Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Astound Broadband powered by RCN's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Astound Broadband powered by RCN

  650 College Rd E Ste 3100 Princeton, NJ 08540-6629

• 

  RCN Telecom Services

  956 Massachusetts Ave Arlington, MA 02476-4509

• 

  RCN

  7921 Woodruff Ct Springfield, VA 22151-2129

• 

  RCN

  2124 Avenue C Bethlehem, PA 18017-2120

• 

  RCN

  10000 Derekwood Ln Lanham, MD 20706-4387

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:11/23/2022

  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 have internet through Astound and it has been so unreliable it's basically unusable. It goes out a minimum of 4-5 times every day. I contacted Astound about it multiple times and at first they ignored it. Then they eventually sent a tech out who said it was nothing to do with our equipment. He said that the problem was with their lines outside and the entire neighborhood had the same issue. He said they would fix it the next day. That was almost a month ago (10/29/22) that they were supposed to fix it but they never did. Since then my internet is still cutting out at least 4-5 times every day which is a huge issue because we have a lot of critical things connected to it like our security systems. I've contacted them multiple times since then and they still refuse to come resolve the problem. I live in an area where they are basically the only ISP so since they have a monopoly with no competition I can't just switch to a different company. My account with them is under my wife's name (***************************)

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2022

  The Astound rental modem was returned 11/30/2022 and the customer is now using their own modem. Per the modem history, there has not been any loss of signal since it was installed. The customer owned modem seems to be performing well. Please call ************ 24/7 if technical support is needed in the future and if we are remotely unable to resolve an issue, we would be happy to send out a certified technician. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2022

  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 am filing a formal complaint against RCN due to horrible ************ that is disrupting my ability to work remotely, disrupting my children's educational services, and disrupting my wife's ability to work remotely as well. Despite having called RCN countless times and being patient and polite towards them this WiFi issue continues to be a huge problem. The service is terrible. Here are the areas of concern: 1. service interruptions, 2. service slow pace, 3. service inconsistent, 4. service constantly resets itself, 5. despite having replaced equipment on several occasions, as well as, having an RCN technician come to our home more than twice, this problem is ongoing. We are frustrated with how passive RCN handles the matter. We are paying over $75 a month for ************ that isn't worth two dimes. As such, I have reached my limit. Over the past year, I have lost numerous hours of work due to these ongoing issues. My child's virtual education has been constantly disrupted making them behind on school work. My wife's online business has suffered financial loss. And yet, RCN gives me the same passive "we're sorry you're having these issues..." I should not have to file this complaint in order to get to RCN's full attention. After all these issues, despite paying my bills consistently, they had the nerve to give me a lousy $10 credit. UNACCEPTABLE! The credit needs to be a true reflection of the massive amount of work hours and school hours my family have lost due to the repeated pathetic service that RCN provides our community. And after seeing over 300 complaints against them apparently my family is not the only one's suffering from terrible service and passive solutions that DO NOT last. As such, we are requiring compensation as noted in the resolution section of this complaint. Even during the 2020 pandemic we continued to pay our bills, but this service continues to be horrendous! Customer number: ***************.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2022

  A technician visit is scheduled for 11/22/2022 ****PM to address internet connection issues. There is a case requesting a lead or supervisor for this visit. The technician visit 11/20/2022 ****PM indicated there was a modem provisioning error and there has not been a technician visit since October 2020 prior to this. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/19/2022

  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 have internet service through Astound Broadband. They automatically withdraw $83 every month. I use my own approved equipment. The service has been spotty all week. Internet goes out completely overnight. Currently it has been completely out for 2 days. Astound customer service can only run a reset. I am convinced the problem is outside. Astound states they show no power outages. They're only option is to send a technician and a charge to me when I am pretty certain the problem is outside of the house. Myself and my wife depend on this as our work depends on it. This company has been a problem ever since it acquired Wide Open West internet. Their customer service is non-responsive choosing to put the blame on you first. I pay for the gigabyte high performance service. I want the service restored. I do not want to pay for something that is not my fault. Sending a technician four days later is not an option. Remote work is done from this location as well as online schooling. I cannot get a satisfactory response from Astound.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2022

  There has been an issue with service based on the modem history between November 18 and November 20, which we have applied credit for. Please schedule a technician visit if the issue persists, we are unable to verify that this is an area issue, as neighboring modems do not reflect the same history of a lost connection. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  RCN/Astound has offered me a contract rate of $26.55 per month since Feb 2022 but have been imposing questionable monthly network access and maintenance fees of $7. These fees have increased to $10 per month now. In addition, there have been interrupted internet access due to network outages. I contacted customer support and the hold time were repeated excessive. After 5 failed attempts to reaching billing support, each time with hold time over 1 hour, I have no choice but to contact the **** I am seeking a full refund of excess fees and the days I was without internet access. The total refund I am requesting is $75.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2022

