WOW (and possibly other ISPs) gaming 47 CFR 8.1

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SamirD

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
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I just found out yesterday that according to WOW's own document that's required to be published per 47 CFR 8.1, that the rate for our connection should be $55/month. When I called them up about this (since they are charging $75/mo), they said that is only with autopay, so without autopay it is $65, and then $5 for fees, so $70 (the south american call center rep didn't really comprehend what I was saying and couldn't explain why I'm paying $5/mo more).

So I looked up what the FCC requires in the disclosure document from ISPs, and found this in #17 of a ruling at https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...ring-broadband-consumers-through-transparency -- "...Commission requires providers to display only the “retail” monthly broadband price, by which the Commission means the price a provider offers broadband to consumers before applying any discounts such as those for paperless billing, automatic payment (autopay)..."

MFs are lying on their disclosure documents or they're lying to me on the phone. Either way, this flies in the face of what the FCC is trying to make them do, so I emailed the FCC the following and thought I would post it here too:

'In the attached disclosure for the ISP, Knology of Alabama, Inc, et al., the ISP is not adhering to guidance in point 17 by the FCC in CG Docket No. 22-2, FCC 22-86, FR ID 117396, summarized as follows: "...Commission requires providers to display only the “retail” monthly broadband price, by which the Commission means the price a provider offers broadband to consumers before applying any discounts such as those for paperless billing, automatic payment (autopay)..."

I just got off the phone with the ISP, and the ISP told me that the rates listed on page 8 of their disclosure for "Huntsville" and "Internet 600" are for AFTER autopay and not the full retail rate as required by the FCC in the ruling.

I wanted to bring this to your attention as this flies in the face of the protections that the FCC is trying to implement for consumers and shows how the ISPs can utilize this document to mislead consumers with erroneous or false information as I'm sure 99% of Americans won't go through the effort I just did to notify you.'

Check out your ISP's disclosure and compare it to your bill. If they're gaming you, call them up and get your rate adjusted. If they're gaming the FCC, let the FCC know.
 
Thank you. For me it's not about the $5, but about keeping proper law and order in a country that is being turned upside down by those that wish to exploit any oversight for their gain--especially when that gain is financially significant. It's not right, and I'm not standing for it.
 
So a little bit of an update to this. I got the new bill and my rate was now different (less by abou $5) due to the rate plan changing. Okay, so I compared this to their disclosure filed with the FCC. It's not supposed to be $70, it's supposed to be $55. The agent on the phone kept arguing until I made him download the document and see the same pages I did. He said the document says rates subject to change. I asked when the last rate change was on this plan, he said Feb 1st--and Feb 1st is the date of this disclosure filed with the FCC. Busted--they lied to the FCC, plain and simple. I even told him that I don't care about everyone else they're cheating, just give me the $55 rate since the $15/mo is going to cost more with their attorney when the FCC attorneys get in touch and he wouldn't budge. I'm sure at some point they'll F with my account, but I was probably going to disconnect this line anyways as Spectrum as been pretty reliable and a Verizon mifi box might be a cheaper backup.

So bottom line, ISPs are still slimy MFs without oversight of regulations and FCC still has a ways to go to reel them in.

I'm off to draft another email to the FCC...
 
SamirD said:
So a little bit of an update to this. I got the new bill and my rate was now different (less by abou $5) due to the rate plan changing. Okay, so I compared this to their disclosure filed with the FCC. It's not supposed to be $70, it's supposed to be $55. The agent on the phone kept arguing until I made him download the document and see the same pages I did. He said the document says rates subject to change. I asked when the last rate change was on this plan, he said Feb 1st--and Feb 1st is the date of this disclosure filed with the FCC. Busted--they lied to the FCC, plain and simple. I even told him that I don't care about everyone else they're cheating, just give me the $55 rate since the $15/mo is going to cost more with their attorney when the FCC attorneys get in touch and he wouldn't budge. I'm sure at some point they'll F with my account, but I was probably going to disconnect this line anyways as Spectrum as been pretty reliable and a Verizon mifi box might be a cheaper backup.

So bottom line, ISPs are still slimy MFs without oversight of regulations and FCC still has a ways to go to reel them in.

I'm off to draft another email to the FCC...
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Class action, anyone? Do a google search and you get lots of hits for lawyers in AL.
 
philb2 said:
Class action, anyone? Do a google search and you get lots of hits for lawyers in AL.
Click to expand...
Possibly, but that's a road just as long as the FCC route, and the FCC will hurt them far more than a 'settlement' will through a lawsuit.

After the call today, I want these MFs to hang. :hungover:
 
Having recently dealt with WOW customer support for the first time in a long time, I’m really disappointed to see how bad it’s become.

I’ve been a customer with them since about 2003 and their absolute refusal to do ANYTHING for me with the price of my cable TV service was infuriating. The only option they gave me was to switch to YouTube TV.

I was paying $230/month for 100mbit internet, basic phone, and basic cable TV…

I migrated the VoIP service to Ooma for $6/mo mostly out of spite, and TV is through a private IPTV service, returned the shitty gateway and started using my own modem. Now the only thing I have through them is 300mbit internet service for like $50/month. The only alternatives in the area are AT&T which is slow and expensive, and Xfinity which is more expensive.

I should have prefaced this with mentioning that this is for my elderly father. The service is in my name from when I lived there still, he just pays the bill. They kept residing the bill, he kept paying it, and I never thought to check on it.
 
Stugots said:
Having recently dealt with WOW customer support for the first time in a long time, I’m really disappointed to see how bad it’s become.

I’ve been a customer with them since about 2003 and their absolute refusal to do ANYTHING for me with the price of my cable TV service was infuriating. The only option they gave me was to switch to YouTube TV.

I was paying $230/month for 100mbit internet, basic phone, and basic cable TV…

I migrated the VoIP service to Ooma for $6/mo mostly out of spite, and TV is through a private IPTV service, returned the shitty gateway and started using my own modem. Now the only thing I have through them is 300mbit internet service for like $50/month. The only alternatives in the area are AT&T which is slow and expensive, and Xfinity which is more expensive.

I should have prefaced this with mentioning that this is for my elderly father. The service is in my name from when I lived there still, he just pays the bill. They kept residing the bill, he kept paying it, and I never thought to check on it.
Click to expand...
Yep, typical garbage isp behavior. It's almost as bad as this in the third world, and while we're not there yet, it's getting there.

I really want municipalities to start providing internet over powerline en masse. That would hurt isps so bad it wouldn't even be funny as Internet from utilities would just be a cash cow for them since there's very little new infrastructure needed (or I would think anyways).

Home wireless Internet from cell providers helps with competition, but there's still the whole wired>wireless part that hurts them.
 
Saw that the online billing portal now has a Broadband 'sticker' that tells the 'nutritional values' and I downloaded the latest network practices filing with the FCC and sure enough, MF are still lying. And this time I filed a 'informal complaint' with the FCC. Let's see what happens...

Just got a reply back from their system indicating complaint received and a FAQ on how they process these: https://www.fcc.gov/consumercomplaints/FAQs
 
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