Saturday, March 27, 2010

CLEAR no-speed internet

Beware of CLEAR, they're anything but.

Two days ago: 7AM Thursday, no internet (as per Mrs. Clackablog, who didn't tell me).
Called CLEAR @ 10AM, report problem when I found no dial tone on the phone.
Perform every troubleshooting step, technician diagnoses problem as being in the tower site equipment. Says they will send someone to the site. No idea when that will occur.
Called again Thursday evening, was told once the technician is dispatched, it takes a day for that to occur.

Yesterday: No CLEAR internet service. Mrs. Clackablog called tech support, and was told there was no problem; and then they closed. Unable to chat with their chat system with two cellphones and three cellphone browsers (including Opera Mobile).

Today, day three: No CLEAR internet service. Cycled all equipment, performing all steps prescribed by CLEAR's website:
  1. Powered down the modem for 120 seconds.
  2. Re-positioned the CLEAR Home Modem until it has 3 light ‘bars’.
  3. Shut off the computer.
  4. Connected the CLEAR Home modem directly to your computer using the Ethernet cable, bypassing all other devices like wireless routers.
  5. Checked cable connections from the modem to computer. The cable fits securely in the sockets and did not wiggle loosely from side to side.
  6. Restarted the computer. Still no internet connection.
After a web chat (took a laptop to a hotspot), a chat session with 'Kathy Jetson' was useless (why does CLEAR have their staff use such ridiculous aliases?). I then called CLEAR, at 23 cents/min, and eventually talked with 'Michael' who 'works with' their level two support (after asking for a real supervisor) and was told to go back home and go redo everything we've already done.

My next window to do so is Monday, as although their call center opens at 5AM Pacific, they robotically reject all calls from the Pacific time zone until 0900 (a shining example of customer dissservice in action).
Also, when we signed up for CLEAR internet and voice service, it was with the understanding that CLEAR would port our phone number from Vonage. Well, they didn't, and won't cancel even though that was our reason for signing up for CLEAR VOICE; definitely a lack of honor on their part. 
Fool me once, shame on you. I won't stay with this miserable excuse of a provider past my contract expiration date.

Beware of CLEAR, they're anything but.

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