Cogeco
Reviews and Complaints

Hello, I and my neighbors live in Chatham Kent, Ontario, N0P 1W0. We are limited to Xplornet internet service. Bell Canada is out here but only offer TV and phone service which is very unreliable as their ground lines are only 4" below the ground and when there is moisture in ground, service is interrupted as mice eat away at cable. Xplornet provides service, but even before Coronavirus, was at best poor. Now it is very unreliable and we rely on internet for email, phone, television services as we have no other options. I am not sure who the company is that laid cable recently as far as Bloomfield Road to our east, 6k away from our town of Merlin and going west of us, about 30k towards Wheatley, Ontario. If possible to have a sign up sheet indicating the number of potential new clients in our area, please advise and I am willing to go door to door in our area to get a list of clients willing to sign up with Cogeco. I currently pay over $100 a month with poor service. Please advise. I didn't know where else I could contact Cogeco. Dario Rossit [protected]

Channel 133 MSNBC went down Sept 30 (or earlier?) and is still not up as at Oct 2, 1 a.m. The message on the screen says the channel will appear shortly. Hah! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! Please restore MSNBC! (I was told my message was too short, so now it's longer.)

I had service cut off even though I was paying $100.00 mo. for service charges. I was informed by Cogeco staff here in Pembroke, that (after 4 yrs.of services), because I did not "renew my contract" (which I was not informed of any renewal time frame), I was charged over $600.00 in service fees. I tried to resolve this matter, but Pembroke staff will not comply to any reasonable resolve. Please call me on this matter asap so I may have my services re-connected. The bill consisting of over $600.00 was also paid, and I should not be subjected to these fees because I was not informed I needed to renew said contract. Cogeco in Pembroke stated this was my obligation, yet who would remember this after 4 years? I should not have to pay fees as such, nor be treated in a bad way from staff here. Below is my information:

Client account under: Valley Collision Pembroke
Name: Adrien Vaillancourt
Cogeco Account: #[protected]
Address: 595 Griffith Street Pembroke, Ontario K8A3Z2

Phone#: [protected]

I returned a cable box in April 2019. I received a bill the following month with an additional $300 on it . When I called about the bill they told me it was for a non-return box. I sent a box through Canada post and received a tracking number then on the same phone call they said yes we have it because I provided them with the tracking number they said they were sorry and would apply the credit to my next bill but I didn't have the money in my account that they took out and received in and asked NSF which I think is a very shoddy company . Organize crime . I would cancel them but they have the market cornered I don't have another choice .CRTC HELP!

Hello, In regards to 1411 Constance Dr. Oakville Ontario
I phoned to have an appt. [ July 5th ] to install a cable line & phone jack for my Mom's TTY phone @ there to be new address. This was just for an installation! The phone at there current address was to be transferred over to the new address on July 11th. The tech. called me to say he was onsite & taking care of the work & that there may be a temporary phone line disruption. OK. I had the phone checked at current address & was told that it was not working? [ remember this was'nt to be transferred till the 11th ] So now my exercise in frustration began. I've spent over 4 + hrs. dealing with various depts. only to be informed this AM that the problem may not be resolved for the next 48 - 72+ hrs? The phone line is hooked into my parents 90 & 86 yrs. old Lifeline system. ie no phone line no emergency support for my parents I've already paid someone to be at the residence & now will have to return from Montreal till this phone issue is resolved. I can't believe the lack of support from your staff etc... Do they not comprehend the possible liability situation that this puts your company in if there was an emergency and 911 or other assistance can not be reached because your personnel botched up a SIMPLE INSTALLATION, why in the hell did they switch the service to the new residence? You messed it up you should fix it. Apparently others peoples time & money is of no consideration to you. I'd really appreciate it if you could resolve this issue ASAP!
Overall unimpressed Dave A.

Cogeco was unfair and discordant to me. I received telephone service with them and stressed strongly to make my number unlisted. They made and error and it was listed. They blame everyone else but themselves. The twisted the dates around and the stories around but they did make this enormous error. It caused many problems and very costly ones too. They did not give a damn. They were difficult to get hold of so I kept emailing them only to be told I am emailing too many times. Obviously they got my emails. When I spoke to a lawyer friend they advise me to take them to court. So I mention this to them only to find after months of trying to get hold of them they sent me a letter telling me they were going to cancel my services. I am disabled and they are doing this to a disabled person especially when they goofed and caused many problems for me. I have a large amount of credit on my account and they will not give me my money back too. I have never in my life have been treated so poorly and disrespectful than this company. After being with them for so many years they treat you like trash for a mistake they did.
Part of the letter from Cogeco:

Furthermore, as it is clear from the many contacts you've had with our customer care agents that the services you receive from us are not satisfactory to you, we hereby advise that effective August 1, 2019, we will no longer be providing services to your address. Please make arrangements with a different provider in order to avoid complete service loss or interruption.
Also, note that Cogeco personnel have been instructed to continue forwarding any communication from you to my attention. This, therefore, means that you will not be successful in your attempts to reach or speak to anyone else at Cogeco. Should you have a legitimate service or billing issue, OTHER THAN THE UNLISTED NUMBER ISSUE, your calls or chats to our call center will be redirected to------------------.