  ************* has not reached out to us regarding an outage issue since 07/02/2022  6:25 am and at that time, we applied 1 day of service credit, totaling a prorated amount of about $0.90. We do not have any recent reported outages and there has not been a technician visit since March 2022 when service was changed. We are unable to determine if it is the customer's own equipment causing an issue unless we schedule a technician visit. We sent a notice on the September statement explaining the following: 

  Effective on your October billing statement, the price for your current monthly services will be $25.99, excluding taxes and fees. In addition, below please find a summary of rate adjustments for specific fees and/or costs; unless otherwise notated, the listed fees and/or costs are neither government mandated nor a tax imposed on you by the government; they are either a fee and/or cost Astound Broadband assesses and retains:
  The Network Access and Maintenance Fee will increase by $2.80. This fee helps defray costs associated with building and
  maintaining Astound's fiber rich broadband network, as well as the costs of expanding network capacity to support the continued
  increase in customers' average broadband consumption.
  Periodically, franchise, utility, PEG fees and other government mandated fees and taxes are also adjusted in keeping with regulatory
  requirements. These fees and taxes are government mandated and we are required to comply.

  On 11/13/2022, we applied a $2 loyalty credit and the promotions applied 02/21/2022 are a non-contract offer for 12 months before the estimated taxes/fees. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  Sometime during the week of October 24- 28 I spoke with a Astround representative about upgrading my internet service from 1 Gbps to 1.2 Gbps. She was returning a call to me. I was told by the representative there was no problem in doing this. She said she made the changes to my account and to reset my modem. That everything would be completed/updated then.***** viewing my most recent bill and testing my internet speed I realized the speed was never increased as the rep had said. On 11/9/22 I spoke with an online Astound chat rep. ***** some digging he told me the work order was done incorrectly. He would need help completing it. ***** a lengthy period of time he then informed me that my modem would need upgraded and it would cost $79 for the tech to come out. I advised I could replace the modem myself but I was told this wasn't an option. The work order was cancelled because I refused to pay the $79 tech visit which I was never told about previously while I was under the assumption the speed increase had occurred. Also rep refused to waive the tech visit fee even though this is Astound's fault.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2022

  This technology is the cutting edge of internet development. **** Mbps is so fast that it has surpassed the speed capabilities of the majority of todays modems and routers. Older modems are not compatible with this service. Astound Broadband is providing every new **** Mbps customer with equipment rental that is capable of passing speed above 1 gigabit speeds. This must be installed by an Astound technician as they are not available for self-installation and at this time, customers are not able to use their own modem for 1.2 Gig. The charge for a technician visit is $79.95. Our equipment will ensure that customers will have the capability to handle **** Mbps speeds in their home. Upon launch, a customer will need to rent equipment from *******************************************. ***** (Multi-Gig Ethernet) ports are newer types of Ethernet ports used on some modems and routers. 2.5GE ports support higher connection speeds than the Gigabit Ethernet ports previously used on most devices. To ensure your devices operate at full capacity, we will provide you equipment rental capable of handling the **** Mbps speed.
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/17/2022

  
  Complaint: 18381420
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  They didn't even address my complaint. Not sure they even fully read it. This appears to be a copy/pasted canned response. Very disappointed! I will just switch to another provider. Astound has lost another customer due to POOR customer service.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2022

  As **************** stated, the order was cancelled and service was not upgraded. The 1.2GBPS upgrade would require a technician visit, which is a one time fee of $79.95.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2022

  Type:Product 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 had services at my former address. I moved. I called, and the Astound rep told me I do not have to return equipment ( 1 Arris router and 2 EERO connectors) because it's old (I had WOW before Astound bought them out), and they can't use it anymore. Then I got $618.46 taken out of my bank account by Astound for not returning the equipment! I called and told them the last rep I spoke with told me I did not have to turn in the equipment. I did not authorize the charge on my debit card and they had no right to take the money, and the equipment I had was not worth as much as they took out of my account. I returned the equipment to my local Astound store THE SAME DAY THE MONEY WAS TAKEN OUT OF MY ACCOUNT. They said the money wuold be returned to my account in 5-7 days. This was Oct 6, 2022. When the money was not returned to me, I called again. This time they told me it will take UP TO 30 days. I still do not have the money. I have called several times, and every time I do, I get a different story. They do not let me talk to their "financial department", only a rep or "supervisor" on the phone. It has been MORE than 30 days now. When I talked to someone on the phone on Nov 3, 2022, they said the "financial department" had a note in my account saying I would get the money in 3-5 days; that Nov 8, 2022 would be the absolute last day, and I would not have to wait longer than that. Today is day 5, Nov 8, 2022, and still no money! When I called today, Nov 8, 2022, I spoke with a very rude "supervisor" who laughed at me. She said it will be 3-5 days from TODAY, Nov 8, 2022. She said the note was just put in today! I told her when I called Nov 3, they said there was a note in there saying 3-5 days from THEN. She refused to listen to **** want my money back NOW. They had no right to take it, the equipment has been in their possession since Oct 6, 2022, and they took over $600 out of my account which is grossly more than the equipment is worth. This is fraud and theft.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2022

