Complaint Review: Spectrum Internet

In Upstate New York, Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable) has a monopoly on cable internet.  This is one of the worst companies in America.  They have an F on the Better Business Bureau and have gotten fined hundreds of millions of dollars by New York for continually breaking their promises. 

Recently, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, I upgraded to 1 gbps internet with Spectrum, as I have literally no alternatives in my area and need the service for work. 

Spectrum already charges double for this service over market rate ($160 / month, opposed to a market rate of about $80 / month). 

In addition, they have a $199 "installation fee" for this service.  When I called, they told me that they would have to make upgrades to the cable running from the telephone poll to my house to accomodate the service. 

When the technician actually came, however, he looked at my modem (which I own myself), and confirmed it could handle 1 gbps internet.  I asked him if he would indicate no installation actually took place, and he said he would. 

Despite this, Spectrum refuses to remove the fee.  They also refuse to even describe what the fee entails.  On the phone, they merely repeat "the charge is justified" over and over and over again.

So they charge customers nearly 200 dollars to "install" a service that is already double the cost of the market rate of said service, and then do nothing to install the service or even describe to customers why the service exists in the first place.

This is truly the worst company in America, and it earns its reputation each and every day. 

I would encourage everyone to call their cities and Spectrum competitors to request their services in their area, so that people who have no alternative can finally get rid of this atrocious, toxic burden to our communities.