Complaint Review: Media Com

About 3 weeks ago, on Dec. 26th, I recieved a disturbing phone call from someone who had gotten my number from directory assistance, my number was not to have been listed at all. I called directory assistance and asked for my listing and not only recieved the number but also my address from the Directory Assistanc Operator. I called MediaCom and complained and asked that the problem be taken care of. I was told that unlisted is different than unpublished and that they are allowed to give out my number. When I ordered my service I requested my number to be unlisted because I didn't want people to be able to call whom I did not give my number to. I was not given the option of having my number unpublished nor did anyone give me an explanation of the differences.

For nearly 2 years I have lived with a false sense of security until I recieved that distrubing phone call. I was told by a customer service tech that it would take 10 days to have my number switched to unpublished and after that I would need to have my number changed to a different number. After 10 days I called and was told they had not yet completed the process for my number to be unpublished and to call back.

I called again, spent my entire lunch hour on hold waitng for someone to help me and then handed my husband the telephone because I had to go back to work. He was told that the number would be changed to the new number on January 15th. On January 15th at 11:00 pm I telephoned to ask whay the number had not been changed as scheduled. I was told by another technician after talking with 3 others before and being cut off at least twice that the number was in the process of being changed and would be completed by midnight. I went to bed and at 11 am the next day, January 16th, attempted to call the number that had been assigned as outr new number from work. It went directly to voice mail. I called the old number and my husband picked up the phone.

I called again at 8 pm on January 16th and made the round of being on hold for 35 minutes, talking to numerous people again, giving each one my story and demographic information only to be told that the people who take care of that particular problem go home at 11 Pm and had already left for the evening. When I stated that it was only just after 8 pm I was told that they go by central time. I was instructed to call again in the morning when those people will be in.

I called this morning, January 17th to hopefully resolve the problem, was on hold for 30 min and when I finally got to the right department and person, I was cut off and my phone went dead and has not worked since 8:30 am this morning.

I got dressed and went to the Media Com office which is nearby and asked for help and explained my situation again for the umpteenth time and was told nothing could be done because their computer shows that the new number is now connected. The best they can do is request a work order to have a technician come out and find out what is wrong and the soonest they can send someone would be next Friday, January 23rd.

So far all I have gotten are promises of a resolution to my problem and the situation has gotten worse rather than better. This is not the way to retain customers who are already upset over the way their accounts are handled. I might add that it is now 12:25 AM and I still do not have any phone service.

Debbie
Clearlake Oaks, California
U.S.A.