Mom claims company wanted to charge for internet that was supposed to be free

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Keesha McCall has two kids with online schoolwork, but they didn’t have home internet -- so that meant trying to do everything on her phone.

"It is a big chore," she told Action 9's Jason Stoogenke.

Then she saw an ad for Charter internet for free installation to help families with students during COVID-19.

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She went for it, but says the company told her she lived too far from the cable line.

“So they wanted $700 to install it and I said, ‘Well, y’all are advertising for installation for COVID-19, that’s why I was calling. I’ve got two children that really need the internet right now,’” she told Stoogenke. “That’s what I called you guys.”

Action 9 emailed Charter. The company didn’t explain its side of the story, but called McCall to hook her up for free.

“The next phone call I got the following day was from Charter, scheduling my installation so that went pretty quickly after contacting you guys. I really appreciate that, she said.”

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It was one less thing for her to balance right now.

“It’s hard to keep up with the house and dinner around and being a teacher and being mom. It’s rough. It’s rough, she said.”

Action 9′s advice with any free offer:

  • Get it in writing
  • Always ask about the fine print
  • If you feel you’ve been misled, be persistent
  • If you can’t solve it on your own, ask Action 9

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