I am writing to complain about cogeco internet repair.
My internet provider, Start booked a repair with cogeco on Saturday June 22, I had to wait between 8 am and 5 pm for the cogeco tech to come and service the problem. Since cogeco owns the lines the must service them to other smaller internet companies.
Although me or my wife were home the whole day no one showed up, nor did they call.
I called start but they told me that cogeco does the repair and they have no way of checking on this issue.
I called cogeco but they were of no help at all telling me that since I am not there customer they cannot give me information on why thier technician did not show up.
This is not the first time this has happened to me, when I was with cogeco it also happened.
Is it right that they can hold me hostage all day, without even a phone call to tell me that they are not showing up?
Where we live in hamilton I have no other choice for high speed internet since no one else provides high speed internet service.
We spent a rare sunny day waiting for a service call with no response as to why they didn't show up.
And now I must wait another 5 days take another day of work and hope they come.
What can I do about this.
We have no computer, no television or phone now for 4 days and not sure if I book another day off if they will show since they demand you wait the whole day for them.
Can you help me out.

House in Parry Sound put up for sale August 2016. Service cancelled. Bill paid in full September 7/16 account #[protected].
Contacted by Cogeco for return of digital box, digital box retrieved and mailed with expedited mailing label provided by Cogeco, by first week in October/16.
January 2017 received invoice for digital box. Contacted Cogeco to tell them it was returned.
Started getting collection calls September 2017. Contacted Cogeco again about return of digital box. Collection calls stopped.
Collection calls started again Fall of 2018. Have made numerous attempts to contact Cogeco...on hold 25minutes plus, transferred on hold again, repeat, repeat...
Wrote complaint on the website. Return email said to contact another department.
This digital box was returned as per Cogeco instructions. We cannot seem to get through to ANYONE to resolve this.
Please clear this account. We owe you nothing!

Technician did not show up during scheduled time. When I called Cogeco to check on the status of the technician, I was told that no one was home so the technician was not able to resolve my internet issue. That statement was 100% false; I was home and I have a security system that alerts me when someone enters my property! The technician clearly did not attempt to come to my house. When I asked Cogeco to provide proof that the technician attempted to come to my house, I was told that was a privacy issue and they couldn't/ wouldn't do that! I then rescheduled the service call. At the time of the reschedule time, I received a call stating that my call was bumped for a commercial account (I have residential service). Clearly Cogeco doesn't value all customers equally! I have without internet service for 5 days with no end in site. I'm very dissatisfied with their technical support.

I have a credit on my account (account #[protected]) of $46.18 and have been calling 4-5 times to receive this. Always being told that it is on its way - what a terrible way to treat a customer! I have been waiting for 8 months now! Unbelievable! Worse customer service for a company! Very dissapointed and will never be a cogeco customer again! Will you just frieken send my cheque out already!

upgraded to the Hollywood pkg. for six dollars a month then I lost the movie encore channels 785-786 was told of change took effect nov1 2018 if I wanted it back on it would cost 4 dollars per mth. when I talked to a technician at cogeco. he told me I should have been grandfathered in because it was part of my pkg tranfered me to billing were they said nothing they can do if I wanted the channels back I would have to pay for them I said for the fun of it how much after 10 minutes waiting they said 8 dollars a month for the channels I said I was quoteded 4 dollars per mth for those channels that I already pay for put me on hold for another 15 minutes and then came back and said they could do it for 4dollars a mth. but I had to make up my mind right away what games are these people playing I feel very abused by a system that its take it or leave it policy being a elder pensioner I may just call a lawyer. to see my rights this company gets away with this because there is no other competition in this area I just want back what I paid for give me my two channels back that are supposed to be in my pkg. thank you...

On November 13, 2018 Cogeco installed a home phone and cable internet at my home located at 14 Springbank Dr., St.Catharines, Ontario which had been arranged via their online CHAT system. The customer Service representative on the CHAT format (Chris) told me Cogeco would advise Bell Canada (my former telephone and internet provider) of those changes. When I received a bill from Bell indicating a charge for Internet service in November, I called to complain. They told me they had not been notified of the change from Bell to Cogeco. I called Cogeco to confirm Bell had been notified. I was told Bell was notified on November 13. Now, Bell is telling me (December 31, 2018) that they were not notified of the Internet disconnection - only of the landline change! They suggested I complain to Cogeco! Clearly I am being played... I have no PROOF of any conversations with either business. My Bell Internet usage virtually ceased from November 13 and yet they say they were still my service provider. I have no recourse in this battle except to complain to the CRTC. If it was my obligation to inform Bell of both discontinuances of service, SOMEONE should have advised me. If Cogeco personnel only intended to advise Bell of the landline number change, they should have ADVISED me. Surely I'm not expected to disbelieve those personnel who told me on two occasions that Cogeco would notify Bell of those changes. I'm unimpressed by Cogeco's Customer Service representative today. He put the blame squarely back on me. I think Cogeco owes me for the Bell Internet service costs for one month... Yvette Sneath [protected]

I have never hated a company like I despise Cogeco, and that includes Bell and Rogers. I put in for a "simple" seasonal disconnect, yet month after month after month, call after call after call, I am still connected and the money comes out of my account every month.

