text:
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Your TV Problems HERE
434 comments:1 – 200 of 434 Newer› Newest»
- Jonathan said...
This is a Follow-up to a post I left several Weeks ago.
My name is Jonathan and I live in East Petersburg PA. I posted some issues I was having with Comcast on this site and a week later was contacted by their customer service department. I am happy to say that a Tech Supervisor was at my home the very next day after the phone call and fixed my problem completely! Everything has worked as it should since.
This site works, everyone! I am proof.
Thanx for this site for giving us an outlet to vent and thanx to Comcast for finally listening!
- May 20, 2008 at 9:43 AM
- Unfinished said...
Fellow readers, I apologize in advance for the length of this comment...I was a tad upset. This letter was also emailed to Comcast on 5-20
Dear Comcast,
I moved to Shreveport, Louisiana from New Jersey in August 2007 with my wife and newborn daughter Annabelle. When we arrived we were happy to see that a company we were used to using "back home" serviced our new state as well. Calling you to hook up our cable and internet was one of the first things we did. I think it was just after putting together the crib.
Our first call was to a diligent sales representative who informed us that ya'll were quite busy and it would be about a week before our service was connected. This turned out to be okay, because we had a lot of unpacking to do and I needed a bit of a push to get through it. When you can't go outside because the thermometer says 103, and the humidity would be that high if such a thing were possible, you normally would turn on the television and relax. But like I said, we had other pressing things to divert our attention.
When the time came to have our cable installed I was as giddy as a school boy on Field Day. Spending a few hot months alone with our newborn (I was a new stay at home dad, you see) would be much more fun with the crisp picture of HD television and excessive amounts of sports. The technician who completed the install was attentive and friendly and sure that the picture only appearing in black and white was something that would "go away." Um, it didn't. So I placed my first call to you concerning "trouble with my service." The woman who answered the phone was positive that I incorrectly connected at least one of the many wires needed. After assuring her that I had not, she made sure to let me now that if I was wrong I would be billed $35 to have someone come out and help me connect red with red, yellow with yellow, and green with green, and so on.
Uncannily, the same technician came to the house the next day. It turned out that we had an issue that could be fixed quite easily. No mysteries here. Had he not dropped our cable box on that sneaky hard concrete sidewalk, it surely would have broadcast in color. Though ridiculous, I was happy he admitted his mistake. Strangely, the cable box he replaced it with was much newer and shinier. I wonder how old the first one was and how long it would have lasted anyway. Who new we were done a favor by having the first one battered so?
Now, I think you can admit that we got off to a rocky start. After the second cable box was installed we got everything hooked up properly and, voila, color television, the way God intended. The Honeymoon, however, did not last long. Within days our cable feed began to falter. If nothing else, your cable system is intuitive. It always knew when I wanted to watch The Office and when my wife wanted to watch Grey's Anatomy. Accordingly, the picture would "tile" (a cuter way of saying scramble) and the sound would cut out. This happened about every two minutes and lasted for about thirty seconds. I know, I know, we were only missing a quarter of each show; we needed to hang in there. This was a new venture for you, having just purchased our area's cable from Time Warner.
As my wife will tell you I am something of a procrastinator. So it was a couple of weeks before I became too fed up to deal with our picture problems. When I called your office, the folks in our local Shreveport building must have packed it in for the day, so I was transferred to someone in Memphis, Tennessee. I detailed to a lovely and patient woman all of the issues we were having and she sympathetically laid it out for me. She explained that "down here, HD is kind of like the iPod was a few years ago. You know of bunch of people that have them, but you haven't gotten yours yet, and you're not quite sure how they work." Clear as day, no?
This wasn't a good enough explanation for me and I asked her to send another service technician to my house. The man that came didn't exactly believe me that I even had an issue, because the television wouldn't behave. I learned much later that many of the issues you have are due to bandwidth and so, only happen during peak viewing hours. The prime time that our tiling occurred was between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. I don't know if you were aware, but this is when the networks showcase their best programming. It is often referred to as, get this, prime time. Yeah, just like I wrote in the last sentence. Funny, huh?
Despite this setback I wasn't deterred. I had DVR after all. I started saving all of the interrupted shows to properly detail our service interruptions. I waited a couple more weeks until my arsenal was loaded with ammo and called you again. As always, your customer service representatives were friendly. None of them understood my particular issue and a few still asked me to check my connections, or in the most childlike case to simply turn my cable box off and then on again. Any idiot would have tried that old trick already, including this one.
A technician was eventually dispatched and he spent a couple of hours at my apartment pulling on some wires and checking the "levels" of each of my HD channels before deciding that what I had was a DVR problem. The issue wasn't the feed coming into the box, but some kind of interruption whenever I recorded something. The proof, he said, was replaying right in front of him. Like all of your techs before and since, he confidently solved my problem, this time by giving me a newer, even shinier box, and then gallantly drove away to help someone else.
No, this letter doesn't end there. The next night our "tiling" continued and in a very un-procrastinating way, I call you back. Within a few days you had another tech at my house pulling on wires and turning the box on and off. This man sort of believed me that I didn't have a DVR issue and when he checked the signal level of my channels he realized that something was off. It turned out that we had a cracked connector on the main box that serviced my apartment building. It took a little sweat but that man persevered and fixed that do-hicky. Before I knew it, another dedicated Comcast technician was riding off into the sunset. The proof though, as they say, is in the non-tiling, HD feed.
Later, my wife and I experienced our first night of uninterrupted TV since arriving in Shreveport. It was the middle of November. We were in cable bliss. The month of December went smoothly as well, and after a couple of weeks at home in New Jersey with our parents we flew back to Shreveport with a newfound swagger. We were DVR'ing two things at once. We were watching movies on demand. We even invited some friends over for The Super Bowl; the ultimate in high definition television viewing.
That week the other shoe dropped. No, there was not a reiteration of picture tiling, but our sound kept cutting out, again, whenever we watched HD programming. I will tell you, that this was less annoying than when the sound and the picture went on the fritz, but only slightly less so. My wife really hated it. I think it was because we saw the Promised Land and were now teetering on the edge of the abyss. One thing I was sure of was that we were not watching The Super Bowl in standard def. I immediately called (man, you guys really knocked the procrastinator right out of me) and had someone come out to look at our new issue.
I calmly explained all that we had been through, and that I was getting a little tired of everything. I let him know that there was a big football game approaching and that it better go well. Man to man, I think I got his attention. This guy, however, was at a loss. He waffled between disbelief of the issue (that old prime time thing again) and lack of knowledge about how to fix it. He was a diligent fellow though, and we slowly pieced together that this time it actually was a DVR issue. Every time we taped two HD channels at the same time the sound cut out. We immediately replaced the cable box (I was apparently at the shiniest level, so no upgrade there) and this time I joined my technician in a celebratory high five.
The next day our sound cut out again. Do I sound calm right now? I'm not sure, but I wasn't at the time. My wife and I had a family summit and decided that our cable problems could never be fixed. We decided that we would only DVR programs in regular definition and never while we were watching something more important in high definition. Watching TV became a mathematical equation, and a difficult one at that. Our guide turned into a series of algorithms and matrices, wrapped around a Rubik's Cube.
We continued on this way, amazingly, for a few months. The Super Bowl, under our new viewing guidelines, went fine and we often resorted to DVR'ing and watching our favorite shows down in the low digit standard channels, but we pushed through it. Hell, what are writers' strikes good for anyway? We weren't missing anything after all.
Eventually though, we realized that we shouldn't be paying for our complete cable package, and I called to downgrade. It turns out that HD and DVR were not so expensive that I felt the need to cancel them. The bulk of our $120 (I know, that's stupidly expensive) bill came from the HBO "digital silver package." I was now squarely between a rock and a hard place. I felt like that first dropped cable box. The choice was difficult, cancel a largely ineffective service and go without television like some kind of frontier family, or stick it out and downgrade all the way to a basic, non high def package. In the end, spite ruled the day.
The month was April, and I called to give you one last chance to right what was wrong. You dutifully sent out another service technician and he checked over all of the same cables, ports, jacks, do-hickys, and on-off buttons. He replaced a splitter on the outside of the building to divert more bandwidth from our internet to our TV. He even taught me how to check the signal level of the HD channels all by myself, so that I could take notes and report back to you. In the end our problems persisted and in spite of his best efforts I was left with a non working television and newly lackluster internet service.
Over the next two weeks you sent out four more technicians in a last ditch effort to try and save me, but to no avail. On the last tech's visit I probed him for some answers about why I was being left alone out here in this cable swamp to die a death by a thousand cuts, or "tiles," if you prefer. Fortuitously, the man in question was the same one who had visited us during our first week in town way back in August 2007 and secretly dropped my cable box. He proved honest then in admitting his mistake and he wanted to live up to his principled reputation. He looked around to make sure no Comcast Agents were looking or listening, and he let me in on a little secret. It was your fault all along. There was literally nothing he could do short of digging up all the cable lines and rewiring Shreveport.
That night, the decision was made. I called you to cancel my cable. Do you realize how few people do this? The person who answered the phone asked if I was switching to satellite and when I informed her that I didn't have the proper southern facing exposure I could here her jaw hit her sad little desk. She understood the magnitude of what I was doing. I was going off the grid.
That first night was hard. Like a junkie coming off the white princess, I shook a little and felt utterly lost. But after a few days, my family started to piece things together again. I began reading more and writing frivolously vindictive letters. I started making more adventurous and challenging dinners. I even took up pottery. I'm kidding. But truthfully, without you I started living a better life. We still watch all of our favorite shows, only now on the internet without commercials. We even hooked up our flat screen TV for a larger monitor. It's kind of like regular TV, only so, so much better. We subscribed to Netflix and are starting to catch up on all the movies we missed by having a baby. Without you, we are better. Better people without all of the pent up anger and misplaced aggression and better savers by not throwing out $120 every month.
So in summary let me say thank you Comcast. Through it all I most assuredly still hate you, but begrudgingly have to thank you for helping me become a better person.
Joseph Poulas
01718 135550-03
- May 21, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Dear Comcast:
Let me start by saying that you can go fornicate yourselves in the most painful way possible.
With that out of the way, here's how you ruined my night:
Being a Mets fan in New London County Connecticut, I should be entitled to get SNY. See the chart here: http://www.sny.tv/images/map_affiliates.gif
I was all set to sit down with a nice grilled steak, specially prepared for the occasion, and watch one of about six games I can get on television all year.
What did I get instead of the game?! "THIS GAME HAS BEEN BLACKED OUT DUE TO REGIONAL BROADCAST RIGHTS."
So, if you are keeping score at home, I had the game blacked out due to A GODDAMN CHANNEL THAT YOU REFUSE TO GIVE ME YOU KNUCKLE-DRAGGING CRETINS!
I'm within territorial rights of this Major League Baseball team. GIVE ME THE $S%)&*%ing CHANNEL!
God help you if a competitor comes into my area. If I could get Mets games by standing on my roof wearing a foil hat, I'd drop you slobbering Neanderthals quicker than it would take for you to figure out how to mash your uncoordinated digits against a keypad to dial my phone number.
Account 8773402000399291
- May 21, 2008 at 4:27 PM
- Sean said...
My name is Sean and I reside in Mashpee, MA. and I have finally had enough to post on this site. Moved to my new home in late January and had my service moved to my new place. Everything was going fairly well at this point.
I started having billing issues very soon and whenever I called, they never had the correct phone number/billing number available. This should have been my clue that something was wrong. When I called, I asked each time to be signed up for automatic debit from checking. Every one of the reps told me I needed to do that online and I could only do that by signing up online. However, I couldn't get to that portion of the online services because I didn't have the correct combination of account number and phone number.
Well, I somehow got a very nice rep stationed in Canada of all places (I am in Massachusetts) that finally changed my contact number to the correct phone number so I could get my password for comcast.net so I could pay/view bills online. First stop was the automatic billing, which I signed up for and therefore, thought I was all set. I was very wrong.
Every time after that when I went to my account management section, it told me that I was behind in payments and deliquent and each time I would make a payment to get back to what I thought was paid. I guess I was always under the assumption that the auto pay just hadn't taken effect yet for some reason.
That brings me to today when my service was cut off. Called and got the rep on the phone, who by the way, was a fill in from the Tech department. She told me that I was months behind in payments and I told her there was no way that was possible as I had just been on the internet a couple of weeks ago and paid my bill and my account balance was at zero. She said yes, one of the accounts was at zero but the other one was over $500 deliquent. Huh? What OTHER account. Well, the one that they set up when I moved of course. Yep, all these months, they have been using my payments to pay for the cable service at my old address. The great part was when I asked to be connected to a supervisor, I was on hold for 15 minutes when the rep came back on the phone and told me that her phone had malfunctioned and she was only able to access voice mails of other employees.
I would leave my account number but I don't know which one to leave since I apparantley have more than one. If anyone from Comcast is reading, still waiting for remedy. email@example.com
- May 21, 2008 at 4:38 PM
- Kyle J said...
To Whomever Reads This Within the Comcast Bureaucracy:
I want to give you my money. I honestly do. I want to be an honest customer that continues to pay their monthly bill on time with a smile because I'm getting top quality products and excellent customer service. Unfortunately, this isn't happening. Let me explain...
I recently moved 3 blocks down the street into a bigger house (I won't plague you with all the Comcast problems I've had at my old address). I scheduled an appointment for a technician to come out on a Sunday morning to set up cable TV and internet at my new residence. Everything was confirmed but Sunday morning came and went, and no one came to install my service. I called customer service and they apologized, offered me a credit, and rescheduled my appointment for a Thursday from 11am - 2pm. I told them I wanted to upgrade to digital cable with HD (because I just bought a new TV), and they said they would put that in the system.
A few days later, I've taken the day off of work to run errands and wait for Comcast, but guess what? THEY DON'T SHOW UP! I call customer service again. They now tell me that since the tenant that last lived in my residence had an outstanding balance, they need me to fax over a copy of my lease. That's fine! BUT WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THAT A WEEK AGO?!?! I could of had it all taken care of. I demanded to speak to someone in the regional office. They apologized and gave me their contact number. I faxed them the documents the next day. They called me over the last weekend to set up my appointment to have digital cable, HD TV, and Internet installed for Tuesday, May 20th from 2pm-5pm. They said that accounting will not cancel my service appointments again. Great.
So, on Tuesday, I also took the afternoon off of work to wait for Comcast. A technician didn't show up until 5:15pm! I could of stayed at work and just come home a bit early! Isn't that something! 3 hours of vacation time wasted. I earn vacation time at 2.69 hours per pay period at my job. That means, Comcast cost me two weeks of work in earned vacation. Isn't that awesome.
So the tech. started doing his thing. First of all, the work order had me down for basic cable. Basic cable! I spoke to 3 different customer service people over the past week, and I told all of them that I wanted digital cable + HD channels. Why they got it wrong is beyond me. Then the tech stayed at my house until 8pm trying to get the Internet to work. Everytime I went upstairs to check on him. He was talking on the phone (to his friends) and watching Sportscenter on TV. So, instead of actually working with my modem, he was just hanging out wasting my time and electricity. He swore up and down that the internet wouldn't work on my computer (which is strange because last week, I had comcast at my old residence, and everything worked fine).
The technician told me that he would come back the next day with an HD cable box and his personal laptop to show me that my computer was messed up. So, last night, he did come over...at 6:30pm. WHY SO LATE? He hooked up the HD Box and BROKE MY HDMI CABLE! He just shrugged it off and said it should still work. The end was almost completely snapped off. I don't know if you've ever bought an HDMI cable, but they cost $70. He then went to work on the internet again and sure enough, I would go check on him and he would be watching Sportscenter and talking on the phone.
When the HD Box was hooked up, no channels were coming in. He told me to call Comcast and have them put the channels through. So, I did. I told them I would gladly pay for what I wanted and they told me everything was fine. Great...but, 30 minutes later, still no TV. In the meantime, the technician left and said that he had somewhere to go. That's great, but I need my service. He said the internet should work fine. It didn't. I had to play around with it, but I finally got it to work.
Back to the TV. I called Comcast again and explained to them that I needed my channels turned on. The tech informed me that no one had authorized them to go through and that I was supposed to be getting basic cable. I flipped out and told her that I had just called 30 minutes prior and was told everything went through. She caught an attitude with me, and told me that she wouldn't turn on my channels until I agreed to pay a $150 deposit on the HD box. No. I'm not paying it. I've never heard of that, and I want it taken off, but I"ll save that for later. She just continued even though I told her I wasn't paying it.
Finally, she got the channels to come through, but as stated earlier, my HDMI cable was damaged, and my TV and Cable box were displaying a message that stated CHECK CABLE. I got transferred to tech support and they basically told me that since the technician broke my cable, I need to go buy another one. That's great. Because 70$ grows on trees. How is your money tree doing by the way, because this has been a bad year for mine. When I demanded that the tech support fellow give me the main escalation office number, he stuttered a bit and didn't want to answer the question. Upon further demanding of the number, he began to give it to me. He got the area code out of his mouth, and then he just hung up. That was probably the most professional thing he could of done. Hang up on a customer that wants to pay for service.
