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Business Profile

Internet Services

Astound Broadband powered by RCN

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

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

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Astound Broadband powered by RCN has 17 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 706 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 274 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/11/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      About a year ago I switched my internet service from Xfinity to Wow. Shortly there after Wow was bought out or merged with RCN( Astound). The price that I was paying changed along with the service. I called Astound to speak with a customer service representative about my service and my new charges. My plan was changed at that time from 500mga to ****mga. This account was set for automatic withdrawal. No one informed me that I was on a 1 year promotion. Checked my account today and saw that I Astound was taking more than that was agreed upon. So, I called to speak to a customer service representative about this and also to ask about the service dropping a lot. Upon speaking with the representative she informed me that the modem that I've been paying for is for 500 mga. Also that someone needs to come out and replace the modem for ****mga in order for me to receive the right speed. I asked If i'd be refunded for being charged for a service that I didn't receive due to Astound not providing the correct equipment to begin with. The customer service representative stated that they could not give me refund. I told her that was a form of stealing and deceit.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/17/2023

      We continued to honor the ************** until they expired. The ************** were applied 04/13/2022 and 05/01/2022 and expired 04/12/2023 and 04/30/2023, respectively. On 5/11, we applied Astound offers that are valid for 2 years, no contract for $30/month 300mbps internet, and a reduced, prorated balance of 25.77 is due 06/10/2023

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/09/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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.
      Within the last couple of months I cancelled my service with Astound. I was informed that I needed to return my equipment router and erros. I received a shipping label from the representative to send back via FedEx, which I did a few days later at a FedEX drop box. I was following the tracking and saw that it was delivered but I was still getting emails stating that my equipment was not returned. I called into Customer Service and was told that they have to sort through lots of equipment returns and it could take a couple weeks. I waited and was still getting emails stating that I never returned my equipment. I called back in and spoke with another representative who stated that they only received the erros and not the router, I let her know that everything was in the box. She acted like she did not even want to help and said that I was just going to get charged if it doesnt show up but there was already a case opened up and she would also open up a case to find it. She was not helpful so I requested to speak to her manager. She said that one would call me back in 48hrs. That never happened. I called back last night and spoke with a rep who was extremely helpful but no case was ever opened like the last rep stated. So she went ahead and opened a case. I get a call today from someone else who said that the wrong case was opened and that she would open the correct case. I asked how long is this going to take since my account is scheduled for auto pay next week and I'm not paying for equipment that I returned and couldnt really get an answer. She kept asking for the tracking number, I asked why does that matter when they already confirmed that they received half of the equipment and they already had the number. I could not get an actual answer. I asked for a manager again with no luck. This seems like an Astound mistake that I'm being charged for. Based on my previous conversations with Customer Service I do not trust that they are being truthful.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/10/2023

      The equipment was received 04/13/2023 and we have asked the warehouse to remove the equipment from the account. The charges outstanding for unreturned equipment will be reversed within 24 hours and a prorated balance of $53.16 is owed for service provided between March 19, 2023 and Apr 7, 2023. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/10/2023

      [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:05/09/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      On 4/26/23 i contacted RCN to dispute a rate increase - after (online) discussion i was promised a rate decrease. Today (5/9/23) i went to look at my upcoming bill and it was not changed to the new reduced rate. I contacted customer service (again online only) and they said there was no record of the conversation. Fortunately I took screen shots and a video of the conversation as it happened. I talked to three different service people - each time getting disconnected. I asked for a supervisor and was told none are available. I am done with them and would not advise anyone to start new service with them.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/17/2023

      The chat was ended before the account discount had been accepted to applied on 4/26. We will certainly honor the 300mbps for 40.00/month including est taxes/fees. This promotional package is valid for 12 months, no contract and backdate this change to 4/26. This leaves a credit of -$19.80 towards the statement due on or around 06/16/2023

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/27/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 was originally a WOW customer. ******************** took over WOW. I was grandfathered in with a special price. ** January 2023 I called because my bill had gone up. I was told by the agent on the phone he was going to lock me into a lower price of around $25 a month. Today (April 27, 2023) I received my email with my bill and it says my auto pay will be charged in May for $46.99 which is almost double! I cannot afford this. I live on a tight single income household budget. I don't have any extra money coming in but because someone at your company lied or messed up I'm the one that gets screwed? Is there no accountability in your company? Is this how yo do business? Not only that, I am being forced into a slower mbps service for a higher fee. I just referred this company to my friends and defended them on my local social media group. Guess they were right after all. I want my bill lowered back down to what I was promised before. $25

