This is a horrible company. I should have stayed with Verizon. I just signed up with this company in January and it has been an absolute nightmare. I have not been getting the proper service and a technician has visited twice with no improvement on WIFI. It keeps disconnecting or it freezes. I called to discount my service as of March 13th but was told my service will not be disconnected until the next billing cycle which is April 4. I have never any such thing. I was surprised to see that they charge my account for the bill not is not yet due until March 27th only because I just signed up for auto pay when I made my February payment. I was not forewarned. It is exhausting dealing with this terrible company. The biggest regret of my life. BE WARNED !!!! Please don't do business with this company. The package seems attractive but a total failure and a waste of time. Extremely disappointing!!!! read more

This is a predatory company. Stay away from them. They made or tried to make siginificant price increases every year. This yean I switched to Verizon when they tried to increase my bill to $58 monthly. I locked in three years with Verizon for $34 a month. read more

DO NOT PURCHASE THEIR SERVICES. They will continue to raise your bill every month or every other month. I went from 40 a month to them trying to charge 150+ within a year or two. I had automatic payments set up which would consistently fail due to "technical issues". If you fail to recognize this, they will upcharge you absurd amounts to turn it back on. I'd give zero stars if I could read more

Astound has terrible customer service and terrible internet. Do not purchase this internet package. The other commenter is right, [[HIGHLIGHT]]there's no way to report an outage and when I called to speak to a representative they had no information to give and were extremely rude.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Her name is Valerie. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When I asked about a discount for the amount of outages she said "it was only two days" and then said "did you even call when you had an outage".[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I did call which is why I was able to tell her the days we didn't have service because I looked in my call log on my phone. She didn't even know when we had outages.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Do not use this service. Even before we had an outage the internet has been up and down. The service costs go up almost every year. It's not worth it at all. read more

I am beyond frustrated with RCN Astound and their billing practices. I canceled my account with them in May. over a year ago I returned an "streaming device" and in the notes from astound states that the service was no longer being charged to my account. Despite this, they are now falsely claiming I owe them money for "unreturned equipment." [[HIGHLIGHT]]Their own records even show that my service was canceled and I was no longer being charged. But now they say I don't "have a case" because I don't have a tracking number from over a year ago. That's their job to track--not mine.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]This company is trying to charge me for something I clearly do not owe, and they are refusing to fix their mistake. I've already contacted them multiple times, and the issue is still unresolved.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If you're considering signing up with RCN Astound, BEWARE. Their customer service is terrible, and they will try to charge you for things you don't owe--long after you've canceled. I'm in the process of filing complaints with the FCC, BBB, and my state's Attorney General. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I called the customer service number and I swear I thought I was being pranked. The representative Sabra and her supervisor Virginia talked in circles and were experts at avoiding answering questions.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I had to have my Cousin witness the conversation to make sure I wasn't the crazy one.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I instantly went to the BBB and found that Astound Broadband aka RCN has a solid F rating. Why are they allowed to operate in Washington D.C.? read more

Astound Broadband | Washington DC - Astound Broadband aka RCN Cable which operates as a licensed business in Washington, D.C. has a Better Business Bureau rating of F. - Internet Service Providers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Astound Business Internet Review - Misleading Charges and Poor Transparency I recently switched from Verizon Business Internet, which I was paying $64/month. Astound offered a plan for $49.99/month, with a $10 discount if I enrolled in auto-pay. The price sounded great, and I was initially okay with the plan and the installation. But the problems started right after signing up. [[HIGHLIGHT]]First, I wasn't able to create an online account to view or manage my services. I called support, and they told me I had to wait until I received my first bill. That was inconvenient, but I waited.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When the bill finally arrived--just one week after installation--I was shocked to see a total of $70.84 instead of the expected $49.99. I called immediately and was told there was an additional $20.89 charge for "network access and maintenance"--something I never agreed to or was even told about. When I asked to cancel the service, I was told that would trigger a 30-day notice period, and I'd be required to pay for an additional 15 days beyond my current billing cycle. Not only was I misled about the monthly price, but now they were trying to charge me for extra time I didn't want. I had to convince the representative not to proceed with the cancellation just to avoid being charged even more. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I feel completely misled and taken advantage of. The lack of transparency, surprise fees, and poor customer service made this a bad experience overall.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Bottom line: Don't be fooled by the low advertised price. Ask very specific questions about hidden fees and cancellation terms before signing anything. This didn't feel like business-class service--it felt like a bait and switch. read more

