Customer complains about internet speed, but it turns out they were getting faster speeds than they were paying for, gets slower internet than they started with: 'It's even worse than it was before!'

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Oct 4, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Getting slower internet speeds than you're paying for is quite a gear-grinding, to say the least—especially when you're paying through the nose for the highest possible speeds and still just receiving the lower speed 80% of the time. The internet service providers (ISPs) basically figure that we won't notice the difference, and to be fair, most of us wouldn't. That or they don't actually have the infrastructure to support and deliver the speeds they're selling, so they throttle speeds, especially at peak times when people are most likely to be using the internet they're paying for in the first place.

It's one of many shady practices that leave customers suspicious of their ISPs and feeling like they have a bone to pick, which always puts things on the wrong foot… I can tell you for certain that I've only ever received 400Mb at the max on my fiber internet, despite the fact that I'm paying for speeds in excess of 800Mb.

So, without a doubt, it's hard to read a story online from someone working at an ISP and take their side, but it is important to always treat the staff, particularly those at the lowest level with no control over your situation, with the respect that you would want from them in return.

Further, before laying a complaint, it's best to ensure that you have the slightest inkling about the issue you're complaining about. Otherwise, you're just going to look silly and end up getting nowhere or being worse off than you were before, just like this angry customer was when they complained about their internet speeds despite getting faster than they were paying for.