period we provide to our customers in the even that they are unable to pay their bill on time, however the bill date will always be on the day services were installed. He also explained that we would be able to set them up for invoice billing, but that by default their services will be set up as autopay and that they should have been informed of this while signing up for services. **. and *********************** were upset about this and demanded a refund for their monthly service cost but were told that since this is a valid charge for the services we would not be able to process a refund. At that point, they requested to terminate the services immediately. Our account management team informed the customers that if we process an immediate cancellation well be able to issue a refund of the services once they return the equipment. However, the agent was unable to finish the cancellation process since the customer disconnected the call.
  
  HughesNet has agreed to offer the customer a $20 discount for the next 3 months as a courtesy for any inconvenience the customer experienced. We encourage them to contact us if they need to update their payment method or switch to invoice billing to avoid any confusion with their payments being withdrawn on the 16th of every month for their normal monthly service cost.
  
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience the customer may be experiencing. We hope that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this time, we respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. Thank you for your consideration.
  
  Best regards,
  
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  11/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hughes Net billed my debit card 159.00 randomly, without my consent. The CSR said they had every right to do so because they saved my card from my last payment. They would not take the charge off. I filed a dispute with my bank and now I have to get a new debit card, which is ridiculous. I will be shopping for new Internet service and will have to send a money order to them in the meantime. Buyer beware!

  Business response

  11/29/2023

  November 29, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:*******************************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have attempted to contact *** ********** to address the outstanding matter regarding the debit card billed $159 randomly, without consent and her request for billing adjustment. Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful in establishing contact with *** ********** because we received a message stating the voicemail box has not been set up yet.
  Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records and call logs. Our records indicate a payment in the amount of $75.00 was made on November 4, 2023 through the self help tools which activated the automatic payment feature. Therefore, the next bill statement that generated on November 10, 2023 in the amount of $92.18 was paid through the automatic payment feature and the account has a $0.00 balance. *** ********** spoke with customer support on November 10, 2023 and requested the automatic payment feature deactivated. HughesNet switched the payment method to invoice billing and disclosed the invoice billing monthly fee in the amount of $6.99. The next invoice will generate on December 10, 2023.
  As an executive courtesy, HughesNet issued a $25.00 service discount for 3-months and will expire with the February 10, 2024 - March 10, 2024 bill cycle. We sincerely apologize the automatic payment feature was activated through the subscriber self help tool.
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience *** ********** may have experienced and are hopeful adding a service discount will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.
  
  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Good morning,I have called this company on several occasions, all I want to do is cancel my account, return the equipment, and be done.Everytime I ask this, they continue to inform me that I will owe them money for a cancellation fee. I signed nothing. Im exhausted!!Thank you for your time ????

  Business response

  11/22/2023

  November 22, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:***********************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have attempted to contact *** **** to address the outstanding matter regarding the refusal to cancel, disclosure of the commitment terms, and her request to cancel. Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful in establishing contact with *** ****.
  HughesNet appreciates the feedback regarding the customer service *** **** experienced. Our customer support should engage with our customers, to understand what the customer is looking for, meeting those needs efficiently while ensuring the experience is positive. We apologize for her customer service experience and please be assured we will provide enhanced training to our support team to address these concerns.
  Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records and call logs. Our records indicate the account was activated on August 4, 2023 with the Gen 5 50 GB plan and the Affordable Connectivity Program. The HughesNet subscriber agreement at ******************************* contains specific language advising our customers that "Any such termination of a service plan covered by ACP will not be subject to a Service Termination Fee (but will be subject to any applicable Unreturned Equipment Fee). Subject to your payment of any applicable termination charges herein described and any applicable Unreturned Equipment Fee, you may also terminate your account and this Agreement at any other time and for any reason on written notice to Hughes" [see attachment]. In light of our investigation, the account ************ was canceled on November 4, 2023 with a $0.00 early termination fee.
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience *** **** may have experienced and are hopeful our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.

