Exede Review

Good morning. I would first like to say I’m 100% against the way DIRECTV sources out its internet and phone bundles for the sole reason of disclosure. When I signed up for DIRECTV I was a Comcast customer who was moving to a home that Comcast wasn’t available due to the fact it was new construction. If I had a choice, I would have simply transferred my services from Comcast to the new home. Since this was not an option, I chose the next best thing, DIRECTV. After much confusion during my online research and speaking to the DIRECTV customer service representative, I decided to go with the DIRECTV cable and internet bundle. I did not choose telephone because they said AT&T wasn’t available in my area and when I asked if a phone line was needed for internet service, they said no. They told me all I needed for internet service was to have the computer set up so when the cable TV service was installed, the tech would connect the internet to the computer.

What a bunch of crap that was! The DIRECTV tech, “OB” was amazing and super helpful. He was the person who informed me that he in fact did NOT connect the internet and I needed to set up another service call. If the DIRECTV sales rep would have originally told me that, the experience would have been a lot less painful. So, long story short I call DIRECTV after the TV service was installed by “OB” and asked them why they didn’t tell me up front, and all they could do is apologize. She was able to get a next day service call to my new home with Hugh’s Net, a company I’ve never heard of. When Dan, the tech finally called me because he couldn’t find my home, I told him my wife would be at the home and I didn’t want a dish attached to my house since the DIRECTV tech didn’t have to and he told me it wasn’t necessary. Dan explained to me that the install of a dish on my roof would be free, but if I wanted a pole in the ground it would cost $70.00! I wasn’t too happy about that since DIRECTV gave me the option for roof or ground install for the same low price of ZERO DOLLARS!

I asked him if it made sense for me to believe that it was free for him to risk his life by climbing a ladder and getting on my roof to install a dish or to stick a pole in the ground would cost me $70.00. He laughed and said you would think so, but the pole is an expensive alloy blah blah blah. After his phone cut off and disconnected about 3 or 4 times, my wife calling me at the same time as he was trying to call me back and his phone cutting off again and again and the moving company calling me telling me they were on the way, my frustrations with “Dan” and the internet portion of Directv was getting a bit on the extremely upset and discouraged side. When he finally was able to get back to me and we discussed the issue with the dish install price, he suggested we cancel the Hugh’s Net (Free Install on the Roof, but $70.00 for pole in ground), he told me about Excede internet and it was a better service and the pole was free! I laughed, he laughed and we both thought it was a big joke. So, I decided that made more sense and he said he could cancel the Hugh’s net for me and sign me up for Excede all over the phone. I was a bit concerned because he couldn’t even hold a cell phone signal let alone find my house, but since I need the install done that day because my wife already had taken the day off to be there for the install, I did decide to go with the “Free” pole install from Excede.

He took my credit card, social security # and other personal information and said he needed to go back to Kennesaw to get some equipment and he would be at my home in about 10 minutes. Going back to Directv install, he was at my home on time, and installed a dish in the ground, a server and 5 mini genie boxes in my home under 3 hours. “Dan’s” first phone call to me was at 8:10am and at 8:31am was the phone call saying he would go back to Kennesaw to get the equipment for the Excede install. Dan was at my house and back and forth to get supplies, dish parts etc., all day! Dan finally left just as the 3 movers finished packing up my 5 bedroom house in Roswell, and moving it to Woodstock and unpacking the truck and loading it into my house at 5:30pm!

NOW I SEE A BILL FOR A ONE TIME $99.99 STANDARD INSTALLATION FEE!!! SO MUCH FOR A FREE POLE!!!!! IT COST ME $29.99 MORE TO GO WITH EXCEDE!

I do not want or expect an apology, but I do expect a phone call from a manager at Excede, not a customer service rep that has to ask a manager to call me back, but a legitimate MANAGER to call me after 12:00pm today so we can figure out why I was baited and switched by “Dan the chuckler”!!!! He’s not so funny now and either is this procedure Directv has to confuse the hell out of its potential customers! Now I find out via email from Excede I'm at 70% of my data usage after only a week into my contract! I feel violated!

From the moment I got this service I have been fleeced. I had to pay for a pole in my yard (extra 100.00 altogether). They were late arriving and never called. Each month I have to keep buying more data. It's a rip off. I asked them to change the billing date and They said they had. The next week they charge my account and bounce me for hundreds of dollars. They never even apologized.