Calls, in which you are on hold endlessly, go nowhere. Every single one "swears" this will be taken care of. I get their names, their bag numbers ... all to no avail. It does not matter.

I have literally lost hours of my life to Cogeco, and the company could give a hoot. I'm forced to stay with them due to our location and have been a customer for 10 years. It's customer "service" has NEVER improved - in a decade! It's beyond terrible.

If you have ANY CHOICE go elsewhere, don't get sucked into the hell of Cogeco.

I signed up with Cogeco at a home and garden show at Westbrooke Ont.
I was given a promotion for a year that was very satisfying to me. I was hooked up and started the promotion in April of this year. At the end of August we moved from a house to an apartment building. There are multiple providers at apartment building. I contacted Cogeco before moving and asked if my promotion would continue for the year. It was confirmed that it would and I connected to Cogeco when we moved. Sept. was fine. October my bill would very high and I called to complain. I thought it was straightened out. Then this month it was again high. I called and was told my promotion ended when I moved. Contrary to verbally being told it would continue. I told whoever I was speaking to about having called before hook up and being confirmed promotion would continue. I was informed promotion was ended period. I responded that you better get collection agency involved because I am not paying this high bill. That is where I am right now and expect to get some satisfaction.

worst company I've ever had to deal with garbage customer service nobody is qualified to do their job I was double billed and they chalked it up to it was just for a different time frame always on hold for close to an hour to get transferred to 4 different departments to get nowhere in the end steer clear of cogeco I haven't received 1 bill the same in over 2 years I hate this company do not use them at all cost avoid.

All of the complaints re billing, service etc. are legit.
Here is how I solved it. I use MagicJack for home phone service. With the cell phone app it will work anywhere in the world you have internet. Cost, about $60 to set it up and I paid $95 for 5 years service local and long distance to/from any N American number.
Internet, $60/month for 60mbps service from EyeSurf. There are similar services, choose the one that suits you best. Eyesurf has great customer service entry cost is about $100 for a modem. If you are away for long periods shut it off and reconnect for about $30.
TV service, buy what you want or need, e.g. Netflix, Hulu and if you can't do without cable channels there are services that provide them as well.
The main thing is to get away from Cogeco, Bell or Rogers. The resellers like EyeSurf route their service through the big provider's lines but you insulated from the poor service of the big providers.

Extremely displeased and disgusted with service!. Myself and my father have been with cogeco for 10 loyal years and no issues. We recenelty moved to a new apartment and I have taken on the bill myself to allow higher internet usage and more cable channels. Our original installation was set for tuesday october the 16th between 2-5pm. The technician never showed up nor called myself or my dad as requested and we were lied to by the service advisor!. We were told the next available time would be monday october 22nd between 8am-5pm. I sacrficied a day of work to stay home and the same thing happened again. Tech never showed up nor called and we were lied to again by the service advisors and told an appointment was never made, yet I have it saved in my phone from cogeco themselves. Now were told to wait until the 29th! Will be looking elsewhere for cable and internet. Glad cogeco takes care of their long term customers.

I had my service installed under the builders promo of 6 months free. Nothing is free I have spent 10 weeks of hours of wasted time on the phone trying to obtain the service I signed up for. Interestingly my system was installed.on July 28th with one TiVo box which was working perfectly. Two weeks later I called in to have my 2nd TiVo box set up. After 2 weeks of no service on the TiVo mini one afternoon I came home to zero services including the internet. They where able to repair the Internet within three hours but obtaining the tv services has been hell. Today almost 6 weeks later I still am not receiving all of.the channels in my perfect mix. I can not obtain anything on demand or streaming or Netflix. When I call in I am not allowed to escalate my call and very rarely are the csr willing to troubleshoot. They read the ticket and give me some lip service about they are working on your ticket have patience blah blah blah.
I am appalled that it is taking so long to restore the service. I have zero faith in this service. Never once have I been offered anything for my patience or time spent in que after hours and hours of waiting just to.be told it takes 2 to 14 business days .
After 14 days the ticket is closed until I call back and have the issue reopened in another ticket and the saga loop is still on going 6 weeks later

cancelled my service 9 months ago, returned equipment, ( i have return receipt from canada post) cogeco started billing me for unreturned equipment almost $500. After numerous annoying calls to them they finally said they made corrections and credited back to my account . They just notified me they are sending to collections if not paid in 48 hours.

We have a new service installed in July and have had nothing but issues with the office . Initially we had no phone for 6 weeks and called and chased just to get our phone line . Then was billed for a phone line for almost the 2 month we never had . Then the original supplier was bell was never cancelled and we had to pay that too as well the cogeco bill and still waiting almost 3 months and endless time on the phone with an office full of ppl who just either don't know what their doing or don't care . Customer service is no existant . Terrible terrible customer service I must say . We would like a call back and resolve our issues . Please does anyone care at all there .