I have been trying to upgrade my internet to the two-line Fusion option and it has been SUCH a pain and waste of time, only to learn today my apartment does not have the proper wiring. This whole process has been botched from the get-go. I'm posting this so others know what to expect.
* On 3/25, about two weeks ago, I went on Sonic.com to figure out if there was a faster option than the basic service I've had for years, and learned that my address could get service twice as fast. "Wow, that sounds great!" I thought. I'm happy to pay a bit more for that. The email I got said, "Fusion orders take approximately 3-5 working days to complete." Sweet! Let's do this!
* Next thing I know I'm receiving a new modem/router in the mail, which I was not informed about and did not order. Turns out, if I want the new service, I basically need to rent this equipment from Sonic for a monthly fee, which no one told me about. After a lengthy call, they eventually agreed to allow me to send it back free but said I should use it at first to make sure everything was working, before swapping it out. Fine. Let's try that.
* I spent hours on these boards and Amazon trying to find equipment I could purchase outright and my ultimate conclusion was, for a non-computer expert, it could be very challenging to find the right unit. [It needs to be bonded + ADSL2/VDSL2, with ATM or PTM transport. Which is basically Greek to me.] If you read the related thread on this board that began a few years ago, it runs 9 pages and people are not happy and there are no easy answers. I am very tech savvy and ultimately felt like I might as well just go with Sonic's equipment even though it seems like a total racket to have to rent it.
* Then, they had to do something to set up the first new line, which left me without internet during working hours for about 4 hours. There was no advance warning about this and minimal communication about when I could expect it to be done. I'm not even sure, in the end, why this needed to happen, because obviously I already had ONE line, which I've been using for years.
* Yesterday, AT&T came and added the new line to the box in my apartment building. That was the easiest part of the process. I didn't need to be here, he was able to get into my building easily (not sure how), and do the work he needed to do. Wow. AT&T is making my life easier than Sonic?? That's disappointing beyond words.
* A few days back they sent me an email to book a 2-hour slot when I could expect Sonic to come out and do the last piece to turn it on. They don't tell you if you need to be present or anything else. Just pick two hours for the tech to come. I had to call [AGAIN] to find out, yes, I do need to be here. Nothing else was explained though.
* Finally, the day magical day arrives — today — when they are supposed to hook up the wiring for both lines to double my internet speed. The tech comes within the specified window. He has to come INTO my apartment, which I was not previously told. I was told he just needed to come and connect the two lines, and I imagined this is happening in the same box the AT&T guy used (this was AT&T's assumption too based on what he told me). But no -- he comes into my place (very nice guy) -- spends perhaps 5 minutes looking at the phone line and tells me it doesn't have the right wiring to have two lines. WHAT?! Oh, and did I mention the $99 fee Sonic charges to send out the tech to flip the switch? And now he can't even do it. So is this another fee I'm going to have to dispute? He tells me I either need to take this up with my apt mgr or find a contractor to run the line up myself. WHAT???! None of this could have been discussed or looked at in the past two weeks? Third option is to cancel the new service.
* This entire process has been botched by HORRIBLE communication about every step of the way. That is: Very little of this was explained in advance anywhere. Just cryptic emails with minimal information. And nothing up front to walk a person through this. (The only upside is that generally ppl on the phone are friendly. But that doesn't make up for the rest of this disaster.) Sonic makes it seem like this is just an easy upgrade, when it's actually basically setting up whole new service -- but don't expect to get the rate for new service. They do not explain ANY of this in advance. I'm absolutely going to look into whether there is ANY OTHER internet option in my neighborhood. I've been trying to avoid the big companies for obvious reasons. But this has been such a nightmare that I feel like I need to get back out there and look again. And, now that it's $61 a month bc we're all paying for Fiber, even if it's not available in our neighborhood, it's definitely not a great deal. My download speed is less than 11 Mbps and my upload speed is less than 1 Mbps. I have always loved Sonic's values and business model but this has been one of my worst experiences ever with a service provider. Truly disappointed and at my wit's end. Is this seriously the best Sonic can do??? I have come to expect a lot more from what USED TO BE a great local company.
**
* A side note, you are not eligible for the intro rate if you're an existing customer, unless you cancel your service altogether and start anew. Apparently some people do that but I didn't want to go that route.
