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Frontier Communications

Frontier Communications review: charged for returned equipment 7

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Author of the review
12:42 pm EST
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In December 2017 our 8 year old Router provided by Verizon stopped working. We were told by Frontier customer service that it was obsolete and couldn't be fixed and that we would receive a new Frontier router. We were told that we would receive a return label with the new router and to return the old router in same box that the new one came in. We received the new router in December 28th and delivered the old router using box and return label as instructed to UPS store. We asked for receipt and was told that they did not provide receipts unless it was initiated through their system, which return labels are not. On February 23, 2018 we received our monthly bill and had been charged $100 for unreturned equipment. We immediately called Frontier and talked to Anthony who told that there was no record of the returned non-working obsolete Verizon router, but he would check into what could be done. We were told that since Frontier cannot rework or reuse Verizon equipment and the router was obsolete that we probably wouldn't have to pay for it. We were given Anthony's direct extension and told to check back the following Monday, February 26th. We have now called Anthony 6 times and left 3 messages for him, with no response. We have called the UPS store thinking the package had possibly been returned to them. They again told us they do not keep a record in their system if they no not generate the label. Today, March 6th, we called Frontier customer and talked with April. We were told there was no record of return of the non-working obsolete Verizon router and that there was nothing we could but pay for it. I asked to speak with a supervisor or person in charge and was told there was not one. When I persisted I was told that she could put me through to someone but there would be a 25 minute wait and I would be told the same thing we told me. We have mailed our monthly payment and deducted the -$100 unreturned equipment charge for the non-working obsolete Verizon router that can't be found, and suspect we will be cancelled for doing this. This is no way to treat a long time customer that consistently pays their higher than it should be bill. Any help with this situation will be appreciated

7 comments
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RJC22
, US
Jul 02, 2023 2:02 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

They are still doing this in 2023! I returned my equipment and they've been harassing me about paying for unreturned equipment even though I paid my return fee and my final month even though I only used 3 days of the last month. It's BS I hate frontier so much. I ended up trying to pay the bill even though I knew for a fact I returned the equipment because I didn't want it to negatively effect my credit score honestly what a [censored] company I hate frontier communications. I wish that the company got properly sued to the ground for all the [censored] they pull. They never refunded me for the 5 times I went without service either. [censored]ing BS.

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Lornette
, US
Dec 15, 2019 11:38 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I cancelled service with Frontier back in August. I was told they do not prorate bills and will have to pay my bill in full in September. Paid my bill return my equipment, of which they received 9/24. On 12/13 I received a letter stating I owed $108. Called Frontier on 12/14 the rep advise it's for equipment. I said that cannot be as I still have a auto generated text from Frontier stating that they received my equipment and I also have my UPS receipt. I was transferred to Credit/Collections and the advise was the pay the $108 and once my equipment is received I will be credited. I absolutely refused. The rep proceeded in telling me it will be send to my credit report. I'm going to contact their Office of the President tomorrow, file BBB complaint and a FCC complaint and every possible social media platform I will complain.

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kawllc
, US
Dec 18, 2019 2:01 pm EST
Replying to comment of Lornette

They did this to me too -- they kept pushing me around to different case managers, ignoring my emails, etc. They told me they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't send me to collections even though my equipment was returned. They legally can't send a debt they should have reason to believe is invalid/disputed. The only thing that solved it for me was getting the FCC involved which ultimately lead up to a response from legal asking me to stop with the complaint with the FCC and that they would stop accusing me of not returning the equipment.

Look at their stock, it lost 99% of it's value over the last ~5 years and they are about to be bankrupt. They do this to scare people into paying, so that they can then claim "nope, not returned we can't credit it back." They hope people eat the cost of the fee due to being scared of a credit ding even if it is a fraudulent accusation.

You can't play nice with them or be lackluster in your demands. You have to file an FCC complaint, threaten to formalize it if not resolved and do not back down. Make sure to demand in writing that your equipment was returned, and that your account has no balance. I've read cases where they didn't put it in writing and then months later they brought false charges back up against customers.

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Jess Petlig
, US
Sep 23, 2019 6:16 pm EDT

I would love to hear an update on this one... how did that return call work out?

