Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ongoing service issues, terrible internet service, when you try to talk to someone in customer service its near impossible to talk to a real person. When you do talk to someone they speak only broken English. This problem has been going on for months since Brightspeed bought out century link. Cannot get a technician out for 2-3 weeks to look at an issues they say is on their end. I am tired of paying for a service that continually does not work but unfortunately they are the only provider in the area currently

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2023

  October 19, 2023
  
  Re:****************************:  
  Complaint ID: ******** 
  Notice of Complaint Filed: October 16, 2023
  
  *************************** contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to file a complaint on her behalf about chronic internet issues, repair intervals, and the challenges of speaking with live agents due to their language barrier. Brightspeed has completed our investigation concerning the billing account number *********. We confirmed that repair correlation ID ********* was created on October 16, 2023, with a due date of October 17, 2023, via another contact to Brightspeed. On October 17, we needed more resources to complete the repair job, until the next business day.

  
  Brightspeed appreciated the opportunity to review the details in the statement of the problem. We repaired a bad protector and splitter, which restored the service to the modem. *************************** reported service trouble on 10/16/223. Conversely, our records show chronic issues for the past 30 days that needed a tech premise visit. As a courtesy, we issued a one-month service credit of $50.00, excluding taxes, fees, and surcharges.

  
  Brightspeed apologize for any issues due to the experience and inconvenience.
  
  Sincerely,

  
  *******************
  
  Brightspeed Customer Advocacy
  
  CC: ****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid my bill last week internet worked fine all last week then last Saturday it went out called tech support got told there was a problem with the lines outside have to have a te h come out on Monday so wait on Monday a tech comes out doesn't even get out of his truck and my internet comes back on it works fine all week again and now this weekend it is back out called in to brightspeed again and get told that again there is a problem with the lines outside now have to wait until Monday for a technician again getting tired of this

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  This was sent to Repair Escalations. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/14/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  For 15 years, I paid my **** bill through Century Link, now Brightspeed. The companies have now discontinued that bundle agreement. However, I paid my bundled August **** bill and my internet bill to Brightspeed on September 3 in the amount of $119.39. Brightspeed was to pay **** $70.39. I learned today that Brightspeed paid **** only $18.77 on September 6. That resulted in my being charged a $10.00 late fee. The Brightspeed customer-service rep told me today that their accounting department is in flux and that the transfer of $51.62 would happen. He could not, however, give me a time frame during which that would happen.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/27/2023

  Brightspeed acknowledges the complainants concerns and apologizes for any issues or inconvenience that *** have been experienced.
  
  According to the records on the account, the customers billing is correct. The last billing statement with **** charges was on the August 13, 2023, statement. This statement was due on September 5, 2023.  The **** charges were for services from July 19, 2023, to August 11, 2023.
  
  The **** billing has been removed from Brightspeed billing statement. **************** issued a courtesy credit of $51.62 on 10/17/2023 and I also issued a courtesy credit for late fees on 10/27/2023.  The credits are on the Bightspeed account, and we cant send the credit back to **** due to the billing is closed with ****.   
  
  Thank you for allowing Brightspeed the opportunity to address this issue. Please do not hesitate in contacting me if I can be of further assistance.
  Sincerely, 
   
  Case Manager
  Customer Advocacy Group

  ******************

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  RE: REFUND OF OVERPAYMENT FOR PHONE ************ *****************************/********************************* Requesting refund of overpayment. Have talked on four different occasions. Been told refund must be approved. Should take three days. Then told payment approved and call again for update. Next phone call they Couldnt refund so will issue check. Still nothing. Told on last call not to worry refund is issued and being sent to bank account it was paid from Still nothing. This is my deceased mothers and fathers account. Need it processed to close probate. Whats wrong with these people. They processed the overpayment to them in 24 hours. Its been since august 28 Ive been begging for this refund !

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  Good day,

  I apologize for the inconvenience with your check refund request.  In review of the account, there is a different address than on this BBB complaint. Please verify the correct address to mail the check. Once I receive verification of address, I will issue release of the credit for a check to be mailed.  On 10/13/23 I called and left a message with my contact information.