  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

  Customer response

  11/22/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PAY MY TOTAL BILL ONLINE ON THE WEBSITE. WITHOUT HAVING AN ISSUE OR HAVING TO GIVE SOMEONE MY CARD NUMBER.

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  November 20, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:*************************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have attempted to contact **************** to address the outstanding matter regarding the inability to make a payment of the total balance online. Unfortunately, we have been unsuccessful in establishing contact with *****************
  Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records. HughesNet apologizes for the difficulty **************** had in making a payment of the balance online. Please be advised the telephone automated system and the online self help tool allows subscriber's to enter the amount they would like to pay [see attachment].
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience **************** may have experienced. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.

  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  10/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  the wifi isnt working properly, *********** 5 does work, wifi calling doesnt work, phone breaks up and people you are calling cant understand what you are saying. i tried canceling contract but they want to charge me $650. ive paid 2 months already and havent had a working system. after 8 calls to technical support the wifi is not working inside the house. i dont think i should have to pay a termination fee if the system has never worked properly.

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  November 20th, 2023
  
  **. ***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor
  Washington, DS 20005-3404
   
  Re: *****************************
   
  Complaint ID: ********
   
  ****************,
   
  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of Hughes, it is our understanding that *** ****** has concerns regarding the HughesNet service.
   
  After reviewing the account, as well the sales call and an interaction with our retention department we have come to the following conclusion. *** ****** ordered Hughes services on 09/27/2023, after review of the sales call it was determined that the sales agent who sold the service to *** ****** did not read terms and conditions of service to him. We also reviewed the interaction *** ****** had with a retention agent on 10/12/2023 where his plan was upgraded to the 75gb service plan with a $15 next plan up discount. During this interaction the retention agent did not inform *** ****** that there would be an extension to his contract upon agreeing to the upgrade. 

  Due to the terms and conditions not being read to *** ****** in either of these interactions we will agree to waive all Early Termination Fees as *** ****** was not properly informed of the contractual obligation should he choose to cancel his service before completion of the contract.
   
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience the *** ****** may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.
   
  Respectfully,
   
  *************;
  HughesNet Executive Customer Care
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Hughes net about 22 months ago. I was told when I signed up that if I cancelled I would have a 45$ cancellation fee. Yesterday October 3rd 2023 I called to cancel my service and the representative sounded intoxicated. He kept me on the phone for an hour and was refusing to cancel my contract. He said they are going to bill me 400$ fee if I cancel. They would not provide an address to mail the modem back. I ended up hanging up on them after pulling my chain for an hour. I received a text message later in the day stating my account would be cancelled on 27 October 2023. I have already prepaid 166$ for the month. Since they are not going to prorate my account, I feel I do not owe them the 45$ for cancellation fee. I plan to mail the modem back to HQ in MD.

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  October 20, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:*********************************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have contacted ********************** to address the outstanding matter regarding his customer service experience, his request to cancel and a billing adjustment.

  Our *********************** representative reviewed all pertinent database records and call logs. HughesNet appreciates the feedback regarding the customer service ********************** experienced. At the end of the call, our customer should feel a one-one discussion relative to their particular problem was provided and feel they have engaged in a productive, positive conversation. We apologize for his customer service experience and please be assured we will provide enhanced training to our support team to address these concerns.
  In light of our investigation, HughesNet create an immediate cancel for October 21, 2023 with a $40.00 early termination fee. It is the customer's responsibility to ship back the equipment [see attachment]. A prepaid shipping label, a box, and instructions will arrive within 7-10 business days. Please return the modem, power cord, and the radio transmitter no later than December 05, 2023 to avoid being charged an Unreturned Equipment Fee of up to $300.

  Regarding ************************** request for a billing adjustment, please be advised HughesNet agreed to issue credit in the amount of $134.19 representing unused service from October 3, 2023 through October 27,2023. ********************** expressed he understood some of the credit will apply towards the early termination fee and the remaining credit will be refunded to his **********.