I don't understand why so many people put down exede! While I get that some people may have problems with the data limits, Exede is seeming to address this. I have the Freedom plan and it's virtually unlimited. A bit more pricey but absolutely worth it for my needs. Before I had this, I had wildblue and then the first exede "classic" plans which for me was the 25gb package.. was way more expensive for that. Before I made the change they were giving out gbs for free, within a 30gb limit. I'm happy I changed to the freedom plan and that they made the cost for high data users a little more manageable and I'm excited for what they come out with next!

I began dealing with this issue on September 24, 2014. I was given a ticket number to send requested information in regarding the equipment that I was unable to send back through no fault of my own. I complied with their requests,received the "canned" response e mail that said they would review the informatio and that they would contact me as soon as they could. Flash forward to last week, October 20, 2014. I called them because I hadn't received any information about the ticket information that had been sent in, and I didn't want to be charged the $315.00 fee for not turning back in the equipment. I was on the phone with them for over an hour, and was told that they would look into it, and that I needed to call back. Called back on October 25, 2014. Their offices were closed. Sent customer service an e mail as available, and received the "canned" email response that they would get back with me within 24 hours to help with the issue that I am having. Three days later I received an e mail from a representative who obviously didn't even read the email, and she stated they would send another equipment box. I already had a box, and had sent the equipment in that I had. Today they took out the $315.00 even though I am still trying to get an answer from them about the situation. I called the customer service number. After a 6 minute conversation, I was asked if I could be placed on a brief 2 or 3 minute hold. I complied. The operator came back 10 minutes later to tell me that they would send another box. I explained again that I had sent the equipment that I had back in to them already. She then asked to place me on another brief 2 to 3 minute hold. I have now been on hold for 45 minutes, and the music is cutting out just like the service that they provide. This is ridiculous!

Arrived at vacation. Existing wireless service was not working. We decided without enough research (since we did not have Internet connection!) to try Excede based on statements from local Oroville CA dealer. He said service was $49.99/mo, no installation fee, 12 mo contract, 12 mb/ sec down - 2 mb / sec up, no mention of data limits.
Upon checking website there was $9.99 equipment lease fee, 24 mo contract, 5mb/sec down -1mb/ sec up and most important a 10 gb per month limit. After only 3 days of light usage our total was 3gb!
This is fraudulent!

This service is very, very expensive and it goes out constantly. I feel robbed each time I pay the bill.

I ONLY give exede a second star due to the decent quality of internet service we receive out in the middle of nowhere. However, if something goes wrong, look out! They have the absolute WORST customer service I have ever experienced and they charge a LOT (like $95/hr LOT) to fix something that was a problem with their equipment to begin with (and without getting your prior consent).While we are happy with the connection, we will be switching to another provider just to avoid the outrageous service fees if we happen to have another issue with the equipment.

We have been with Wildblue/Excede for 5 years or a little more. Have been very satisfied with our service up until 4 months ago when somehow our usage was used up in 3 weeks one month and in 2 weeks the next month with no apparent cause. We haven't done anything different than we always have. We have the10GB package and usually have 1 or 2 GB left at the end of our month. The tech and customer support have been very helpful to try and resolve the problem or find a reason for it. They are still trying to help with it. One thing I have done is have the FCC send me some forms to fill out regarding these auto run ads that come up whether you want them or not. I don't think it is fair that they are using my usage to put them up. If I were on cable or U-verse it would just be annoying but because I am not they are getting into my pocket book and basically charging for their commercials. I would hope that others would complain about this to the FCC. They need to stop it. I feel like we in rural areas have no choice but use satellite and now we are forced to allow someone else to use our allotted usage.

For many of us in rural areas, satellite is our only option. This company has not provided the speeds it advertises, has a data cap of 10mb, slows down (although they deny, but speed tests confirm) once you hit 70% of your data, offers a 12 mn - 5a free zone which is the time they do maintenance without warning you (many of us have to stay up late to do internet required work or homework just to find out the site is down), has obnoxious and ineffective customer service and tech service. One of the worst companies I have ever had to deal with.

Worst service ever. 10GB allocation used in under 4 days. Customer service could not explain, service used to check email and read CNN news feed. They charge for every speck of data use including emails! 1 month bill, early termination fee and still being billed over $500 so far. Service disconnected before finished talking the customer service, unable to access account and view what being billed for. Service speed was slow as heck.