  Thank you,

  Brightspeed Executive Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is our third day without phone or Internet. Both my husband and I rely on the Internet for our jobs working from home. This is unacceptable and we need to have it restored. I have called brightspeed several times and cannot get any satisfaction. No one seems to know what is going on other than the problem is being worked on.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  October 17, 2023
  
  Brightspeed appreciates the opportunity to review the issues or concerns regarding the complaint that has been submitted by ***************************  In her complaint she advised of being without phone and internet services for about 3 days.   The main issue here was them needing it due to working from home. 
  
  Brightspeed regrets any inconvenience that *** have been experienced.  I reached out to our technical support team for review and found that there was an area outage affecting services.  Our tech support agent called and left a message to advise of the outage and would call back and update.  I found that on October 13th the services were restored and authenticating well. Another voicemail was left to advise. There was also an issue were *************** mentioned of a rude agent, this call was sent to their leadership for review and coaching as needed.
  
  Brightspeed acknowledges the customers concerns and apologizes for any issues or inconvenience that *** have been experienced.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  Executive Office Case Manager
  Brightspeed

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I cancelled my account with Brightspeed in June 2023. THe service was terrible and I wasn't getting what I was paying for. I was paid to-date and thought all was well. On 9/11/23, I received a charge of $159 on my checking account from **********************. I called on 9/12 and spoke with an agent, after reviewing my account, I was told my account was still showing active and my checking account autopay information was still in the system and it shouldn't have been. They officially closed my account and removed my checking account information. They confirmed that it was a fluke in their billing system and I would be receiving a refund of $159. On 10/12/23, I still had not received the refund and I called again. They are now telling me a modem wasn't returned which I know it was but unfortunately I don't have the tracking number from JUNE! So it is my word against their's and they are now not refunding my money. I was never sent a bill or a letter telling me any of this. My account should NOT have still been in their system for them to bill me 3 months later and at the very least I should have been notified. I have spent 3 hours on the phone trying to resolve this of MY time. These companies are extremely frustrating to deal with. I would like my refund. I do not think this is right.! I've attached my emails from June cancelling the service and then the 2 in september they sent me when they removed my autopay. I'm very good about these things. and this is not something I normally do by filing a report but I'm tired of these companies taking advantage. I appreciate your help!

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  October 13, 2023
  
  
  Re: ******************************:  
  Complaint ID: ********
  Notice of Complaint Filed: October 12, 2023
  
  The Better Business Bureau (BBB) filed a complaint on behalf of ***************************** about a one-time charge for unreturned equipment.

  Brightspeed has completed our investigation concerning the billing *********. We processed a disconnect order on June 06, 2023, to remove the Simply Unlimited Internet from your account. We have confirmed that you received a communication email advising that your Brightspeed services were billed through June 13, 2023, and the service would be disconnected on June 09, 2023. Additionally, we confirmed that you received an email about the billing account information and order confirmation on June 06,2023, that detailed information about and estimated final bill amount of your current Brightspeed services and charges, including the services you had recently changed.  Within the order confirmation, there is information specific to leased equipment. That is,"if you lease equipment from us and your service is canceled or terminated for any reason, you must return the leased equipment to us within 30 days after cancellation or termination to avoid non-return fees of up to $200 per each piece of leased equipment."
  

  Brightspeed appreciated the opportunity to review the details. As of October 13, 2023, the equipment modem has not been returned to our distribution center. A revised final bill for the bill cycle date August 14, 2023, reflects one-time charge of $150.00 for the unreturned premium modem.
  

  Brightspeed apologize for any issues due to the experience and inconvenience.
  
  Sincerely,
  *******************
  Brightspeed Customer Advocacy
  
  CC: ******************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/13/2023

   
  I am rejecting this response because:  I do not have a modem so I must have returned it.  I have no email confirmation of any of this and I keep everything.  Furthermore, Brightspeed didn't remove my checking account information when my account was cancelled in June.  They admitted to making this error and promptly removed it in September when I called.  When I called in September they told me it was an error on their part and I would be receiving a full credit of $159.  Never once was anything mentioned about unreturned equipment.  I do not have the modem in my home.  I have no idea what they are referring to.  I would appreciate the refun like I was promised in September.

