Hello Rhk_Winter202,
Welcome to the community!
Sorry to hear of your situation. I do not know what was discussed between yourself and the sales representative. However, is it possible there was a misunderstanding?
Is it possible the sales representative was referring to their Satisfaction Guarantee?
~taken from link above
If you did not use any services and returned the equipment within the eligible return period, there would not have been any charges. On the other hand, it appears as though you kept the modem for at least 8 months which is beyond their satisfaction guarantee return period. I understand you may not have used the services. However, part of the Home Internet charges includes the rental of the modem. If you kept the modem for all of those months, I would imagine you would still be responsible for the charges by keeping it all that time.
I'm not sure whether a service can be considered cancelled or deactivated until they receive back their equipment. You can also view their Terms of Service.
I do not know the full details of the situation. However, it is generally not best practice to withhold paying your bills when disputing a bill. In doing so, you will likely incur late payment charges (see here). Further refusal to pay your bills may lead to your services being disconnected. In addition, unpaid cell phone bills may negatively affect your credit (see here).
