The Online Family answers:

First check your provider's service guarantee. If your Internet service provider (ISP) promised to maintain certain service levels (such as 95% availability) then that will help your case. Next, document how long your service is down through the day or week. Call your ISP's customer service and tell them about the problem so it can be fixed. Also, complain about your lost productivity and ask for a partial or full refund. Companies have to be very competitive these days to keep customers, so asking for a refund is not out of the question. If service continues to be poor, consider switching providers. If you feel that you've really been duped, try filing a complaint with your local utilities commission or the Federal Trade Commission for assistance.