This is pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. I just want service. That's all. I want my HD Box and my highspeed internet. I want to pay the $90 a month or whatever, but the professionals at Comcast don't want my money. They want to break my things, watch Sportscenter on my television, they want to steal my vacation time, and they want to hang up on me.
I would appreciate it if someone in the head customer service office would call me very soon and talk to me about my problems.
For starters, lets get my 70$ cable replaced and that $150 cable box deposit addressed. Then we can move on from there. I've shown some dedication to Comcast throughout this saga. As much as I want to switch providers, I still like the channels provided on Comcast, but I'm willing to take a guess and say that the people at DirectTV or Dish Network don't hang up on their customers. I'm going to submit this email every day and call customer service every day until someone contacts me.
Kyle Jensen - email@example.com
Washington, DC 20003
Account #09529 149553-03-6
- May 22, 2008 at 8:04 AM
- Unfinished Dad said...
I posted my letter on comcast.com to Rick Germano (SVP of Customer Service) and got a call back within one day. Sure when I called back I was put through to voicemail and haven't heard back again, but I guess it's a start. If you are feeling a little more extreme, check out the consumerist's tips(http://consumerist.com/consumer/executive-customer-service/email-addresses-for-comcast-executives-320438.php) on how to send an executive email carpet bomb...it sounds like fun.
- May 22, 2008 at 8:21 AM
- Kyle J said...
Joe - thanks for the comment. The Rick email was where I first made that post (this morning). We'll see how long it takes for them to call me back.
I can't seem to find the emails for the board of directors, but when I do...it's on.
- May 22, 2008 at 8:57 AM
My cable hasn't been working for 6 MONTHS!! After the first 2 months of working with supervisors that quit returning my calls, I filed a complaint with the BBB. I started getting phone calls almost immediately, and have had SEVERAL more service calls. they've done about 10 different repairs, but the service still isn't working. I see lots of comments on this website about getting your service elsewhere, but Comcast has a contract with the city I live in and I've even tried to get the city to cancel the contract! I have no other options...they need to get their act together or someone needs to put them out of business!
- May 22, 2008 at 9:55 AM
- BillODNH said...
Just thought you would like to see for yourself the kind of service Comcast delivers for a $150 a month.
My You Tube video link is here:
- May 22, 2008 at 10:37 AM
to billodnh:
that is not comcast's fault. why dont u complain to fox b/c its their fault they ran over the time they posted to tvguide.
- May 22, 2008 at 3:56 PM
If you don't want satellite, then go with fiber optics or IPTV: Just Google
"Verizon FiOS"
"ATT U-verse"
and sign up on their respective websites. Even if they are worse than Comcast in quality, there's no doubt they have better customer service.
- May 22, 2008 at 7:55 PM
If I have to speak to one more disinterested Comcast customer service rep I'm going to have to KILL myself! My account number is 8777702061276924 and I want my cable repaired TOMORROW, May 24th!
Today I noticed that my new neighbors had a Comcast van in front of their house - no doubt having cable installed. Coincidentally, shortly thereafter my cable suddenly went out. A call to (choke, choke) customer service had me jumping through the standard hoops that never work. You've heard them, I'm sure..."unplug the power source and then plug it back in"..."let me ping your cable box, it should only take about 15 minutes"..."let's try pinging your cable box again." My next call to (gag, gasp) customer service had me speaking to Alex (ID 110007) in Monterey, Mexico who told me that the earliest appointment to fix my cable would be on May 28th...May 28th!!! Today is May 23rd and the first day of a three day holiday weekend. Why is that important? I've got family in town for the holiday, 3 kids to entertain, and NOOOOO cable. Of course, asking to speak to a manager is like asking to be connected to the white house. Alex informed me that her manager, "Albert", has no contact telephone number. Imagine that, a call center manager with no contact telephone number. When I asked Alex how I could reach someone within the continental United States, she said that I could dial any Comcast number to be routed to a call center but there was no guarantee that the call center I reached would be in the US. So essentially, I would have to call repeatedly until, by chance, I happened to reach someone in the same country. To their credit, it only took three more calls before I reached a (heave, hurl) customer service agent in Texas. Once again I was informed that May 28th was the best Comcast could do. The rep did say that I could return my cable box to the nearest store for an exchange, but that might not fix the problem. I then recounted for her my last comcast nightmare where I waited in line for half an hour only to be told that the store didn't have my box in stock, nor could they tell me when they would, or whether another store had one. Argh, that is another story for another day.
I cannot understand why Comcast does not resolve their HORRIBLE customer service issues. Unless, of course, the Direct TV advertisements are true and Comcast really is so disinterested in service matters that they would rather up their rates to target a demographic with more "discretionary" money.
- May 23, 2008 at 9:13 PM
UPDATE: I received a call from Michael (713-375-7818) with Comcast executive support this morning indicating that my issue had been escalated and that I could expect a technician at my home, today. Michael was very professional and helpful but he could not answer the million dollar question: Why can't I call customer service and receive any service? Botton line...within three hours of speaking with Michael a technician was at my house and the problem was resolved.
If I have to speak to one more disinterested Comcast customer service rep I'm going to have to KILL myself! My account number is 8777702061276924 and I want my cable repaired TOMORROW, May 24th!
Today I noticed that my new neighbors had a Comcast van in front of their house - no doubt having cable installed. Coincidentally, shortly thereafter my cable suddenly went out. A call to (choke, choke) customer service had me jumping through the standard hoops that never work. You've heard them, I'm sure..."unplug the power source and then plug it back in"..."let me ping your cable box, it should only take about 15 minutes"..."let's try pinging your cable box again." My next call to (gag, gasp) customer service had me speaking to Alex (ID 110007) in Monterey, Mexico who told me that the earliest appointment to fix my cable would be on May 28th...May 28th!!! Today is May 23rd and the first day of a three day holiday weekend. Why is that important? I've got family in town for the holiday, 3 kids to entertain, and NOOOOO cable. Of course, asking to speak to a manager is like asking to be connected to the white house. Alex informed me that her manager, "Albert", has no contact telephone number. Imagine that, a call center manager with no contact telephone number. When I asked Alex how I could reach someone within the continental United States, she said that I could dial any Comcast number to be routed to a call center but there was no guarantee that the call center I reached would be in the US. So essentially, I would have to call repeatedly until, by chance, I happened to reach someone in the same country. To their credit, it only took three more calls before I reached a (heave, hurl) customer service agent in Texas. Once again I was informed that May 28th was the best Comcast could do. The rep did say that I could return my cable box to the nearest store for an exchange, but that might not fix the problem. I then recounted for her my last comcast nightmare where I waited in line for half an hour only to be told that the store didn't have my box in stock, nor could they tell me when they would, or whether another store had one. Argh, that is another story for another day.
I cannot understand why Comcast does not resolve their HORRIBLE customer service issues. Unless, of course, the Direct TV advertisements are true and Comcast really is so disinterested in service matters that they would rather up their rates to target a demographic with more "discretionary" money.
- May 24, 2008 at 3:24 PM
I'm upset just like the others.Comcast personnel should be united and know the informations they are giving out.Each time you call, different response are provided.
We've been with Comcast for many, many years now when it used to be Surburban Cable. Last month, I made a call re: adding Filipino Channel.I was told that service for the desired channel will be $12 and an additional fee for renting the digital converter box needed for hook-up.When inquired further, I asked whether I can purchase the digital converter box myself using the government coupon to save money...and I was told YES. (Yes, thus I''ll be owning the box and won't have to pay for the rental.)
To make the story short, I bought the box and made the call again to start the service. Lo and behold--the digital converter box cannot be used as it is not compatible for their system I was told. I have to use Comcast digital converter box only and it will cost $60. She apologized but I cannot use the one I bought even though I was told I can. It's too much money; I can't afford it..I complained. The operator suggested that I switch my phone and internet service with Comcast and for $99 I can get the Filipino channel as well.She politely stated that she will call back the next day for my decision.
Of course, I do not want to drop my phone and internet service---it's all about MONEY.Comcast have to get their acts together and work hard for EFFICIENCY.Comcast aim to conquer and dominate the industry and nothing is wrong with it. Yet, to do that, it need to get a closer look and work toward a small problem first before it get bigger.
I guess having a filipino channel will just be a dream for now.
- May 24, 2008 at 4:10 PM
- Marissa said...
Comcast is truly the worst in the business. Monopolies like them must not exist. They were supposed to come out yesterday between 11-2 and we waited upto 4 and they did not show up. The installation supervisor Nicole James guaranteed me that they would be here today as the first appointment at 11 am. So far it is 12 and they have not shown up. Called the supervisor and she said "is he not there". Would I be calling her if he was here? Called Comcast customer service and they too make excuses. Oh maam he has upto 1.59 to show up. Heck! I have to wait in 2 days of the Memorial Day weekend so that they can make money off me as a monopoly and they get to chose when and if they show up! What bad customer service. Does the FTC not care for the consumers. Yesterday they offered me $20 for my time for not showing up. Is my rate $5 an hour. When we had Direct TV (satellite) we have never had any problems. We need to look into getting them back. Decided to go with cable as we were having trouble getting a reception during bad weather with sattelite and the location of our home.
- May 25, 2008 at 9:02 AM
- Comcast Victim # 1,288,964,386 said...
My name is Brad from Illinois and my account number is 8798100850426401. Unfortunately I have been a Comcast "customer" (In the same way the wife of an abusive alcoholic is really a "wife".) for far too long.
One of my duel DVR boxes went out a couple of weeks ago. I had told Comcast that I needed a new box when I called and to have the tech bring one with him. The box wouldn't record properly so I knew it was the box.
When the tech showed up, he didn't bring a box. He had to leave my house, go to the distribution center and get one.
The tech came back to repair it (This time he means it too because he's actually got a box.) and he was at my house for a solid hour or more installing a simple cable box. There wasn't any calculus or geometry involved here in terms of getting at the box. It sits right on top of my entertainment center.
He tried installing the first box and it wouldn't download the guide. I was told that the distribution center didn't format the card properly. He went out to his truck to retrieve box #2.
This box had the same problem. The distribution center did not format the card. The tech called them (He was placed on hold for 10 minutes which I admit was hysterical. WELCOME TO MY WORLD!) and then somebody picked up. They remotely activated the box and it started downloading the guide, etc.
The tech leaves and while I'm resetting up my recordings for the week I notice a bunch of stuff already saved on the DVR and queued up for the week. I thought WTF is this? I got somebody's used DVR box.
OK, fine it's a refurb right? Somebody checked it, fixed it, whatever. Less than a week with this thing in my home now and I'm getting the infamous Pixels of Doom. All the other boxes work fine. I call Comcast and they tell me they have an appointment between 8am and 8pm on Memorial Day. Who at Comcast thought having a customer stranded in their home on Memorial Day between 8am and 8pm was a good idea? Now, they said I would NOT receive a phone call with a 3 hour window. That I'd actually have to wait from 8am to 8pm on Memorial Day. Does anyone here have plans that day? Maybe you'd like to go to the park, the zoo, or a relative's house? 8am to 8pm is just a tad vague don't you think? They did put the token credit on my account. Thanks, that puts a dent in the $200 per month bill between the internet and cable TV.
Disgusted I hung up. After stewing about it I called back and just said the situation wasn't acceptable. I wanted someone out today and I told them I was PO'd that they passed off a refurb as a new box and that somebody didn't QC the thing. I was pawned off to a supervisor who narrowed down the appointment to between 10am – 1pm. Why didn't they do that in the first place?
Bottom line, Comcast's alleged service isn't acceptable. Between the tech not showing up with the box, going out to get a box, the box not being set up, having to get Comcast CS to set up the box remotely, having the box being a refurb, and now the refurb not working within a week of having it, they are really a sham of a company.
I have to be honest with you; I've read posts here where people get calls from someone at Comcast and I don't believe it. I don't believe they care about the customers. They care about receiving their outrageous payment every month.
Maybe it's time to make the switch to the dish.
- May 25, 2008 at 9:28 AM
- Marissa said...
Memorial Day Weekend day 2 and Comcast has not shown up between 11-2. They were supposed to show up yesterday between 11-2 and upto 4 pm were not there. They guaranteed me that they would be here today at 11. We must be very naive to beleive a badly trained staff that they will follow up when they give their word. When I called the customer service center and asked for their supervisor they said that they cannot transfer the call, no notes were made of the previous problem. (why I wonder) Is that they get more irate calls daily that they cannot possibly make note of it. Or is it that they are a monopoly and could not be bothered. Yesterday they offered $20 towards the service, today the lady said that we are not yet customers so there is no such thing! Maybe she is trying to tell us not to go with this unreasonable company.
It is now 4pm and a tech has showed at the door with one box, we ordered 2. He says that he was busy and had many orders so he could not come earlier.
I have not seen such pathethic customer service in any field where a company gets away with no consequences.
Try telling them the same when you owe them!
- May 25, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Mr. Germano,
If you really want to see how your customer service officials behave - try looking up the internet chat/telephone conversations that we have had with your company. If you have a way to find out check the experiences the customer "Pankaj Sachbeva" has had dealing with your company.
I don't know what you can do teach the servicing officials some courtesy and personal accountability.
I am moving out of Comcast as soon as anyone else is available in my area. I have tried everything, but it just gets worse.
Even your customer reps in the physical office have a constipated look on their face. No smile.
I am out. Good bye and good luck with an impossible task.
- May 28, 2008 at 8:39 AM
- Brian said...
I have had my cable line sitting out on top of the ground in my backyard for 6 months. I had comcast install cable/internet immediately when I moved into my new condo...I had no existing outlets in my home, so they had to bring the line around back and drill a hole into the wall, etc. So, of course they show un prepared and had to borrow my drill and go out to Home Depot to get a new drill bit. Awesome start. They assure me that a construction crew will follow up in a week or two to bury the line - which runs from the side of my building (in my neighbor's yard), through their back yard into mine and into my unit.
That was in November 2007.
Here is is 28 May 2008. No buried cable. I just got off the phone with the call center supervisor who 'promises to get to the bottom of this.' Ive called roughly every 3 weeks since February (I thought it was working it's way through the system until then...i gave them the benefit of the doubt...) and I just found out my service request has been cancelled and 'rescheduled' I don't know how many times. Miss-Utility has never shown up (they said they would schedule them), they've sent the WRONG CREW out twice despite me spelling out letter by letter EXACTLY what was required of them, and I still have a cable line sitting out being an eyesore, tripping up my neighbors and being chewed on by squirrels. months later. SIX MONTHS. Everytime I call they tell me i'm still in the system but they can't tell me when the work will be completed, 'that is on another work order system they can't see,' and that it will take 3-4 weeks from that phone call. everytime. this is unbelievably poor customer service, to be repeatedly lied to over what i would imagine is a SIMPLE fix...how many lines new do they hook up a week? this isn't a new line of business, they aren't working out the kinks... this is a routine, everyday request and they cant be bothered to get it done. I have given them one more month. If the line remains unburied by this time in june i am disconnecting my box and ripping out the line myself and throwing it out. they can come pick up the box themselves.
OH, and the best part - the last time i called the nice girl on the phone promised me a $25 credit to my account for all my troubles ($25? seriously? you charge me 5 times that every month for your services, gee thanks), and guess what? That credit never showed up on my bill! Comcast is truly a horrific company to deal with and i vow never to use their services again after this experience.
-brian reams
05163 012180-04-4
- May 28, 2008 at 9:54 AM
I am in the "send a Tech and they say an installer needs to be sent". I'm on round 3 of this process.
How do they continue to get away with this?
- May 28, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Dear Comcrap,
Ticket # 779719
I'm a longtime Comcast customer who has not had a picture since Tuesday May 27th. so far your local Comcast Alexandria has been unable to fix my problem, nor do they seem to have a clue.
This I find to be inexcusable, and to be fair I design corporate networks, so I know it does not take a week to fix a problem, as I said I design networks and can turn out a design in twos days time.
I'm going to give you until close of business today Friday May 30th to remedy this issue or you have lost another account due to your extremely poor customer service and poorly trained staff.
Again if the problem is not resolved by close of business today May 30th. , the service will be terminated, Direct TV has an excellent promotion for new customers.
Thank you,
Soon to be former Comcast customer
- May 30, 2008 at 7:34 AM
- Tom said...
Here's my email to Rich G...
I the last few days advertisements, disguised as informational messages,
have appeared at the bottom of the viewer guide. You should know that as
a customer I think that Comcast putting these ads on the bottom of the
viewer guide really stinks. I pay you guys a ton of money every month
for entertainment, not commercial messages.
You should fire the idiot that came up with that stupid idea. It is
tremendously offensive,
I'm going to check into satellite ASAP if this keeps up!
Thank you for reading this.
Tom B
and another after a BS response with their response following...I especially like the part where they let me know that I would not be charged for looking at these ads...AARRGGHHH!!!!
This is a sad commentary on your complete lack of concern for your customers. This ads are not informational, they are promotional and, no doubt, represent an additional revenue stream for Comcast. Moreover they are huge and take up a significant portion of the screen instead of being unobtrusive as the TV Guide tile is since they interfere with the scrolling function. I am confident that they will become more and more blatantly commercial as time goes on. If I am going to have commercials, I expect free content!
I truly wish that Comcast cared as much about customer satisfaction and retention as they do about finding a few additional minor revenue streams. It is short sited. But it does comport very well with the most recent satellite TV ads about the lack of customer care at your company....
