Mega Path INC

I am so upset over Speakeasy. Now, I have to preface this by saying that I've been a long time fan of Speakeasy and I am all about supporting local businesses (I'm in Seattle). So I naturally went with speakeasy when I needed a new DSL service. I had problems from day one! The man who came to hook up my service was a bloke from Vancouver, WA and was in a hurry to get the job done and was not professional at all. Day two, web pages loaded SLOW! And forget about running two aplications at once. I tried calling support and the sales person I dealt with. Ended up leaving a number of voice messages for them to call. The messages from me did get meaner as I didn't get call backs. Finally after a couple of weeks, the service magically got better. The really bad for me though is this, I spent just under $1000 in under 6 months for my service and they WON'T refund any of my money. First, to get it set up, the cost was over $300. The monthly bills was $64 and when I disconnected, I was charged another $200! No one told me that I was breaking my contract when I cancelled my order nor did they care to care WHY I was cancelling my order. I just got off the phone with the "billing customer service rep" and he couldn't do anything to help. He said that maybe I could return my modem for $100 credit, but wasn't sure. Yet when I asked the rep who discontinued my service with, he said, "you own that modem now". AAHHH!!! I don't want your stupid modem and I will tell everyone I know NOT TO USE SPEAKEASY. $900 later...I am mad. more

I didn't want to deal with Qwest anymore and wanted to use a feel-good local company, so I chose Speakeasy. Their OneLink DSL (no telephone line required) and VOIP service seemed ideal for us. Even with Qwest's insane promotions ($26.99 DSL service), Speakeasy ends up being about the same price if not cheaper, due to Speakeasy's own promotions and Qwest's myriad hidden fees. The problem we had was with the installation -- I set up a street race and molasses in winter beat Speakeasy's installation process by a mile. Not only do two techs have to come out to your home during the day while you're there (one from Qwest for some reason, and one from Covad for some other reason), but they ship two separate pieces of equipment to you via UPS (one DSL modem and one VOIP adapter), so you have to take FOUR days off work, or have somebody at your home. Not only that, but they don't start any part of the installation process until the last part is complete. Here's a timeline: 1) Schedule Qwest visit -- you can't pick the date, and it's at least a week away. If you miss their visit, the reschedule is at least another week away. 2) Schedule Covad visit -- who knows why they couldn't have scheduled this beforehand, but now there's at least another week wait, and if you need to reschedule, it has to be at least 3 business days after the first scheduled visit. 3) NOW they'll set up your VOIP number. We wanted to transfer our existing Qwest number, but the Covad rep said they had to disconnect our Qwest line while installing our DSL -- which contradicted what the Speakeasy rep told us (he said that we could use our Qwest line until the moment our VOIP was ready to use). It takes one to two MONTHS for Speakeasy to transfer an existing number, so we would have been out a phone for that long if we transferred. So we decided to get a new phone number, which is a hassle, but still takes 5-10 business days. 4) They'll mail you your VOIP equipment AFTER the phone number is set up -- make sure somebody is home all day to catch the UPS driver! This is such a laughably ridiculous process that takes well over a month to resolve. Compare this to Qwest, which installs your phone line and DSL in about a week, and Comcast, which only takes a couple of days. Yes, Speakeasy's customer service representatives are very responsive -- they answered my online questions (or rants) in about 10 minutes. They aren't particularly knowledgable, though -- they gave me incorrect information at least a couple of times, including information that led me to be without a phone for over a week. After waiting on hold, they also transferred me to other departments that happened to be CLOSED, twice! There's nothing like waiting on hold for 15 minutes and then being transferred to a "sorry, we're closed" voice mail. Please take my advice and just get your Internet through Comcast and VOIP through Vonage or another company. Even after all this trouble, my Speakeasy DSL is comparable to Qwest and much slower than my old Comcast service. Comcast's customer service isn't as responsive (although it's not much worse), and after using Comcast's service for 3 years the only reasons I needed to contact them was to install and to disconnect my service. PLUS, Comcast doesn't require a one year commitment -- after this stupid installation process with Speakeasy, I'm committed to my service almost two months past the end of my one-year apartment lease. Thanks Speakeasy! PROS: Responsive customer service, company that will let you use your Internet however you want. CONS: Not very knowledgable customer service, incredibly asinine installation process, one year commitment required. more

So, I've been looking to save money. I use my cell phone for all calls. Why did I need a Qwest phone line? Well, most ISP DSL services work via the phone line. Paying $35 a month for a phone line I use only for DSL, which also costs about $40 is crazy! That's where Speakeasy comes in. They offer a DSL service that doesn't need a live phone line. For this type of service they do have to come out and make an adjustment to the phone line. My experience was great. They came out one afternoon, made a quick adjustment and it was set up! Speakeasy even provides a CD-ROM that seamlessly sets up your email, etc. I'm looking forward to many months of Speakeasy service and some savings from my cancelled phone line. more

Hands down, Speakeasy is the best ISP in the Seattle area. Unlike the major players like Qwest or Verizon, Speakeasy has terrific customer service and is extremely responsive. They have a policy of getting customers turned on as quickly as possible, which can normally happen in a couple of days, instead of the couple of weeks that it normally takes Qwest. Also, they have recently started trialing a wireless internet option, which might be worth inquiring about. Finally, if you're into music or gaming, they have some interesting additional services that you can get from them. more

If you're in the market for DSL and value your time, the only company you should bother to talk to is Seattle-based Speakeasy Networks. If you shop around, you'll quickly find out that they are (by far) the most expensive option - but oh boy are they worth it. Some of the reasons: - You don't have to deal with Qwest. At all. - You pay for x amount of bandwidth and they'll let you use it all, without threatening you about it. - By far the best support in the industry... their reps can work without a 20-item checklist. I've been with them 7 years running now, and have no intention of going elsewhere. more

I've had DSL service with a bunch of companies in Seattle, and Speakeasy is far and away the best. Their price is very good, customer service is excellent, and the services are top notch. Speakeasy is particularly well known for their proactive approach to anti-virus and maintenance. Speakeasy also has a hosting service which is highly recommended. Be warned, however, that the costs for Windows-based hosting and SQL Server databases are very high. For that reason I would not recommend them as a Windows hosting service. more

I've worked with Speakeasy in the past and they were always really friendly and reliable. They've got a comprehensive array of services available to novices and experts alike. Give them a call if you're looking for Web hosting and/or support! more