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M. Whittaker
, US
Sep 11, 2019 10:33 pm EDT

Today is September 11, 2019 and this same crap is happening with Frontier and it has obviously never been addressed and fixed. Why? Well you would have to suspect that it is profitable for them to NOT Fix it! People are lied to each and every time they contact Frontier after being charged for un-returned equipment when in fact they returned it! I cancelled my service in May of 2019 and just received a threatening collection letter dated August 27, 2019 for $226.03. Nowhere within the letter did it state the collection was for payment of un-returned equipment so I called Frontier when I opened the letter, on Sunday September 08, 2019. The rep then told me the charge was for un-returned equipment and of course I told her the equipment had in fact been returned through UPS. The rep then asked me for the Tracking number for the package. Of course I did not have it on me, and also remembered that the person working the counter at the mail center that also accepts UPS drop offs did not provide me a receipt with a Tracking number. I was advised I would need to go back to that same drop off facility and ask them to research the transaction and provide me with a Tracking number or I would be responsible for the charge. After getting nowhere and hanging up with her, I remembered that I was upset that I had not been given a receipt for the package and a Tracking number and realized I had probably taken a picture of the package with my cell phone for that very reason. I checked my phone and sure enough there was the picture. The label sent to me with the return box had the Tracking number on it, so obviously Frontier had generated that Tracking number themselves, and yet they were telling me I would have to give them a Tracking number! I was furious and called Frontier right back. This time, I was not being the kind person I was at the beginning of the earlier call and began my conversation requesting a Tracking number from them, stating they had generated the label and Tracking number! They gave it to me, and it was the exact Tracking number. I had already pulled up the Tracking Details for that number on UPS.com and knew that Tracking number and label had been created on May 28, 2019 and they had received the package on June 17, 2019, and yet the collection letter was dated August 27, 2019! This 2nd rep I spoke to said the 1st rep must just have not known where to look to retrieve the Tracking number info! Yeah, right! THIS IS A SCAM! They know that most people will not take a picture of the box and label, and therefore the reps will automatically ask them for it and then tell them they need to go back to the drop off facility, knowing full well the drop off facility will not be able to give it to the customer because the drop off facility DID NOT create the label or Tracking number! As the letter they send out threaten outside collection agencies will be coming after you and the credit bureaus will be notified, which will hurt your credit rating, most customer will feel they have no choice but to pay the charge! I wasn't going to play their BS game and let them do this to me, so I've been fighting this since Sunday. Today, after speaking with a very rude female who said she had been working there for 19 years and getting nowhere with her, I told her I wanted to speak to a Supervisor of Collections, which is the dept she was in. She then became much nicer! Go figure! So a man called me back and stated he was in fact a Supervisor for the Collections Dept and had done some investigating prior to calling me. He is now saying that on August 30, 2019 my account was credited $226.03 for equipment that was said to have been un-returned but then found to have been returned... He then said that on September 03, 2019 a new charge was added for un-returned equipment for $226.03. So now, they're trying to say I had 2 pieces of un-returned equipment! I began to tell him how suspicious this was, because I had told them during earlier conversation that would have been noted, that I had filed a complaint with the California Attorney General for this case and was also going to be filing with the FTC - Federal Trade Commission. What I continued to tell this Supervisor was that I have only 1 TV and no need for 2 receiver boxes, and that if I had 2 receiver boxes I most certainly would have been charged monthly for the 2 rentals on the boxes. I believe this was all a manufactured scenario after they realized I am seriously going to do something about this! The Supervisor told me he would call me back tomorrow. I am curious as to what he will have to say at that point! This is obviously happening to a lot of people and some agency needs to do something about it!

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Jess Petlig
, US
Sep 23, 2019 6:22 pm EDT

oops, I posted a post instead of reply to this post... anyhow, I would love to hear an update on this one.. I DO have tracking and they sent me a bill for the equipment that was delivered on 6/5 and 6/6/2019 the equipment fee bill was generated on 9/11- over 3 months after they received the equipment. So glad I stopped the auto-pay and cancelled service with this company. Even the UPS store person told me to keep those tracking numbers for at least a year, Frontier has been known to come back after THAT long with these erroneous fees. I also have photos of the equipment sent back with their conditions noted, and all the serial numbers and stickers they have on EACH and every piece. I am waiting for them to call me back as well

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Brooks Berardi
, US
Jul 21, 2018 7:36 am EDT

I’m experiencing a very similar issue. Frontier’s behavior is extremely fraudulent an border line criminal. We canceled our service since we moved and fios was not available in our new location. Just like stated above, we received a box along with labels to return the old equipment. Prior to taking the package to a UPS store I called and asked if I could drop the box off locally to make sure there would be closure to the account. I was told it must be sent using the box and label they sent me so that it could be tracked correctly at their main wharehouse...oh really...I promptly did as instructed and brought the package to the ups store April 24th, paid a repackaging fee at ups of $9.00 with my Amex. Mid July I receive a bill for $200.20 for unreturned equipment fee. Just like above I call frontier and there is no record of our package received and ask me for a tracking number, I don’t have one, it’s 3 months later... I call the UPS store and reference my April 24th transaction of $9.00 on my Amex and since they didn’t originate the label they don’t have access to the tracking number. I called Frontier back and they don’t have the tracking number nor the package. The ups employee told me he unfortunately gets this all the time and can’t help and this is happening to others routinely. Frontier needs To be held accountable for its actions. We’re calling frontier for the fourth time tomorrow to again plead our case. If anyone has insights or has been through this and found a resolution please help.