   

   

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Complaint ID: ********

  Dear ****************:
  
  The Better Business Bureau (BBB) filed a rebuttal complaint on behalf of ***************************** about a one-time charge for unreturned equipment. We do apologize for the miscommunication of what was advised about the auto pay error and refund. When you first established service with Legacy CenturyLink, which now operates as Brightspeed, ***************************** agreed to the service terms and conditions and confirmed the order confirmation on 03/08/2023, 9:24 a.m., at ********************** have reviewed the billing and confirmed that the one-time charge of $150.00 for unreturned equipment is correctly billed and valid. 
  
  BRIGHTSPEEDHIGH-SPEED INTERNET SUBSCRIBER AGREEMENT
  (d)Return of Leased Equipment. Upon termination, you must promptly return your Leased Equipment to Brightspeed by following the return process at ******************************************************************************************************************************* will, at its option, either: (1) charge you the Equipment Charge if Brightspeed does not receive the equipment within 30 days after termination;(2) charge you the Equipment Charge upon termination and credit you back for such charge ONLY if Brightspeed receives your equipment within 30 days following termination; or (3) continue to charge you for the Equipment until Brightspeed receives the equipment. Upon your termination of Fixed Wireless, we may dispatch a technician to uninstall and remove Fixed Wireless Equipment at no cost to you.
  
  Brightspeed apologizes for any issues due to the experience and inconvenience.
  
   Sincerely,
   *******************

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Intermittent DSL internet service. Ongoing issue with service. If you call for service you are transferred over and over again and kept unnecessarily on the phone for sometimes hours at a time. Problem is intermittent service. The problem has been identified by 3-4 different technicians over the past 2 years. The techs are contractors and quite nice and well trained. Using the old phone lines understandably is not ideal and I understand the limitations of DSL service. Brightspeed agents have historically purposely disconnected calls and ALWAYS THREATEN A $99 SERVICE FEE IF THE ISSUE IS FOUND ON THEIR END. THE SERVICE FEE HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED AS THE ISSUE IS ALWAYS OUTSIDE THE HOME. I did manage to schedule a repair for tomorrow, 10/12 between ****pm and the call took much less time than normal. The threat to charge me $99 still exists but the timing to wait for repair was very reasonable compared to my past experience. The only communication available is outsourced overseas, outside of mailing a complaint to ********* with no promise of a reply or utilizing the BBB to voice a complaint or concern. I have only ever used the BBB one time prior to resolve a complaint. I would never waste your time if Brightspeed was simply available to acknowledge my concerns in a more direct and meaningful way than over seas operators working from a script. Once a better connection to the internet is available, we will utilize it immediately. I do hope though that Brightspeed is not the provider. I am expecting delays and problems based on ALL my past experiences with the same issue. I am filing this complaint ahead of the service call and would like it to remain open until resolved. I do not expect service greater than the 3mbps limit, but I do expect that service to be available to me without constant interruption and an easier and friendlier method to request service. I think anyone would have that expectation of their ISP provider. Account ****************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2023

  
  Brightspeed acknowledges the complainants concerns and apologizes for any issues or inconvenience that *** have been experienced.
  
  According to the records on the account, the trouble ticket was closed on 10/12/2023 repaired line.  The cause was act of nature, weather.  The repair associate has to advise the customer that if the issue is past the *** there is a charge if the customer does not have inside wire maintenance.
  
  The customer has 3 M and is getting 3M.  However,the customer has 12 devices currently ************************, this will slow down the service.  Brightspeed does not guarantee the Wi-Fi/wireless speeds and connection due to the possibility of so many out of our control possibilities of interference. This is the reason we do not charge for this portion of service. We do our best effort to support but again cant guarantee it. Bandwidth is provided on a per-line (not a per-device) basis. The bandwidth available to each device ************************ to the network will vary depending upon the number, type and configuration of devices using the Service and the type of use (e.g., streaming media), among other factors. The speed of the Service will vary based on network or Internet congestion, the computer configuration, the condition of lines and the wiring inside the residence,among other factors. 
  