  A credit card refund was processed on 11/03/22 for $618.46. Equipment was removed from the account on 10/07/2022 and refunds can take up to 30 days from the time the account is totally disconnected and equipment has been returned. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  Ive been an RCN customer for a few months now. We were originally planning to use our own modem, but when the installation tech arrived, he informed us our modem didnt fit the tech requirements. He suggested we use RCNs modem until we could buy a new one. He said theyll waive that week of rental fee. We bought a new modem a week later and returned RCNs modem on 9/15 through a ***** prepaid label they sent. Not only was that one week not waived, since then, Ive continued to be charged for 3 months worth of equipment rental at $29.95 + tax each month. When I called RCN, they said it can take 4-5 months for our facility to process the return. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do, but pay that rental fee until we process it. We can not give you credit retroactively because we arent getting any benefit from the equipment while it is in our processing facility 4-5 months to process! I should not have to pay for a modem I already returned to RCN just because RCNs equipment facility is backed up and they havent hired enough people to process returns. Had I been informed I wouldve been getting one week of benefit from the rental, but required to pay 4-5 months worth of fees while it sits in RCNs facility, I wouldve absolutely refused the equipment.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  We removed the rental modem and backdated the charges to 9/7 when a customer owned modem was installed. Nothing is owed 11/24 and there is an additional credit of -$6.59 towards the statement due in December. 
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2022

  [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

  Date:10/30/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  ACP credit not applied to bill. Called Astound and they said missing DOB but ACP sent email stating application approved.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2022

  We need the date of birth to run the application through our verifier tool. Please call ************ and update the open case with the date of birth so we can process the Approved ACP benefit on the account. We left a message at ************ on Sep 13, Sep 15 and Sep 19 with this information. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/27/2022

  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.

  I returned my equipment (that I was paying a monthly fee to rent) on 09/30/2022 at the location in **************. I was told that my refund would be placed back into my account within ***** business days. On the 14th business day, I reached out to a representative online. That representative then told me that it would take ***** business days. After 17 business days, I reached out again. This rep was a lot nicer, and told me that he filed a case to get my reimbursement, and that it would be filed within three business days and my check would be sent out. A week later I reached out again. This time I was told the reimbursement had not been even processed to my account, and that it would take another ***** business days. This business took $251 out of my account for equipment that was returned on the day I was told to return it. This has been a nightmare to deal with. Every rep I talk to gives me a different story, a different expected completion date, and I am fed up. Nobody seems to be able to give me a legitimate answer. They said they cannot call me about this information, that online chat is the only way to resolve it since the phone number you call gets you to a rep that says that they cannot answer billing questions. I understand for privacy reasons they want to protect customer information, but to me this seems like a great way for them to charge customers that are leaving their service an extra $251 on their way out the door.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2022

  The equipment was removed from the account on 09/30/2022. A refund was issued on 10/27/22 to 5018 ***********, **********, ** 47715. 
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/04/2022

  [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

  Date:10/14/2022

  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 have Astound/RCN/Broadstripe internet and cable service to my house. There was degraded service several months ago and I requested assistance from the company. A repair technician came to my house on 8-10-22 to check the problem, stated that there indeed was degraded service (i.e., low incoming signal strength), and indicated I needed a fiber optic cable span installed to my house to ensure proper signal strength for clear TV signals/channels and sufficient up/down link signals for internet capability. Due to the very degraded service to my house, the technician installed a temporary coaxial cable from my house to the AstoundRCN/Broadstripe cable box which is located in my neighbor's yard. The cable was laid above the ground, across my lawn and across my neighbor's lawn and the technician stated that the company would install the new fiber optic cable span within one week. That was over 2 months ago. My repeated calls to the company have resulted in promises on multiple occasions that the company will install the fiber optic span within 1 week or at least call me back. Neither has happened. I still have somewhat degraded service (the temporary cable has helped boost the signal somewhat but not sufficiently) and I'm paying full price for a degraded service over 2 months AND I have a cable laying across my lawn and my neighbor's lawn. For over 2 months! My call to the company today resulted in the same rhetoric as in the past, but nothing gets done, I'm still paying for service I'm not receiving, and there is a hazard running across two yards. My neighbor has 3 small children and they could trip over the cable and hurt themselves. For that matter, so could the adults as well as anyone crossing the yards. I want the company to immediately install the fiber optic span so I will have full and proper cable and internet service, then remove the coaxial cable hazard, and reimburse me for degraded service over 2 months.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2022

  After reaching out to our construction team, we found that the construction team will be expediting this repair, we have requested for an emergency repair permit approval from **** Arundel County. We anticipate having the feeder span replacement completed no later than October 26th.