Ripped Off By Your Internet Provider? Here's How to Get Your Money Back

In this Guide

About the FCC
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
Getting Your Money Back
In Summary

ARTICLE SUMMARY

If you have a dispute with your internet provider regarding billing or service, the FCC can help
The FCC is paid for by your tax dollars, and is here to protect you against improper service or billing from your ISP
Filing a complaint with the FCC is a fairly straightforward process, and stories abound of people who have gotten their money back after doing so

It's easy to feel helpless when dealing with internet providers.

These companies seem to hold all of the power--the cables, the service, and, most crucially, your money. However, there's a resource you can use to get your money back, and it's hidden in plain sight: the FCC.

The FCC exists to regulate interstate communications companies, including internet ones. It's paid for by your tax dollars, and it's here to protect you. This guide will walk you through the process of filing a complaint with the agency, and point to some documented cases where consumers got their money back from providers.

About the FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress. The FCC is organized into seven bureaus, one of which is the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB). The CGB is responsible for responding to consumer inquiries and complaints.

The FCC is paid for by your taxes, and exists to protect you. Turning to the FCC can make your ISP perk up and finally respond to your complaint.

Filing a Complaint With the FCC

Use this form to file a complaint with the FCC about your internet service. You can also call 1-888-CALL-FCC or submit your complaint by mail.

What happens after you file your complaint

Once your complaint is filed, you'll be given a tracking number and be updated periodically via email as to the status of your complaint. You may also be contacted by a representative for more info if it's necessary.

Once everything has been submitted, the FCC will respond in one of two ways: by giving you "educational materials," or by forwarding the complaint directly to your ISP. If the latter happens, your ISP is required to respond in writing to the complaint within 30 days of its initial filing.

From there, your ISP will likely work with you to resolve the issue. If you feel your provider's response is inadequate, you can send rebuttal information to the FCC via email. If sufficiently compelling, the FCC will again send it to your ISP, and they will again be obligated to respond.

More info on the process is on the FCC's FAQ page.

Getting Your Money Back

Stories abound on Reddit of people who finally got their money back for inadequate or nonexistent internet service after complaining to the FCC. It seems filing with the FCC is what it sometimes takes for ISPs to take complaints seriously and respond to them in kind.

Take Reddit user "Corsaer," who turned to the FCC to resolve a problem with Frontier:

"When I moved and had to get a new ISP, I went with Frontier because of the price. The internet never started working, they refused to send a tech out and instead sent me two more replacement modems. After a pretty short amount of time trying the modems with no success, I called and canceled and they confirmed it looked like I never had working internet and they said no bills, etc, it's all taken care of... Except every month for about half a year, they would send me a bill for multiple months of internet that I never received or was even a customer for in terms of length of time. Every month I would spend at least an hour on hold with at least one phone call to have the bill removed from my account. It. Never. Got. Fixed.

I didn't really know what to do, they kept saying the issue had been dealt with and every call ended up the same way: there was no dispute of the charges, they knew they shouldn't be on the bill, it was fixed. Finally, when the bill I got came with a notice saying it was going to collections in a couple weeks if I didn't pay, I posted on this sub and received advice to contact the FCC and file a complaint. Within a few days of me doing that, I was called by someone much higher up in Frontier and they told me they received my complaint and that it should really truly be all fixed now. And finally it was. But it really did take the FCC complaint."

In Summary

Don't lose faith if you're getting screwed by your ISP. The FCC exists to keep companies like these in check and protect consumers like yourself. Filing a complaint is an easy process and can help bring justice to your situation.

Looking to make a move to a new internet provider? Check out WhistleOut's amazing comparison tool to survey dozens of plans in your area so you're not stuck paying too much for a plan that's too slow.

Chris Holmes

Staff Writer

Chris Holmes is a Contributing Writer for WhistleOut, where he covers the cell phone and internet industries. His work has been cited in publications like The Verge, The New York Times, and WIRED.

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