Internet service is an essential tool these days. So nothings more frustrating than when your internet connection isn't working. That's exactly what happened to one valley woman, and that's when she turned to our Call For Action team for help.
"Everything that I've been through... has been overwhelming," says Vicki Phillips.
She has power of attorney for a family member named Fred, whose suffering from advanced dementia. She was recently looking for full-time care at his home and decided to also get internet service.
"It was to put security cameras on the property. So we would know who comes and goes, and when the caregivers were here," says Vicki.
She says she decided to hire a company offering satellite service.
"They came to the house. They set the dish up on the roof... It seems like he was hooking everything up, everything would be fine," says Vicki.
But after all was said and done, she says she found the internet signal was pretty bad.
"Most sites I couldn't get into at all. Those that I could get into, it would take 5-10 minutes to get in," says Vicki.
Then a few days later, the unexpected happened. Fred collapsed and Vicki knew he wasn't coming home anytime soon, if at all. So she called the internet company.
"I need to cancel. It was less than two weeks from the time that I got it," says Vicki.
But she says they wouldn't budge, pointing out she signed a contract. If she wanted to cancel the agreement, she'd have to pay a penalty.
They said that would be $1,295... I was dumbfounded. Isn't there some grace period?" says Vicki.
That's when she discovered a whole new problem. Vicki was being billed as a business. It's a major detail Vicki admits she missed when signing the contract.
"I have been so consumed with everything that has gone on for his care, I honestly was not thinking," says Vicki.
She was ready to give up.
"This is my responsibility, and I will pay it," says Vicki.
But then she spoke with a friend, who recommended our Contact 13 Call For Action team. So Vicki reached out and spoke with our volunteer, Marty, who got right on the case.
"The people at the customer service just didn't understand what truly took place and it just took working up through the chain of command over there, to get them to finally understand and get it taken care of," says Marty.
In the end, the company admitted Vicki never should have been billed as a business, and her entire contract was waived. Vicki couldn't believe it.
"Very very relieved, grateful, happy. I can move on now with the things that need to be done," says Vicki.
It's a lesson she admits she learned the hard way. And now she's taking time to share advice with others facing consumer complaints.
"Turn to Channel 13 News. I am just so grateful that they cared... they cared enough to go in there and dig, and do things that I was not capable of doing," says Vicki.