  We sincerely regret any inconvenience ********************** may have experienced and are hopeful our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.

  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for internet at home through Hughnet just a couple months ago. We live out in the middle of nowhere and there arent many internet options. The first month it was working fairly well a few bumps in the road but a big difference from watching dvds anytime we are home. The next month they say we ran through all of our available internet withing 10 days of the new cycle. So for the remainder of the month we were back to dvds. This last month we were getting home about 5 or 6pm and every night the internet was saying "connected, no internet available." After a few days of the same issue I called Hughenet since I am paying almost over 80 dollars a month for something that has barley worked since day 1. They tried troubleshooting over chat and kept losing connection. So I called and got 2 different representatives who tried helping but was told they could not find any issues. Everything says strong signal but I was not able to access the internet. I was informed they were going to send out a tech to troubleshoot but it was going to cost me 150.00. I told them there is no way that will be coming out of my pocket I am not getting the internet I pay for through hughesnet why would I have to pay for a tech that services their equipment!? I told them to just cancel my service and now I am getting charged a early termination fee of almost $400.00! They said they would cut off service on the 13th of October which means I still have a whole nother cycle to wait with no internet and am getting chaged the $400.00 for early termination plus the bill for October when I have had no access to internet!

  Business response

  10/19/2023

  October 19, 2023
  
  **************************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  

  Re:***********************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have contacted *** ****** to address the outstanding matter regarding the performance of her HughesNet service, the on-site visit fee, her request to discount the October bill and waive the termination fee.

  Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records and call logs. The call *** ****** completed on August 23, 2023 determined the 100 GB purchased with the service plan exceeded during the data cycle. HughesNet presented the 200 GB service plan, but *** ****** declined an upgrade. The resolution for exceeding the data allowance requires the subscriber to budget their data allowance for the 30-day cycle, upgrade the plan to a higher data allowance, purchase tokens to be released from the throttled state, or use the time frame between 2:00 am to 8:00 am seven days a week with an additional 50 GBS free of impact from our Fair Access Policy. The subscriber agreement at **************************************************** contains specific language stating if the subscriber exceeds the monthly plan data, the subscriber will experience reduced speeds, typically 3 Mbps or less, until the next billing cycle. This Fair Access Policy is a tangible part of our service and we are unable to revise due to shared bandwidth with all our subscribers. Ultimately, it is the subscriber's responsibility to budget the data allowance purchased with the service plan to maintain a download up to 25 Mbps and upload up to 3 Mbps. Since the Fair Access Policy is part of our subscriber agreement canceling due to exceeding a data allowance is not a reason to waive an early termination fee.
  

  The call *** ****** completed on September 18, 2023 determined an on-site visit was required to determine the underlying issues with the devices and adjust the HughesNet equipment to ensure the service is operating at peak performance. The resolution offered was a free on-site visit and a credit in the amount of $82.26 representing charges for 30-days. *** ****** declined both offers and requested to cancel the account. HughesNet reserves the right to exhaust all avenues of technical support before waiving an early termination fee. Since this was not the case in *** ******'s situation, the termination fee is valid. The account was canceled October 13, 2023 with an early termination fee in the amount of $385. The October bill cannot be discounted because the data usage report indicates the service was used up to the cancellation date.
  

  Regarding *** ******'s request to waive the termination fee, please be advised when *** ****** subscribed to the HughesNet Service, she expressly agreed that she would be subjected to an early termination fee in the event she canceled the service prior to expiration of the service commitment period. Consequently, we believe that we have a contractual right to assess this fee.
  

  We sincerely regret any inconvenience *** ****** may have experienced. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.
  