As I said, I will be exploring other options for direct television home entertainment as a direct result of this policy.as I am completely As a custom with 3 digital (2 w DVR) receivers as well as another 2 analog one, I expect better treatment.
Tom Bxxxxxxxxx
At 05:02 PM 5/30/2008, you wrote:
Dear Thomas,
Thank you for your message concerning the Comcast Cable TV service.
I understand you have some concerns regarding the banner ads now
appearing on your Interactive Program Guide (IPG).
=I apologize for any inconvenience this may create for you.
Comcast is using our technology to educate our customers about the value
of Comcast Digital Cable service. The banner ads you are seeing on your
guide, provide tips and instructions on how to use certain features,
like Parental Controls and Favorites. They also promote various
programs that are in your regular channel line-up, and provide you with
the option to easily set a reminder or recording, tune directly to the
program, see other show times, and perform the other functions available
on the program information screen.
You will not be charged for view details of any banner ad. The banners
simply lead you to information on programs that may be of interest to
you. You will only be charged if you order a program with an associated
charge - for instance, a Pay Per View or ON DEMAND program or movie.
If you would like to scroll through your television listings without
highlighting the ads, use the Page Up and Page Down buttons on your
Comcast is planning to continue showing these ads; however, we do
appreciate you sharing your point of view. It is our goal to make sure
your Digital Cable television experience is as valuable to you as
possible. Thank you for your feedback. I will be happy to share it
with the Comcast team that is working on these ads.
If you have any more questions feel free to reply to this e-mail, or you
can chat with one of our Online Customer Support Specialists 24 hours a
day, seven days a week at:
Keep in mind that Comcast will never ask for your password or billing
information via e-mail.
Thank you for choosing Comcast as your Cable TV provider and have a good
Comcast Online Customer Support
- May 30, 2008 at 5:48 PM
People need to stop installing their own home wiring and leave it to the people who get paid to put the correct wiring. Ninety nine percent of the time the problem comes from inside the home.
- May 30, 2008 at 8:56 PM
- silly rabbit said...
seriously.. commercials on demand?!
it's not enough that you a-holes are charging me entirely too much for internet (which is spotty at my place at best) and television... but you are really going to start interjecting commercials during the "free" on demand movies?
whoever makes these decisions deserves an incredibly unhappy life.
- May 31, 2008 at 12:27 AM
This is Comcast Victim # 1,288,964,386 continuing from the post above.
Well the hits keep on coming from Comcast.
They sent someone out to my house on Memorial Day to fix the tiling problem. This guy doesn't bring a new box. He said it was a problem with the signal strength coming into the house. OK fine, fix the problem.
He "fixes" it and leaves. 2-1/2 hours later the tiling is back. I call Comcast with a quote from DirectTV in my hand (no joke) just itching to switch. I told them that if someone didn't come out to my house that day I was going thru with it.
Maybe they finally took me seriously. Now they send out the same guy who replaces the box (my second box in two weeks) and the tiling is gone, for now.
This morning I turn on HBO and I get this weird big white bar across the screen with all the box info (S/N#, Card ID, etc.). I call them again and the lady reset the box. Things look OK for now.
The real kicker in that phone call was that this lady tried to sell me their telephone service. I told her I wasn't interested and she had the guts to ask me why. I stated that since the cable service (which is their alleged core compentency) didn't work consistently for the past month, why in the heck should I switch from AT&T phone service which is as reliable as the sun rising?
Here's another funny fact. I got a call from a tech at Comcast asking me about my DVR problem yesterday. The best (or sad) part is that the DVR problem was 3 weeks ago and he called during the day. I suppose no one in my house works for a living.
Maybe they read this site. How about this. If you're serious about helping me with my problem, I'm available between the hours of 5:30pm and 9:00pm weekdays. If you'd like, leave me your phone number and I'll call you with a one hour window that I'll be making my call.
- May 31, 2008 at 5:22 AM
A Comcast representative promised that I would get free installation for my service. After pursuing the matter further she assured me this included all fees for instillation and the technicians visit. I asked for her information to verify this promise and she gave me her employee number or extension (I am not sure which). However, when the bill came I was charged a 91.89 install charges. I also was promised by a technician that I could add DVR to my service for 3.99 equaling 13.99 – a $10 credit. He assured me that there would be no other fees above the aforementioned. However, I was billed the entire fee for the DVR. There was also a charge on my bill for the NHL network which I never ordered and upon further investigation discovered I did not even have access to. The issues above are not the only issues I had with Comcast (including the customer service nightmare I had while trying to repair the problem.) However, I will not waste additional space on the matter. My acct number is 09588 119212-06-4. I am not positive but I think some but not all of my issues were being addressed by representatives in the call center. However, I never received a return phone call which I was promised so it is difficult to tell. At the present time my issues remain unresolved.
- May 31, 2008 at 2:54 PM
- JoePublic said...
You won't get better or more concomitant service here, but at least you won't have to push 1 for English! MAKE YOUR COMPLAINTS TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES 1 888 610 0995
- June 2, 2008 at 1:37 PM
I guess my complaint is minor compared to some I have read posted here. My problem started one glorious morning a month ago when my beloved wife went out to plant a new rose bush near the back fence. Yup, she cut the Comcast cable. I called the local Comcast office here in Shreveport and explained to the friendly representative what had happened. She laughed and explained it happens all the time since the cable is only buried four inches deep. She arranged for a tech to show up the very next day and run a new cable from their box to our house. Good service! That tech said he'd report the need to have the cable buried to the service department and that someone would be out later in the week to get the cable buried. I patiently wait two weeks. No tech. No cable burial. So, I call my local Comcast office and talk to a friendly representative on Monday morning. I patiently explain the situation and tell her several times I need to get my cable buried. She schedules a tech to come out that Thursday afternoon, warning me I must be home for them to call before they will come. I explain that there is no need for me to be home as they only need to bury the cable in the back yard and to please put a note in the work request that the fence gate would be unlocked, the dog would be confined in the house, and for them to come in the yard and bury the cable without having to call me first. She states she has made this entry in the work request.
I am home all afternoon waiting for them to keep their 1 to 5 appointment. At 4:55 p.m. two men show up. When they find out I have a cable to be buried, they inform me that they do not do that since they are "inside techs", and they leave. The next day I call my local Comcast office and explain the situation to their friendly representative. She tells me that I need a SRO and schedules me to have an all-day appointment for Thursday of the next week. Thursday finally arrives. I stay at home all day. Nobody shows. I call the local Shreveport office at 4:55 p.m. They tell me I have an appointment scheduled that day from 8 to 5. I ask, since it is now 4:59, did they expect them to keep the appointment. The less friendly representative says she will connect me with someone who can tell me that information. I get connected to someone located in some other city. She is nice and tells me that their records show I have a burial scheduled to be completed no later than 2 June. I thank her and figure that means they will come by Monday night and bury their damned cable. Well, it is now Tuesday, June 3rd and their cable still lies unburied after a month of waiting. I guess I'll try again in the morning...
(By comparison, two months ago my neighbor was digging in his yard and cut my telephone cable which was running inside his side of the fence between our houses. The phone company came out the next morning and ran a new cable across our yard to our house. Two days later, while we were away, the phone company came and buried their cable. Hmmm, I wonder if I can get the phone company to come bury the Comcast cable since Comcast refuses to do it...)
- June 3, 2008 at 12:48 AM
Followup on my post above:
Well, I called Comcast again this morning. This time their representative told me that on the day of my appointment (last Thursday) the request for burying my cable was given to an outside contractor to be done within 7 to 10 days from then. I said, "So that means there never was any way someone would come on that day to actually bury the cable." She replied 'no'. "Therefore, I was lied to," I said. She replied, "I wouldn't say lied to; I''d say the last representative failed to explain the process we follow." I responded with, "Okay, will you promise me that my cable will be buried within 10 days from last Thursday?" She replied, "I cannot make that promise. All I can do is explain how the procedure works."
At this point I have had it! I tell her that is the most assinine
way of doing business possible. I told her the phone company ran a new cable and buried it two days later, whereas their cable has been lying across my yard for over a month now. Then, I ask to make a complaint to a supervisor. Her reply: "There is no supervisor available for you to complain to since they all are currently in a meeting." So, more frustrated than ever, I end the call. So, I gather that there is no way Comcast intends to bury their cables across customers' yards in less than several weeks time. They don't even notify the third party vendor of the work order until the next available Comcast service appointment is available, which may be several weeks from the day you first call. Is this a dumbass procedure to follow or what!!! It may be six weeks before my cable ever gets buried! Two days for my phone company versus six weeks for Comcast. What service!
- June 3, 2008 at 10:49 AM
dear Comcast,
I feel that I have and continue to be screwed over every month by "COMCAST" I had cable and internet service instaled over 6m. ago! the tech was a 18yr old boy who didnt know how to wipe his own ass!!! he wrapped black coax cable around the front of my home just above eye level, and right above the front door... IT CAN BE SEEN FROM THE STREET!!!! it looks like TRASH, Then just to top it off he drilled a UN-NEEDED hole in the side of my home witch he ran his cable through to the other side where it met the outlet that he installed CROOKED.
Comcast has yet to address this problem. the wire needs to be re-ran and EVERY hole he drilled in my hardyplank needs to be repaired. I live in rent house and these damages will come out of MY.....MY pocket.
Now on to the cable. first off, the tech made a huge mess and the work looked as tacky as something you would see in a shanty house. AND of course I had to fix it myself, even after i paid some one else to install it.
then, after all the bragging that comcast does about how sat. TV cuts in and out during storms, but cable....no no no cable dont go out during storms. IT GOES OUT ON ANY GIVEN BEAUTIFUL DAY. at least once a week if not more.
Last but not least. IF I WANTED A 56K CONNECTION I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ONE!!!!!!! No I paid good money for a "high speed" connection. i still pay for all this crap because of my obligation to comcast!
What about your obligation to ME comcast? when i send you over a hundred a month i expect something worth a hundred bucks. COMCAST IS NOT WORTH A DIME.
i soon will be switching back to AT&T as soon as they offer u-verse in my area.
All i ask is that comcast take responsibility.
I would only expect this kind of treatment under saddam's regime!!!!!
Thank you,
tiffany tamborello
8777 70 158 0141619
- June 4, 2008 at 4:29 PM
'll give this a try. I live in Martin County Florida and my comcast customer number is 01643 2339 10 03 1
Several months ago there was an article in the local newspaper that Comcast was raising rates by around $3.50 per month in the next county up. Soon thereafter my monthly rate went up that amount. If there was any notification by mail it escaped me. I should mention that I read, summarize and report on US legislation each week so reading legal documents is not much of a challenge for me. I have to say, though, that the documents I receive from them are mind numbing even for me. I can only imagine what the elderly must go through trying to decipher the legalese and I live in a low-income, senior community most of whom use antennas because Comcast is not willing to make a community deal and lower rates for us.
While I do my legislative research on line I often keep the C SPAN channels on in the background. This morning June 4, 2008 I turned on channel 46 to catch the Senate debate on the Carbon Cap bill and found that channel 74 was on channel 46. I called Comcast and was told that, over night, they moved channel 46 to channel 82. I programed my tv to receive channel 82 and got a black screen.
I called Comcast again and was told I needed a digital converter. I was told that I had been notified in my recent bill of the changes but reading bills is no challenge and there was no notification. Comcast just went ahead and did it. I was then told they would deliver the box for a charge or I could go and get it myself. The price for the box was quoted at $5.95 per month. At the office it went up to $6.95 per month and we settled on %5.50 per month, an amount I wonder about until I get my bill.
At the office in Stuart Florida, they weren't even sure what I was talking about and said that I didn't need the box. After trying the channels on their office tv's they then rented me the box.
What Comcast did was to not only change the channel lineup but converted those channels to digital. So, 'Comcast has you covered' means they managed to get a running head start on the February 2009 conversion by forcing people to rent this converter box. Since the government coupon program is not yet in play, we have to foot that bill for the next 9 months making quite a profit for Comcast, I don't doubt.
I my mind this is bait and switch. I ordered the basic cable and without notice found out I can't view what I purchased unless I now purchase more equipment. This is akin to buying a ticket to a ball game and when you get to your seat you find out you have to pay again to sit down.
Account numbers on bills so small the elderly can't read them, raising rates without notice -- or notice that can be easily read and understood -- no discounts for seniors and now tricking me and my neighbors to pay more for basic service 8 months in advance of the conversion, Comcast needs to understand where the money comes from and treat their customers better.
So what am I going to do? If it looks like a monopoly, acts like a monopoly and makes money like a monopoly then it ain't a duck. I've started a petition. Will contact local better business bureaus and then a succinct letter to the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. AT&T thought it was too big to be broken, but it was even when their rates were reasonable. Comcast is next. I swear by it!
- June 4, 2008 at 6:19 PM
My name is Dave. My account number is 15010244115021. I have patiently tried to keep my subscription to Comcast; but it is getting harder and harder. Right now, I don't have access to my new 32inch HD TV because I am told that I can't get a technician to come to my home until June 12; thats a week from now. I find that unsatisfactory. I pay my subscription on time, and I expect Comcast to return the same kind of service. I understand that there were some storm situations around where I live, but why does it take a whole week to get someone to attend to my problem. Tonight, my wife and I were to watch a special on History, but now we cant. The triple crown race is this Saturday, but we we are told we won't be watching it. My wife and I are senior citizens and home bound. The TV is our link to the outside and we look forward to watching good shows/and such. Per the technician this morning, she said she would send a signal to my home set and that would take care of the problem. We hung up. After a while, I called and got someone else. She told me to unplug my box and then plug it back in. I explained that I have a dengerative bone disease and I also suffer from back problems. Anyway I did what she asked painfully. I got a blue screen, but we couldnt go any further from that. Then she asked me to unplug my cable from the box and plug it into my HD TV. I tried but I couldnt accomplish it. She said I would have to wait until June 12 to get someone to help us. A little while ago , I got the cable unplugged from the box and plugged it into the TV. Now is doesnt do anything. Actually, before the first phone call, I had sound but no video. NOw I dont have sound. My sense tells me that I have to wait for a week for a technician to come to my home and not actually do any repair, but do His/Her thing with the remote by rebotting and such and things will be where they should be now. If that is the case, then why cant I expect a technician to come to my home in the next day or so or why cant I be told on the phone how to get this rectified. Ive been putting off from cancelling my comcast subscription and go to direct TV. Actually my neighbor is constantly asking me to switch. The bottom of this is that it is not reasonable to expect a good paying customer to asked to wait for a week for a technician to come to my home and fix this problem. I would be willing to bet that it wont take the technician moe than 2 minutes to fix my problem. Now - my wife, house bound, are being deprived of having our HD TV for a week. I just cant seem to grasp the understanding of why I should have to wait for a week to get my service fixed.
- June 5, 2008 at 1:51 PM
My name is Brad and I live in Pemberton,NJ. For the last year my internet service has been in and out. For a guy that owns a computer service center it has been absolutly one of the most frustrating experiances for me. Finally David Cohen, EVP was on 1210AM and if anyone had a problem you were suppose to write to Michael Smirconish and it would get taken care of, and it did. Finally a lineman came out and balanced and finally stabalized our internet. We are so pleased. Hopefully some day I'm going to get my energy back to attempt to get them to fix the microblocking on the TV prior to losing our antenna signal when things go digital, because then we won't have any tv at all. Be carefull what you ask for because apparently you can only have one or the other but not both.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:18 PM
- Phil said...
My situation, and why I just disconnected and ordered Dish Network: Everything was fine until they rolled out this stupid new onscreen menu. I live in the Seattle WA area. 1) The new menu does not allow the user to edit the guide, eliminating any channel they do not subscribe to or do not wish to see. Now I have to scroll through page after page of channels I don't get. The "favorites" option is a cumbersome workaround. 2) The DVR software and new menu does not work correctly when you are trying to record say, "Countdown w/ Olbermann" as it records the show 3 times daily, despite adjusting the command to only record one time per day. The customer service gal told me back in December of 2007 that they were rolling out an upgrade. Recently I called again and the C.S. rep told me, "They got rid of the old guide because it was a Microsoft product and they got tired of updating the guide everyday, so now the DVR will just record the show everytime it comes on." Complete gibberish. 3) They claim to show all these "HDTV" movies, but how can they claim that say, "Ghostbusters" filmed in 1984 before HDTV existed, is "High definition?"
Phil Wall
- June 6, 2008 at 5:13 PM
- nicksta said...
dear ryan from comcast.
you called me, obviously you ready my previous posting. first off thank you for calling. BUT all you did was leave a msg on my phone! with a name, only a name. how am i suposed to get back to you? Just you calling showed that at least one branch pays attention to people. But because you failed to call me back i still have the same problem. as a mater of fact just waiting for comcast must die to load up took 6 min and 13 seconds. ( i timed it just for you) do you understand how much could happen in 6 min?
last night me and my wife started arguing because she was mad that she couldnt watch a shot at love with that tequila girl. the cable was out again.
its a shame that because of where i live i have to use comcast for digital cable. no one else carries it in my area.
So ryan, when you read this blog please call us back again and hopefully we can resolve the problems that i am having!