      Business Response

      Date: 05/05/2023

      We do not grandfather pricing, our pricing is based on limited time promotional offers, and when we transitioned WOW customers, we continued to honor the offers until they expired. The WOW promotion applied 04/28/2022 expired 4/27/2023. When this pricing promotion expired, ***** on social media applied a new discount offer for a monthly rate of $30.00 and an additional $5/month off discount until January 2024. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/26/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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.
      Since I signed up for RCN service last week, the company's representatives have made false statements in every interaction and failed to uphold numerous commitments. **************** has been unprofessional and refused to correct or even acknowledge these issues.On April 19, 2023, I signed up for Astound Broadband by RCN over the phone with account specialist **************** ****** provided nothing in writing, but she assured me of the following:- I would receive my first month of service free.- An order confirmation with the terms of my agreement with RCN would be emailed to me by the end of day, April 19.The promised email never arrived. On April 20, when RCN called me to confirm installation, I asked RCN when I would receive this information, and an agent stated I would be emailed after installation on April 21. Again, the email failed to arrive April 21. Instead, RCN sent me an email with a bill for $59.99 due 5/13/23. I cannot access or pay the bill online because RCN insists I enter a **** but I was never provided one. I called RCN to request explanation for these issues and they said I would need to wait for the bill to come in the mail containing the **** and that they were no longer offering me my first month free, but my second month free. When I said I had been offered my first month free, the agent said there was nothing she could do. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, the supervisor (*********) hung up on me before completing a sentence. She later left me a voicemail suggesting I call back, but left no callback number. I contacted RCN on ******** and a rude and unprofessional agent named ***** refused to help, offered a grossly unacceptable non-apology, and copy-pasted an enormous block of text that he claimed I had agreed to (I had not).

      Business Response

      Date: 05/05/2023

      After reviewing the call with the sales representative, ******, she did confirm the $35 one time set up fee $20/mo package and stated the first month would be free. She explained the monthly $5 discount includes an autopay discount so autopay needs set up within the first 60 days. The customer asked for an email confirmation and the agent confirmed he would receive it by the evening. We apologize that no confirmation email was received, it is an automated process. We did apply the 1st month free and $34.99 for the confirmed set up fees is owed 5/13. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/11/2023

      [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:04/20/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 was an Astound customer for 2 years. When I moved to a location that they didn't service, I closed my account and the customer service person I spoke with told me not to remove the fiber modem that the Astound installer had attached to the wall. I had service from **** at a previous location where they said the same thing, so I didn't think twice about it. After I had moved and a new tenant had moved in, Astound began to request the modem. I let them know about what I had previously been told, but it doesn't seem to matter.

      Business Response

      Date: 04/28/2023

      We have reviewed the call with a representative 3/1 requesting a disconnection and the representative did state the equipment would not need to be returned. Since the customer moved out, we escalated this to our warehouse management requesting removal of the equipment from the former account. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/19/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 was switched over to a different plan and charged much higher than i was quoted. nobody will talk to me about it

      Business Response

      Date: 04/20/2023

      The statement dated 3/8/2023 for service 03/06/2023-04/05/2023 in the amount of $159.11 was due 4/03/2023. The automatic payment for $159.11 4/03/2023 was rejected, so this balance was added to the statement dated 04/06/2023 in addition to a $25.00 autopay denial fee and $10 late fee. The autopay denial fee is explained on page 2 of each monthly statement. A total of $351.38 for 03/06/2023 through 04/05/2023 and 04/06/2023 through 05/05/2023 was due by 05/04/2023, however, we waived $36.00 in fees as a courtesy and payments of $159.11 and $192.27 were made on 4/10/2023. This leaves a credit balance for the statement due in June, which will be reduced by the credit of $44.97

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/23/2023


      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:
      the payment for $192+ was taken when there was a zero balance. You took a payment one month early!!!!!
        I don't want a credit, I want my money back!!!

      Regards,

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

      Business Response

      Date: 04/24/2023

      The bill was due 04/03/2023 and the payment made 04/03/2023 was rejected. -192.27 was paid 4/10 for the statement that was due 4/3 as well as a $25 Declined payment fee and $10 late fee. The service dates for this payment were 03/06/2023 through 04/05/2023. The second payment made 4/10 for a total of 159.11 was for service charges 04/06/2023 through 05/05/2023. -$44.97 can be issued as a refund but there is a 2 week refund processing time frame or the -$44.97 will be credited from the next statement. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/19/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      The company is charging my credit card $192 when i have a zero balance. when i ask for a refund, they tell me its coming but it never came

      Business Response

      Date: 04/20/2023

      The statement dated 3/8/2023 for service 03/06/2023-04/05/2023 in the amount of $159.11 was due 4/03/2023. The automatic payment for $159.11 4/03/2023 was rejected, so this balance was added to the statement dated 04/06/2023 in addition to a $25.00 autopay denial fee and $10 late fee. The autopay denial fee is explained on page 2 of each monthly statement. A total of $351.38 for 03/06/2023 through 04/05/2023 and 04/06/2023 through 05/05/2023 was due by 05/04/2023, however, we waived $36.00 in fees as a courtesy and payments of $159.11 and $192.27 were made on 4/10/2023. This leaves a credit balance for the statement due in June, which will be reduced by the credit of $44.97

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/21/2023


      Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because:
      I had a zero balance when you charged me the $159!!! I was told I would receive a refund.


      Regards,
      ******** ******

      Business Response

      Date: 04/24/2023

      The bill was due 04/03/2023 and the payment made 04/03/2023 was rejected. -192.27 was paid 4/10 for the statement that was due 4/3 as well as a $25 Declined payment fee and $10 late fee. The service dates for this payment were 03/06/2023 through 04/05/2023. The second payment made 4/10 for a total of 159.11 was for service charges 04/06/2023 through 05/05/2023. -$44.97 can be issued as a refund but there is a 2 week refund processing time frame or the -$44.97 will be credited from the next statement. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/18/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 called to cancel my account in late August last year, confirmed by an Astound customer service representative when I just called them today - in April of the next year. The work order to cancel my service was never closed, and they never stopped my auto pay. I didn't notice the source of those charges until today, finishing up my taxes. They charged five hundred ninety-five dollars and sixty four cents (******) after putting in the work order to cancel my service. Yes, I should have caught this sooner, but what type of business charges people months and months after they cancel their service? This is beyond egregious. On the call today they said the best they could do was cancel the pending next bill (again, for service that should have been cancelled seven months ago) and refund a hundred dollars to my credit card. Yay. I disputed the last 60 days of charges with my credit card, but nothing more I can do. Considering filing in small claims court, but wanted to get the warning out there first - check your autopay when you cancel your accounts, folks!

      Business Response

      Date: 04/19/2023

      We apologize for the over-billing, as the disconnection request for Wed, Aug 31, 2022 was cancelled August 26, 2022. 09/01/2022 the equipment was removed, so we are refunding all charges from 9/1/2022 through when service was disconnected which totals $548.01. The refund will be sent within 30 days. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/13/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 astound customer for about 6 months. a few days before the superbowl my dvr/cable box died. i went to local office to try to get a new one so i wouldnt miss the game only to be told they had to send a worker to my place to install a new box BUT they wouldnt be available until after the superbowl. ok so i made other plans for the game. then when the astound rep came out the following week he said they no longer used the dvr/cable box model and that the new model was a cloud based storage unit that would be slightly cheaper on my bill. as i had no other choice i had him install it. not only does the new device hardly ever work properly but every channel in sd is stretched and unwatchable. THEN i got a bill for $430.34! i assumed it was a misprint or they had yet to receive my last payment but under one time charges there is a charge for data usage in the amount of $214.50! what the h*** is this? *** never been charged this fee before. if its for the new cloud based box id prefer to go back to the old style! *** tried getting a human being on the phone to explain it to me but keep getting re-routed to a different robo-***** what do i do now? please help me resolve this

      Business Response

      Date: 04/19/2023

      A small number of CA customers received **** overage charges when IPTV traffic was mistakenly included in **** usage sent to Billing. This issue was quickly identified and corrected. All affected customers receive credit on their upcoming statement; we are not able to issue further credit. April **** is corrected so there is no further impact

    Astound Broadband powered by RCN is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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