  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

  Customer response

  10/25/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because I did not cancel based on the fact I used all of the internet like they say. Being able to use the internet was the issue. We were very rarely able to access the internet on phones or tv. I attached a picture of the response we constantly got. Like I have mentioned before in a service call it shows not connected but in your end nothing was wrong and noone over the phone could figure it out. The lady I talked to recently trying to fix this complaint was very rude and barley wanted to listen to what I had to say about the service we were provided. By no means should it be advertised were we live as high speed nor should I have to figure out why it says my data was being used without us actually being able to access it. I only recall the offer of a service tech free of charge 1x. I do not understand how an early termination fee can only be gotten out of it service has not yet been installed and time to realize how horrible it works. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

  Business response

  10/25/2023

  October 25, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:***********************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  The Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet received *** ******'s response and appreciate her feedback. Our Executive Customer Care representative spoke with *** ****** on October 19, 2023 and explained the 100 GB purchased with the service plan exceeded during the data cycles. The data usage report was attached to our previous response to validate our investigation and the household's use of the HughesNet satellite internet service.
  
  This Fair Access Policy is part of the subscriber agreement *** ****** agreed to and can be found at www.legal.hughesnet.com for review. HughesNet offered an upgrade to the 200 GB service plan and a free on-site visit to determine any underlying issues not related to the Fair Access Policy. *** ****** declined both attempts to offer a resolution and elected to proceed with the cancellation of the account.
  Since the Fair Access Policy is part of our subscriber agreement and HughesNet reserves the right to exhaust all avenues of technical support, the early termination fee will not be waived.
  We sincerely regret any inconvenience *** ****** may have experienced. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.
  
  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

  Customer response

  11/06/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because I contacted Hughesnet almost once a mknth with issues I was having with the service and noone said anything about sending a tech out until the very end when I was fed up with the service already. It was not a one time issue and decided to stop service it was several things. Also I never received the 100 dollar gift card that was offered as a promotion.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Services were ordered in April of 2023. Internet service was initiated and immediately underperformed from what was stated by the company. The internet reset often, did not work even during mildly cloudy weather, and was much slower than what was promised by Hughes Net when the service was procured. We contacted Hughes Net and they upgraded our package and had one service technician come to the house. The service continued to not meet expectations and we were told they would not be able to fix until over a week of storms had passed. This was unacceptable as we work from home and rely on dependable internet. We went over 60 days without reliable internet and were continuously charged. No Hughes Net representation contacted us the entire time we went through this.We then found another provider that could meet our expectations and installed the service. At this time, we contacted Hughes Net and multiple times, they attempted to sell us more things instead of re-fund us for the major issues we had experienced. Hughes Net now states that due to our contract, we must pay >$350 to be relinquished from our contractual obligations.At this time, we simply are looking to terminate our contract without incurring additional fees due to the lack of service and communication from the company.

  Customer response

  09/29/2023

  No need to take further action.

  Business response

  09/29/2023

  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest 10th Floor
  Washington, DC 20005-3404
  
  Re:***************************
  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  ***************,
  
  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of Hughes, it is our understanding that ****************** has concerns regarding the HughesNet service.

  I have reviewed ******************' account history. Shortly after installation our system detected an alignment issue with her dish and we dispatched a technician to correct this issue. There were no calls regarding technical problems until 4 months later on August 3rd. At that time there was inclement weather at the customer's location which may have been affecting the services and no troubleshooting could be performed until the weather cleared. ****************** called back on August 18th to cancel saying she had gone to another provider. Our agent offered to troubleshoot the services, but the customer had to leave for work and disconnected the call. The next calls were to finalize the cancellation without any further troubleshooting. HughesNet reserves the right to exhaust all avenues of technical support before waiving an early termination fee. This was not the case on ******************' account after the initial technician visit. Our account management agent on September 29th agreed to waive $140 of the $340 early termination fee. HughesNet considers this a fair compensation for the issues ****************** experienced. When the agent processed the cancellation she only waived $100 of the fee rather than the $140 promised. I have credited the additional $40. This makes ******************' final bill $82.74 to cover what is left of the reduced early termination fee, rather than what she $122.74 quoted by the agent. We will be sending out a self addressed postage paid mailer for the return of the modem, power cord, and radio transmitter located on the end of the arm of the satellite dish.

