This is not any ordinary man.
We will call him "Tom."
Tom is a charter member of Veeto. He was one of the first people to join, and since then, he has become pretty handy with his veeto power--slaying evil doers of all shapes and sizes.
And this time, it was Atlantic Broadband in Miami who crossed him.
This letter to his ISP, Atlantic Broadband, is a perfect example.
There are many reasons why a letter might be characterized as "epic," but perhaps the most important reason is that it achieved the result the author intended.
In this case, Tom was having internet issues at his apartment in Miami. He tried calling customer service multiple times but ended up on hold for hours.
So, Tom decided to send the email below to every single Atlantic Broadband email address he could find (which is part of the free service Veeto provides to members), the FCC, and local Miami news sources.
The ISP called to schedule a technician to come to the apartment the next day.
The technician came and fixed everything, giving Tom the speed he was paying for (even better sometimes), and then they followed up again to see how the technician did and to discuss crediting his account.
Tom wrote in, obviously pleased with the result:
The experience of Veeto is so valuable in and of itself, and it taught me not only that I should fight back, but how to do so.
This is the email he sent.
To whom it may concern,
Please note, if the issue outlined in this complaint is not resolved satisfactorily within 30 days, I will be filling a small claims suit against Atlantic Broadband.
My complaint is regarding my dealings with Atlantic Broadband, at [his address], Miami Beach, FL 33139.
I currently have the "Express" service with Atlantic Broadband, offering up to 60 Mbps. Over my lifetime with the company, I have consistently had connectivity issues and low internet speeds. In order to back my claims up with facts, I have been running internet speed tests every 5 minutes over a period of time (results attached), with an Ethernet connection. The speed I'm receiving is averaging less than half the promised speed of 60 Mbps, and during peak usage times, that number drops even lower.
Upset at the service I was getting, and after having complained multiple times to Atlantic Broadband in the past, I called customer service to complain once more, and if the issue wasn't resolved, cancel my service with Atlantic Broadband before the next billing cycle. After two hours on hold, waiting to talk to a customer service representative, my call dropped. I called back and waited for another hour, to no avail. I would have cancelled my service over the internet if possible, but I was unable to load the site at the time, due to bad connectivity. The billing date came, and I was billed for the sub-par service I was receiving, after not being allowed to cancel my service, having been denied access to speak to anyone at the company within a reasonable time frame.
The two aforementioned issues - not delivering the service outlined in our contractual agreement, and making it incredibly difficult for me to leave the agreement, having not been given adequate service - are egregious in nature, and are unacceptable business practices.
I have filed complaints with the FCC, BBB, and Attorney General of FL:
[ Tom included screenshots as proof].
As a resolution, I would not only like to be reimbursed the amount charged on my account on 8/15, and given the opportunity to cancel my service if the service is not improved, I would also like to be credited $400 on my account for the multiple hours I've spent trying to deal with Atlantic Broadband and resolve the issue caused by their misguided advertising and malpractices.
If an airline took you halfway to your destination, that would be unheard of. If you bought a laptop, and they send just the bottom half, without the screen, that would be unheard of. If you were advertised speeds of up to 60 Mbps and then given between 0 and 30 for the entire lifetime of your service contract, that should be unheard of, and yet it's commonplace. Consumers should not have to stand for this injustice.
Please send all responses via email to tom@gmail.com. Please keep all correspondence via email, so that I have a written record of all correspondence. I've CCed multiple members of Atlantic Broadband for the sake of visibility, as well as multiple media outlets in the Miami Beach area.
Thank you for your time and attention, and efforts in resolving this issue.
Regards,
Tom Wu
Veeto member #00036
The guy ran speed tests every five minutes!
Think Atlantic Broadband crapped their pants when Tom's epic letter hit about 30 inboxes one day (including his actual Veeto member number)?
Nah, probably not. But they did pay him and fix his internet the very next day!
Moral of the story: it is not about being a dick; it is about not being dicked.