  Thank you for allowing Brightspeed the opportunity to address this issue. Please do not hesitate in contacting me if I can be of further assistance.
  Sincerely, 
   
  Case Manager
  Customer Advocacy Group
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  Service is still intermittent but I believe the tech did all he could do to remedy this.  In that the problem tends to re-occur due to the very old and simplistic lines used to carry the signal, I ask that Brightspeed recognize this and stop using the threat of a $99 fee if problem is found inside the home.  The person who dispatched *************** added a note on the service form to AGAIN threaten me with a $99 fee to proceed with the repair if problem was found inside our home.  He read the notice to me and commented that he's never seen that before and could see the somewhat hostile nature of the repair notes.  We live in a very rural area and I am certain, some folks would continue to put up with inferior service in fear of the $99 fee.  People need the internet for business, school, communication and many more equally important uses.  Brightspeed needs to accept a greater responsibility to providing reliable service to our community as we do not have another viable provider for an ISP.  They chose to buyout CenturyLink, but show no interest in creating an easily accessible repair request avenue.   The app, the website and the phone service are all slow, confrontational, and not based in the continental US.  It should not take more than a few minutes to report a problem and it should not be so darn frustrating!.

  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, for the moment.
  
  Thanks you BBB for being available for voicing this complaint.  Without you, there would be absolutely no way to have these concerns heard.  The LONG list of consumers who have utilized the BBB for help with this concern of poor customer service and poor internet service provides a clear indication of this company's attention to both.  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  September 9 I canelled my service with Brightspeed and had my phone number ported to a cell. My calls were limited and it wasn't until this week that I realized I was only receiving calls from cell numbers. After spending hours on the phone with tech support it was discovered that Brightspeed never release my number fully to be ported. I called to have this addressed and was told i had to activate the number to have it ported. and then cancel it after the port. And they will chanrge me $107 for this. There is no reason I should be charged more than my original bill (which was $73 including internet) just to have my number ported! The reason I left this company is because my home phone was not working and they refused to come fix it. HOw is this company allowed to operate in this manner?

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Please be advised that Brightspeed has received this complaint and will monitor the next bill for charges related to the port and issue credit accordingly. 

   

  Thank you,

   

  *********************************
  Customer Advocacy Group
  ******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I arranged to have Internet installed at my cabin in August and was assured they were the provider in the area. I told them when setting up the install that this was at my cabin **** hours away and I would be driving up for the sole purpose of the install. I was told the install would be between **** and at 1:30 I checked my email and had received an email saying I had an install scheduled for about 1 month later. I called and was told when they came out to install, there was a problem that had to be forwarded to the engineers so I would need to be rescheduled. I was livid because no one came to my cabin or called to tell me this so they promised 1 free month and free install, next install date, same thing. I was then told I would get another free month. I said I didnt want to reschedule unless they could assure me the install was actually going to happen. The night before, I was called and assured we were good to go so I drove up for the third time and they did not show up again and still no phone call. When I did get ahold of them, they lady I talked to told me she would check into it and get back to me. Four days later she called to tell me they were out of lines in my area and were not installing any more at this time. I put 750 miles on my car, wasted 3 work days, in addition to hours on the phone. When I got home, I emailed every brightstar executive I could find an email address for. I received an email assuring me someone was checking into it but I do not believe anything is being done.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Kisis,
  Below is the customer response to the customers concern:
  
  The customer had advised that we had not installed their service as scheduled.
  This was being worked by another team to get a resolution for the customer.
  The Customer had been advised to place another order because the other one had been fully cancelled.
  Currently the customer has an order for new service for the 26th of October.
  There were some engineering problems that needed to be corrected before we could deliver the service to the customer and these have been cleared.
  The other team will be issuing any out of service credit given.
  Can we open this case again please?
  Thank you,
  *******************
  Customer Advocacy Group
  ******************. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/26/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me as long as I am actually not charged for the install and receive the first two months free as promised.  The did install today as promised after three previous no shows and the internet is working as expected. 
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  There have been 7 tickets opened with Bright speed since July 22, 2023. Each time they close the ticket without sending a technician to the location to correct the issue. The telephone line is working intermittently, and they have done nothing to repair. We have requested multiple times that a technician come to the location to talk with the homeowner, however, that has not occurred.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  Brightspeed acknowledges the complainants concerns and apologizes for any issues or inconvenience that *** have been experienced.
  
  According to the records on the account, the customer intermittent service issues was caused by CO Switch Processor with was repaired on the trouble tickets on 7/24/2023, 7/26/2023 and 8/11/2023.  The Processor was replaced on 10/6/2023.
  
  Thank you for allowing Brightspeed the opportunity to address this issue. Please do not hesitate in contacting me if I can be of further assistance.
  Sincerely, 
  
  Case Manager
  Customer Advocacy Group

  ******************