  We sincerely regret any inconvenience that ***************** may have experienced and are hopeful that our actions will serve as a demonstration of our good faith. At this point, we would respectfully request that our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event you have any additional questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you very much for your consideration.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  HughesNet Executive Customer Care Team
  Phone:************

  Customer response

  09/29/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My complaint is in regards to terrible services with Hughesnet internet services. We live in a very rural area. Our previous internet was ziply fiber. We used them for 2 years with great connections and phone calls. ***** is moving out of our area so we have to switch internet providers. Hughesnet sent us a advertisement in the mail claiming they service our area so naturally I called them to see what they offer. We signed up to use their internet services and phone service. They came and installed on September 8th 2023. Now only 3 days later September 11th 2023 my internet is so slow and useless. My calls cut out or completely hang up if im connected to the internet. We only use internet for basic ****** searches, websites, and a little bit of *******. No streaming or gaming. I called hughesnet to terminate my account because I can't use it anyway. The customer service lady did a trouble shooting and said I had good speeds on her end, which I still don't. I asked what the cancelation grace period was, knowing they had a 30 day cancelation policy. She laughed and said no to cancel I have to pay $400.00. They sold me a service that doesn't work where I'm at and claimed it did, and now say there isn't a grace period to cancel. I feel like I got scammed. I asked if I could pay $100 to cancel beings I can't afford to pay $400 but she said no they don't bargain. So I'm stuck with 2 years of internet that doesn't work. I wouldn't use this service if your rural. They skirt around telling you the details and lock you in. I feel it's only fair if they terminate my account with no charge beings I've used it 3 days and it doesnt work.

  Business response

  09/22/2023

  September 22, 2023
  
  **.***********************
  Dispute Resolution Team Leader
  Better Business Bureau
  1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
  Washington DC 20005-3404

  Re:*****************************
  Complaint ***********
  
  Dear ****************:

  In response to your letter to the Executive Customer Care division of HughesNet, we have contacted *** ******* to address the outstanding matter regarding the performance of her HughesNet service and her request to cancel without a termination fee.
  Our Executive Customer Care representative reviewed all pertinent database records and call logs. The calls *** ******* completed on September 11, 2023 were reviewed. *** ******* reported poor audio during WiFi calling on her cell phone. Our Executive Customer Care representative notified *** ******* that live internet activity requiring a rapid response, such as WiFi calling, may experience limitations. The subscriber agreement at *******************.*** contains specific language advising our customers that "stated speeds and uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed". All types of internet connections have latency which is affected by the distance the data has to travel from one place to another. With HughesNet satellite internet latency is slightly higher (longer) than other transports because the data must travel back and forth to satellites that are more than 20,000 miles in the sky.
  Our Executive Customer Care representative offered to troubleshoot issues not related to WiFi calling. *** ******* respectfully declined and request an immediate cancel. In a good faith effort to resolve the dispute, HughesNet create an immediate cancellation and agreed to waive 50% of the early termination fee in the amount of $200. A credit will be issued representing unused service after September 22, 2023 and the credit will apply towards the early termination fee balance.
  It is the customer's responsibility to ship back the equipment. A prepaid shipping label, a box, and instructions will arrive within 7-10 business days. Please return the modem, power cord, and the radio transmitter no later than November 07, 2023 to avoid being charged an Unreturned Equipment Fee of up to $300.
  *** ******* accepted the offer and acknowledged she understood. At this point, we would respectfully request our response to this complaint be accepted as closure to the case. In the event, you have any additional questions or comments; do not hesitate to contact us. Please refer to Case ID *********. Thank you very much for your consideration.
  
  Regards,
  Executive Customer Care Team
  ************

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