Had RCN (Astound) internet, in NW DC. While the service was good and reliable, billing was out of this world. Every few months, a different (higher) rate, with no explanation. Each time I called, they lowered it, but only for a few months (despite promises for 12 month guaranteed rate). I finally had enough, and when I called to cut off the service, MIRACLE, they JUST got some new promotions. For whoever believes them. I have had enough of their deceptive trade practices. Yes, FTC... take note... read more

no one should patronize Astound.. they have raised rates so many times in the past few years on me, had to fight to get keep a fair rate, recently they refused to budge, 98.00 for internet!.. pure greed, stay away from Astound!.. read more

Wifi has been cutting out several times per day over past week. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Contacted tech support and they were supposed to drop by a modem to replace the one that they said was failing 3 days ago on Saturday so I wouldn't have to wait until after the Monday holiday to get it in the mail.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was told the technician would drop it by. It never came. No contact from them[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Call today and was told by robot I would have a 2-hour wait to get through by phone.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Frosting on the cake was I got a $30 increase on my bill, after I was told I would get a discount for the lousy modem over the last week. If I haven't had as bad experience experiences with a couple other providers, I would have dropped them long ago. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very scammy company.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Don't order from them, they tried to scam me for $300. Sent me an invoice when they didn't start any service. read more

Absolutely the worst internet provider! I was promised $30/mo if I enrolled in direct bank deposit. But a month later, I was still charged $35. The online agent told me the direct deposit discount was only for new customers. After threatening to discontinue the service, the agent finally said they could give me the discount. Then a month later, I was again charged $35. Another agent said the $30 rate was misinformation and there was nothing they could do to lower the rate. Then when I came back to discontinue the service later in the day, another agent told me they could get me $27/mo for the same plan. I was very confused and upset because if the promotion existed, why couldn't the previous agent get it for me? Then I decided to go ahead with the uninstallation, because I really didn't want to be charged more again and then be told it was misinformation. I asked the agent to set the uninstallation date as 7/14 when my new internet service would be installed. The agent refused and said my service had to end on 7/13 when the billing cycle ended and they couldn't prorate it. So I would have this gap between services. Go with better providers, folks! Even if they cost a little more! It's really not worth the headache! read more

I got a plan that had a "guaranteed price" for 1 year. I guess that only covers the internet charge and not "taxes, surcharges, and fees". On just my 3rd month with them, my monthly bill was raised due to unannounced increases applied to "taxes, surcharges, and fees". SO be prepared, they will raise your bill at any time without any notice, even after just a couple months. Oh, also I was paying for 300mbps and routinely go only around 5-30mbps. Complete garbage. I never though somebody could run an internet company worse than xfinity but astound has really outdone themselves with astonishingly poor service and downright fraudulent business practices. THe woes of capitalism read more

I had RCN, which later became Astound, for about five years. Initially, I had an introductory rate of around $80 for the first one or two years. After that, each year I requested a rate reduction, which was higher than the initial rate but still kept me as a customer. Recently, my bill increased to $165 per month, so I asked them to match the rates of other providers. They claimed to reduce it to $120, but with fees and taxes, the bills still came to $155. I decided to cancel the service after paying the $155, but then received another $155 bill because I canceled before the billing period ended, and they refused to prorate it. This business is unethical because they mislead customers with false promises of lower rates, pile on hidden fees, and then refuse to fairly adjust charges when a service is canceled, leaving customers stuck paying for service they aren't even using. read more

I moved and had to disconnect service because they did not offer services at my new place. Instead of disconnecting me immediately, they charged me for an entire extra month. These guys are just out to steal your money. Cannot recommend. read more

I had RCN for a decade, and despite increasing unreliability following the transition to Astound, I would have continued if I hadn't moved to a neighborhood that they don't service. Given my positive experiences with their customer service in years past, I was surprised and disappointed to learn that their new policy requires you to pay for multiple weeks of a service you're not receiving if you need to disconnect partway through a billing period - even though they expect you to return their equipment within seven days of disconnecting, so you literally are unable to receive the service you're paying for. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I spent years recommending RCN to friends specifically because the responsive, reasonable approach they took to customer service set them apart from other ISPs, but Astound is running just as much of a grift as any of the others.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just beware - this isn't the RCN of 10 (or even five) years ago, and it's not worth inconveniencing yourself to pick Astound over Verizon or Comcast. read more

Worst experience ever from a company! My bill has went from 80 dollars a month to 117 in the last 5 months. All they do is charge you more and up your bill. Then when u try to cancel, I was told I have to cancel before the 8th of the month, or I get charged for another whole month in which they won't even prorate the remainder of the month if I switch. This Company is going to continue to nosedive crash and burn! Nothing but greedy deception from this brand. For every loyal customer they lose They trick another one to come in with an "introductory rate that's going to go up every few months. WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE WITH AN INTERNET PROVIDER read more

After complaining loudly about my recent outages (3 weeks worth), RCN got in touch with me and sent out a more senior engineer to look at the lines near my home. He was able to isolate the problem about a block from my house as a bad amplifier. Now, the issues are resolved and Internet is back with signal readings much better than they've ever been. Thank you to RCN's social media team for noticing my disgruntled review and ensuring a resolution to the issues. I can't really give 5 stars because I did have to go through 3 weeks of pain and loud complaining to get a solution. I'm hopeful that RCN might improve their support processes in the future to facilitate more timely resolution to more complex issues for their customers. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The customer service is truly horrible if you have any billing questions.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Plus my internet constantly drops.

They don't honor their promotional price. I was told my bill would be $62 a month with auto pay and paperless billing; saving me $10 a month. They took out 166.68 out of my checking account for a month and half of services, with one month payment in advanced, so don't give them your account information, they will rip you off. They have the worst internet service. Always slow and lagging. I hate they don't have Xfinity in this building. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I have been with RCN/Astound for over 20 years but in the last few years their customer service has not been good, but I have tolerated it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]However now I am experiencing an outage that has lasted for 18 hours with no ability to talk with a live person at Astound because of the so called service interruption and an automated message that just says we are working on it and pushing back the time for which Astound states it will be resolved.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A small ISP provider like Astound can't afford to provide this level of customer service nor this level of a service interruption, there are alternatives in the marketplace. [[HIGHLIGHT]]To state through an automated system that an agent is unavailable to talk during the service interruption is absolutely poor customer service and frankly cowardly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] By Astound hello Verizon! read more

I'm sorry, but this internet is horrible. I had my problems with Xfinity which is why we switched because we wanted to try something different, but this is beyond worst. Horrible Upload and Download speeds. Buffering on streaming apps is constant. I woke from home and the connection is always dropping and freezing. Can't play my games without interruptions. It might be time to jump ship. This is such a bad experience. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I made a 600 Mb order online. Realizing my mistake and I not needing it I called them to change it to 300 Mb Service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was put in for the three month at $15 each with an upfront cost of $45 promotion. I called to have my service set up later that week, no one showed up. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I took time off of work to attend the install. I call a week later and I was told the order was canceled.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My promotion was canceled as well. I was required to pay $60 a month fee visa $15 a month. What a bait and switch! read more

RCN was bought out by Astound. My service through RCN was fantastic. Astound has been nothing but problems. I have had no service for almost 24 hours, and Astound has no idea when the service will be restored. I work from home, and this level of incompetence is simply not acceptable. read more

if you want a company where 60% of your bill is junk fees with absolutely no justification, then this is the company for you. absolute steaming piece of garbage company! dishonest and terrible service! read more

Astound is the worst internet service I've ever had next to dial up in the nineties. My college dorm internet connection in 2012 was faster and more reliable than what I experience now. The speed is never constant, always wavering. Astound throttles the connection at busy times of the day, everyday. Gaming is impossible during these times, YouTube videos slowly buffer. Astound also loses service at random times. As I write this, service is out and it's 12:30 am. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Their chat tech service is no help, all they suggest is to restart the modem.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I can't say enough bad things about this company, even the techs that came to service my unit acknowledged they throttle the internet at busy times. I'll always be a detractor of this company. read more

Astound Broadband | Washington DC - 176 ping gaming online - compare to everyone else in this game. - Internet Service Providers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been a customer with Wow for over 6 years now and have had nothing but stellar service, amazing customer service (on the few rare occasions where it was needed) and overall had a blast having them as a service provider. I've recommended them to several friends and family members many of which also signed up and were happy they did so. Fast forward to this year, Wow gets bought out by RCN (Astound) and the service has gone downhill very fast, really badly. I've had issues with connectivity, speed and overall reliability several times over. For the most part, I assumed it was my equipment going bad, so I replaced my modem and routers and issues have continued to plague me. I finally decided to contact their customer service team via phone and the only option within the "Technical Support" submenu is to conduct a "remote reboot of the modem" if you select yes to it, the reboot is completed and your call is automatically disconnected. I called back a few times and decided to hear every single option played out by the automated system, and there is nothing which allows you to be directed to customer service. Being a smartass, instead of picking one of the options played out, I simply said "customer service" and sure enough, I'm on the phone with a representative within seconds (this to me is sneaky on the part of RCN in the first place). After speaking with a rep who (in his own words: rebalanced my service internally) resolved the issue I was having. Less than 24 hours later the trouble repeats and I call back customer service (having learned how to get in touch with them this time), we complete troubleshooting once again however, this time the issue persists. I request a tech dispatch/follow-up which is when I'm advised that the next available dispatch appointment is more than a week later. As an existing customer this is unacceptable in the first place, moreover, as a remote worker, I rely on a steady internet connection for my livelihood and under no circumstances will an employer simply be okay with bad productivity due to poor connectivity. At this point a genuinely faster solution for me is to simply cancel my service with this company and go with a different provider. I'm sure I can have a new line of service run to me much faster than the 8 days Astound wants me to wait. -Saif O read more

They increase your price sneakily 1-2 times per year (by $40 to $50 more). [[HIGHLIGHT]]When you call them to get it back to a lower rate, they will put you through the ringer and then you may or may not get a slight decrease.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They will promise that you speed will be the same/upgraded, but that your rate will be lowered. Once that happens, all the problems begin. Signal is super weak. They promise 400 mgbs, but it's 211 mgbs. Wifi calls drop since the signal is so weak. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They never help on phone or chat other than one told "send signal to modem' which does not resolve the problem.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 6 years of suffering has gone by and they will not fix the issue. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Chatting with them for 2 hrs and we get absolutely nowhere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I am unable to make any calls in my apartment because the wifi is so weak. I wish I had other options. I DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

The internet service has been good in general for the 13 months I used it. They did bump up the fees slightly (~ $2) at 6 months and hugely (~ $20) at 12 months, and so do most other internet providers. But recently, an unpleasant experience of service termination will make me think twice if I had to use their service again. Long story short, I called THREE times to get the service disconnected. After my first request, another monthly bill was sent to me. I canceled the automatic payment in time and called them again. During the second call, the representative said that he saw the note that my account was to be disconnected at my requested time. But because that time was very close to the general time they sent out the electronic bill, there was a delay and I was going to receive an email stating that my service was successfully disconnected with a residual bill. He also reassured me that it would be an automatic process and I wouldn't have to call again. Then I received another monthly bill for the following month... For the third call, I was on hold for about 20 min and was told the note was noted again. She refused to answer any questions regarding why it took three phone calls for a simple service cancellation but was able to pull some strings in the background. After logging out and on back again, my bill changed to the correct residual bill that I was promised to receive about one month ago. And I still have not received the confirmation email regarding my service termination. Hopefully, this is the last time. read more

Billing is not good. Prices keep going up. [[HIGHLIGHT]]No one to talk to to contest the issue.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I paid for standard internet services for 2 years without any issue.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was paying $95 for basic internet which was okay at best. They randomly decided to double my rate which went unnoticed for 2 billing cycles and [[HIGHLIGHT]]in the final cycle I had to beg during the holidays for them to cancel my services.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They finally did but they charged the final month in advance and refused to refund my money despite the old billing cycle not even finishing. This is literally CRIMINAL how they are robbing people. read more

Loved RCN for many years until mid-2021. After many outages, almost always on Mondays for our set of units, we finally had several workers come into each of the three units. All they did was walk in, look at our modem, run a speed test, and leave. Of course we paid for each of those service calls. Magically the service was great for a few months until recently. Monthly service doubled after Astound Broadband took over. Service dude on the phone hung up on me the first time then was less than sympathetic when I finally talked to him. Use RCN/Astound Broadband for a promotional fee then switch to a better company after that has run its course. I am currently looking at other providers. read more

Service is so-so. Customer response times are surprisingly fast, but rarely helpful. I just spent two months getting an issue not-resolved, but hey, I spoke to about ten different people with just ten minute wait times. Number one thing to know about RCN is that they WILL increase the price of your service every year. You will need to renegotiate your price on annual basis. You may have to try several times and your success in this endeavor will be largely arbitrary. Number two thing to know about RCN is to NEVER accept any "free" promotions they offer you when you sign up or renew. First, you probably do not actually want any of these things. You are just accepting them because they are free. Second, the whole reason they are offering them to you is that they will suddenly and unexpectedly stop being free. Starry over Verizon FiOS over RCN = Comcast. If your only other option is Comcast, consider RCN. read more

I had RCN for years and they were the best. Then a year or 1 or 2 years ago Astound acquired RCN and the nighmare began. Since August 2022 I have been calling Astound up telling them that my internet was unstable and dropping; starting in January 2023, it started to get worse and I called dozens of times per week. They sent out "technicians" and the technicians said it was the "outside telephone poles", but said that was a separate division and couldn't be contacted, but they would put in a work order. I repeated this same scenario several times since January 2023. Starting in April, my internet would drop dozens of times per day, I work from home and started only using my telephone hotspot to conduct Zoom, etc meetings. I called Astound several times per week, telling them they have failed to provide internet and failed to even send a tech to the "outside telephone poles" to fix it. I told them, refund my last 2 months (February and March), since I have failed to have consistent internet. After a month of calling almost daily (early May 2023), I told them to just disconnect me and refund my last 3 months. I cancelled my credit card (so they can't keep charging me) and disputed my charges, due to failure to provide the services I paid for. Astound just sent me a bill for for 3X my month charge and is threatening to send my account to collections if I don't pay. I called and told them the story and they told me they understood, but didn't have the power to remove the charges. They promised a "supervisor would call" and resolve the charges after speaking with me. No supervisor ever called me, and got another letter threatening to send to collections. You can't bill me for internet, if you fail to provide internet, simple as that. Having a weak signal for 35% of the day doesn't count. I called maybe 90+ times over the last 6 months. I called in 2 weeks ago and they were going to refund 2 months, then never did. I called again last and they promised a "supervisor" would call back, no one ever called back. I called again this week and waited for 40 minutes while they were saying no one can help you. Now they are trying to send a collection agency after me. Run from this company. They are thieves. They will lie to you and refuse to provide any service. They will lie to you in order to get you off the phone. Then they will try to ruin your credit by sending a collections agency after you. read more

Absolutely horrible. Signed up for 300MPS service, but speed test consistently had me at 10MPS or lower download. Couldn't productively participate in video conferences. They said it was because my modem capacity was only 150MPS and because my service was higher it caused it to run slowly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They neglected to tell me that when I signed up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Conveniently, the lowest service they could sell me was 155MPS which would not work with my 150MPS modem -- but if I rented a new modem from them for a monthly fee it would all work great. What a scam. Quick call to Verizon and switch to fiberoptic service for the same price delivered faster, reliable service. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Worthless automation system.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I had to call a couple of times because it just hung up on me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Then, I was on hold for over 30 minutes.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All I had to do was let them know the MAC number for my new modem. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You guys can't set-up an automatic call-back service?[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]This probably could've been done via email.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

If I could give less then 1 star I would. If I could use a different Internet company I would. Unfortunately for me, my apartment only has the wiring for RCN. In the past year I couldn't tell you how many times our internet has gone down. Prior to 2020 I used Verizon Fios for 5 years and can't recall losing internet ever. Pretty sure you can get better internet in the middle of Siberia then you can with RCN read more

absolute worst service, speeds, customer service, pricing, plans, go with any one else

Astound works great. I have had the service for two years the internet has never gone out. I have three kids constantly online playing games and no issues. I also stream on both of my tv's and haven't had any issues. On the tv we get on demand so I can watch alot of free content. It comes we TiVo on all my boxes so that is nice. I pay less then I did with Comcast. read more

WTF happened to RCN??? I had them years ago and had good service. I switched back today because my Verizon set top box kept resetting each night around the same time. Bad move! Here's what has happened so far: 1. They didn't send me an order recap after I ordered my service. I asked the service rep for a recap and he said I'd be getting it via email. I never got it. If I gotten it, I would have probably been able to avoid the next item below. 2. They installed my service and were supposed to port the phone number I've had for almost 20 YEARS! They did not port the number. I was given a new number. When I called RCN tonight to find out what happened and I entered my phone number, the recorded message said, "Welcome back Elizabeth." Who the F is Elizabeth - they've given my number away already?? Sorry, but they're going to have to take it back from Elizabeth! If not, I'm going to call her everyday until she gives the number up. 3. I have horrible performance on my iPhone and wifi. I'm supposed to be getting 250 mbps. I've run an internet speed test three times and the average speed I'm getting is 120 mbps download and 20 mbps upload. WTF??? 4. So I called RCN about the items above - especially wanting to get my phone number back, and they are closed! They don't even have an emergency number - FOR WHEN THEY F' UPED AND GAVE A CUSTOMER'S NUMBER AWAY! How can you be in the phone and internet business and not offer 24x7 support? That's table stakes for a utility company! What the heck is going on with you guys? I better get my number back or I'm opening a complaint with the Public Service Commission. Either man up or get the heck out of the phone/internet business. read more