* Another side note, I updated my Sonic email address after placing my order and all the emails for the order kept coming to my old address despite repeated emails, calls, texts with Sonic support. It took more than a week for them to fix the issue. Not a good sign.
* On 3/25, about two weeks ago, I went on Sonic.com to figure out if there was a faster option than the basic service I've had for years, and learned that my address could get service twice as fast. "Wow, that sounds great!" I thought. I'm happy to pay a bit more for that. The email I got said, "Fusion orders take approximately 3-5 working days to complete." Sweet! Let's do this!
* Next thing I know I'm receiving a new modem/router in the mail, which I was not informed about and did not order. Turns out, if I want the new service, I basically need to rent this equipment from Sonic for a monthly fee, which no one told me about. After a lengthy call, they eventually agreed to allow me to send it back free but said I should use it at first to make sure everything was working, before swapping it out. Fine. Let's try that.
* I spent hours on these boards and Amazon trying to find equipment I could purchase outright and my ultimate conclusion was, for a non-computer expert, it could be very challenging to find the right unit. [It needs to be bonded + ADSL2/VDSL2, with ATM or PTM transport. Which is basically Greek to me.] If you read the related thread on this board that began a few years ago, it runs 9 pages and people are not happy and there are no easy answers. I am very tech savvy and ultimately felt like I might as well just go with Sonic's equipment even though it seems like a total racket to have to rent it.
* Then, they had to do something to set up the first new line, which left me without internet during working hours for about 4 hours. There was no advance warning about this and minimal communication about when I could expect it to be done. I'm not even sure, in the end, why this needed to happen, because obviously I already had ONE line, which I've been using for years.
* Yesterday, AT&T came and added the new line to the box in my apartment building. That was the easiest part of the process. I didn't need to be here, he was able to get into my building easily (not sure how), and do the work he needed to do. Wow. AT&T is making my life easier than Sonic?? That's disappointing beyond words.
* A few days back they sent me an email to book a 2-hour slot when I could expect Sonic to come out and do the last piece to turn it on. They don't tell you if you need to be present or anything else. Just pick two hours for the tech to come. I had to call [AGAIN] to find out, yes, I do need to be here. Nothing else was explained though.
* Finally, the day magical day arrives — today — when they are supposed to hook up the wiring for both lines to double my internet speed. The tech comes within the specified window. He has to come INTO my apartment, which I was not previously told. I was told he just needed to come and connect the two lines, and I imagined this is happening in the same box the AT&T guy used (this was AT&T's assumption too based on what he told me). But no -- he comes into my place (very nice guy) -- spends perhaps 5 minutes looking at the phone line and tells me it doesn't have the right wiring to have two lines. WHAT?! Oh, and did I mention the $99 fee Sonic charges to send out the tech to flip the switch? And now he can't even do it. So is this another fee I'm going to have to dispute? He tells me I either need to take this up with my apt mgr or find a contractor to run the line up myself. WHAT???! None of this could have been discussed or looked at in the past two weeks? Third option is to cancel the new service.
* This entire process has been botched by HORRIBLE communication about every step of the way. That is: Very little of this was explained in advance anywhere. Just cryptic emails with minimal information. And nothing up front to walk a person through this. (The only upside is that generally ppl on the phone are friendly. But that doesn't make up for the rest of this disaster.) Sonic makes it seem like this is just an easy upgrade, when it's actually basically setting up whole new service -- but don't expect to get the rate for new service. They do not explain ANY of this in advance. I'm absolutely going to look into whether there is ANY OTHER internet option in my neighborhood. I've been trying to avoid the big companies for obvious reasons. But this has been such a nightmare that I feel like I need to get back out there and look again. And, now that it's $61 a month bc we're all paying for Fiber, even if it's not available in our neighborhood, it's definitely not a great deal. My download speed is less than 11 Mbps and my upload speed is less than 1 Mbps. I have always loved Sonic's values and business model but this has been one of my worst experiences ever with a service provider. Truly disappointed and at my wit's end. Is this seriously the best Sonic can do??? I have come to expect a lot more from what USED TO BE a great local company.
**
* A side note, you are not eligible for the intro rate if you're an existing customer, unless you cancel your service altogether and start anew. Apparently some people do that but I didn't want to go that route.
* Another side note, I updated my Sonic email address after placing my order and all the emails for the order kept coming to my old address despite repeated emails, calls, texts with Sonic support. It took more than a week for them to fix the issue. Not a good sign.