OH and why wont yall give me a dvr? ppsstt, DISH network hooked me up with one so whats comcast's problem?
thanks again
- June 7, 2008 at 12:33 PM
- nicksta said...
dear ryan from comcast.
you called me, obviously you ready my previous posting. first off thank you for calling. BUT all you did was leave a msg on my phone! with a name, only a name. how am i suposed to get back to you? Just you calling showed that at least one branch pays attention to people. But because you failed to call me back i still have the same problem. as a mater of fact just waiting for comcast must die to load up took 6 min and 13 seconds. ( i timed it just for you) do you understand how much could happen in 6 min?
last night me and my wife started arguing because she was mad that she couldnt watch a shot at love with that tequila girl. the cable was out again.
its a shame that because of where i live i have to use comcast for digital cable. no one else carries it in my area.
So ryan, when you read this blog please call us back again and hopefully we can resolve the problems that i am having!
OH and why wont yall give me a dvr? ppsstt, DISH network hooked me up with one so whats comcast's problem?
thanks again
8777 70 158 0141619
Tiffany Tamborello
- June 7, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Comcast. All I wanted was to give you my money each month, a whopping $150 bucks plus, in exchange you would provide me with cable that worked. Signed up in February, called numerous times about the service, disconnected in May. Not only will you not get my money, I am telling anyone that will listen about the service I did not receive.8220206910278589
- June 7, 2008 at 3:05 PM
I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick of Comcast.
I have had so many problems with my cable connection over the past year.
It comes on only when it wants to.
No picture.
No Sound.
Picture disappears.
Channels come and go.
And believe it or not, all of that I am willing to put up with just so I don't have to speak to an ignorant Comcast person who doesn't know what they're talking about.
But then over the past 2 months I started getting complete service interruption (just a blue screen on all of my TVs.)
So I had to call them.
They came 3 days later (I am told that I was lucky because sometimes it could be even longer!)
The Cable man tore up my house (he had mud on his shoes.)
But after about an hour my connection was restored.
He could not tell me what the problem was though.
(By the way, when I got my bill, I was charged for both the service call and for the days that my cable was out! After multiple calls to Comcast they said they would adjust the incorrect charges.)
Fine, everything's fixed, right?
It started happening again within a month later.
And over the past few weeks I've had complete service interruption again (just a blue screen on all of my TVs)
I call Comcast again.
Of course they have no idea that I called a minimum of 3 other times about this and they have no idea that this has been an ongoing problem.
Anyway, I got an appointment within a few days (again, I am told that I was lucky.)
The cable man was at my home for less than 10 minutes.
He didn't even wait to see if everything was connected properly.
Of course there's still a problem!
Both of my boxes need to be reset.
After 3 more calls to Comcast over the past few days, they were able to reset one of the boxes.
One of the other boxes still needs to be reset (all the channels says "to be announced," and I cannot use the DVR or the On-Demand until the box is reset.)
Also, there are 2 broadcast network stations on both boxes that now have completely No Sound & are very snowy! (This was never the problem before.)
What is wrong with these people?
Why is it so difficult to get what I am paying for?
And I'm sure my bill this month is going to be a 3-ring circus. I can just imagine the types of charges that will be on here.
I am very seriously thinking about either:
1) switching to Verizon Fios
2) switching to Satellite
3) canceling cable and having nothing because anything has to be better than this
I am so frustrated.
- June 8, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Comcast's biggest problem is the people who answer the phone. They are SO poorly trained, or even untrained. I can see the training now, "When your phone rings, answer it and tell the customer we have to send someone out to their home."
Last week I had severe tiling, and picture freezing ON MY TV THAT CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO THE CABLE. Now, someone PLEASE tell me how a TV fed with RF cable, and a NTSC (analog) source can freeze and tile unless the problem is at the node or earlier, where the signal is actually digital? Well, the answer is it cannot. They had to send someone to my home because it COULD be in my home. Hey, I spent 26 years in broadcast engineering, and I can tell you for a fact that it cannot be in my home, so forget it. He said he used to be a technician. Yea, right.
Today, over half the channels went out. Some were frozen pictures, some were mosaics of tiles -- totally art, not a picture of anything, but most were noise. I called Comcast. Once again, they have to send someone to my home.
OK, send them. Waste $60-80 on a useless truck-roll. When is my appointment -- IN EIGHT DAYS! Hey, I can get FIOS in about that same time!
So, let's recap. The problem is NOT at my house, but I have to wait a week and a day, next Wednesday, for someone to come out AGAIN, and tell me, AGAIN, what I already know, THIS PROBLEM CANNOT OCCUR IN THE HOME!
How hard is it to develop a little flow chart that walks either the customer for THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IDIOT through a little bit of trouble shooting? How much money would Comcast save by not sending out trucks when it won't help anything?
How much would customer satisfaction improve if the CSRs didn't treat the customer as if he/she is an idiot? How much would customer satisfaction improve if the customer didn't have to wait EIGHT DAYS only to be told the problem CANNOT POSSIBLY be inside their home.
How much would customer satisfaction improve if we didn't have to block out three or four hours to wait for Comcast to show up -- AND THEN FIND OUT THE ENTIRE SITUATION WASN'T EVEN NEEDED?
Comcast, you know if you didn't do all these unneeded truck-rolls, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE IT WOULDN'T TAKE EIGHT DAYS FOR YOU TO GET TO A SERVICE CALL!
Come on Comcast. You are a BIG company. You can afford to develop a training program and roll it out to your call centers. Heck, I could do it! I could write up a training program, make it interactive, and sit the person down at a computer for a few days so that when they actually get on the phones they either own a clue, or know where to go to borrow one!
Oh, yea. I was told that new software would take care of the key latency problem in the HD DVR box, and that the software would be out by the end of May. Well, the problem is still there.
We had Tornado Warnings in the county last week. The cable's EAS was ATTEMPTED four times. It never worked right. Last night, the RWT was sent just before 2 AM. All it does it switch to channel 14 (Univision) and play the SAME data bursts. No audio. Oh, well.
There is one more really sad thing. While I have an appointment in EIGHT DAYS, this post will get something done today or tomorrow. Too bad you have to take the problem public to get any results. Of course, nothing will get fixed on the EAS, and that is only Public Safety.
Ward Fetrow
Account #: 01668 024168-01-1
- June 10, 2008 at 11:21 AM
My name is Dave. I left a comment dated June 4. I am very happy to report that my TV problems have been fixed. I am very grateful. I wish to thank Mr. Kayin Joseph for taking immediate action to resolve my TV problems. As soon as my comment was published. Mr. Joseph called me personally and asked what he and Comcast could do to help me. I also wish to thank ComCast Technician "Arthur" for his professionalism and attention to my problem. I found Arthur to be very friendly and very willing to detect and fix my TV problems. I also wish to thank the other ComCast personnel for their professionalism. I have been a long time Comcast cable subscriber and wish to remain one. I have no doubt of subscribing to Comcast when I know that I will receive response to my TV concerns; as was shown by Mr. Kayin Joseph and Arthur. AGain, thank you.
- June 10, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Surprisingly, I don't have any complaints about the cost of Comcast's service in the Chicago area. In fact, I have been trying to establish service for nearly two weeks now but keep getting credits on my account! For the record, that account number is 879830018494412.
Here is my story in short form....
May 31st, 2008
We had an appointment to have cable and internet installed from 1-5 PM. Our technician called to see if he could come early, and then we told him that movers were still around. He then canceled our appointment and rescheduled for the middle of the week.
Of course no other technician in Chicago was available at 4PM on Saturday, so we continued to call customer service.
The best moment was when Mark (supervisor at national call center) didn't even bother to take a complaint. We even told him that we had the technician's phone # (773.759.8497).
Tally: $25 credit
June 7th, 2008
Because we both work full-time, we had to wait an additional week for a technician to come out. Two very professional tech's came out to inform us that we needed to have someone from the MDU (Multi-Dwelling Unit) come out to install additional wiring. They were both very helpful - no complaints.
June 9th, 2008
I called Comcast around 11AM, because I had not heard anything about a scheduled appointment from the MDU. As it turns out, someone was coming out from 1 to 5! Excellent! I took the afternoon off, and hurried home.... and waited... and waited.
After calling customer service, I was promised that an escalation had been placed on my account and that someone would be coming first thing the following morning.
Tally: $25 credits (2) + free installation
June 10th, 2008 (present day)
I received no phone call in the morning as was promised. I reluctantly called customer service around 4:15 to hear the normal lines, "We do have an escalation work order in place, so someone should be out there today. We are sorry for the inconvenience" But the day wasn't over, so they couldn't go ahead and give me my credit....
So I call back at 5 PM and talk to Peter (ID 2167, Tinley Park), who I'm pretty sure lied to me. He told me that MDU appointments are scheduled in a 72 hour window (false, not when there is an escalation). He also then told me that "Someone tried to call you at 9:30 AM, but they said the phone number was invalid." Isn't it odd that the representative at 4:15 PM didn't mention this alleged 9:30 AM phone call?
End result being that Peter ensured me that a work order has been put in for someone from the MDU to come out from 9AM-1PM tomorrow. Additionally, they scheduled another technician to come out on June 13th to install everything else. This is also amusing, because I was told yesterday that installation technicians come within 24 hours of the MDU. I'm not holding my breath for either.
Tally: $25 credits (3) + free installation
The worst part about this is that I'm trapped - RCN and Verizon do not service my condo complex. I would love nothing more than to give Comcast the boot, but I'm stuck until AT&T comes to town. Does anyone have suggestions to convince Comcast to come install my service so that I can start paying them, rather than accruing credits?
Best Regards,
- June 10, 2008 at 4:04 PM
I am frustrated beyond belief and I can not begin to believe that a successful corporate entity such as Comcast would treat its customers with such disregard blatant disrespect.
First and foremost, I have been contacted personally by Area VP, or at least that is what he told me, John Anderson, in regards to my problems. Mr. Anderson called me on May 20, 2008, and has yet to call me back or return any of my messages, or the apparent messages left by Comcast Representatives. Especially, and after the fact, that Mr. Anderson promised me that he would come out and take a look because of our countless problems. It has been almost a month and we have been calling, but apparently he is not respectful enough to at least contact us back.
We have had a total of nine technicians come and assess the potential problem, in which more mishaps have been created rather than solutions. One technician literally told us that we were "shit out of luck, and would have to deal with poor service and picture." We have been blown off so far five times for scheduled appointments. Three of those times, the technician called his supervisor from our apartment and confirmed with us in person. After being blown off, I called Customer Service and was called a "liar" by several Customer Service Representatives, and then hung up on.
The notes your Customer Service Representatives have do not match, are not correct, and are skewed. I was in a verbal argument with a rep because there was no notation of Mr. Anderson ever calling me…So how did I obtain his number? The Comcast website does not even have a mailing address, yet individual's phone numbers. So once again, I guess I am a liar?!?!
I purchased a 50" Plasma and the picture that I am getting is worse than an old school tube TV with a foil antenna. I am experiencing heavy pixilation, blank green screens, loss of sound and/or picture, and best of all, I am not even running HD because that looks 10 times worse.
All I was asking for is some help and relief; however, and with that being said, it seems as if that is too much to ask for. I am now demanding some sort of compensation, because I have not received the quality of services as expected or promised from your countless advertisements. Overall, this is outrageous and unacceptable! How much money do we, the consumers, pay Comcast a month? I think that a portion of that needs to be re-invested into HR!
So far, technicians have replaced cable boxes, component cables, moved our line from a 2-port hub to an 8-port hub, sent signals through the line to possibly fix the problem, and lastly, a damage control technician had to come out because our wall was broke thanks to a prior technician. There is more, and I can continue, but I feel that this should be enough information to get my point across. All in all, nothing has worked, but we are still being ridiculed by your Customer Service Representatives.
If someone has called this much to complain about your service, shouldn't something be done? I would think that I am a top priority due to the amount of complains I have filed; but of course, why should Comcast pay any attention to me?
- June 11, 2008 at 11:18 AM
I'm Alexandria, Va. I've had infrequent, random service break-ups (HD channels not coming in or breaking up) for 6 months, but the problem would go away. Starting around May 8, 2008, my service really started to deteriorate. Usually, it goes away so I figured I wait a few days. Well, it didn't.
Please note, the techs who come out for the service calls are good guys who make every attempt to diagnose the problem, and each time eventually identified the problem as an outside issue. I have no beef with them.
Here's a running account of my expereince so far.
1) Called for service on May 10; was told someone would arrive the next day (Sunday). No one showed. Called back, CSR said appt. was for Tuesday, not Sunday, despite me asking the original CSR twice to confirm it was for Sunday.
2) Had to schedule appt. for May 16. Technician almost immediately diagnosed issue as a bad TAP (outside/maintenance issue). He said it would take 2-3 days to fix. He would let his supervisor know, and it would take a day or two to fix.
3) Called CSR to ask on progress of my service issue. Sylvia at the Manassas call center said it would take 2-4 weeks to fix. She said tech was wrong. She added the maintenance request into the system, since the technician had not indicated it. She left her extension in case I wanted to call her back. I requested comcast call me when issue was resolved.
4) Scheduled another appt. for June 4 (I think...I can't remember). Tech never showed, and never called or left a message.
5) I called CSR back and asked why no one showed, and when will the issue be resolved. She couldn't answer either question.
6) Informed the CSR that if the problem was not resolved by June 13 I would be switching providers, and to please note that in my file.
7) Scheduled another appt. for June 10.
8) Sent an email to"Ask Rick" via the comcast website, outlining my issues, on June 7.
9) On June 9, received a voicemail message from a woman named "Rose" to discuss my issue. I assumed she's from the Manassas, Va. call center. She said she could be reached all week until 5pm. at (703) 789-8011
10) Left two messages at the number Rose left; both went to a generic voicemail.
11) As of June 11 at 1:30pm, she has not returned my call.
12) June 10 - Tech showed up, eventually diagnosed the problem as the TAP (outside/maintenance issue) and informed me he would tell his supervisor, and that it would take 2-3 days to fix (seems to be the company line).
13) June 11 I called my local cable TV commission; awaiting a return call.
14) Posted an account of my issues on getsatisfaction.com
15) Emailed email@example.com with an account of my issues. Also reiterated I'm ready to switch providers, and their time is running out.
16) Within an hour received an email reply from a Melissa Mendoza at National Customer Operations, stating she is "reaching out to the regional leadership team now to discuss this. You can rest assured I will see to it your concerns are addressed and you are called ASAP."
17) I replied back saying thank you and left my cell number so someone can reach me.
No one, and I mean NO ONE, at Comcast has been able to escalate my problem or seems the least bit concerned about my issue.
My channels will work late in the evening (usually after 10pm) but do not work any other time of the day, which doesn't make ANY sense.
The fact that I've had to go to this length to receive anything close to decent service is appalling. I'll update when the issue is resolved.
- June 11, 2008 at 12:10 PM
I moved into my new home in January and disconnected Comcast 3 months later. After intermittent service, several incorrect bills, 7+ infuriating calls with the only call center number posted for Comcast, an incorrect credit that I am too tired to fight, and multiple no shows by outsourced service technicians, I am now a Verizon FIOS customer and am MUCH HAPPIER. I highly recommend the switch.
- June 11, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Update to my running list above
18) Woman from Manassas, Va. center called me. I guess she wasn't getting my voicemail messages. Anyway, there's a ray of light. Her name is Rose. She's a very nice lady, has been very helpful, and promised me she'd get me some answers. She left messages with the maintenance supervisors, expects to hear from them in the morning, and will contact ne once she does.
- June 11, 2008 at 5:41 PM
19) Well, I was promised a call back around 9 am this morning but have yet to receive it. Looks like the ray of light is burning out.
- June 12, 2008 at 1:24 PM
I've had so many problems with Comcast that I feel what's the point in fighting anymore. Wish I had known about this site a year ago.
Anyway, just a quick note about what Comcast could be. I have both Verizon FiOS for data and Comcast for TV (better than putting all your eggs in the Comcast basket). Thunderstorm rolled thru the other day, and I lost bot the FiOS and the Comcast Cable.
Verizon had a tech at my house within an hour of my call, and a second one out by noon, problem fixed. Second tech that came out even made a followup call today.
Comcast, on the the other hand -- and I have total service outage -- cannot see me 'til next Tuesday afternoon (of course with that big "cableguy window").
Admittedly, I called Verizon sooner, but why can't Comcast make an effort to get someone out the same day also? Why do I have to wait several days with a total service outage?
Verizon is what Comcast could and should aspire to be.
- June 13, 2008 at 11:50 AM
- DL Cobb said...
Mr. Garfield please consider an "All of the Above" or an "Other" category as this would qualify.
I have had numerous issues with Comcast over the last three years where I have been forced to use their service given no viable alternatives. I have come to have a saying that Comcast only fumbles on days ending in 'Y." None of these I deemed post worthy as they would simply be more stories about a company where customer service is a four letter word. This incident however I feel compelled to post as a warning to others.
I recently made a payment using my bank check card. Later that same day I noticed through on-line banking that not one but two charges had been sent. Twice as much as I had authorized had been deducted from my account.
I immediately called Comcast and after the normal 45 minutes to an hour of waiting and being transferred someone told me I had been credited for $2X. I informed the voice on the other end that I had only authorized $X and I wanted this issue resolved. He placed me on hold again and after a further wait I was informed that yes in fact two charges were sent. Having now been told what I already knew I asked what was to be done.
I was informed that it would be "sent to finance," I was giving a reference number and told I would hear from the finance department within two hours. Foolishly I believed him and said my thank you and hung up.
Next morning, after of course NOT having heard back from Comcast, I called my bank. I might mention that I have had nothing but wonderful customer service experiences with my bank (Chevy Chase of Maryland) and this was no exception. I was told that it was a clear case of a double charge and as Comcast had already admitted the error the simple solution was to have Comcast call them with a "reverse authorization number" and the matter could be cleared up in moments.
Armed with this information I called Comcast again this time I was told that I would be unable to reach the finance office and that I had been misinformed – that there was never any chance "someone from finance" would contact me within two hours. More likely it will take three to five days! I said this was unacceptable and must be put in touch with someone who could fix this issue now. The agent said "sir there is a backlog. Issues are dealt as they arise."
The concept floored me. I may need some translation but I understood her to mean there are such a large number of customers whose bank accounts or credit cards Comcast has fouled up that I have to wait in line?
Now I understand (as I believe we all do) that double billings or charges can happen – rarely but they do. But can you think of any other merchant, company, association who wouldn't bend over backwards to resolve such a fumble immediately, and I mean yesterday, apologizing profusely the whole time? Only Comcast would try to make ME feel like the villain.
Needless to say my next call was again to my bank, where I initiated a credit dispute and investigation. I might add that during my conversation with the investigator she informed me that they (the credit dispute department) had had many dealings with Comcast. The initial phase of the investigation was to remove both charges from my account pending the outcome. So now Comcast doesn't have any of my money, a fact I am sure they will discover in far less than the three to five days I was told it would take to resolve the issue.
The moral here (and I thank those who took the time to read all the way through) DO NOT under any circumstances give Comcast a credit card or bank card number. EVER! Pay electronically through your banks bill paying function or by check or in person. Never give them a card number…..it's like giving whisky and car keys to a teenager.
DL Cobb
- June 13, 2008 at 9:33 PM
"Comcast, on the the other hand -- and I have total service outage -- cannot see me 'til next Tuesday afternoon (of course with that big "cableguy window")."
Just a followup to my original post of 6/13.
My wife has a bit more fight in her than I do when dealing with Comcast, and after talking to several people, finally got Comcast to agree to come out between 7-11 on Saturday (there's that big window again).
Not surprisingly, they didn't show. Called once, got disconnected after speaking to someone who's English was unintelligable.
Second call, oh, they are coming, but no one is set up to be dispateched to your location (whatever that means, are they coming or not?).
So, here it is, 2PM on a Saturday, no Comcast, no service, after the 7-11 promised window has come and gone. Like I have no life and can spend an entire weekend day waiting for the cable guy. (Obviously, I have no life for being stupid enough to put up with Comcast for so long).
Monday, at 9AM, we get Verizon on the phone and get Verizon FiOS video installed. Didn't want to put all my eggs in either basket, but this is my third train wreck customer service experience with Comcast. The last one was so bad they gave me a huge discount on my service for a whole year. But the hassle factor isn't worth the $25/month savings anymore.
Three strikes and you're out.
- June 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM
- heyjude71 said...
I'm not including my account number, because a reply from Comcast would be pointless now. I'm getting a Dish Network dish next Saturday.
I write because I hear that Comcast pays attention to this site and hope to better the conditions for the unfortunate people who have no unobstructed view of the southern sky.
I, like so many people across the nation, was recently forced to switch from another cable company to Comcast. In my case (in Fishers, IN), I had Insight -- a very reliable service. After two years with Insight, I had no idea how good or poor their customer service was because I NEVER had a need to contact them. Now THAT'S customer service! As soon as Insight was forced out by Comcast (January 08), the problems began. I recognize the 'take-over' couldn't be seamless, but I think that some degree of customer service could have softened the blow. For the first few months, my internet service went down for most of the day several times. (I had other, less major complaints as well which I won't bother to list.) Usually, completely unplugging your modem and router, turning off your computer, waiting 10 or 15 minutes, then starting everything up again would fix it. – A major frustration, but did seem to get you going again for awhile. (This was the solution offered on their website.) When this solution no longer worked for me, I contacted Comcast and they told me that they were doing scheduled maintenance in my area and that was the reason for the service interruption. They very politely sympathized with me for my plight. "I understand how you feel, [customer name]." was the reply.
I asked if I somehow missed the e-mail informing customers of this pre-planned down time and she replied, "No, you didn't miss anything, [customer name]."
Using my name and pretending to be sympathetic doesn't help me when I'm unable to do my job all day because I cannot connect to my company's server. A simple e-mail with an apology and a list of dates and times for planned internet outages would have avoided the whole problem. Many people, like me, could have made other arrangements, but they only had apologies to offer after the damage was done. I told her I planned to switch from Comcast as soon as possible because of their (lack of useful) customer service and she again replied, "I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, [customer name]." -- No offer to try to amend the situation. (E.g. At least not charging me for the days of internet service for which I could not do my job.")
Using my name in every sympathetic reply does not make me feel warm and fuzzy. I get sympathy about Comcast from my friends and family. --What I need from Comcast is the service I pay for. (My brother-in-law recently cancelled all three of his Comcast services for customer service issues and my 72-year-old mother-in-law is fed up with them as well, but has no other options for cable. Maybe I should buy her a hammer? Actually, my brother-in-law doesn't either, but opted for NO service over poor, frustrating service.)
The service interruptions didn't last long and my internet has been very reliable for a couple of months now. But the customer service I received left a bad taste in my mouth. People all over the U.S. were complaining about similar outages after being forced to switch to Comcast and were met with much the same types of responses as described below. When met with customer comment like, "This problem is widespread! Comcast, are you listening?!?" many of the Comcast replies involved discussing what, exactly, constitutes a problem as "widespread". Links to other, much more widespread customer complaints about Comcast were offered. They were told their problem was just random, but offered no solution. These replies angered the customers so much that they began submitting replies to him that had to be censored. (This was the same Comcast rep I mention in my comment below.)
I have no stories anything like the Comcast nightmares I read about on the internet, and on the Comcast help forum, but decided to switch to Dish Network for a few reasons.
1) Because I can
2) Lower monthly bill
3) EXCELLENT customer service (I hear Dish Network & DirecTV are #1 & #2 in customer service. -- I don't know which is which, but they're so much better than Comcast that I don't care.)
4) They don't shove advertisements down your throat.
The last straw:
Many Comcast cable customers have been very frustrated by something Comcast is doing and they show no intentions of fixing the problem.
The problem? Our cable guide looks like downloaded free-ware. Remember when paying a good price for a service would ensure they wouldn't bombard you with ads? Not anymore. Every time I flip the page of my guide, a large, intrusive ad appears at the bottom of each page. The ad stretches across the whole guide, and is more than twice as tall as one of the lines used to list programs. It wouldn't be SO bad, but the text of the guide is so large (for today's TVs) that only 5 lines of programming can be viewed at a time. So it's 1.5 hours wide, and 5 programs high -- what a waste. I Googled for images of guides from some other providers and found many which seemed to be developed solely for the convenience of the customer. -- Nicely sized text, plenty of rows and best yet -- NO ADS!
Ok, not all of them are "advertisements". Some of them describe upcoming programs and other informational-types of things. Today, there are four of them: A Fandango ad, an FLN ad, an on-demand ad, and a Parents TV ad. Some of them provide links to set reminders, read more info, etc., but I think most people could do without these things. Can we at least have the option to turn off this feature which is there for our convenience? No...
I, like many people, have programmed my brain to ignore ads on the computer. Even if I saw one for something I wanted I would not click on it, thereby encouraging their use. The result? -- Wasted space on an already-too-small guide and many Comcast customers who feel they're paying premium prices to be bombarded with advertisements.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Excerpt from one customer's reply from Comcast support:
Comcast is using our technology to educate our customers about the value of Comcast Digital Cable service. The banner ads you are seeing on your guide, provide tips and instructions on how to use certain features, like Parental Controls and Favorites.
Comcast is planning to continue showing these ads; however, we do appreciate you sharing your point of view. It is our goal to make sure your Digital Cable television experience is as valuable to you as possible. Thank you for your feedback.
Another reply to an angry customer complaint:
Thank you for contacting the Comcast Office of Rick Germano, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations regarding the new banner you are seeing when you go to guide on your Television. These banner links are a way we can help educate all of our customers about the value of Comcast digital cable service.
These banners provide tips and instructions on how to use certain features, like Parental Controls and Favorites. They also promote various programs that are in your regular channel line-up. Through links for these programs, you can set reminders or record shows that interest you.
If you need further assistance please feel free to contact us again by directly replying to this email.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If it's for our 'service', and we don't want it, shouldn't be able to turn it off in our cable box settings? I don't understand. These customers are telling Comcast clearly that they DON'T WANT this "service", but Comcast replies that it is there for their benefit and they have no intentions of changing it. (I feel confident that I can find the programming and features I want on my own and would much rather have the guide space.)
The technicians on-line, on the Comcast help forums, seem a little more "real", but one of them in particular is so rude to customers that I simply stare, dumbfoundedly, at some of his replies to other customers. (I've seen other techs on the same site who are polite, helpful, and are at least patient when they cannot satisfy the customer.) I think that most people would be frustrated with what he has to deal with, but I also feel that customer service reps should be a little better than that. The only impression you can be left with when you read some of his replies is that Comcast doesn't care.
Many people are complaining about the guide ads on the Comcast forums:
CajunTek (Comcast security expert) replies to a customer complaint and threat to switch to a different provider:
I have bad news... My Cable Provider is TimeWarner and we have ads on the guide.. One of my coworkers has FIOS... and ads on the guide.. I have a feeling if you make that change... you'll still have ...... ads on the guide.
CanjunTek, in another complaint reply:
Comcast is not alone in it.. Either live with the Ads or go back to rabbit ears... Oh, that's right.. You'll still get ads..
Comcast Customer:
Just because they all do it...I guess that means its ok to sit down and accept it? Hope your comfy.
CanjunTek's reply:
Yes, quite comfy. Here's the real point.. Take away those ads and watch the bill go up.. Yes it is too expensive already, but with the heavy investment that Comcast, ATT, Time Warne FIOS etc, are making in infrastructure they need all the income they can get to keep their stockholders happy..
See heading "Banner Ads on guide!!", under "Help Forums > Comcast Cable TV > Banner Ads on guide!!"
I read this and am unsure if I'd rather hear the sappy, useless customer service reps on the phone, or read their sarcastic replies on-line. (I opted for neither.)
Telling us to "live with it" has never been good customer service and it never will. Okay, you can't help us, just tell us so -- rudeness does not help to make your point. And telling us "everyone does it" is not only untrue; it has also never been a good excuse. Did that work with your parents when you were a teen? Mine either - and it doesn't work with me. Providing a good service must inherently involve striving to be better than your competition.
By the way, I also receive spam from Comcast on my cable box. A red dot appears on the front of the box, and an envelope appears on the already crowded guide, until you go into the menu and delete it. We used to be able to opt out of 'messages', but apparently they no longer think we know what we want because they removed that option.
So far, Dish Network has been extremely helpful. I'm sure they have their unsatisfied customers as well, but they at least seem to realize the importance of customer service. My problems with Comcast are nowhere nearly as severe as some others, but because Dish Network is cheaper, it's easy to switch, and they seem to have good customer service, I figured – why not? (My Comcast service goes down no more often during storms than my friends' Dish Network service.)
Interesting Web References on similar topics:
See: "Comcast Customer Satisfaction At All Time Low", published on 5/21/08 on dslreports.com: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Customer-Satisfaction-At-All-Time-Low-94611
Also see the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) scores for these companies here: http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=180&Itemid=186
I hope for current Comcast customers that Comcast can improve on some of these issues.
Former Comcast Customer
PS: It's absolutely hilarious that Comcast uses this site to discover customer complaints. Customers on the Comcast site complain that they should read their own site for complaints as well, but they reply that they do… I suppose that means they approve of what their technicians are typing.
- June 14, 2008 at 2:05 PM
My complaints are too long but I have emails to the corporate office listing the complaints. My main problem right now is ordering Pay Per view events. My boyfriend has not missed one UFC until we moved to Belleville, NJ.
April UFC - could not purchase from the TV missed 30-1 hour of the event.
May UFC - purchased from TV and there was just a black screen. Called customer service rep and they informed us that our cable box was not in their system so they could not trouble shoot the problem. Please note...technician was at our home only a few hours ago!
June UFC - purchased ufc and recorded it from a new cable box. Still had a black screen and no one from the union customer service office could troubleshoot the problem.
June Elite XC - purchased event at 10pm and a black screen appeared. Called customer service rep and they blamed the error on the strong storm.
Unfortunately, the HOA for my townhouse will not allow us to install a satellite on our roof and Fios is not available in my town. Does anyone have any suggestions to get this resovled?
I've sent emails to corporate and included Brian Robers and the lead technician on the emails but my problems have not yet been resolved
- June 14, 2008 at 8:57 PM
I've had Comcast digital cable for almost two weeks. For the most part, we've been missing a few local channels as well as channels 37-41, which display the dreaded "One moment please. This channel should be available shorty." message.
I've already switched out my cable box to a different one and the problem persists. They insist on sending out a tech, which would mean I would have to pony up some $$$ or sign up for their $0.99/mo repair plan. I wonder how much they make from the $0.99/mo plan; everyone knows Comcast has shoddy service and it's inevitable you will have to pay for the service plan or pay $20 per service call or whatever they charge.
To add insult to injury, the HD channels on Comcast seems to have a much poor image quality than over-the-air HD channels I've seen. It's disappointing to have invested in a HDTV and cable with a HD box to have mediocre picture quality. On top of all this, the Guide button doesn't work when I'm watching the HD channels in the 700s, and when I'm watching something on On Demand, the video scrub bar doesn't show up when I try to FF/rewind.
It just seems like Comcast has half-baked technology that works haphazardly, but they offer it to customers as final product. The problems I'm having doesn't seem acceptable in a sellable product. It's only because Comcast has a virtual monopoly in some areas that they can continue to offer mediocre to inferior product and still sign up new customers. While most of the customer service reps I've dealt with have been nice and try to help, in the end, it always ends up at "we need to send a tech." If Comcast had service that actually worked, they wouldn't have to spend so much resources on CSRs and techs to solve the problems that shouldn't be there in the first place.
Comcast is a prime example of a company whose greed and ambition overreaches beyond the quality of its service and product. I can think of many other evil corporations, but at least their products function properly.
- June 14, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Well, I guess it is only fair to post a resolution followup to my posts of 6/13 and 6/14.
I was originally given a window of 7-11 AM Saturday, the Comcast technician came at about 7 PM Saturday (talk about a big cable guy window), and fixed the problem in all of about 10 minutes (bad splitter, must have gotten fried somehow in the thunderstorm, I dunno).
Anyway, the tech was nice, competent, professional, etc. I have no problems in general with the techs when they finally get here.
I guess it is a corporate thing. I don't know if it is greed, incompetence, or both, but the process from calling a problem in to getting a tech out is just god awful, and hasn't improved.
I guess I am a simpleton, but my recommendation to improve things is
a) have a number you can call to get a rep that speaks clean English, and have a phone system that doesn't constantly cut you off (sort of ironic for a communications company). I'm not prejudiced in any way, and don't care if it is outsourced to the moon, but the English should not be a hassle to communicate with the rep, regardless of where it is. I think alot of the problems start right at this initial communucations stage -- once you deviate from the script with a problem, it is hassle city.
b) If the problem is catastrophic (total loss of service), dispatch a tech within 8 business hours. No exceptions. Don't be cheap, hire enough capactity to do it.
c) When you dispatch a tech, give a reasonable window, and hit it. Have them call 15 minutes before they are to arrive. This isn't hard. It is absurd to be given a 4 hour window in the first place, and then to miss it by another 8 hours. And I don't think it is the tech's fault. Open the wallet and get better logistics and dispatch software. Computer models can be used to make this process less painful for the customer.
I know these steps are possible, because the competition does them.
Comcast knows they have a customer service problem as they monitor and respond to these web sites. Why doesn't some VP at corporate just look at the big problem and get it done, rather than continue to fight these fires as one offs?
- June 15, 2008 at 8:00 AM
I am having trouble with my dvr.
I can't get a replacemnet because I have a set with HDMI hook up. None are avalible. I can have a service tech come out and install one for a $26.00 charge. It seems the service tech has one. Maybe this is for new customers, every when else gets scrwed.
comcast cust. # 20001085792 014
- June 15, 2008 at 6:00 PM
We have a comcast digital box. Suddenly last week the lower (local) channels disappeared. Then gradually some of the other channels disappeared too. I called Comcast and they were sure it was my cable connection which is a good but older cable direct from the box and has already worked fine. I was wondering how they were so sure. I checked and it did work on a newer line my house. Then I found out that someone else in town had the same problem at the same time. I am assuming that Comcast has again changed something that affects those with older cables. I would like to find out if this is possible and what it might be before I contact Comcast for service. Can anyone help?
P.S. I'll get an Open/ID setup so I don't have to sign is as anonymous in the future
- June 16, 2008 at 9:34 AM
- themanwhocameback said...
Incredibly poor Comcast service
From: William Mullin (email@example.com)
Sent: Sun 6/15/08 8:21 PM
To: email@example.com
Cc: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mr, Roberts:
I am writing to advise you how completely and utterly disgusted I am with the "customer service" I have received from your company, and how frustrated I am with the 13 hours and growing (I'm currently on hold) that I have spent trying to resolve issues with your inept and dishonest representatives.
The "On Demand" services on my HD DVR -- a service for which I pay dearly every month -- stopped working more than a fortnight ago. I arranged for a service appointment (quite far from my original date of complaint), and finally had the technician arrive past the agreed service window. He provided a "new" DVR STB which had a couple of drawbacks -- it was 100% full with some other customer's DVR recordings (something that no doubt breaks a number of copyright laws) and there was no audio.
Said technician informed me that he "had to step outside to take a call" and took off. This is PATHETIC customer service, and any reasonable company would fire such a performer.
I was informed that the next service window was five days out from my call, which was clearly unacceptable and shoddy. I agreed to return this useless STB to your local service office, and was provided with a replacement After a number of calls to your "service" line (with HOURS of waiting), I was informed that it takes up to 48 hours for the STB to authorize (a subsequent representative on your service line informed me "that's not correct"). Why I was not told this when I picked up the STB is a mystery, and the time range is ridiculous. If only it were, despite these limitations, true. However, another Comcast lie.
50 hours later, I attempted to actually use On Demand features. Shockingly, completely non-responsive. I called (yet again) into your service center and waited for a ludicrous amount of time, only to be informed that because VOD is a "free" service (despite your company's repeated advertisements of how this is a valuable service differentiator), that I was not entitled to an additional service credit, despite the fact that the next available functional service window from a "technician" (one has to hope less of a complete moron than your last on-site representative) is next Saturday, six days out.
I am dumbfounded as to how your company retains ANY customers. Shame on this completely unacceptable level of Comcrapstic service. Please be assured that I will be relentless in advising friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members to avoid dealings with your deceitful and customer-antagonistic policies.
With profound indignation,
William T. Mullin
- June 17, 2008 at 5:30 AM
I posted a problem that i had with my dvr box on Sunday. Today i am a very happy camper. My problem was sovled.
- June 17, 2008 at 10:40 AM
To anyone wanting to get a Cablecard for a Tivo HD on Comcast in Cobb County (West of Atlanta):
as of now, don't bother.
Comcast has just cancelled the 3rd appointment for the install and all they can do is schedule another appointment because they have no idea when they will get a card (first two cancels) or one that works (latest one).
If anyone from Comcast corporate is reading this, please help the local office out here, because they shouldn't keep scheduling appointments that they can't keep.
I'm getting tired of them wasting my time with this, especially when I shouldn't need a tech to do this in the first place (some local Comcast offices give them out, and it shouldn't be rocket science to call in to get a card paired up because that's all the tech is going to do).
I also shouldn't have to remind them that providing Cablecards is an FCC requirement.
Account #8220 11 110 0045519
- June 17, 2008 at 2:45 PM
May 30th 2008, Comcast came out to fix my cable. During this disaster, two technicians dropped my television and broke my DVD player.
I've reported this incident to both the so-called customer service representative and the claims department. The claims representative in Philadelphia Demi Burton was very helpful and she could not believe what was going on with the Comcast office in Houston.
I have had repeated technicians come out to correct this problem and their response is the tv is broken, but the tv is working when connected from the wall and not the converter box.
What little service I did receive, the convertor box shuts down and turns the television off.
I have been told that the tv is broken, however, you can get a semi-decent picture. A tech just left my house and he hooked up his television to my cable line and said that my t.v. was broken. Yeah right. When this "genius" hooked the cable from the wall to my t.v. Guess what? Cable TV.
Now I wonder who do I get to replace the damaged items?
COMCAST or COMCROOK
- June 17, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Update on accont number 09588 119212-06-4. The extra charges were removed from my bill affter filing a complaint with the BBB.
- June 17, 2008 at 5:16 PM
Former Comcast employee speaks out. This company does not care about you, or any customer service issues. All they are intrested in is money, and meeting sales goals. Contact yout city, (Comcast has to renew its contract with your city regularly) and tell them you want Comcast out, and you don't want them coming back. Sell your shares of Comcast and never buy any more. Blog your complaint all over the internet. Let everyone know what a loser company
this is.
Customer service? You will never hear from them. But you will get tons of unsolicited brochures in the mail, (that you're paying for), for their stupid and way over priced VOIP phone service. And should you ever forget to pay your bill, you will get an immediate visit when they come out specially for you, to shut off your service.
Here is my complaint about Comcast:
This morning at 9:38 AM (and again at 9:48 AM) a Comcast service tech came to the Comcast cable box, on the outside of my apartment, and repeatedly and very loudly and aggressively banged on the cable box, till my apartment walls
shook. I am a morning sleeper and this childish behavior of the service tech is quite irratating. Being a former Comcast employee, I know that this is not the proper procedure to service the cable box. Also I think this rude behavior by the service tech is a retalliation, because he or his friends at Comcast remember me and are still envious.
In the past, when I phoned Comcast in regards to four other occasions when this same scenario repeated itself, each time that I called, a customer service rep told me that I will, within 48 hours, recieve a call from a supervisor in the
service tech department. But no one ever calls back. And if I call back again, I'm told that this time someone will definitely call back. But no one calls back.
In the future if this occurs again, I will contact the police and make a criminal complaint for disturbing the peace.
Ironically, I am currently, and have been for years, a Comcast customer with a bill that averages over $125. per month.
Account Number: 87781030210856
- June 17, 2008 at 6:33 PM
- Steve said...
Comcast On Demand is a piece of crap. It freezes up every other day. You call Comcast and they don't even KNOW what ERR018 means. NOBODY AT COMCAST knows this code. All they tell you to do is to reboot and wait an hour. I pay for this service EVERY day, not whichever day Comcast decides to deliver the service. I've had servicemen tell me it tends to be erractic. That helps a lot. I could write a litany of complaints about this poorly run company, but, for today, I will stop at On Demand.
York, PA
- June 18, 2008 at 7:22 AM
I'm looking at a nasty screen of electronic snow. How beautiful. I called Comcast. I got a nice man who I imagine must despise his job. I felt sorry for him and was nice to him. He told me that Comcast is working on some "nodes" in the area. Nodes? He apologized and told me it should be coming back shortly. In short, I can do nothing but wait, until the next time I call, when I will be told I have to sit in my apartment on a weekend day for 5 hours to accomodate the Comcast guys. Capitalism is for the most part a great system and there should be a great opportunity here for some company to come in and just level Comcast with the kind of blow it deserves. Account# 09565 276865-02-7
- June 18, 2008 at 5:13 PM
I'm posting today, because, again, I went to watch a Cardinals game this afternoon, and found it's not available in my area.
This nonsense between MLB and the cable company is idiotic, and it's this precise problem with DirecTV last year that led me to switch to cable. I'm now simply waiting for the right DirecTV offer to come along to switch back. The audacity of Comcast, weighed against an occasional outage during storms is beginning to tip back in favor of DirecTV, and if I get the right offer from free DVR, I'm gone. This is absolute BS. And since I'm now posting my account number, any type of shennanigans with my cable or internet now, and I'm switching the same day. Yes, I do believe they would do that.
BTW, since they cut 15% of the games I paid for, does that mean I can just not send them 15% of that line item on my Comcast bill? I pay extra for FSN Midwest... the b@stards.
I'll post my number but it won't matter, because it's a regional blackout that I doubt than can do anything about other than do a 180 and reverse their decision. Not likely. 8798530011000440
Great. Pissing match between two business behemoths and it's the customer that gets screwed. You'd think that after the influx of customers they got from satellite providers screwing up the baseball thing, they might consider the smart business move of giving their new customers what they want.
Nope. Instead, they're now not provide Big Ten sports either. Brilliant. I can't believe they are able to stay in business.
- June 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM
- Greg said...
People Magazine reported that the morning Tim Russert died he was waiting for the cable man at his son's new apartment in DC.
There is no doubt in my mind that Comcast killed him. People that haven't experienced this horrible company will have no idea what I'm talking about.
- June 20, 2008 at 10:55 PM
I ordered Comcast for tv and internet. At the time the order was placed, I was told the technician would be here between 8:00am and 11:00am on June 21. At 11:38am June 21 still no technician, so I contacted Comcast to be told that I needed to give the technician more time that I was wrong the time frame was 9:00am to 12:00pm (not what I was told) and then abruptly hung up on.
This angered me, but I thought...okay, maybe a time frame screw up on their end.
I waited until after 1:00pm, still no technician, no call or anything, so I contacted them again to be told that the person was updating my account, they apolgize, and someone should be here soon.
5:00pm, still no technician, so I contacted them again and got a very nice lady named Judy who asked if I had a brown door. How many apartment building have brown doors. Every external door in my complex is brown....but after humoring her and answer that yes, I do have a brown door, she promptly stated that the technician had been here and nobody was home. I said "WRONG!", I have been here, what time was the person here? She said 1500 hours....ahh.....3:00pm....is that withing either time frame of 8-11 or 9-12 Judy? Also Judy, I was supposed to recieve a phone call 30 minutes prior to arrival, where is my phone call Judy? This person says I have a brown door and thats all it takes? Judy, being a very bright lady and seemingly customer service minded apologized said she was escalating the ticket and I should here from someone right away. If I don't to please call back.
7:00pm, still no technician....final call to Comcast has yet another customer service rep asking if I have a brown door. I could not refrain any longer and pretty much let 'em have it. First off, they don't show up between 8-11, and its my fault, cause really they were supposed to be there 9-11....then its again my fault cause I have a brown door tech says and they were here.....at 3:00pm. This really has me upset, cause not only are they inept and have wasted 12 hours of my time, but they are insinuating it is somehow my fault.
Then I drilled the rep with rapid fire questions to find out that...the most helpful lady Judy had in fact escalated the issue only to have the technician close out the ticket 5 minutes later because he had come to my apartment and nobody was home and I had a brown door.
These are all lies, I was here, if they did come at 3:00pm, where was my phone call at 2:30pm....and I certainly did not hear a knock at the "brown door".
This is very disgusting.
I am so aggravated and stressed about the issue I am honestly considering taking Comcast to small claims court over wasting 12 hours of my time. When I go out on a consulting job or a services engagement...its $175 an hour. My time is worth money and my personal free time on my day off in my opinion is worth even more than what my clients are charged, however I think small claims court at the normal hourly charge would be sufficient and by not asking for my I feel I would be acting very amiable and charitable to a group of inept buffoons that cost me not just part of my day off....but the whole freaking day.
ticket 824701
- June 22, 2008 at 3:05 PM
I ordered Comcast for tv and internet. At the time the order was placed, I was told the technician would be here between 8:00am and 11:00am on June 21. At 11:38am June 21 still no technician, so I contacted Comcast to be told that I needed to give the technician more time that I was wrong the time frame was 9:00am to 12:00pm (not what I was told) and then abruptly hung up on.
This angered me, but I thought...okay, maybe a time frame screw up on their end.
I waited until after 1:00pm, still no technician, no call or anything, so I contacted them again to be told that the person was updating my account, they apolgize, and someone should be here soon.
5:00pm, still no technician, so I contacted them again and got a very nice lady named Judy who asked if I had a brown door. How many apartment building have brown doors. Every external door in my complex is brown....but after humoring her and answer that yes, I do have a brown door, she promptly stated that the technician had been here and nobody was home. I said "WRONG!", I have been here, what time was the person here? She said 1500 hours....ahh.....3:00pm....is that withing either time frame of 8-11 or 9-12 Judy? Also Judy, I was supposed to recieve a phone call 30 minutes prior to arrival, where is my phone call Judy? This person says I have a brown door and thats all it takes? Judy, being a very bright lady and seemingly customer service minded apologized said she was escalating the ticket and I should here from someone right away. If I don't to please call back.
7:00pm, still no technician....final call to Comcast has yet another customer service rep asking if I have a brown door. I could not refrain any longer and pretty much let 'em have it. First off, they don't show up between 8-11, and its my fault, cause really they were supposed to be there 9-11....then its again my fault cause I have a brown door tech says and they were here.....at 3:00pm. This really has me upset, cause not only are they inept and have wasted 12 hours of my time, but they are insinuating it is somehow my fault.
Then I drilled the rep with rapid fire questions to find out that...the most helpful lady Judy had in fact escalated the issue only to have the technician close out the ticket 5 minutes later because he had come to my apartment and nobody was home and I had a brown door.
These are all lies, I was here, if they did come at 3:00pm, where was my phone call at 2:30pm....and I certainly did not hear a knock at the "brown door".
This is very disgusting.
I am so aggravated and stressed about the issue I am honestly considering taking Comcast to small claims court over wasting 12 hours of my time. When I go out on a consulting job or a services engagement...its $175 an hour. My time is worth money and my personal free time on my day off in my opinion is worth even more than what my clients are charged, however I think small claims court at the normal hourly charge would be sufficient and by not asking more for my time I feel I would be acting very amiable and charitable to a group of inept buffoons that cost me not just part of my day off....but the whole freaking day.
ticket 824701
- June 22, 2008 at 3:13 PM
Dear fellow victims;
I have just returned from a weekend trip to find that half of the channels I had been receiving for over a decade from Comcast, which I had always presumed to be a part of the package I purchased, had been disconnected.
Like any consumer, I contacted Comcast and immediately encountered my first trap.
"If you are having problems with XYZ special event" (which was from the night before and no longer pertinent), "press one. Otherwise WAIT ON THE LINE and a representative will be with you." After ten seconds or so, a recording comes on saying "I did not understand your selection" or some such. "Try again".
After four or five cycles of this, I realized that their system is devised to PREVENT a customer from reaching service. A big-assed company like that doesn't make that kind of a mistake on a part of their business that tends to ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS.
I hit "0" in hopes that they had not yet disabled the zero option.
I was assisted by a very courteous and apologetic young gentlemen. He said that I should have been receiving only the first 28 channels all along...for over TEN YEARS?
I told him I knew nothing of that except that since day one with Comcast, I had been receiving channels up in the 70's...although they have been deleting a few of those channels in recent month under the guise of shifting them to a third tier of ransom, er... payment.
The fellow said he would put me through to "retention" and I asked for that number in case I got cut off, which I suspected would happen. He basically said "ya cain't get thar from hyar!" and he would have to forward me.
They didn't cut me off...but I sat for almost a half-hour, running up my cellphone minutes, without response.
And this was at 1030pm on a SUN night? Rather than think there were a million people in front of me (now, in hindsight, I realize that may have been a possibility), I gathered that I was put on purgatory hold.
I don't know what the problem is on the billing or the service, but the severing of these channels...without notice, is unacceptable.
And the inability to make contact with a qualified Comcast agent within a reasonable amount of time, though expected, is also unacceptable.
But you can do things like that when you are the only cable service (read "monopoly") for an area.
I live in Indianapolis, a "larger city" in the U.S. than South Roxana, Illinois (population 1,888) where my parents live. Their cable company offers 20+ more channels and for $10.00 per month less than what I pay.
Don't know what the reason is because I can't get through to "retention".
COMCAST...if you wish to address this issue with me, you can find my contact information, in your records, as living in your Indianapolis gulag, living on Mistletoe with the last digits of my account number being 42-01-6.
I really don't expect to hear from you until you call to find out why you didn't get my regular monthly ransom fee.
-- another victim --
- June 22, 2008 at 7:58 PM
'...although they have been deleting a few of those channels in recent month under the guise of shifting them to a third tier of ransom, er... payment.'
Exactly what they're doing to us in our town...Olathe, KS outside Kansas City.
Slowly but surely, the Cable Fairies have been spiriting off a channel here, a channel there, moving them to the higher-tier plans.
First ESPN Classic and EWTN, then CMT and soon ESPNnews. All 4 of those got some decent viewing time in our house.
Mysteriously, however, our cable bill hasn't reflected the loss of services. Hmm...
Obviously, bills and losing channels ain't fun and are part of life, but adding insult to injury is the fact that Compost has a complete monopoly on cable in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country...
If I recall, they have the only broadband service here too, but I could be wrong on that one.
- June 22, 2008 at 10:45 PM
From Saint Johns County Florida
I can not believe Comcast still exists
When they took over this area - I called to report I was getting no picture - Their TV service
They had nothing else I wanted
Customer service played me their recorded How wonderful is Comcast while snapping his knuckles to add insults to his lack of response
He posted my comments and when I returned equipment to their local office the lady told me that I did not even have the proper equipment
The reason I got no picture
Their tech responded to this complaint - they ripped the telephone wires out of the single family dwelling I have lived in since 1993
Since they control all the cable companies - get rid of them
The govt says there are 130 mm people adjusted to 124 mm current
DirectTV has 40 million SAT customers plus Indy has the new AT&T system and there is Verizon
HD TV gets rid of Comcast broadband phone and internet
Air antennas will change with HD - depending on the area
In a large metro area they only get VHF HD
In a rural areas they get low end UHF - as that is their local reception anyway
This allows the police and fire radios to work again without being blacked out
So they want to get ESPN abc back on the Air Antenna list with a paid contract
The cable companies started about 1980 in the UNIGOV city where I lived
They have converted to AT&T this year and got rid of Comcast etc
as the last last year says they own all the cable companies anyway
The PA senator wants all the money sent to Philadelphia
The only reason cable exists is to control the price of TV ads
The new system requires them to broadcast in a different way - so they should disappear within the next few months - in the end of 2008 season
Hopefully everyone will respond to get rid of Comcast - between now and January 2009
- June 24, 2008 at 7:04 AM
- Alanna said...
I'm Alanna in Cobb County, GA.
I was a hardcore TiVo addict until I bought my HDTV in February. I got a Comcast DVR because it was the only way to receive hi-def, but I finally got a fancy new HD TiVo last month. (And, go figure, my Comcast DVR crashed tonight.)
At the first of June, I called and asked someone to install a cablecard. They agreed to come out Thursday, but then called and postponed until Friday. The two techs who showed up didn't know how to install it. They rescheduled for Saturday. Sat AM they called and rescheduled for Monday because they had no cards in stock. Monday morning they called and rescheduled again because of the same problem.
Wednesday, they sent out a guy to install the card. He sat on my sofa (while I did all the work) and complained to someone on his cellphone about how this was "crazy" and "they aren't paying me enough to put up with these cable cards." I finally told him to leave, even though I still didn't have a working cable card. I called Comcast's local number, and a sympathetic tech said that the behavior was unacceptable and he would "escalate my complaint". I haven't heard anything from them since, and that was three weeks ago.
I was in Canada for two weeks, but my cellphone worked. Nothing from Comcast. I got back home Monday and haven't had a chance to call, but I'm definitely calling tomorrow. The busted Comcast DVR is just insult to injury.
Incidentally, someone on tivocommunity.com who lives in my area said that Comcast told him all their cable cards are broken. He finally got someone to come out and install a working one after he called the district HQ. Do any of you know where I could track down a phone number for the Atlanta area? Thanks in advance!
- June 24, 2008 at 9:49 PM
- mendedheart said...
09518160925-02-7 here!
My internet and phone service have been flickering in and out recently. Had problems around father's day. Nice tech came and reset RCA modem by removing battery and unplugging, then reinserting battery and replugging. Then today, internet service and phone out again. Then in. Then out. Then in per my husband who is now home. But I am not. I am typing this in a free WIFI location on my laptop because Comcast internet was out when I left the house.
Comcast cable TV hasn't worked since March, (see my earlier posts on Comcast Disservice), but I haven't been able to take off work to wait for techs to 1. arrive and 2. fix it.
Am ready to settle all this. It's summer. July next week! Will stay home and wait for your techs! Any day but Monday, when I do need to see my people at the office!
Would like a modem that works consistently, an amplifier to see if we can get the cable
TV going, but if not, will offically drop cable.
Will need credit for cable tv I haven't had since March up until now. If can't get TV with next tech visit, will request new contract - double play, not triple.
Will also need credit for recent lost days of phone and internet usage. Would also like credit of approximately $15 for cell phone usage in lieu of busted Comcast phone.
As a lawyer, I look forward to a nice class action suit as well as antitrust actions against Comcast. Happy to sign on a a plaintiff in the class action!
No offense to Comcast employees - Comcast problems have to do with a rapacious business model that signs people up even though the business infrastructure to provide adequate service is not in place.
- June 27, 2008 at 5:01 PM
I was recently forced to switch back to Comcast for cable and internet which was something I swore I would never do. I was perfectly happy with my AT&T U-verse service (after having been told by a Comcast "supervisor" to go ahead and find a new company). My apartment complex all of a sudden left a note on my door saying that as of June 5th, everyone who had ATT service was going to be disconnected and that we had to get Comcast or nothing at all. Apparently they have a "contract" with Comcast...something I was never told in the almost 3 years I've lived here. When I first received the notice I called the leasing office and asked what was going on and they told me that ATT was "illegally" connecting people...no mention of any contract until having spoken with a few different people.
Anyway...finally get Comcast out. All goes well for the first day. Got 2 DVR's, HD, top of the line package due to promotion pricing, etc. After the first day, the box doesn't work. I call in, they send someone out on Saturday (to my amazement) and he gives me a new box...apparently they have new models too. It works fine. I completely forget to call customer service to get credit for the entire first week of no service until today, about 2-3 weeks later. I am told today that they, "as a courtesy" will refund me the $19.99 charge for sending the tech. I'm like, "excuse me?" I was never told about a fee for sending a technician and why the fuck would I be charged a fee for a faulty box? The rep proceeded to tell me that yes it started a while ago (had to be sometime in the last 6 months or so because thats how long I had ATT service) and its because they use contractors..blah blah blah... I really dont care that they use contractors. If the box didnt work, thats not my fucking problem. I'm going to move, yes MOVE, just so I can get a different company. That's how much I hate Comcast and their ghetto ass service reps.
And just to comment on the internet...I feel like Im on dial up compared to my service with ATT.
- June 27, 2008 at 7:17 PM
I'd love to join a class action suit, by the way.
- June 27, 2008 at 7:19 PM
My "key latency" problem has become extreme.
It sometimes takes SIX MINUTES for my HD DVR box to respond to commands.
Imagine that "change to channel 7" and it does it five or six minutes later. That is just stupid. I am stupid for staying with them. Well, no longer.
I called in tonight and the Comcrap "customer service" rep hung up on me -- and I will admit I was angry after being on hold for 12 minutes being told about the wonderfulness of Comcrap Digital Voice OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER!
I called back and got a polite lady from Mexico.
I have an appointment for Monday afternoon. I am going to hand them the box.
I am going to sign up for FIOS tomorrow.
GOODBYE COMCRAP! You have screwed me for the last time. Unless you can fix the key latency problem TOMORROW, we are gone!
You cannot keep treating me rudely. You cannot keep hanging up on me. I am sick and tired of a HD DVR box that just ignores me.
Bye bye.
Comcrap deserves to die, and they are doing it to themselves.
Ward Fetrow
Account #: 01668 024168-01-1
- June 28, 2008 at 12:18 AM
I think that several months ago, to over a year ago, the FCC made a ruling that apartment buildings COULD NOT make exclusive agreements.
I think you need to check into this.
If they insist, I suggest moving. Once you tell your landlord you are going to move because of his illegal policy, he may change his mind.
Still, I think the FCC ruled against this, but good luck getting them to enforce their own ruling.
- June 28, 2008 at 12:24 AM
- George Arnold said...
I have posted my comments about Comcast on my blog http://www.blogbygeorge.com
I can't leave my Comcast account number here because I have nonje! Meanwhile I am being pursued by a collection agency for an account that I do not have!
George Arnold
- June 28, 2008 at 1:01 PM
- DVDeez Nuts! said...
Friday June 27th 6pm the cable goes mostly out. I say mostly because most channels are snowy and one channel the audio was 5minutes ahead of the video. The cable modem was also not working.
Call 1 at 27th 8:00pm to Cable support. They said someone can fix it between 8-4 on Monday the 30th. I mention bothg the cable and web are not working so I am sure the problem lies with comcast.
Call 2 on the 28th this time to Internet support. I explain the situation they say they have 97% online and I should chack my modem to make sure its plugged in because they can't "see" me. I say it is and nothing works I say once again the problem is on your end, please fix it, they say that they already see a scheduled apointment for Tuesday the First, I said I was told earlier that is would be Monday the 30th. They said "OK"
Whats the worst that cold happen? 2 techs show up in the morning? Nope, nobody showed up.
Call 3, (made by the wife)12noon Monday 30th. They said they has us down for the Tuesday the first and they apologize. The lady said she would check to see if anybody was in the area.
Call 4, (made by me). I asked if anybody was coming (I need to say that I had to explain the problem to 2 different techs on this call) This tech said that there is no way that they can check to see if somebody is in area so we definitely have to wait till Tuesday.
I will be requesting credit for the amount of time this has taken, the bad scheduling, and just bad customer service.
My acct number is 8495440570332539
- June 30, 2008 at 2:29 PM
Here are some ideas on how Comcast can improve their customer satisfaction rating:
1: When a pending customer signs up for service, have the CAE inform the pending customer of all install fees and length of the promotion.
2: Extend promotional offers to current customers. Each current customer must meet certain criteria ( no non-pay disco's, making regular monthly payments every month w/ an ok to excellent paying history. etc...)
3: Give front line reps ( usually billing ) more authority and responsibility when it comes to assisting w/ customers who have billing issues( since some comcast calls are outsourced to companies like Aegis and Quest, they should have the same authority as comcast Reps have)
4: Comcast has a motto, CUSTOMER FIRST, this should be followed to the "T". who do you think pay's for comcast employee's paycheck's...
5: if a supervisor is requested, get the customer a supervisor, not a team lead or another rep to appease the customer
6: to customers, if you are prommise a credit on the account, ask the cae if there is a " memo credit " for said amount of credit that was just issued. if cae did the credit, CAE will say yes. call back in 1-3 business days to confirm that " memo credit " has a date beside the amount cf crd ( if your cae used the wrong adjustment code, the credit can be reversed and deleted off the adjustment history of the account. always ask for an operator id for the CAE you are speaking to. if you have a service call and it was missed, calmly call customer service and ask to reschedule the appointment for another time ( if tech is a no show, ask for the on-time guarentee credig) and with the reschd appointment, have cae do an SRG ticket under a customer complaint about the missed appointment. any time a research form is filled out, get that tracking number. some cae's will not note it in the account history of the billing system ( which is called Comtrac )
I will be posting more at a later date and time. sorry for this long post.
- June 30, 2008 at 7:53 PM
Acct # 8798 30 005 3079953
Why is dealing with Comcast support like pulling teeth? Is that what they refer to as "Comcastic"?
I had a power outage in the neighborhood this past Sunday 6/29/08. When the power came back on my DVR was showing me a "Not Authorized" message on all channels except the analog ones. My other box (non-DVR) was fine. I called tech support and went through the steps of unplugging the DVR for a min and plugging it back in, then she sent a "signal" to the box. Still nothing. She tells me that she is going to open a ticket and I should get a call back within 4 hours. No call back. I call again and speak to another CSR. She apologizes that nobody called back and said that somebody will call me on Monday. I informed her that I would not be home until 6pm. She said that she made a note in the ticket for the callback to be at 6pm.
I come home yesterday and see that Comcast called at 1:30pm (when I wasn't home). I called support again. Told the CSR what had happened. I also told her that I tried unplugging and plugging back in again the DVR. She also tried sending a signal a couple of times, no luck. She tells me that she is going to escalate the ticket at which point I get disconnected. I call back again and talk to another CSR. I explain that I was on the phone with a CSR and she hung up on me or the call was dropped. She looks at the notes and tells me that the ticket has been escalated and has been assigned to another department. That other dept. will be calling me back. I did not hear back from anybody that evening.
Now we are on day three, Tuesday. I get a call at 1:45pm with an automated Comcast message saying that the problem has been fixed. Since I was still experiencing the same problem I pressed 1 to get a CSR on the phone. This is now the fifth CSR in 3 days that I am talking to. I explain to her that there is an open ticket on my account and I am still experiencing the same problem. I told her that I thought this call was from the other department that was supposed to call me. She took a moment to look through the notes and then asked me if I still don't have Internet access. I replied that I don't have a problem with my Internet access that the problem is with the DVR getting a "Not Authorized" message. She explains to me that the ticket opened had to do with the Internet connection. I tell her that at no point in the last 3 days have I called about or discussed Internet connectivity. She tells me that is what the call back was for. I review the situation with her and point out that I was told the night before that a ticket was escalated and that it was assigned to another department. After looking through the notes from last night she tells me to hold and she will call the other department. After a few minutes she informs me that she can't anybody to answer. She asks if I would like to hold some more so she can try again. I told her go ahead, that I will wait. After a little while it seemed like she might have somebody on the line the calls drops. This is now the 2nd disconnection in 24 hours.
I proceed to call back and get another CSR on the phone. I explain to him that I was on the phone with a CSR and that the call was dropped. I asked him if he could get that department on the line. He put me on hold for a few minutes, then the call drops again.
So now I have spoken to 6 CSRs, and have been disconnected by Comcast 3 times.
I call back again. I tell the 7th CSR the situation, that I have an open ticket and that I got disconnected twice today when someone attempted to get the other department on the line. She proceeds to tell me that there is no ticket open and transferring me to the other department won't make a difference she needs to send out a line tech. I asked her to explain to me who were the other CSRs trying to get on the line and what happened to the ticket that I was told was being escalated. She tells me that there is no ticket and that a tech needs to be sent out. I explain to her that I didn't see a point in that given that there are no problems with the other TV and broadband. I also told her that I checked the diagnostics on the box and the signal strength is good, so therefore it can't be the line, it is an issue with you backend. I also reiterated that unless you can transfer my recorded programs to another box it wouldn't make sense to replace the box. (I know that the DVR has the ability to have an external drive connected to it, but Comcast has disabled that feature.)
I also told her that I have experienced the same problem with this box a year ago when there was a power outage and the problem was fixed by the "back office group" (that's how they were referred to at that time). I insisted that sending a tech out here is pointless because the problem can be fixed from there by the right department. She became very stern and repeated that the only way is to get someone sent out here. I relented and agreed to having her schedule an appointment.
To summarize:
- "Not authorized" message for three days on my DVR after a power outage.
-7 different CSRs spoken to.
- calls dropped 3 times by CSRs
-there may or may not be a ticket open
- said hypothetical ticket may or may not have been escalated to a mythical other department
- I wait for a tech to come out tomorrow to tell me that he can't do anything about this.
This is absolutely COMCASTIC!
ps I would like to point out that the first six CSRs were very polite. The last one had a little bit of an attitude. And at no point was I rude, belligerent or disrespectful to any of the CSRs. I believe that I have been extremely patient and calm about this mess. But is getting old now.
- July 1, 2008 at 1:50 PM
- Kevin said...
I am at my wit's end. The Comcast account here is in my partner's name, Kurt Powers, but I do most of the management.
My Comcast DVR was a dud, I had it for a year, it probably worked correctly for about 3 months of that combined. I called several times, but they could never tell me anything and only offered a technician. When a technician came, it worked fine, so I gave up.
It finally completely crapped out on me this week, so I went to get an HDTivo. I was told I needed to trade in my cable box for a cableCARD. I went to do this and explained that I had an HDTivo and needed a dual tuner card. She issued me a single S-Card, the one type that would not work for me.
This was all yesterday, I came home from work early, at 6PM to get started. I installed the card and it told me that it was an S-Card and I needed an M-Card. I then got in my car and went back tot he Comcast office to exchange and they gave me an M-Card. I thought this was settled, but when I installed the new card, I couldn't get any picture. This is when the calls started.
Most of the my calls to Comcast went the same way. they always said that my card was activated and working fine, there must be a problem with Tivo. I got through to Tivo and they said the cards weren't activated. they could tell this very easily and it was something I kept telling Comcast over and over.
In one phone call, I even read off the Serial Number of the M-Card, the woman from Comcast calmly lied to me outright (as you'll see later) and told me this was the card number they had and I just needed to wait for a technician later in the week in the middle of the day.
Finally, at about 11:30 last night, I got a somewhat honest Comcast person on the phone. He read the serial number they had associated with my account. GUESS WHAT?? It was the serial number of the first card they gave me, the S-Card that was no good. no one at Comcast activated the new M-Card when I picked it up. Also, every single Comcast person I talked to said that they tested the wrong card and it worked. When they were supposedly testing this card, it was approximate 5 miles from my television (it was the first S-Card I returned). This final phone person told me the current card I had was actually assigned to another account, but that's normal because they don't unassign until they get assigned to a new account which they never did for me.
He tried to activate the card, but said he couldn't and that I needed to call the DC office at 7:30 AM this morning and talk to "retention." I called and got someone, although they had never heard of retention.
The person said I had to get a technician. I told her that I was promised the night before that I didn't need a technician, that all he would do is read off numbers and I could do that myself. She would not budge. I talked ot a supervisor and she apologized, but again then lied directly to me and told me that it is Comcast policy not to hand out CableCARDS, only technicians can install them. I know 3 other people who have installed their own, this is a blatant lie. All she offered me is a $25 credit which will only pay for the technician I now have to get.
Now, after all of this, I have to wait for a technician tomorrow to come and call in some numbers that I could have called in. When this is all done, I will have watsed 12 hours and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. After reading the posts, I have no confidence that this will resolve the situation.
If I do not have cable television tomorrow night, I am canceling all Comcast service. I would rather go without television than do this to myself.
- July 2, 2008 at 8:28 AM
Acct # 8798 30 005 3079953
Follow up from yesterday's post. Yesterday the CSR insisted that a tech come out because that is the only way of fixing this problem with the DVR. The tech just left my house. As I predicted (and told the CSR on the phone) there is nothing that he could do. He checked the signal strength on the DVR (which I had done too) and it was good.
He tells me that he can't do anything to fix the problem. He also tells me that he's seen this before and that it can be fixed if you can get the right person on the phone who actually knows how to fix DVRs that are flashing the "Not Authorized" message.
