Consumer complaint received 2016-08-06
Company: The Affiliated Group, Inc
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not mine

Complaint:
Pro-rate for intermittent internet service or non-service for 3 months requested for account XXXX. XXXX billing lies about internal wiring. I began XXXX service XX/XX/XXXX. After paying over {$1500.00}, XXXX XXXX has dropped the ball. My kids need the computer for school on a daily basis. In addition, my wife is a teacher and requires the internet to submit grades and contact parents of at-risk students. Before XX/XX/XXXX our XXXX service became spotty. Connections ( sync on the modem ) lasted for a few minutes at best ; moreover, speed ( using Speedtest.net by XXXX ) plummetted to XXXX to XXXX Mbps. Get this : when I call XXXX technical support, I get sync ( but at the aforementioned " turtle '' speed indicated ). After I hang up, I lose sync. I have had to beg the tech to keep me on hold so that my daughter can finish her internet-based math homework! The XXXX suggestion offered : reduce or cap speed at XXXX Mbps for an extra {$50.00} fee, while paying $ XXXX monthly. I was awestuck by the suggested remedy. Technical tickets at XXXX confirm " fix '' is not guaranteed. XXXX XXXX billed me in XXXX XXXX despite the fact that they are no longer my ISP. They say they ca n't pro-rate me for NO or very POOR service since I would n't accept a XXXX cap that may or may not fix the problem. XXXX is lying by parsing technical support notes and wrongfully claiming I have bad " internal wiring. '' XXXX tech refutes this billing department lie when XXXX XXXX modems are tested outside the residence beyond network interface device ( NID ) and still no sync is available ; hence, XXXX is billing me for 3 months even though my family had no service. Moreover, I have affidavit from XXXX XXXX XXXX tech who confirms internal wiring is sufficient and intermittent or no sync occurs beyond NID outside the residence. Furthermore, XXXX XXXX lied to me in XXXX XXXX after they received the XXXX modem. They threatened to charge me {$99.00} even though they had received the modem earlier. I have tracking number to confirm XXXX return. XXXX Customer Billing continued harassment re account XXXX after I terminated ISP relationship due to 3 months of non-service. Billing continued in XXXX even though I began service XXXX XXXX, XXXX with another ISP. I successfully disputed the erroneous credit card charge. However, XXXX is sending my account to collections due to a " bounce '' fee. After they pro-rate me for not providing 3 months of INTERMITTENT service, it is XXXX that owes me money and and apology. XXXX XXXX heretofore has n't pro-rated me for intermittent or sporadic service from XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX inclusive. Excluding modem rent fee, this totals approximately {$81.00} ( far more than the false collections amount ). XXXX XXXX 's billing representatives ( incuding XXXX and supervisor XXXX XXXX ) are disingenuous. They continue to lie & parse tech reports. Even the XXXX technicians I worked with evenings confirmed that no sync occurred even with the modem attached to the NID outside the residence.XXXX never once checked the drop or asked XXXX to check copper line network excluding NID infrastructure outside the residence. XXXX failed to provide a service to me ( the customer ), but maliciously continues to try to extort monies even though internet service was virtually nonexistent. Obviously, the XXXX billing department is not educated regarding technical matters. They continue to mistakenly parse what XXXX technicians wrote in the tickets and falsely conclude that " Your downtime was caused due to inside wiring issues. '' They are purposely engaging in malfeasance to extort monies they are n't entitled to. Fair resolution : Requested pro-rate ( for a quarter year of non-service or intermittent internet service ) far exceeds disputed " collection '' amount. Please fix now.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief