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4.5 3650 Reviews

Hughes Complaints Summary

134 Resolved
498 Unresolved
Our verdict: When using services from Hughes with a poor resolution rate, be vigilant. Understand the common pitfalls other customers have faced. Prepare thoroughly for any interactions with their customer service, and consider alternative solutions if your issues are not addressed satisfactorily.
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ComplaintsBoard
M
12:00 am EDT

Hughes fraudulent services

Since Direcway became Hughesnet.com I have nothing but complaints to the company. Couldn't get on line, Couldn't send mail, dial-up speed. I even tried up-grading to new, faster router and pro service plan $20 more a month and I get freeze ups and slowest speed I ever had. I won't pay $69 a mon. for dial-up I can get for $10 a mon. I am changing services, however I live in a village of 350 people and only another satellite will be available I am going to try Wild Blue. Wish me luck.

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LDStechMD
Hancock, US
Sep 01, 2009 9:28 pm EDT

I have been with Hughes for 9 years (yes, I know it was Direcway then). I've been through the gammut of problems, and I'm a tech professional. I always have to tell them that each time i call tech support, altho I know they can note the account to show it. OK, so I humor them. Yes, complaints are going up, and service is going down. Definitely report what you find to where ever you can.

But also be honest. Anyway who says that Hughes is worse than dial-up - whey did you last deal with REAL dial-up? Even under FAP, you still get higher than 36Kbps - granted, with today's interent, it doesn't feel like it, but that's just the way it feels. I destest FAP, and it is anything BUT fair, but it still isn't dialup. Go ahead and change back to dailup and see.

If you didn't know about FAP before you signed on with Hughes, then blame yourself. Sure, it's a crock, it's inherently unfair, and it is very vague, but they put it right out there. You have to do a little looking for the fine print - with any service. Complain about their FAP policy, how vague, unintellegent, and unfair it is - but don't complain about them having it just because you didn't take the time to find out about it before hand.

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Marsh Keintz
,
Aug 14, 2008 1:29 pm EDT

I have been a customer for years now with 7000s, 1.5 meg speed, never exceeding the 425 FAP, For the past
2 weeks my speed at 11 am cst drops to 39-75 K (kilo) until 11 pm cst, then returns.
India tech support will not transfer me to higher support.
I can't be the only customer with this same problem.
This is fraud loosing my speed for a consistant 10 hours daily and paying $83 monthly.
i WILL cancel my debit card so they will be charging me $300 cancel fee, good bye
Hughes Net, to think they are running TV ads for new customers.
India Tech support said it's peak hours, but 75K and happens exactly the same hours.
Bull and good bye hughes, I will be posting this on all my Tech support forums.
more than 1 millon members will respect me.
marsh_0x is my log in, Google knows me well.

Marsh

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Mary
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Jul 27, 2008 8:24 pm EDT

Mark has a good idea - to write BBB in Wash DC. I was told to write the FTC also which I plan to do. Don't know if it will help or not but it won't hurt to try. This company is the worst imaginable! But honestly I did not do enough homework before I signed up with them because I'm in a rural area and no DSL or other service available. Would have been better off to stay with dialup. It's definitely frustrating but so is Hughesnet! I'm six months into a two yr contract and I want out!

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Mark
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Nov 28, 2007 12:20 pm EST

I'll tell you what to do, You call the better business in washington DC and file a complain with them and discribe exactaly what is going on and you will be surprised how fast out internet service is fixed. We just need enough people to complain, I am an individual and got service and talked to the CEO and the ball got rolling. Hope this helps and please pass it on to everyone you no that has this Hughesnet. DO IT ! DO IT!

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David Marcozzi
,
Aug 17, 2007 6:32 pm EDT

Hey I agree with all the complaints that I have read here on this site. For each of us we are paying a high price for internet service and getting below dial up service. I call support told them i was having trouble with my system that my download speed had drop. They sent out a tech and said it was a filter out on the dish. The weekend as alway everyone likes to work the internet, but I find I still having a problem. I send a email to customer service and they send one back tell me about the this Fair Access Policy. Boy did I get hot when I found out about the policy. Yep I call the company and told them that paying for high speed connection and I want my system back online. I guess you know how that went. I could get better action from a undertaker. What office do you send a complaint to about these internet company who are ripping off the internet user. Do you tell the attorney general or someone in a government office maybe the better business office. If you look for another internet company to get there service. Is the other internet company also part of the same company, no one knows until its to late. Why are these company still in business and not shut down.

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Jan S.
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Aug 03, 2007 2:32 pm EDT

I agree, the service has been horrible and the speeds barely above dial up. I just called to upgrade my plan to the $69.99/mo. one and was informed that it would cost me $89.00/mo.

And to think if you live in an area with dsl or others services you pay less than half of that for at least 10X the speed. As soon as I can jump off this satellite bandwagon, I'm gone...

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Lee Boatright
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Jul 21, 2007 11:08 pm EDT

I'm not sure these people really have a business plan that recognizes their customers as what pays their bills. The tech service in India is the worst. The people there may be competent but they are forced to operate from a play book instead of getting to the problem. If you follow their book your computer will be screwed up for sure. It's only after they tell you they can't help you, and you scream a few times at them, that they will give you a case number and phone number for the tech service in Florida - where they DO know how to fix your problems and can move right to it.

Last week their email service was down completely for more than a day - can you imagine that in today's tech world? Now it's down again for at least a day so far. Why don't they spend the extra nickel to get some people that really know how to run things.

ComplaintsBoard
S
12:00 am EDT

Hughes spam mail

My old email address was able to come in (jetstreamwireless) and so my email is receiving over 5,000 spam emails. Please stop them.

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ARTHUR ROBERTS
,
Sep 13, 2007 1:58 pm EDT

NO SATISFACTION

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Kay Graham
,
Jun 25, 2007 2:29 pm EDT

I had email bounced back - I was told "we have recently received a large number of abuse complaints regarding your account (and or ISP). As a result, we have bounced your email message back to you.

This means your IP number has been blocked due to spamming activity by you or someone using the same IP address or IP address range from your ISP. You my wish to let your ISP know of the situation."

I DO NOT SPAM or abuse my account in anyway.

Thank you

Kay Graham
kranch @myway.com or doscabezas@msn.com

ComplaintsBoard
C
12:00 am EDT

Hughes inept customer service!

Every time I have an issue with Hughes (formerly Direcway) it takes hours upon hours to resolve it. The latest debacle came when I chose to upgrade to their new, faster modem. It arrived on May 1st and after following the installation directions and achieving failure, I called customer service. Well, after spending 10 minutes in voice mail hell, I finally got to the right person to help me install my new modem - or so I thought. After an hour and a half, "Abby" (not his real name - unfortunately, a person located in India) said he had to transfer me to advanced support (which is usually what happens when I have a problem - which I find to be a Godsend as the advanced support people are typically located in the US). Well guess what, I got disconnected and had to start all over again. After another trip through voice mail hell, I got "Neal". After repeating most everything I had discussed with Abby, I received another case number and he was able to transfer me to "Frappel" in advanced customer service. Well, after another hour with Frappel, it was decided that the modem that was shipped to me wasn't functioning, so he would arrange for a new modem to be shipped to my home.

Well, it arrived today. I read the paperwork and Hughes was actually going to charge me to send the non-functioning modem back! I blew my wig. After an hour of trying to get this situation resolved, while on the phone with "Rachel" (not her real name - a strong Indian accent), it was discovered that Hughes sent me a DW 7000 model (the version I currently own) not the HS 7000 model so now I have two modems to ship back. It took Rachel a few minutes to understand what I was saying and another ten to get another $20 credit to ship the second modem (which I have no use for) back. She said she would connect me to the department that would send me the correct HS 7000 model modem.

Well, I spoke with Brandy. I had to explain my entire situation again, another ten minutes and then she said she couldn't help me - wrong department. She then transferred me to someone who seemed miffed that I wanted to know his name. I explained what I needed and he said he would get the HN 7000 to me.

I am so sick and tired of dealing with the ineptitude of Hughes. If I wasn't in a situation to have satellite, I'd definitely dump them. They have no customer service. I've spent 5 hours this week trying to upgrade and am still in the same place I was when I started. If I could bill them my hourly rate, I'd be way ahead of the game. And they don't care how much time you need to spend on resolving their problems.

I can't wait to see what happens next week when I get my HS 7000 (hopefully). And now I have to make a trip to mail both of these modems back.

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Robert R Watts
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Oct 28, 2007 9:41 am EDT

Everyone who has satellite internet has this problem. Phone companies won't run DSL into remote areas, our Politicians could care less as long as BIG business in making money. Our jobs are send to some idiot foreign country so we can not understand them when we call for service.

There is a way to STOP all this! Nether you are Democrat or Republican, STOP VOTING FOR THESE IDIOTS AND VOTE THIRD PARTY.

If we in America do not send a strong message to these crooks who no longer represent us then all this ### will just keep going on...

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David Threet
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Oct 07, 2007 8:51 pm EDT

What I say about HughesNET, pull a Nancy Regan and Just Say NO!

Worse thing I ever done and most expensive. I have only had this system since April which I don't like but have been living with. I called in on [protected] because I wanted to pay off the equipment financing. I took a forever for the agent to understand what I wanted to do. The agent was like you have to take care of the balance due first. Well heck I had just paid it a couple weeks ago and next payment was not due till 10-18-2007. So I just paid it the $106.00 which is my normal bill with there $5 paper statement fee. Then she was like ok you owe $400.00 on your system. I was like ok that's fine. She took my $400.00 payment. Two-three days later I get a bill for $800.00. I with two $400.00 equipment payment line items. So I go online and look and see, shows my credit card payment posted and a remainder balance of $400.00. So I didn't thank much of it and emailed billing@HugesNet.com and requested someone e-mail me back with a resolution. Only reply I got was the auto-generated one. After a week I went back to my account online. same deal. So I decided to call. The young philipino was like no sir those charges are valid. We don't reverse valid charges. Could not make her understand what i was saying. Last time I checked there was only wane pimp size dish on my house. She is like no sir you have two systems. I just hung up and thought I would tried it again the next day. Lord same deal, it would be nice if they would stop reading scripts and listen. After the "No Sir I can't help you" I asked for a manager. Well got a manager and all of a sudden the system went down for maintenance. I explained the entire thing to her and she was like sir I cant help you. Then I asked is the scheduled maintenance you have an estimated time frame it will be done. No sir we don't know. So I just hung up went online I could look at my account, not sure why she couldn't. So I tried another e-mail. I am being to wonder if I am ever going to get this fixed. I get a letter that DSL is going to be in my area soon from AT&T. You better bet I'll be paying that $300.00 early contract fee. Same speed not bandwidth limit and $19.95 no contract. I am going to post this on as many boards as I can find, and I hope I hit my bandwidth limit. My tech support experience has just been long and drawn out. One tech told me to unplug my modem for 10 days. I just don't call anymore. I hate it when you hit the wrong button or 0 there IVR says EXCUSE ME?. Now that's rude.

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caleb kissling
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Oct 01, 2007 6:10 am EDT

I'm on day four with Hughes net. I was told by the installer that the cost would be $250. After installation I was told that the cost was $399. I told him that I was quoted the former, and he acted like I was from another planet. I then asked if there is a promotion, and he said ahhh, yeah, but if you get one of those people, you'll not get someone to your house for weeks. THEY WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE I TALKED TO. I let it go, and enjoyed several days of fast service. Last night I spent 45 minutes on you tube, enjoying extreme sports. I went back online a little later and the speed was slower than dial up. It was useless. I called 'support', to find out after going through menu hell, and trying to understand the poor guy in India, that i had used up all my speed, and that I'd be cut off for 24 hours of almost no service. I find this hard to believe, or at least did until I've read some of the reports here...

I'd like the equipment taken out but I think I'm stuck with this system. It's a joke.

Thus if you're thinking about this system, don't go for it. I wish I'd looked into it before now.

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trisha robbins
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Aug 25, 2007 9:06 am EDT

Maybe hughes net should go out of business?

I am a new Lightyear Representative and I signed a customer up for hughesnet service, because it was a service we offered. On the lightyear website it shows that hughes net offered a package with no up front fees~~~~obviously that was the package my customer wanted. I signed her up only to find out hughesnet lied about the no up front fees promotion! My customer was being charged over $400 just to get hooked up! I tried calling hughesnet and was on hold for an hour and still never spoke with a person! I will be calling Lightyear Alliance to let them know what a bogus company hughesnet is, so that we can stop offering their services! I am sure i will also be contacting the better business bureau!

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john williams
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May 21, 2007 12:11 pm EDT

There is no "customer service" at Hughesnet and they ought to stop the sham and rename the department, if there actually is one. I am going to cancel this service and I am furthermore going to tell 15 others in my community what my experience has been so they don't fall victim to this trap. And it IS a trap. The people on the phone are reading off of prompters and have absolutely no idea how to fix common, everyday problems of their making. The company needs to be reorganized or shut down and the sooner the better.

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Kathie Lucas
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May 21, 2007 4:30 am EDT

I have gone through the same ordeal with this company and they don't care. It has the worst customer service of any industry, bar none! They have us over a barrel and treat us as such. I would encourage anyone who has an alternative connection to stay with it. Do not sign up to deal with this company they don't deserve your money.

ComplaintsBoard
S
12:00 am EDT
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Hughes - terrible service! lies and more lies!

I've been a customer of Direcway and Hughes for 5 years now. Everything was fine before Hughes took over! The service has slowed down to the point that it's no better than a regular ISP service. I've been having problems with error messages of "506" for the past 2 or 3 months now. I called Hughes customer Tech service yesterday to find out what was going...

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ComplaintsBoard
H
12:00 am EDT

Hughes their fap policies

Under hughes nets new FAP policy when you exceed (even though they seem to count with bigger numbers) your basic allowance, under their new policy they virtually shut you down for 24 hours. And by shut you down I mean way down. Even though they say your speeds will be reduced, I call reduced to 15 KB down to be atrocious to say the least.

The biggest rip off in the industry and furthermore you cannot talk to anyone about it, their tech support is a nightmare and letters to their corporate headquarters go completely ignored, never even an acknowledgment.

You escalate your complaint thru three or four techs who can't understand your problem and you ger some sort of third or higher lever tech who very rudely tells you that is the way it is and refuses to explain or elaborate.

Basically you can do nothing but pay their bill. I have been using four different speed analyzer programs since last October on HughesNet, one of the four is theirs. All four of them run back to back report within 2 or less percent of each other. HughesNet over the seven months I have been on have shown speeds in the 7 to 900 kb down at 6 AM to Noon then it starts a stead slide down to where from 7 to midnight you are lucky to exceed 90 kb down and sometimes as low as 6 kb down. This is consistent and has been every day for all of these seven months. But if you pose this to a tech they tell you bah humbug and writing corporate is a non-starter.

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jimmyjack666
Omaha, US
Oct 23, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

The Cat telling everyone that there stupid for living in the country is a ###, he obviously lives with his mom and she pays the bills. And that hughesnet is not responsible is again a ###, there FAP is ridiculous i get 450mb every 24 hrs. And I can say that it is incredibly low, but there support staff tells me it an enormous amount of data, LULZ ( MAYBE IN 1999). The funny thing is i reach half that in 2hrs of normal surfing, without downloading, without bittorrent, just plain surfing, and streaming. The versionfios lover doesn't have same service, if he did he would be on here too raisning hell cause he can few few his gay dating sites due to FAP. My best advise to u all is to just pick up the phone everyday and raise immortal hell like i do, usually im not doing anything anyway, so let the fun begin . Just last night i received a 97$ credit on my bill, all u guys have to do is raise a little hell and mention the Better Buisness Bureau . that worked for me . And everytime u reach ur fap call them and raise hell, they always seem to undo mine, but im not a nice guy im very blunt and i call em like i see em so get out them phones and let it ripp . Dont worry believe me they will get tired of u. PS: win there support answers the phone and they give u a english christian name but they obviously r some kind of ARAB, tell them u want to know there real name . That always seems to shake things up a bit LOL

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Angela
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Nov 01, 2008 10:23 pm EDT

I had Hughes Net installed Sept. 19, 2008, the trouble started with my first bill which they took out of my account the next day! Now I have exceeded the FAP, my God what a mess. I have not had high speed internet now for 36 hours! Every time I call they tell me to be patient it will be back up in a few hours. The last time I called they said that I was out of the FAP and now I should have my high speed back. Well I don't! I sat here and timed the opening of a single page, 27 mins. and then it timed out, never opening. Dial up is slow but I never had problems like this. I am a full time student and switched to Hughes Net for homework purposes, but this doesn't seem to be doing any better than my dial up.

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Debi Guerrero
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Oct 29, 2008 12:17 am EDT

I agree completely, since 9/1 I've been dealing with Hughesnet regarding their inability to provide adequate service (under 100mb) and it's still not working. It took me over a month and hours upon hours of testing (for 3 days at a time - 3 times a day) plus hours upon hours of telephone "support" with a different "non American" tech. It takes about two weeks to get to level 4...level 1-3 (usually talk to about 10 by the time finished) all begin with "are all 5 lights on"...even if you explain that you've already spent hours and gone through all troubleshooting (plus the fact that I'm a computer tech and not stupid). Speaking of that word...it looks like we have an uneducated narcissistic judgemental person who believes that living in the city makes you "what", definitely not a better person and obviously not smarter? Most of us in the suburbs have already lived in the big city (me for 10 years) until finally getting smart and choosing to raise our children in a much better environment. Another obvious sign of ignorance are the stereotypical remarks...but, who knows, maybe if his mom decided to stop making babies, the world would be a better place. Opinions aren't fact, only opinions...unfortunately, the person expressing it doesn't have to pass any test.

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hailstorm
Gaithersburg, US
May 02, 2008 9:14 pm EDT

I heard what you guys said and honestly, you guys are full of doo doo. How can you say you lost lot's of money with business? You can't be making that much money to afford to lose that much business. If you have, you would've bought a T1 connection that is faster, reliable and more consistent at speakeasy.com. Go check it out. Pay for the damn install and pay $359 why don't you? If you're losing that much money and making so much money why not get a T1? That is what I'm talking about. You guys contradict and are hypocrite. I am a Verizon Fios customer and I love it every chance. My point in arguing with you guys because I happened to stumble this page and found you guys complaining which I have a friend who installs Direct T.V. and knows a friend who installs Fios. They said the same thing, why don't you guys just live in the city area or suburbs instead of in the country side? If you already into the contract deal. There is always a way to get out of it. Cancel your damn service. Why keep complaining? I still see the same people complaining on this damn board and yet they're still Hughes Net customers? Wow, seriously. Don't give me this excuse that they're the only choice you have. Nobody put a gun to your head and say you have no choice? This is America. Learn to make the right choices. If this is freaking slow than dial up. Then go to dial up. Prove that it's slower than satellite. Stop eating hays and raising corn fields. Learn to move with the technology. If you are not happy with the crappy service. You have a choice to not get any internet service. All these complaints don't serve any justice because it's been up since 2006. If you feel that you've been ripped off, then why sign the contract? Why go with the contract? Don't give me this crap you didn't know what you're getting into when the complaints are on-line and you had dial up before this service. Oh and I love the complaints about India, it's not like you rednecks who live in the boonies are pure Americans. How bout learning not to eat pork and beans and farting in a can all day and speak real American English for pete's sake! Move! If you know it's expensive to get this service then save your money and move and get VERIZON FIOS OR COMCAST! Stop making babies within families and living in remote location where King Kong and Tarzan can be found. Learn to associate with people because God forbid this board serves as your communication. Oh and last but not least. Who the hell would use an ISP e-mail provider? I've always use Google's G-mail, yahoo, msn or hotmail. They're free and way better! You can always use Outlook with some of them.

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kim cogar
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Feb 22, 2008 9:05 pm EST

Hughes net dont let them take you money'once you let them in your account they will take money out without permission. They will come out and set up their equipment without checking to see if you can get a line of sight; then they charge you and won't refund your money and they are to blame... dont give them money or sign anything they are thieves their people are rude and and they lie, and cheat people out of there money and give them nothing in return. Stay away from hughes net i have file papers to the attonery gemeral and fraud '''papers thru my bank they are crooks stay away.

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Barbara Chandler
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Jun 23, 2007 4:20 am EDT

Hughes Net FAP policy is ridicules. I have had Hughes Net for a year and a half and it has been a nightmare from the start. As of late I have been slowed to speeds that are unusable every other day this week. I have contacted tech support but they are no help. If there are any class action lawsuits out there some one please contact me I would love to be a part of it. This is only a small part of my issues with Hughes Net. Even when I can go online the speed is terribly slow no where near what I am paying for. My 69.99 I thought was for unlimited high speed internet access but what a joke.I have no alternative except dial up and I am going back to that.

ComplaintsBoard
K
12:00 am EDT

Hughes unfair access policy

Check out the new Hughesnet "Fair Access Policy". If you use too much bandwidth than your plan allows, they shut you down. That's not new, but the punishment period is! If you exceed your bandwidth, they close down your net for a full 24 hours. Yep, if you accidentally go over your limit, you have to wait an entire day before you have your internet back.

Oh pardon (Hughesnet would be quick to remind you), you DO have internet, just at reduced speeds. Reduced speeds? Try TWO kilobytes per second. No, I'm not exaggerating; we get 2-3 kbps when we're subject to FAP (Fair Access Policy). I surfed faster in the 1980s.

The kicker? Hughesnet doesn't tell you when you're approaching your limit. There's no real-time way to look it up. And they don't provide any means of estimating how much bandwidth you might be using, when it resets, or when it might run out. Lastly, there's a nice clause about how they can keep your net shut down if you "continue bandwidth-intensive activities" while you're subject to FAP.

... So basically, Hughesnet can just shut down my internet for as long as they want, without any warning, without any conceivable way of me knowing when that's going to occur.

Great plan, guys. You need to be sued.

Hughnet's new FAP (as of April 2007) reads in part:

"The Fair Access Policy is straightforward. Based on an analysis of customer usage data, Hughes has established a download threshold for each of the HughesNet service plans that is well above the typical usage rates. Subscribers who exceed that threshold will experience reduced download speeds for approximately 24 hours.

During this recovery period, the HughesNet service may still be used, but speeds will be slower. Web browsing, for example, will be significantly slower than subscribers’ normal browsing experience. Subscribers will return to normal download speeds after the recovery period as long as they minimize their bandwidth-intensive activities. If they continue these activities during this recovery period, reduced download speeds may continue beyond 24 hours."

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ILovemyHusband
Newburg, US
Jan 08, 2010 6:30 pm EST

I agree will all of you their Fair Access Policy is a crock! When I first had them installed they told me my speed was slow due to the age of my computer. When I used my brand new laptop I still had the same problem. I work from home and I constantly go over their Fair Access Policy at least once or twice a week! I told them I wanted to cancel my service with them because they didn’t have the capabilities to give me the service I need. They said since I have a 2 year contract and I didn’t cancel my service within 30 days so I could not cancel my service without being charge $400! I tried to work with them by upgrading my service but no matter how much I upgraded which included giving them more money I still would go over their threshold. They told me well you could always download what you need between the hours of 2am – 7am. Who has time to get up at those hours just to download! I feel like they are extortionist. Give me more money and I’ll give you more download capabilities or give me $400.00 and I’ll let you go.

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Bill Melater
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Feb 18, 2008 5:19 pm EST

Do I get my Double Cheeseburger for dissing Hughes?

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Bill Melater
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Feb 18, 2008 5:16 pm EST

Everyone Sucks. That's why I go to Burger King with my laptop and buy a cup of coffee and sit there all day. Well, at least until the manager comes out, or the cops show up, or I need a shower.

/Wait
//What?

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AWB
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Feb 08, 2008 1:53 pm EST

The problem is simple. Hughes keeps adding more customers, which taxes the bandwidth on their already over-burdened satelites. Rather than use the revenue from all the new customers to add more satellites and improve service, they are simply pocketing the profits.

Greedy corporate slugs.

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Thomas Tannehill
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Jan 04, 2008 7:55 pm EST

My experiences have been the same as all of the other Hughesnet customers. We have been with Hughesnet for 4 years now and can't wait until we have another broadband option (hopefully very soon)! One thing we did recently that seemed to get the attention of Hughesnet is to file a complaint with the national BBB. We immediately got a response from the BBB asking for more details and what we wanted for a resolution. Since we know after 4 years of poor customer service and marginal service, the only thing likely may be restoration of our original download limit of 525 mb/day. So far, all that has been offered is a credit of 59.95 for our inconvenience, not what we want at all. We are still working at getting at least our original capacity restored.

I recommend that everyone contract the national BBB and file a complaint. I have included a contact here;

Mr. Kevan Tavakoli
Trade Practice Consultant
Better Business Bureau
1411 K Street Northwest, 10th Floor
Washington DC [protected]

Your complaint can be filed easily online. Hopefully with everyone making a complaint, Hughesnet will finally learn that they exist because of customer like us.

Good Luck!

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Jean Miller
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Jun 02, 2007 4:33 pm EDT

Oh, very strongly agree. Before the policy change on 18 April, I imagine we exceeded bandwidth limits maybe once a month with the resulting 6-8 hour inconvenient slowdown. We barely noticed it. You can pull reams of FAP reports and see NO all the way to the 18th when it abruptly changes. Hughesnet says that the new figures are real whereas the pre-18 April ones were unreliable. (Huh?!?!?) Before 18 April, things were, well, OK. But after 18 April our speed went down to a crawl and after checking out technical reasons for the slow speed, we came upon the new policy.

I think the new policy doesn't look for a spike in usage as it used to but creates a 24 hour period and adds up. Hughesnet has the audacity to tout this as a benefit! "Just think, folks! We're giving you more--yes, you heard us--more bandwidth! Yes, now you can download software updates!" Actually, you can't. I take my laptop to work and do all the updates and downloads there because I wouldn't dare try one at home. I find it almost impossible to believe we're among the teeny percentage of bandwidth hogs. My son occasionally downloads a podcast and he used to see an English football match now and then when he couldn't get it on (US) tv. But otherwise, no downloading of movies, blogging, website FTP-ing, updating, and even any new software since 18 April. I do use Blackboard from home to read and mark student assignments but it's hard to believe that devours bandwidth.

I believe we are a captive audience in rural Michigan so Hughesnet can do as they please and we're stuck with them. But Comcast is now only 2.5 miles away and is expanding rapidly in our direction. They will be site-surveying our place next week. AT&T also appears to be aiming for inclusive access, considering their site asks for email addresses to notify you when it's available in the area, so relief is coming, slowly. In the meantime we seem to be paying $60/month for dial-up.

Off topic a bit but while corporate America talks a good game about responsiveness to consumers, instead the consumer is now subject to being squeezed for cash relentlessly as service is incompetent/ indifferent/ considered an unacceptable cost of doing business. Sorry for this digression. Customer care, my hind end! This company is shameful!

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Hotblack Desatio
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Apr 29, 2007 2:55 pm EDT

Not only is all that true, but if you do the math the bandwidth allowed is actually LESS than dial-up. Now that they've eliminated the so-called "refill bucket," you're allowed a flat total of 200 Mb a day, which comes up to less than 1.5 kb per minute. For this, we're paying $70 a month. As soon as my contract is up, I'm going back to dial-up.

ComplaintsBoard
E
12:00 am EDT

Hughes dealing with hughesnet was a huge mistake!

We had decided to go with this company boy was this a mistake! We have had the service for about 8 or 9 months and it has been nothing but a hassle. First off they contract a company to set up the equipment and I guess the company had a couple jobs to do that day and screwed up when they put in the equipment it was under another persons name. We have tried to the rectify the problem and thought we did... 5 months down the line we have problems getting online it seems as though this account is under this other persons name... we will just call him "Arthur" but we are getting billed. The same contractors were called out to fix the problem (it took 2 months to get back online!) We had service again and everything seemed to be fine. April 9th we received an invoice stating that we owed 591.91 by 5/2... I WAS PISSED! So I called and inquired about the invoice, they said that in Feb. I had canceled my account that was the charges... commitment termination and hardware fee WHATEVER! so anyways, when you call they ask for you acct# and I gave them the one on the invoice in front of my face and needless to say I was on the phone for over 2 hours talked to 4 different people and what I yes I figured out was that this acct# belonged to "Arthur" but got sent to my address and was in my name don't know why and that on the service page of the Hughesnet site thing my serial # to the modem and my account # were different from the account # on the statement they have this all clusterf**ked! I told them that since opening an account with them it has been nothing but an inconvenience... they don't care and it's still not resolved the last 2 times I was on hold forever it seemed and then afterwards they say you'll be contact within 24 to 48 hrs... I have 3 case #'s and a wasted day. NO PROBLEM RESOLVED and still very unhappy, thanks Hughesnet!

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dean
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Oct 05, 2008 9:09 am EDT

for the most part, my service works good, if it crashes like most electronic crap made today, there is quik fixes, seing how i have had to call customur service so many times to get back on line, i have figured out that most of the time you just need to reboot everything. dissconect cables from modem, cut power and start over. this useally takes about 5 minnuts and all is well, its kindof like owning a old car with a short in the battery cable, you just gotta talarate it and keep twisting the battery cable.

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navah14
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Jun 06, 2008 12:23 pm EDT

I agree DO NOT DEAL WITH HUGHESNET!I have had NOTHING but trouble since last November, my modem went out it took me several calls being transfered around put on hold transfered again and NOBODY speaks English. Sheeesh my problems really got bad when the second modem went bad and I said, never mind we are moving I would call them when we got settled for a new install. BOY was that a joke not to mention DANGEROUS. My husband is elderly and frail and they sent some druggy freaks out to install when I was not there. It worked for about a day, then a storm came through. They sent a technician out who was very nice and he narrowed my problem down to the installers, they had not cemented in the bloomin pole! Well, we (the technician and myself) called him back and we both asked that the same installer did not come out and told them WHY! I got a call from him the SAME installer a couple of days later saying he was coming back out I said NO I don't think so I am terminating with Hughesnet no need to come back. In the mean time I am out $450 I paid to the installer (the druggies) and I sent a certified letter to Hughesnet do you think I have gotten any response. You can bet your sweet __ I have not Sheesh Hughes net has certainly left a nasty taste in my mouth not to mention they took total advantage of me.

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matt
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Apr 17, 2008 4:08 am EDT

DO NOT BUY HUGHESNET! It is total crap. The evening speeds are pathetic. They simply told me that I need to do my online work between 2 am and 5 am when the speeds are the fastest. At night it is unusable! Every tech support person in India would tell me something different. What a joke!

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Jim Chancy
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Feb 11, 2008 8:51 am EST

Hughes Net customer service is a joke. These people are not trained to even spell their names. I was disconnected five times in a row. I have never dealt with a company who's customer service was this bad. Their internet service is a ripoof and they back it up with five people in India connected by two cups with a string atatched.

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ANTI-HUGHESNET
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Jan 26, 2008 11:49 am EST

i know the dl cap i horrible. if you're a you tube junkie, yep video feeds are downloading. i was wondering is there was an uploading cap, like do they set you to 56k if you up load too much>?

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Aubrey Berridge
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Dec 22, 2007 10:57 am EST

Good lord people, if you haven't already, DO NOT sign up for this pathetic excuse for internet service! Most of the time, dial up is faster than my HughesNet. I do not do any large amount of uploading or downloading, and I still am capped almost all the time. If it is anything but sunny blue skies, it is even worse. I actually drive to my sister's house, 10 miles away, to use her computer when I have anything important to work on (such as updating my website) because with HughesNet, half the time I lose my connection in the middle of my work. Even online bill pay is a nightmare. We are actually going back to dial up when our contract with HughesNet expires.

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Marie Amrein
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Nov 20, 2007 8:08 am EST

I agree with the class action lawsuit. That is a great idea. I have been having trouble for the past few months with a slow internet service from Hughes Net. In this past week, they have "punished me" every day. I am not even home half the day. When I am home, I am not downloading a lot of files. I am just browsing and getting email. Hughes Net told me about this threshold just yesterday when i finally called them. I avoid calling them because they can never understand me and try to solve a problem that is totally different from what I described. In fact, I have had so many problems with this service over the 18 months that I have had it than I ever had with cable. I am in rural area and as soon as DSL or cable comes here I am ditching Hughes Net. They're horrible!

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Nicole Wiener
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Oct 16, 2007 7:29 am EDT

Hughes net is by far the worst company for internet out there, they were my only choice for high speed internet as I live just out of the city's and needed high speed internet for my job, There pricing is outrages and I had nothing but problem with the connection and internet speed, When high speed finally came thru to my area I canceled my service thru them, I had to pay the early termination fee, but I was on one of there promotional plans were I got $200.00 back. but in order to get that back I had to prove my service with them by sending in my statements which you can only get off their web page with your acct #. Well I could not do that as I had cancelled my service and they were unable to mail me the statements because they do not have a mail center or a address operantly. So I contacted the attorney general who got in contact with them and I was sent my refund and statements within 2 weeks. Screw hughes net, somebody with money need to file a class action lawsuit against them for false advertising.

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mike lane
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Oct 10, 2007 9:52 am EDT

Amazing. It's Amazing that Hughenet just doesn't get it. Like most of you, I also live in the sticks so my options are Hughes or dial-up. I find it suspicious that all our problems started after Hughes took over from Directway. I also find it suspicious that these problems also started after they began offering higher priced plans. So those of us on the cheapest plan (and way over-priced for what we get) suddenly found ourselves unable to connect to the Internet for most of the day. My problems with them started when I called lo-tech and was told the reason for my connectivity problems were from a high use issue almost 16 hours ago! They informed me that most of problems were from using my 6000 modem and a simple hardware upgrade would solve most of the problems. Not of my high use but so I could get on after the FAP went into effect with seriously degraded service. ok, we used the megs. I could accept the degradation, but felt that I should at least be able to get on. Luckily (well, thats what he said) they had a promotion going on where I could get a new 7000 modem for shipping costs (oh and a 2 year commitment). To my eternal shame and I guess a streak of sadism, I agreed. This did absolutely nothing. So I then broke down and upgraded my service plan to the next higher. Pro plus or something, 69.99. I re registered everything, tried to finish the registration and then noticed my signal strength was only 48. I was getting 60 before and during the numerous tech calls had seen signals as high as 78. These signals, I was informed, were for the lesser plans or in the case of the 78, for the even higher priced plans. It seems that my dish was pointed the wrong way and there were only two frequencies available for that plan with the way the dish was pointed. They could, however, fix the problem with a $125 dollar truck roll. Now after recommitting for two years, trying to upgrade and pay them 10 more bucks a month and at least 12 hours spent on hold in the last month. They were unable to grant a waiver on the truck roll. I was shuffled back and forth between Billing and Advanced Tech for over an hour till we finally got to the crux of that matter and the only way I was going to get a waiver was to write (as in slow-mail) the corporate headquarters and request one from them. This is total nonsense so I did the next best thing I could do and called Michigan Microtech (talk to Heather). These were the original installers of my system and THEY'LL do a truck roll for $75. I also got a appointment sooner than Hughes could have. I agree with everyone of you that will drop Hughes the very second that another option becomes available. Their customer service is a total joke! Even their service plans make no sense. The only thing you're paying for with their plans are the right to get a truck roll in a shorter period of time. Thats it!? Are they kidding?

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Dr. Michael Ernst
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Sep 22, 2007 11:43 pm EDT

Hughes SUCKS! I barely had the internet connection to type this f"""ing complaint. Our service is so poor ,and is not worth the money or time we waste trying to use their system. As soon as DSL is available in all areas, Hughes will be out of business. "HOW COOL IS THAT'

ComplaintsBoard
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12:00 am EST

Hughes product failure

Several years back we set up with 'Direcway', which is now 'Hughes.net' and they sent out a local company to install the exterior hardware (and interior hardware which is fine), the dish and parts... and... yesterday it fell from the very bottom of the pole! This is galvanized metal but they installed it improperly by NOT using cement at the base! Now when i called to get this replaced they told me it would be at my expense! What kind of an operation is this that they do not stand behind the subcontractors they send out who do inferior work?

Needless to say... What can we do about this?

Thank you!
Jack & Donna Cornell
[protected](Jack)
[protected](Donna)
We are located in the Stratford, Oklahoma area

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Richagan
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Sep 01, 2008 10:22 am EDT

All businesses beware! The time and energy we've allocated toward "fixing" our HughesNet connection over the past year has nearly bankrupted us. Our business relies on being able to upload files, email, and access client administration websites.

Every time you call tech support, often someone in India, they are obviously trained to put you through a sequence of "tests" no matter what the problem is and these tests can include 40 - 120 minutes on the phone and possibly a 24-48 hour download battery of tests. This basically means you are out of business for the next 24-48 hours! One time they even ordered a service tech to come out (within the next 5 days) to test the equipment. Later that day, in frustration, I called back and somehow I got upgraded to the next "level" of tech support. This guy was obviously "local, " very nice and had us up and running within 15 minutes. It was THEIR update that didn't upload correctly and that was the cause of our problems at the time. He was able to trouble shoot the cause quickly and with common sense.

We do get the occassional complete outage due to weather conditions - that is acceptable to us. But time and again either our email with attached files will not send, or email service in general doesn't work for 3-4 days at a time, unable to upload large files for days or make critical updates to websites are impossible, sometimes for 24-48 hours.

We have never surpassed our fair use policy, so its not like we're abusing the system. Most times, basic service like web browsing and email without attachments work fine - so it seems to me that they are restricting broadband purposily to keep basic services working for the masses.

So it irks me when I see their TV ads promising great service and quite the opposite is true - the ads only add volume to the broadband they obviously cannot support.

Any other service, AT ANY PRICE would be less than what we've spent with HughesNet in the past 12 months.

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Donna Keen
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Jan 23, 2008 8:40 am EST

I have had nothing but trouble with them. Has anyone contacted the BBB?

ComplaintsBoard
K
12:00 am EST

Hughes poor broadband service

I've had Hughes Satellite Broadband since August 2005. I thought I would have faster connections and downloads. Not so. The connection speed is terrible. I wait and wait, usually my request is timed out. Have I called tech support? Yes, many times, and it usually improves for a bit. However they always bill on time.

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David Marcozzi
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Jul 23, 2007 12:00 am EDT

I found out about the Fair Access Policy on working the internet thought satellite broadband. My speed has been reduce cause I work the internet heavy at times. Well who do work the internet. Different company , colleague students to high school to grade students use the internet. I paying for high speed not connection not for snail speed. Hughesnet should refund all user or take this policy off all user. Oh yes all satellite company have this policy on there system cause did some looking into a few of the other companies . Need to find who made this policy and if how to stop this policy. This policy is ripping off the customer... I WANT THIS POLICY OFF MY SYSTEM I PAID FOR HIGH SPEED NOT SNAIL SPEED... OR REFUND MY MONEY.

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billyj316
chunchula, US
Nov 18, 2011 2:04 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

on 11/07/11 i had hughes net installed in my home, the installer tryed to charge me an extra 25 dollars for a pole to put dish on.
now after he got everthing set up i didnt check to see if in fact the job was done (ok thats my fault)so after i got through putting my new pc desk together
i unplug the eithernet cord from the lap top and put on the new home pc i bought/ hm nope no internet i tryed the lap top yep still no inter net. so i called tec suport and starting that day for the next 6 days i was on the phone ever day 2 to 5 hours and still no internet / i was promissed three different times of having a tec, to com to my house to fix the problem no one showed up so finaly the folling monday i canceled the plan with them they tryed to talk me out of it i told them no
in the begening they over charge me it was suosed to be 99 dolars up front then i would be bill 30 days later for my first bill well 3 days after they got my card number
they billed me 206.34 i put a stop to that so my advice to anyone wantting internet service stay away from hughes net inter net service they are only full of lies and will cheat u at ever turn

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StudentSam
Long Beach, US
Sep 03, 2010 3:18 pm EDT

I've had problems with HughesNet from the beginning when they promised both speed and constant connectivity. (I use my connection for online college classes and even hired a technician to come to my home and check the connectivity. He said it was the internet provider.) I called the company several times and complained, and then I cancelled the service and wrote a letter. After receiving the letter, the company called me and dismissed my concerns stating that I still owed them $400 on the remaining contract for cancelling.

I had been paying automatically but had stopped that payment method several months ago. After that, until I cancelled, I'd been paying by check. Yesterday, I received an email in which THEY complained that, using my previous automatic billing information, their unauthorized $400 charge was denied. I have never received an actual invoice for the $400 nor any written response to my letter. In their email, they indicated that they had a bad billing address. (They installed equipment on my roof, all other communications (previous bills) have reached me and they have my letter - so they know where I am.)

This is obviously NOT going well. Got any ideas who I should contact next? Besides an unresponsive FCC?

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Ricky Rhoades
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Oct 26, 2008 10:56 pm EDT

I am having the same problem as all of you. When we got our computers upgraded, our computer tech told us that we needed to get high speed internet before she would come do it. So we did and we got hughes net. (sadly that was the only so called "high speed internet" available.) We got hughes net not knowing that it would be like this. So when our tech came to upgrade our computers, she needed to know whether the connection was static, sticky or ppoe(?). so she called the hughes net customer support and they couldn't even tell her that. How can you have a tech support that doesn't even know about the product that they are supposed to be helping people with? i am trying to download World of Warcraft and the patch is 1.2 GB. the FAP only allows 200 Mb PER DAY! This service is VERY ridiculous and outragous. We have a 2 year contract and have only fulfilled half of it. someone needs to shut that company down! I can't talk about it anymore because if i do i might kick my computer screen in.

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George
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Jun 29, 2007 9:25 am EDT

Hughes.net sat service just plain sucks. Have no choice tho living in the boonies, there is no other viable option except dialup.

If you can go with comcast, do it.

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joe f. leier
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Jun 29, 2007 8:36 am EDT

fccinfo@fcc.gov

Bbove is the email link to make a general complaint about Hughes satellite service. I think that the best course of action is to flood this link with emails concerning the poor service that we are receiving. We have to take some action and not rely on the FCC stepping by themselves without our nudging them.

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David C
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Jun 02, 2007 8:16 pm EDT

Yes, Hughes Net is terrible. I also live in the boonies... and had to download some videos on iTunes for review... I had nearly downloaded one of the videos... 50 megs... and wham... our internet service slowed to speeds measurable in bytes per second (not kb... bytes). The service has been so slow today we could not even check the weather on weather.com... because the connections just time out. This happens all the time. We called service... they told us our DW7000 needed to be replaced. The visiting service technician said the DW7000 was fine, but that we needed to call Hughes and have them link us to a different satellite. The System Controller page always works, and always tells us everything is fine... even when the transmission speeds drop below 2 kb per second. Currently, we are running at 12 kb per second. Our previous telephone connection was typically as fast or faster than Hughes. At least the phone connection never timed out... I did not think it was possible to have connections this slow anymore... in fact, our phone internet service was faster in 1997 than the HughesNet satellite connection in 2007... and this is not a joke.

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Suzanne Johnston
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Apr 20, 2007 2:03 am EDT

Their current FAP is utter garbage and I don't know how they can get away with it. When I signed up for Direcway, the agreement was that the FAP would be applied if I exceeded 20mb per hour for more than 2 to 3 hours and that the cap would only last 2 to 4 hours. Hughesnet lowered the allowance and increased the duration of the cap. Despite the fact that the webpage still said 20mb was the limit, when I called tech support they told me that the limit was actually 16mb over 4 hours. They also told me that in order to end the cap that I would have to completely stop using the internet for 8 to 12 hours before the cap would be lifted.

Now they have changed their FAP again (they did not even have the courtesy to send me an email warning) and I only found out after over half an hour of trying to load their webpage to get to the notice. They claim the raised the allowance to a whole 200mb per DAY. Not only that, but they will cap for 24 hours or MORE if you exceed the limit. Their pro plan offers something like 350mb per day which is still less than the original Direcway limit which equaled about 420mb per day. I could even have lived with the daily limit somewhat if they hadn't made it a full 24 hour cap. Even after the internet was not used for 4 hours straight (there was 0mb downloaded/uploaded) my bandwidth remained capped. It just now was uncapped so that I was able to load this.

At the very least they should offer something on the modem that reports to you what your usage has been so far and warns you if you are reaching your limit so you don't exceed it.

This is particularly frustrating to me since I take college classes online and I need to use the internet to send my homework and view my grades and such. I had several assignments that I needed to send in yesterday and I couldn't even send an email to my teacher to let her know that my internet was not working. I am going to have to go in and hand deliver my work now. May not seem like a big deal but I live way out in the woods on unpaved roads and I recently dislocated my ankle.

I'm seriously considering contacting the FCC about this but I don't know if they would do anything. The change in the FAP is infuriating.

When I upgraded to the latest modem and increased my serviceplan obligation it was under Direcway. I had no idea Hughesnet was going to screw me over like this.

Does anyone know of anywhere I could go for help on this matter? I wish hughesnet would lower their monthly bill or give me a discount for the 24 hour periods that they cap me if I happen to exceed their bs limit.

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Philip Graham
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Mar 10, 2007 4:57 pm EST

Their actual product does not remotely approach the product their ads imply. Their ads are a fraud.

The FCC should take action and force hughes to refund the cost of the equipment to anyone wishing a refund.

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12:00 am EST
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Hughes low signal strength

I am getting only 60% of signal strength and I have a neighbor that is getting 85%. I would like my dish readjusted for more strength. When I have asked about this before I was told that that is good in my area. I have other friends that say not to believe this and report it again. I would really like high speed. Right now it is just as bad as my old dial-up.

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12:00 am EST

Hughes no upgrade notice! hughes.net management sucks!

Since hughes bought direcway my download speeds have fluctuated between good (1,000 + KBPS) to "worse than dial-up"(6 KBPS).

Recently, technical support (a 1+hour adventure every time) seems to indicate that the only solution to my problem is to upgrade my modem. Fair enough - except that "Why do I have to suffer ### performance" for 6 moths before I am told the only resolution to my problem is that I need to upgrade?

Why did they not tell me a year ago (+/-) that the modem I am using its going to be "end-of-lifed" soon. Instead, after ### performance for 6 months, multiple calls to technical support they let a service technician tell me that the only what to get promised performance is to upgrade my modem.

Bottom-line is hughesnet management sucks. The minute that ANY other high speed service is available in my area I will switch. Verizon is about to offer DSL to my area. All I have to say is good bye hughesnet - hello Verizon!

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wisconsin 31
Rosendale, US
Jul 30, 2013 10:41 am EDT

Hughes Net is the WORST internet we have ever had. Their internet is so dam slow. nothing loads and when u want to go online and pay ur high priced bill u cant cuz it wont load. then when u call u cant understand a word they are saying cuz there are not from here. which is bs. if you are looking for an internet provider do NOT go with hughes net. you will very unsatisfied like the rst of us.

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charles sheffield
Belmont, US
Jan 16, 2013 8:17 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

i had hughes net for six months and half the time it didnt work i would get dns all the time and the weather was clear
finaly the modem quit and i have no internet service they told me 9200 modem sucks it took them 14 days before they
could fix the problem mean while i canceled they charge forty five days of service that didnt work wait til
you have to send there ### back to them there packageing is all joke BEWARE OF HUGHES NET ALL THERE CALL CENTER GIVES YOU THE RUN AROUND IF YOU CAN UNDER STAND

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Larz JOhnson
Campobello, US
Jun 22, 2012 10:01 am EDT

What a scam these people are. Since when is there a limit on downloads. They are the most expensive and the worst. I wish I had seen this page BEFORE I signed up. But hey you can send them an email and Clive from India will respond even though he has not read your email. No such thing as customer service from these guys or anyone else for that matter. Simply put, It's all about the money. Hughes you really do suck!

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pauliep
Charlotte, US
Apr 04, 2010 9:03 am EDT

all calls for these orders are recorded so any claims like these can be disputed easily.
the information mentioned in the complaints is not hidden. it is available on the website.
the rebate website being given is a requirement for all orders.
this company will fire anyone caught lying on these calls.
i have seen it with my own eyes. there is a zero tolerance for lies on calls.
on the FAP there is an unlimited download zone and a download manager program available for heavy users.
all customers have 30 days to make sure it works, which would make the majority of these people look slow or dishonest if it was a genuine disappointment after 2-3 days why not have it removed?
as someone who deals very patiently and honestly with folks like these day in and day out i can tell you nothing short of free and unlimited service would make these folks happy.
that is a fantasy. it is not fair to blame someone else because everyone didn't roll over and give you free pizza.
(man it felt good to be able to finally say that!)

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RipJack
Stage Coach, US
Apr 20, 2009 2:11 am EDT

I have only had it 2 days and I can say this. They need to be shut down or the Fap get's lifted with that charter that people are signing to have it lifted.
It wouldn't be as nearly as bad as it is now if the FAP limit is lifted, Since am a big down loader my self. The only reason I deal with it is cause there's nothing else and We need high speed here. We were lied to about the workings of it and also the Tech support when we called them today said this about the rebate "you can only get the rebate after 5 months of use" I to say the least was very very heated. I'm gonna end up getting a lawyer and getting something done. There liars cheats and Lazy heck they don't even have there own installation works they get sub contract workers and have no real steady works. Now This didn't bother me much since the people where really nice and were a young couple and looked close to starved. they stayed close to 8 hours cause the downloading of the files when it's peeked was very slow cause of the storm. I think they are some of the very few that care and help more then they should. Over all the provider is a complete waste of space and is as trustful as a 2 bit crack head con artist.

The only positive thing I can say about them is there installation people that did are install every thing else is as good as a broken arm and leg.

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tim kieffer
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Nov 13, 2008 6:56 pm EST

I'm currently going around with these jokers concerning the rebates they promised. Supposedly they never inform you how to go about getting the rebates, just pretty much hope you forget about the promised $100 plus a $50 Walmart gift card. When I called to ask why my install bill was so high, I was informed 'that is what it is' and that it was up to me to initiate any rebate promises. Of course, the person I was talking to couldn't do just that, but instead gave me a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about some process or other numbers I had to call. Just tried one of them and of course they only have business hours from 8 to 4. As for the $50 Walmart card, well I guess that actually has to come from another company even though I called Hughes to place the order, it is actually another firm that 'sold' me the product and has to honor that promise. Of course, a call to this number (at Red Ventures LLC) results in no answer and some general message queue. Not even a 'press 1 for customer service' type option.

What a bunch of crap. This company has been an absolute disappointment from start, and I've only been dealing with them for three weeks. I can only imagine how things will be if this stuff ever stops working as promised.

Buyer beware. If you have another option, take it.

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Dave Harlow
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Sep 12, 2008 7:17 pm EDT

Our service at home on our HN 9000 has been awful also...very very slow but it says 400 Mbps at the connection...what a joke...I could send a carrier pigeon faster and of course it's 90/mo. and yes to get out would cost $500 ...

I think an aircard for my laptop would be faster...thank god for my computer at work...

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Doug Clem
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Sep 04, 2008 12:20 pm EDT

About half the time, modem dial up is faster. The other half of the time, its too close to call. Thanks Hughes Net for reminding me what its all about. Not service, or customer satisfaction: Its all about profit. Thats it - and I hope the profit at Hughes Net drops to the bottom to reflect the crappy service they provide. I have now gone back to dial up and I am happier and less stressed than I ever was at Hughes Net. There are no misconceptions about dial up, I know its slow and they don't lie to me about it either, but its a hell of alot more reliable then Hughes Net. No dead times.

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Ahmer Karim Khan
, PK
Jul 10, 2008 2:55 pm EDT

My inlaws have had HN at their ranch for over a year now and I am always hearing from them that it is really slow. I did some research and tried to figure out what could make it so slow. They had AOL dialup before HN and were somewhat satisfied. From my research I figured out that there is a sizable lag from the time you interact with you computer and when the headend back down on earth will start to send data back your way. So that could be part of the frustration that is being experienced. Everytime I am out there I run speed tests from different places and most of the time get 3-4 time dialup speeds. I know that the speedtests are not completely accurate because they are mostly optimized for cable and dsl connections. I think they understand this, but most of what they are doing is in small bursts that take way too long with HN. If you are downloading a large file you don't really notice the lag because it only happens at the begining of the interaction.

Here is the real kicker that prompted me to complain here and anywhere else that I could. I like to vent I guess. A month ago, HN sent an email to my mother-in-law for an upgrade of the modem installed. So she called them and got the new modem on its way and signed up for 2 more yrs of service.

The modem came and this last Tuesday I was out there to install it.

The modem was "connected" okay and I installed the CD on the computer. I started the registration process and ran into a failed registration. I did all the things techie ppl do and it still failed. So I called HN support and got a lady in India. She was to say the least, very hard to understand. She bumbled around and tried to give me some setting for the latitude and such and verified some other things then had me check the signal strength. Well it was saying strength of 15 out of 100. I was on the phone with her for 45 minutes before she gave up and shot me to "advanced' tech support. Well at least this level seems to speak English. This guy was really not interested in helping much. He gave me a few more setting to try then told me that a service person would have to come out and there would be a trip charge. I got a little hot over this one and asked to speak to someone that might care. He told me after another 30 minutes, I could call sales and talk to them. I told him there is no reason that the old modem should work and the new one wouldn't unless the modem was faulty. He assured me that if the modem was faulty I would not have gotten as far as I did with the setup. So I told him I wanted to connect the old modem and have him stay on the line until it was working as before. We did that. I called sales today and got a very nice young lady that must have been in training. She had to verify with her supervisor everytime I asked for something to be done or had a question that she didn't immediatly understand or know. So I went down the path of not wanting to pay for a service person to come out to install the modem when I had already tried. She really could not understand that it was not a physical problem with the modem install versus the configuration information that I was being given that was not working. So HN would not budge on this one. They finally told me that the new modem would only work with the new satellites and had to be installed in conjunction with a dish repoint. Well that makes sense. Why didn't that get announced somewhere during the upgrade discussion. So my next thought is whether I needed to really go to the new modem. I asked that question and after a long consultation with the supervisor I was told no. Then I asked about whether I need to send back the new modem. The first answer was yes if you are under a committment. Well a new 24 mo commitment is part of the upgrade so I asked it HN would pay for us to send it back. Another long consultation with you know who, the supervisor came on the line. I was about to change course and ask for a letter stating everything that had happened with the upgrade and a guarentee that we would not be charged for anything and would be conpensated for any charges related to mailing back the new modem. But the supervisor came on and said the committment will not start until the new modem is activated. So we will see how this all pans out. I am not sending the modem back, they said we could "set it aside". Ebay here I come. OBTW I got the supervisors name: Laura

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Al
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Mar 26, 2008 11:20 am EDT

There are no lies in the complaints above. I was actually just surfing (at work because it is faster) looking for ways to speed up the hughes connection we have at home. I tried sending emails last night and after waiting 45 minutes for them to send, I logged off and went to bed. Hughes is expensive for the service you get. And the FAP is a thorn. Why pay this much money and have to throttle how much you use the 'net? We have to alternate nights in the house because if we all get on, we FAP. We used to have the business edition, but it is no better than the standard package. We try to use it for work, but VPN is near impossible or deadly slow. I agree that when it was DirecWay, it was much better and we were much happier then. Calling customer support is a joke, 1-2 hours at least - they always want to blame you, your set up, your computer, your equipment or your cookies! One of our neighbors has a petition to the local DSL company to run service out to our homes, but do not think that will go anywhere as there are just not enough homes to make it "worth while" for them. We have tried dial up, but our rural phone lines have a hard time getting a good connection.

One of these days, the dish will make a nice planter ... if I don't destroy it first out of frustration!

Something has to be done .. cannot believe a company can stay in business providing service like this. Would that be acceptable in your job? Not mine ...

ComplaintsBoard
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12:00 am EST

Hughes 30-day cancellation policy is a rip-off!

HughesNet is undoubtedly the world leader in Internet Access Rip-OFF !
Well since I transferred from southern California to somewhat of a remote location (the bowels of Mississippi) I was forced to find alternate means of internet access. Having to settle for satellite TV (Direct TV) due to lack of cable access anywhere outside of city limits I was confronted with numerous advertisements about HughesNet's (formerly Direct Way) blazing fast internet service. So assuring their advertisement dollars were not wasted I gave them a call. I completely explained my situation of having at least six computers on my local network at all times and needing to be able to VPN into my company in CA at a moments notice and to host test web sites. Their customer service rep was all to eager to tell me why I needed the business internet package and all the reasons why their product is superior and they promise a 30 day no risk trial period. If I was unhappy for any reason within the 30 day period just call and cancel and all I needed to do was send the equipment back and they would refund me $400. Sounds great I thought, sign me up! Well after about 25 days of fighting with slow access, horrible email support, unbearable latency issues, and laughable tech support I had had enough! I called their customer service to cancel and after answering 10 minutes of questions on why I was wishing to cancel I was informed of the immediate cancellation fee of $485.00 (posted to my checking account within the hour) Once I received the boxes from them, usually within a week, I would receive a $400 refund within SIX WEEKS of them receiving their equipment! Needless to say I was furious. This immediate withdrawal from my account from HughesNet caused all of my monthly automatic debits (i.e. 2 life insurance policies, car insurance, gym fees, etc.) to overdraw my bank account per incidence ! So when all is said and done this no risk 30 Day cancellation policy from HughesNet has cost me in excess of $1200.00. I will be glad to entertain any enterprising attorney that would like to help bring this long-winded giant to it's knees.

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tmag
,
Aug 11, 2008 4:37 pm EDT

Hughes.Net are indeed a bunch of liars, and they forget to mention their fair access threshold policy, which is a complete rip off. The company, however does not mention this, and they give you some crap about a jacked up cancellation fee $400. I am extremely furious with companies that do this. I've had this BS system for 11/2 days and just canceled because after being on line for 2 hours your speed drops slower than dial up which is disgustingly slow. So if you really enjoy 20 minutes of internet, the kicked down to dial up, then by all means sign up. If you are however pissed off about companies like this then I INFORM, "DO NOT BY ANYTHING THEY SELL YOU."

All I know is this may happen once, but not again. I most certainly would like to settle this in court. As a matter of fact I would not be surprised if these guys are related to companies NRON.

Peace out

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Susan De Lano
,
Jun 21, 2007 1:07 pm EDT

I have resolved the problem with Hughes.net. After they received my letter to the Attorney. General for the State of MN, they contacted me by telephone. I explained the problems I was having with the service.

They informed me that in April of 2007 they reduced the bandwidth for their customers. Prior to that the service was unlimited. Their explanation for doing this was because of the new customers complaining that they could not use the service or the service was slow. Hughes.net told me that to satisfy the new customers, they cut the older customers service and that they lengthened the wait time from 4 hours to 24 hours.

I told her that this was not acceptable. And that if they could not restore the service for which I was paying, then I wanted our service discontinued and a refund on the equipment.

She agreed to refund $400.00 for the equipment. The equipment being the modem and the receiver on the dish (but not the dish). They will refund our money to our credit card account which we paid for the service with.

I will keep you further informed.

Have you written your Attorney. General's office yet?

ComplaintsBoard
W
12:00 am EST

Hughes unable to alter dns entries

http://customercare.myhughesnet.com/phone.html indicates [protected] as technical support help line.

This is the only number given to customers both residential and commercial.

[protected] option 3 gets a customer in contact with an outsourced call center where all "technicians" have heavy Hindu accent that "check their resources if you have any technical questions"

The chat routine at http://customercare.myhughesnet.com/frm_chat_support.cfm gets customers in contact with the same outsourced call center support team with chats that look like this:

[Dec 1 2006 8:35:45 PM] Welcome to our chat customer support .
[Dec 1 2006 8:35:48 PM] William, you have been connected to Kate William (Dec 1 2006 8:36:02 PM): hi Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:36:00 PM): William, thank you for contacting HughesNet Technical Support. My name is Kate and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you. Before we go ahead with this conversation, I would like to inform you in case we get disconnected, please connect to the chat session again immediately through http://customercare.myhughesnet.com
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:36:17 PM): Hi William, how are you doing today?
William (Dec 1 2006 8:36:44 PM): great just got a new domain name and need to have a PTR record setup on your DNS servers Kate(Dec 1 2006 8:38:14 PM): Please give me a moment.
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:40:41 PM): Is it ok if I keep this chat session on hold for two minutes so that I can check resources?
William (Dec 1 2006 8:41:32 PM): sure i understand that this is for residential tier1 support... but i was never given a business support telephone #
William (Dec 1 2006 8:46:09 PM): oh and here is a link to how my domain is pointing from the registrar http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/lookup.ch?name=hollygarth.net&type=ALL
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:47:53 PM): William, may I know which plan you are in?
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:50:08 PM): I am waiting for your reply.
William (Dec 1 2006 8:50:23 PM): pro plus
William (Dec 1 2006 8:50:43 PM): with static ip Kate(Dec 1 2006 8:51:44 PM): Could you elaborate your issue so that I can give you perfect resolution.
William (Dec 1 2006 8:52:18 PM): a new domain name and need to have a PTR record setup on your DNS servers.
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:58:10 PM): I would request you to call as they will be in a better position to assist you.
Kate (Dec 1 2006 8:58:19 PM): I apologize for the inconvenience this issue may have caused.
William (Dec 1 2006 8:59:07 PM): is there a direct line to the business support group i do not want to have to go thru tier 1 again Kate (Dec 1 2006 9:00:00 PM): You need to call Phone support : [protected].
William (Dec 1 2006 9:00:37 PM): bye

Email support also apparently connects customers to the same outsource group and refers customer to the call number. Example in point...

From: [protected]@hughes.net [mailto:[protected]@hughes.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 9:43 PM
To: [protected]@hughes.net
Subject: Hughesnet Resolution

Dear William,

Thank you for contacting HughesNet Technical Support. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you. William, please accept my apologies for the difficulties you are experiencing.

William, I would suggest you to give us a call on [protected] so that we can update you about this issue.

William, we have escalated this issue to our engineers and we are looking forward for their response. However, I would suggest you to give us a call, if we feel that there is a need then we will transfer your call to our Advanced Technical Support (Tier 3).

Your case ID for this issue is [protected]

Kind Regards,
Natalie.
HughesNet Technical Support
For further assistance, we are available 24/7 and you can contact us through the following:
Phone support: [protected] (Technical Support).
Chat support and Email support: www.myhughesnet.com/customercare
For future Web service and support assistance, as well as finding the latest drivers and updates, please visit our support website at http://customercare.myhughesnet.com/
The HughesNet Technical Support team is pleased to provide you with technical support. We look forward to serving you in the future.
Once again thank you for contacting HughesNet Technical Support.

----------- Original Message ---------------

From : william garrison
Email ID : [protected]@hughes.net
CC :
Billing Phone No : [protected]
Case Status : Voice Support
Product : DW7000
Inquiry Reg : Web Setup
SiteID : 38fa2c02
Previous CaseID : [protected]
Current CaseID : [protected]
Problem Statement : COMMENTS=upon calling [protected] and talking to supervisor carrey? He informed me that it is impossible for the company Hughes.net to setup a PTR record for me. If this is the case then having any type of business with your company is useless. Since all i have talked to in this matter are tier 1 support specialist and supervisors I am requesting this be escalated to engineering and request a reply within 5 business days. I would like a detailed explanation as to WHY your company cannot enter a reverse DNS entry that points 72.168.183.70 to hollygarth.net C:Documents and Settings
oganlors>nslookup Default Server: [protected].charter.com Address: 24.240.141.241 > hollygarth.net Server: [protected].charter.com Address: 24.240.141.241 Name: hollygarth.net Address: 72.168.183.70 > 72.168.183.70 Server: [protected].charter.com Address: 24.240.141.241 Name: host7216870183.hns-noc-rev-lu.com Address: 72!
.168.183.70 http://www.dnsstuff.com/tools/lookup.ch?name=hollygarth.net

For any hughes.net employees this is case# [protected], [protected], and [protected]

Getting in contact with anyone at Hughes.net to perform any high level technical support is virtually impossible and requires the tenacity of a pit bull at the that of it's prey. When one does get in contact with this higher level technical support the only support that they can give you is with the hardware that you purchased for $600-$1000 US.

The "Level 3" technician I finally got in contact with informed me that the network topology used by satellites was a static "image" of current DNS entries and changing the DNS entries for static ip addresses was impossible and could not be performed.

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larry j cutler
,
Sep 22, 2007 3:33 pm EDT

I try to many times to get in and delete my email address because i am getting to must junk mail, i like to delete my email address and set up a net one, but it want let me in. Can someone help me with this?

larry cutler

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Adam
,
Jun 08, 2007 10:05 pm EDT

Hello, I have Hughes.net also and I have no earthly idea how old this chat is, but I not the richest guy in the world and Hughes.net tells me that I can only download 200 MB between the hours of 6 pm to 3 am but between the hours of 3 am to 6 am i can download as much as I desire. In short, I was wondering if you knew something: can I use torrents to download things with Hughes.net?

ComplaintsBoard
G
12:00 am EDT

Hughes make me feel used and abused!

I made arrangements for this service in August 2006. I was told due to a promotion the 100.00 installation fee would not be required. On August 13, a Sunday, the installer arrived. However, I was charges an addition 125.00 for the installation of a pole as the installer did not want to put the satellite on the roof of my home.

After the installer left, it was noted that the cable from the pole to my home was left on the ground. As I lived in an area with a lot of trees and many many small animals I called to find out about having the line buried. Was told my one person that they did not do that, another person told me the original installer would have to come back and take care of it. When I started having problems with the service it was quite a job to get someone out here to try and correct it. BY this time it was after Labor Day, I was told the installer did not come the previous Friday due to car problems, I guess he was unaware that there are telephones available to cancel appointments. The Monday after labor day, Sept. 11 a new installer came out to check the system, he called and ordered a new modem for my service as the one installed was faulty. I was told the call him when I received the new modem. However, the modem was not sent to me but to someone in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I finally got a hold of him and he sent it to me and the installed care out on Friday the 22 to installed the new modem.

When I got my credit card bill I had been billed $202.38, (I was told it would be 99.99, and they would issue a credit as it was a promotional deal. They did refund 100.00 but left a balance of $102.38.

Then I received a bill from Hughes for $107.39 for service from 8/13/06 to 9/13/06, which I did not have as the system was not working. When I called billing I was told we are always billed in advance, so correct me if I am wrong.

I paid 102.38 in August, you want an additional 107.39 for a total of $209.77, however the young lady I talked with told me that my balance was $33.00 as she gave me a credit of one month and one week, so if you add the two amount together you come up with 242.00, I would be paying for service from 8/13/06 to 9/13/06 with a new bill coming on October 13. Sorry but I just do not understand this.

I was without a computer from 8/13 through 9/22, it worked once in a while but could not received E mail of a daily basis or take care of business. Made too many calls to Hughes trying to correct this mess to no avail. Long distance calls to companies (numbers given to me by Hughes), trying to track service men and the where abouts of the new modem.

Original installed did not leave me any copies of what I signed, have asked on many occasions for a copy but as yet have received nothing. I don't know if this will be answered or not but at this point in time I feel used and abused, and would appreciate any information that could explain this mess to me.

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Dana Palmer
, US
Mar 28, 2016 11:11 am EDT

I had HugesNet installed on Feb, 23 and called 2 times during the month because the service was really slow and was not working for my family. On the 29th day I called to cancel my service and was told that I was out of my 30 grace period and was told I would be charged a $400 cancellation charge. I have called the customer service desk on multiple occasions to try and get this resolved and still no help.

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Reviewer65863
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Feb 12, 2016 10:27 am EST

Satellite was installed on roof of rental, without permission.

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Reviewer86872
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Feb 09, 2016 4:20 pm EST

2/9/2016 Installer installed dish today and now I don't have internet. He told me it was my problem because his laptop worked.

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thehustler
, US
May 08, 2011 7:08 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Also remember if they are not providing what they promised you then you can always search the internet for a Breach of contract form for about 8.00 and file it with your county clerk. I do not think they will pay the thousands of dollars to send an attorney to your city to fight it, they will probally just concede and cancel your contract.

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thehustler
, US
May 08, 2011 7:05 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

With the comment "The one mistake that many of you made was ... you did not buy from a LOCAL DEALER. "
No they did not mistake. When you purchase from either the company or resaler the service and customer support should always be 110 %
I stopped eating at Dominoes Pizza because the corporate office emailed me to say they alerted the franchise location. When I emailed back in a week saying no one has contacted me about my experience D. went on to write well they are a franchise and we have no control over that. So I dumped them. If you have a name on a service then that name should stand behind its product no matter what.

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veola
degraff, US
Sep 25, 2010 12:25 am EDT

boy, the same, hughesnet is poor service!they charge 200+ percent what everyone else charges. i hated dial up but at least the only thing bad about dial up was that it was so slow. they never once tried to rip me off. hughes net is trying to charge us 82 dollars a month, i was told when ordering i would pay no more than 59. something about rebates and some other bull they say i have to get on line and find. from the first day it has been a nightmare. they came to my house and tracked mud, they drilled a hole in my hard wood floor, not where they said but out from the corner about a foot. they also said they could not put the dish on the roof because of the trees...? so my free installation cost 145 dollars. im kinda glad they didn't put it up there, they probably would have made my new roof leak! from the first day trying to get on the net we have had trouble. so i call and the only ones you can talk to in indians in india! you can barely understand them, and they tell you to the same thing, unplug everything, shut everything off and restart angin. WHAT A PAIN IN THE A__ that is ! sometimes it works for 5 minutes sometimes for a half hour, then guess what? you lose connection.. so i called my bank and canceled my debit card so they couldn't take the payment out.i told them i needed someone to come to the house and check out this stuff, they only wanted to send someone on the day i would not be home . now they say we have to go through the phone bit again, how many time do you have to do that/ I KNOW IT HAS BEEN 8-9 TIMES ALREADY. and better yet they are going to charge me ONLY 29.95 if they come out haha they act like that is a deal, i think this crap has never worked right from day one they need to do what ever to make it right

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Max Compton
Pelzer, US
Apr 04, 2010 9:06 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I also have Hughesnet and the fair access policy sucks I travel for most of the week and never get on the computer but on the weekend when I am home and have nothing to do but surf the web to amuse myself then they slow me down because I over use my time for that day my problem is what about all the days through the week I never use the system but still get charged for the service now they have the purchace a token to speed you back up for $10.50 this is stupid to say the least what it all boils down to is pay for the service but don't use it. I hope a day will come when another provider can come into my area so I can tell Hughesnet to KISS OFF.

Max Compton
Pelzer SC
[protected]

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Max Mouse
Stone Mountain Panola RD, US
Mar 23, 2010 8:50 pm EDT

Hughesnet IS CRAP Somebody needs to sue these losers until they are out of business. They are ripping people off and making them look stupid. I'm using it right now and I thought I could finally watch videos again I have 3 other members of my family that has their own computer and uses the internet. Download limit will exceed in only a few hours... I am a college student there's no way for me to handle school work online other companies they are ain't satellite has a 50gb limit a day why the hell we only get around 300mb or less... are these people ###ed? People said they limit it because of people abusing the service. They could have at least given us 2 to 4 gbs The only way to get over 1gb is to start a business. They give us unlimited internet late as hell at 2 to 7 am.. who the hell is going be up at 2 o clock doing anything online? They are even ripping people off by charging a crap load of money to cancel their service. by how low the limit is they are doing it on purpose to get more money. They need to stop advertising hughsnet. I get pissed everytime I see their commerical ad. I wouldn't recommend hughesnet to anybody not even as a last resort.

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dwg416
Springfield, US
Sep 23, 2009 12:29 am EDT

i am new to hughes net and i too am having the same problems as everyone else. they sent me a new modem and it worked ok for a couple of hours and then i started having the same problems as the old one. if they do not fix this piece of crap and quick i will quit paying and they can come and get their equipment and i am also tired of talking to their tech support that i cant understand, another company that has outsourced jobs to india

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NOT HAPPY!
Denison, US
Sep 14, 2009 1:09 am EDT

HughesNet is the worst! To start with we were promised a rebate after 30 days, then they told us we wouldn't get it when we applied for it. It's as slow as dial up. IF we didn't have a 2 year contract we would have canceled! When the 2 years is up we will cancel!
We only paid 12.95 for dial up and it worked as well as this so called high speed internet.
I have read from others that we are expected to take the dish and return it at our expense when our contract is up. NOT gonna happen! They can do whatever floats their boat because That is a load of bull! We draw the line at taking that thing down and paying to return it. When we canceled Dish Network they sent a prepaid box.
We have been lied to constantly! BEFORE we signed up for their service we explained we wanted to use it to watch old TV shows online. They told this wasn't a problem and I know lots of other people who do this with their internet service. I mean after all that's why it's online. BUT when we watched a SHORT super bowl ad online we were shut down for 24 hours because we exceeded the fair excess threshold! Yes we called and they told us a different story! Of course our friends have DSL and no limit for less than we pay.
You may want to know why we went with them to start with? Because we happen to live in an area where we can get nothing else but dial up.
I haven't covered customer service. Oh what a joy to call and get someone EVERY SINGLE TIME you can't understand! Of course they always say the system checks out just fine even when you can't get google.com to open.
All that for 71.00 per month that we pay.
My advice is to avoid HughesNet at all cost!

ComplaintsBoard
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12:00 am EDT

Hughes double billing and no customer service

Hughes requires automatic access to your credit card for billing. They billed me twice last month. My card company, Hughes, and me on a conference call found that Hughes had no record of a double billing. So, the card company credited me for the second billing. Hughes then discontinued my service and billed me again. Hughes' "customer service" representatives have no authority or ability to solve these problems. Some of their reps can't even be understood over the phone. It's not even possible to email Hughes. Can you believe it? An internet company doesn't have a email address. It's been almost a month, and this billing dispute is still open.

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beau wedemeyer
Hartford, US
Sep 23, 2023 9:30 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

9/11/2023 rep did not get back with me could not under stand her I am hard of hearing people with accent hard time understanding. They were giving me gen 5 at 41.00 dollars a month for 12 months. I have Spectrum offer at 45.00 a month nobody gets back with me. Ps. I have been with Hughes almost.20years beau. Wedemeyer @ dot com phone [protected]

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custva
Urbanna, US
Sep 23, 2023 3:10 am EDT

Extremely slow internet, frequently out with weather issues. Extremely expensive with minimal data included. Cancelling a nightmare and they are still trying to double charge me for a data token.

There are far better options for rural Virginia locations.

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Cory Medley
, US
Apr 18, 2020 6:27 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

They lied when providing my speed test to measure data, etc etc. Stole data from my data plan and would cut my data speeds when we were using their internet service. Customer support would hang up with me and never return a call or their chat help would never respond

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Peter Ciani
, US
Dec 17, 2019 6:31 am EST

My bill has been going up monthly for 3 months. Each month I called I was promised it would not change and that I would be reimbursed on next months bill, which I never was. I was told on last call it was to increase to from $66.61-$115. I have ticket numbers for each interaction. Customer service makes statements that they don't keep.

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Alisandra
, US
Aug 19, 2019 10:08 am EDT

The plastic advertisement you consistantly send through the mail. Can you stop hurting the enviroment with plastic cards that go right to the trash?

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Juher
, US
Jan 23, 2012 5:04 pm EST

Hughesnet didn't deliver the product they agreed to. They agreed to a pole mount to avoid trees that block southern skies, but tech mounted & aimed at the trees. Slower than dial up & unable to get response from customer service. After emails beginning on day of installation telling them, I utilize the 30 day period to change my mind, they still took $477.98 from my account. I'm out money & have nothing to show for it.

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12:00 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Hughes email is in the dark ages!

I had my email under Direcway for 4 years until somebody, without my consent and without amending my service contract, switched it to "Hughes.net." Now I cannot relay email, nor can I use another ISP to receive email. Under Direcway, I could use a local ISP which was on all of my stationary and internet accounts. This ISP had an excellent Spam and virus control which I could set the sensitivity and delete the spam myself. Now, I have no idea if there is any spam or virus control with Hughes.net because they have no settings for it. In my Eudora account which defaults to a "dominant" personality, Hughes.net will not allow the relay. In addition, they claim that some of my recipient's email addresses, one of which is my nephew, may have been forged and refuse to deliver the mail! I have tried to talk with techs from India, who even a Hindi couldn't understand, and he was hopeless. It is a mess and a breach of the original contract that I had with Direcway! I am prepared to set up a blog to fight these incompetents. If you want to help, pleas email me - although you may get a message that my address has been "forged."

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jess_ica_ks
, US
Nov 14, 2018 7:51 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

These are the rudest customer service reps EVER!. They don't tell you, you are in a 2 YEAR CONTRACT. They provide horrible service all around. Do Not connect their service!

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mariaaharrington
, US
Nov 12, 2018 8:26 am EST

eta fee no refund no English speaking reps is there nothing we can do

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george hyman
, US
Oct 14, 2018 10:19 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

They guaranteed me a price of $59.00 a month with a two year contract, and on the 3rd month they went up to $80.00, and the service was so slow, i can't even use it!

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Ffffgggggggggghhhhhhhjj
, US
Sep 05, 2018 2:41 pm EDT

My internet renews on the 14th of every month my husband used our computer for 1 hour and the went on vacation out of state no one was home our one computer off came back 3 days later and it's saying we have no internet left
They won't let me speak to a manager
Filing a credit card claim in the morning
Jnana carroll case number 107618246t

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Paul Brinkley
, US
Sep 03, 2018 4:01 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Why cant we get a local phone number. I have been informed we cannot even get an 847 area number, we have at least 7 prefixes in the area. This results in all calls coming in are long distance. We were assigned an 501 area number which is the area about !00 miles south. I f we cant get an area number why are we not informed of this upfront.

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Kimberly Self
, US
Sep 01, 2018 9:10 am EDT

I have never had Hughes net service nor have I ever resided at the service address yet I am being billed and harassed with threatening credit consequences and measures by Hughesnet if I don't pay this $60 bill for last month of service?

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jessica3383
, US
Aug 28, 2018 12:24 pm EDT

50 gigs in 3 hours gone really need a call asap we paid 450 for our equipment and for data to move that fast got to be a ripoff we had this problem for a while need someone to contact us asap or we will be going public with this [protected]

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Ellis daniel
, US
Aug 15, 2018 9:16 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

House installed at 3350 Wilton sumter sc I do not want anything installed on my roof you need to ck tax records or something to verify that your customer owns home the renter called to have it removed but now I gave to repair roof my name is Ellis Daniel at [protected] home owner

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Rajkumar meena
, US
Aug 16, 2018 4:46 am EDT

Your tech support is drastically poor, one of the worst service I have ever seen...in my life I'll try to switch from your as many ways as possible. I have no good words about Hughes...

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jerry dryden
,
Jun 01, 2008 11:08 am EDT

Hughes is a fraud!

Hughes Customer Reviews Overview

HughesNet is a satellite internet service provider that offers broadband connectivity to customers across the United States, particularly in rural and remote areas where traditional high-speed internet options are limited or unavailable. Their services include various internet plans with different data allowances to suit individual usage needs. HughesNet emphasizes its availability nationwide, leveraging satellite technology to provide internet access. Additionally, they offer built-in features such as data-saving modes to help manage bandwidth usage.

Hughes In-depth Review

In Summary: HughesNet offers satellite internet services primarily targeting rural and remote areas where traditional broadband is not available. While it provides widespread coverage and a variety of plans, customers should be aware of its speed limitations, data caps, and contract terms. The installation process is straightforward, but there may be initial costs involved. Performance can vary, especially during peak times, and customer service experiences are mixed. HughesNet includes features like built-in Wi-Fi and a Bonus Zone, but users must weigh these against the overall cost and value for money. The company also shows a commitment to sustainability and community involvement.

Company Overview: HughesNet is a long-standing provider of satellite internet services, known for connecting users in rural and remote areas. Their core offerings revolve around internet connectivity with a focus on areas underserved by traditional broadband.

Internet Service Options: HughesNet offers a range of plans that vary in price and data allowances, with speeds up to 25 Mbps. All plans come with data caps, and exceeding these limits can result in reduced speeds. Contract terms typically require a 24-month commitment.

Installation and Setup: Installation is generally handled by professional technicians and is often praised for its simplicity. Customers receive a satellite dish and modem, but there may be initial setup fees or equipment costs to consider.

Performance and Reliability: Users report that actual speeds can sometimes fall short of advertised speeds, particularly during peak hours. However, the network is known for its reliability in areas where other internet services are unavailable.

Customer Service: Customer service experiences with HughesNet are varied, with some users reporting quick and helpful responses, while others have faced challenges. Support is available through phone, email, and chat.

Coverage and Availability: HughesNet's primary advantage is its extensive geographic coverage, especially in rural and remote areas where other internet options are limited or nonexistent.

User Experience: Customer reviews are mixed, with some praising the service for its availability and others critiquing it for speed and data limitations. The user interface for account management is functional, and the mobile app offers additional convenience for managing services.

Additional Features and Services: HughesNet includes built-in Wi-Fi with its modems and offers a Bonus Zone, where customers can use additional data during off-peak hours. Other value-added services may be available depending on the plan.

Pricing and Value for Money: When compared to other satellite internet providers, HughesNet's pricing is competitive, but it may seem high compared to traditional broadband. The company occasionally offers promotions, but customers should be mindful of termination fees and refund policies.

Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility: HughesNet demonstrates a commitment to reducing its environmental impact and engages in various sustainability initiatives. The company also participates in community programs and strives for social responsibility.

Pros and Cons: HughesNet's key advantages include its availability in remote areas and the inclusion of features like the Bonus Zone. However, the disadvantages of speed limitations and data caps are significant. The service is best suited for users with limited internet options.

Final Verdict: HughesNet is a viable option for users in rural and remote locations who have limited access to other types of internet services. While it offers reliable coverage and some unique features, potential customers should carefully consider the speed and data limitations, as well as the overall cost, before committing. For light internet users and those without other options, HughesNet can be a suitable choice, but heavy streamers and those used to high-speed broadband may find it lacking.

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Phone numbers

+1 (866) 347-3292 +1 (844) 737-2700 More phone numbers

Website

www.hughesnet.com

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