So the question is how do I get somebody on the phone that knows what they are doing?
It's Comcastic!!!
- July 2, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Acct # 8798 30 005 3079953
The Comcastic experience continues. I called CSR and informed them of the fatc that the tech came out and that there wasn't anything that he could do to fix the DVR. The CSR insisted that we go through all of the trouble shooting steps again (because the 11th time is going to work). I humor her and go through the steps again. Still nothing. She says that she can get a tech sent out again. I told her that the tech just left my house and he said that there is nothing that he can do.
She says that Comcast can replace the DVR. I told he that I'm fine with that as long as I can keep the old box for 30 days so that I can finish watching the shows that I have already recorded. Then I would return the box to Comcast store that is nearby. I thought this was a fair solution. She thought that was reasonable, except that they don't have SD DVRs anymore and that they would have to give me an HD DVR. She said that it will still work on my SD TV but Comcast will have to charge me $5 more per month. I asked why would I pay $5 more per month for something I wouldn't use. I don't have HD TVs in the house nor do I subscribe to HD service. Why not give me the HD DVR but charge me the regular SD DVR rate? She didn't says that she doesn't know how to do that.
She then tells me that she is going to have a tech come back out to my house and open a ticket for somebody to call me back within 4 hours. I told her that I have been waiting for somebody to call me back since Sunday and no calls. I also reminded her that a tech was just here so what's the point of having someone else come back. She stuck to the script and said that is what had to be done.
Why is this so hard? Seems to me that the solution is fairly straightforward if they can't fix the problem. Give me a new DVR, charge me the same rate as before and let me return the old DVR within 30 days (after watching the recorded programs). Of course there is always the option of getting the right tech support department on the line.
I don't think that I am being unreasonable with my expectations.
It's Comcastic!!!
- July 2, 2008 at 9:47 AM
I live in W. PA. and received a notice that Comcast is moving MSNBC and Headline News to upper tier channels and replacing them with Versus and Golf, starting July 15. This is ridiculous. I can't get those higher channels on my older TVs. I am so angry I am ready to cancel my cable, which already has too many junk channels that I never watch. Why are they moving the cable news channels just in time for the presidential conventions and elections? Are they trying to keep us in the dark. Is it a conspiracy?
Anne in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
- July 2, 2008 at 4:47 PM
- DougT said...
There has been nothing but trouble with Comcast in Shreveport, Louisiana since they took over. Frequent loss of service with high speed internet in which they always blame the customer but actually it is their system that is messed up. They drop channels from their standard cable lineup with regularity. Since November 2006 they have dropped 12 channels and increased the charge for service each year. The latest group of dropped channels on 24 June 2008 was The National Geographic Channel, FitTV, and Women's Entertainment. No explanation, no warning, nothing. Just dropped the channels.
Some other things that happen regularly are the loss of video or the loss of audio on some channels (sometimes the audio sounds like the people are talking in slow motion) and the complete scrambling or loss of signal on random channels for hours at a time. I suspect that is the root cause of the loss of cable internet service, also.
It is impossible to get someone on the phone or by any other form of communication to do anything or explain anything. It is time that we all, no matter which part of the country we live in, demand that our city and state governments do something about the fraudulent service that we receive from Comcast and any other cable service provider.
- July 3, 2008 at 3:56 PM
- saabsista said...
I am wasting my fourth holiday with my sister here in Chicago. We should be out and about at the Taste of Chicago. We have been waiting for a Comcast tech since 8AM. Why? Because he called and said he would come early? What a lie. Comcast, in the best tradition of Mission Impossible, disavows the accuracy of the call and we are now scheduled for sometime before 1PM.
This does not sound too bad except this is the third time in two weeks that my sis has waited for the dread Comcast tech. Her DVR has not worked properly for three weeks.? She was not aware of this site and the results so I am posting for her.
Comcast called and said they were outside my sisters flat "checking the box" Guess what? They lied! We went outside and he was not where to be found. Called back the number he caalled from he said he was around the corner! Now he walks in with a "reconditioned box"
More to follow!!
- July 4, 2008 at 9:28 AM
If all of your are unhappy then cancel the service. You all say that you don't have a choice but that is a lie. You dont have to have cable.
Every company that provides you with in home service has a plan to cover service calls.Please read your bills. To be honest the plan Comcast has is the lowest out of all.
If FIOS is not avail in your area you might want to call or surf the net to see why. You will be very upset and bothered by what you find out and the reason has nothing to do with Comcast.
And to all of you that think FIOS is new and better: Dummy it is the same coax cable wire you get with everyone else including Comcast!!!
Think B4 you speake or Blogg. No your facts!!!!!!!!!
To all of you that have already left Comcast for FIOS GOOD!!!!!!!!!! Please dont call them back in 1-2 years when the promo you have is over and you begin to spend more that you were with Comcast.
Lastly what is the name of the company that has no problems and complaints??????
- July 5, 2008 at 1:29 AM
- Suzanne said...
I am having problems with comcast also. for some reason every night my cable goes out not only on the tv but also on the internet and now my dvr box has decided to stop taping some of the shows that it is set to tape. In fact all it tapes is the first minute of a show and then it says error. I have tried calling in but that never works because they put you on hold for ever and then when they schedule an appointment for the house they never show up. I am so totally put out with this company. If there was another way to have cable in our area I would change in a heartbeat. I hope that they improve quickly as my husband is ready to get rid of them now.
- July 5, 2008 at 8:13 PM
I had a problem with a cocky phone rep when I called on the evening of July 3, 2008. I sent the following e-mail to corporate communications at 9:00 on Friday, July 3 and I got e-mail responses back from corporate executive's blackberries up until 11:00 that night and a local manager called me the next morning and apologized profusely. I think its all in how you handle the complaint process and frankly, much collateral damage you can cause to their reputation.
Here is my e-mail-
Subject: Comcast Customer Service
From: Me
Date: Thu, July 3, 2008 8:55 pm
To: email@example.com
Cc: email@example.com (more)
Priority: Normal
Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version
I just had an unpleasant conversation with a young lady at your company. I
live in Nashville, TN. I spoke with Marilyn Manning- employee code NPZ at
6:45 p.m on July 3, 2008.
I was disputing a service charge of $34.20.
Following is the history of our most recent problem with Comcast:
Our cable service to two of our three T.V's was sporadic at best for a
period of about 5 weeks. We called multiple times to complain. Our TV
screens were pixelating, fragmenting and there was a lot of digital
distortion that made watching TV annoying, if not impossible.
After about 5 weeks of complaining and securing a partial credit for the
time our service was not working correctly, we insisted on a cable
technician coming out to look at our one TV that was having the most
The first cable technician ran a few diagnostics and determined that the
problem was NOT an internal in-house problem but rather an external
problem that was clearly a Comcast Cable related issue. He assured us
there would be no service charge to correct the problem. He said that
there was a problem with the cable outside of our house and that Comcast
would have to come out one day and replace the defective cable. He said
they would have to replace the cable coming from the central "hub" in the
neighborhood. We waited for about a week and no one called or came out.
We finally called to complain AGAIN about our service. Comcast had noted
that a "senior technician" was needed yet no one had bothered to tell us
that we needed to schedule another visit. Clearly there was a breakdown in
communication on the part of Comcast Cable and we should have been called
to make arrangements for the second service call.
We eventually had a second visit from a more experienced technician. He
determined that there was a defective 3-foot section of cable that was
partially on the outside of the house and partially in the crawl space
underneath our house. He replaced the cable and pronounced the problem
solved. Thirty minutes after he left, the pixelation and digital
fragmentation started up again. I called him on his cell phone. He came
back out, and said that we needed to replace our converter box. He
mentioned that he had another converter box and offered to swap out the
older box.
In the process of replacing the converter box, he had to cut and splice
another section of cable to run from the new converter box to our cable
outlet. Here is where the argument escalated with your service rep.
Marilyn Manning insisted repeatedly that we were charged a "service
charge" because "internal wiring" had to be replaced. We were told by
both reps before they came out that there would be no service charge for
the service call if it was determined that the problem was not with our TV
or internal wiring. I have always understood internal wiring to be the
wiring that came with the house, i.e. the wiring that is embedded in the
walls of the house. Marilyn Manning finally agreed to give us a credit but
kept insisting the service charge was valid because of how she construed
the definition of "internal wiring." I reminded her that both reps said
there would be no service charge as the problem was clearly attributable
to Comcast cable wiring and equipment.
Frankly, this young lady has a very poor customer rapport and I would
seriously question her business acumen and her people skills. She
insisted that we would have to pay the full amount of the bill and the
credit would be applied to the following months bill. I told her that was
unacceptable. I was not going to pay for something that was uncalled for
only to have it backed out the next month.
Please look at my current statement. It is in the name of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(spelling should be xxxxxxxxx) The last four digits of the social security
number on that account is xxxx. We have had Comcast Cable at the current
address since 2000, and I have previously had Comcast cable in my name
(xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) in Nashville since 1993.
Your rep was argumentative, insolent and refused to accept responsibility
for the problem without adding caveats and disclaimers that were totally
Here is the bottom line- Thank God you guys are finally getting some
competition. If Marilyn Manning, employee code npz is typical of your
customer service, you are going to lose considerable market share to AT&T.
Now is NOT the time to get testy with your customers. Bad news has a way
of multiplying.
I am sending a check for the amount shown due- $191.82 less the service
charge of $34.20 = $157.62. My account # is 05705-422108-02-9. This is
the sequence of numbers to the right of the words- "account number" on my
statement that I am mailing to the billing address at PO Box 195184,
Atlanta, GA 30348-5184. There is another series of numbers to the left of
the words account number-
I have absolutely HAD IT with your company's condescending monopolistic
mentality, your lack of any sense of urgency in fixing the problem, and
your discourteous phone rep. I have called Comcast many times over the
years and have always been treated as a valued customer until recently. In
my opinion, Marilyn Manning is a liability to your organization, and she
is ill suited to handle customer complaints. You also appear to have
internal communication problems that caused our problem to drag on
Marilyn became indignant when I asked for her supervisor's name and
contact information. She took on a cavalier attitude of indifference and
used a tone that dared me to contact her. I do hope that her supervisor-
Dawn Meyers is copied on this complaint.
If I have any more disputes over our bill like I had tonight, I am taking
my case to the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission and the local news
media. I trust that you will use better business sense than Marilyn
Manning and ensure that my forthcoming check in the amount of $157.62 will
pay my bill in full without any penalties or the need for additional
correspondence. Marilyn said there could be a problem with the timing of
the credit that could incur a "late fee" on our next bill. That would be
the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. I have worked in
journalism in the local and national media for 33 years. Please don't
turn this into a story for the 5:00 news.
their response a few minutes later-
Subject: Re: Comcast Customer Service
From: "Griffin, Reg"
Date: Thu, July 3, 2008 9:15 pm
To: Me
Priority: Normal
Options: View Full Header | View Printable Version
Thanks for your e-mail. Sorry for the problems you experienced. I am sharing this
with John Gauder, our area vice president and general manager for Middle Tennessee.
You will be hearing from someone shortly to resolve these issues. Thanks and have a
happy and safe Fourth of July. Thanks.
Sent from Reg's Blackberry Wireless
Thank you for contacting Comcast via e-mail.
I sincerely apologize for any unpleasant experience you had recently
with your Comcast service and thank you for bringing this matter to our
We need to hear about any unsatisfactory situations in order to correct
them and to enhance our level of customer service. I have forwarded your
comments to the appropriate members of our development and management
teams for further review and action. We appreciate that you took the
time to help us keep our commitment to quality customer care.
If you have any more questions feel free to reply to this e-mail, or you
can chat with one of our Online Customer Support Specialists 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week at
Thank you for choosing Comcast.
Comcast Customer Care Specialist
e-mail received at 11:16 p.m. on that Friday night-
Your problem has been forwarded to my attention and you will be contacted soon
regarding your concerns. In the meantime I agree that you should deduct the $34.20
charge from your payment. I apologize for your recent poor experience and can
assure you that we value all of our customers and strive to provide them with a
great experience. We have faced competition for years from many sources and we
compete with AT&T today for Internet and Phone customers. More consumers choose
Comcast over AT&T for Internet and people leaving AT&T for Comcast Digital Voice has
made our phone service our fastest growing product throughout Middle Tennessee. We
expect that we will be the choice for video also by providing the best technology
and superior customer service. In your case we have to do better and learn from our
I will follow up to ensure your satisfaction.
John Gauder
Market Vice President
Sent from my blackberry.
- July 6, 2008 at 3:34 PM
- Kevin said...
After I posted this and emailed and called everyone on the planet, a great guy from my local Comcast office called me. it turned out that they had assigned my card to someone else's account, so they couldn't back that out over the phone. I had to go back into the office, but I'm happy to say it's all working now.
- July 7, 2008 at 6:30 AM
- Nicole said...
THANK GOD MY APARTMENT COMPLEX JUST MADE FIOS AVAILABLE SO I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS BALONEY ANYMORE!!! So I have had Comcast for quite sometime, and while I have always been unhappy with their customer service, their actual service hasn't been too bad for me. I was paying about $150 a month for a good cable and internet package with DVR etc...
Last month I called to check my balance before paying my bill and the woman on the phone said, "hey you know you could sign up for the triple play (which everyone knows they advertise for $99 a month phone internet and cable) and it would save you money." I said yeah yeah I know but I don't want the phone service, can't you just match the price and not install the phone? She said no, they had to install the phone, so a technician came out and after an hour, yes, an hour, my new phone line was installed.
So this month I get a bill for $250.... Yup, I signed up for the triple play to save money and my bill went up $100. Not possible, some sort of mistake, right? So I called Comcast and the woman I spoke with explained to me that the with the regular, $99 a month triple play, the one I thought I was signing up for, you don't get any cable channels past 100... I had the medium premium package before. So whoever signed me up for the triple play didn't tell me that there were different triple play options, and automatically just signed me up for the $130 a month triple play with all the premium channels.
On top of that my phone service was prorated 38 bucks, and there was a 30 installation charge for the phone. Remember, this is the phone I didn't even want. So I told the girl on the phone that I understood the breakdown of the bill, but it wasn't what I thought I was getting when I signed up. They basically bullied me into getting the phone service because I thought I'd be saving a few bucks a month and now I owe them $100 extra? So I asked if I could talk to her manager and after being on hold for at least 5 minutes she said there was no supervisor available and that they would call me back... Let's see how long that takes.
Way to bend me over Comcast. Nice job. here's my account number if you want to make it right 09517340362033. If you spent more time on actual customer service instead of monitoring these blogs wouldn't everyone's life be easier?
- July 7, 2008 at 8:14 AM
- Phil said...
My name is Phil and I live in Belleville, NJ 07109 I have been paying Comcast about $200 a month JUST FOR Cable and Internet and have had the same HD channels for over a year now. I still do not have HGTV HD, Food HD, A&E HD, Discovery HD, etc. The rest of NJ has these channels and even my Shore House in LBI has Comcast and has more HD Channels. Well this morning I got a visit from a Verizon sales person and for $60 a month I can get faster internet and more way more HD Channels. I really do not want to go through the hassle of changing providers, but COMCAST YOU GIVE ME NO OTHER OPTION!!! Help if you can.
- July 7, 2008 at 2:10 PM
I am disgusted with the price and product that Comcast offers. For basic cable and internet in Maine we pay close to $100 a month. The channels you get for the price you pay is pretty sad. Yes you get 60 channels, but half of them are useless. If you wanted just the internet they would hit you with a higher price, as you only subscribre to one service. If it were not for the fact that our landlord prohibits us from having a satellite dish, I would have switched already!
- July 7, 2008 at 4:50 PM
- firstname.lastname@example.com said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 8, 2008 at 12:56 AM
Steve from Muskegon here and should be leaving Comcast real soon. Tried to make a repair appointment today via E-mail and was informed it would cost $35. I have horizontal lines on all analog channels and they claim it's my problem. I would agree, but the problem is new and I have done nothing to my system. I believe it's a problem with their lines and will not pay them one more penny.
- July 8, 2008 at 2:15 PM
I like the NASA chanle, but even whenthey had exciting stuff in space, Comcase cut it off in the afternoon. Now all they have is a Spanish language station. I think their engineers like it better. The frame still says "NASA" but I sent them email and they don't even answer now.
Not very patriotic. After all, they are a regulated utility of some sort, aren't they?
- July 11, 2008 at 10:43 AM
I now understand why Comcast offers DVR's. It's not for the convenience of the customer for recording, but for the convenience of the customer being able to fast forward through all the tiling you get in each and every show you record or watch on Comcast. At least that's how it is for me.
I've had so many problems with Comcast it isn't funny. One such problem was the sound on our digital channels became muffled and hard to hear. The analog channels sounded wonderful in comparison. I had kept recordings on my DVR as evidence to show them the before and after of our digital sound. I had repair people in my house over and over, and then was told I needed an amplifier. I was told I'd be contacted and never heard back about it.
This went on for longer than it should have and never got resolved. The fault was lastly put on my television set. The supervisor himself was to bring a television set to my home and check it with our cable. The supervisor never showed, but sent a mere tech in his place. It was obvious I wasn't important enough for the supervisor to come out.
Turned out it wasn't our television. They sent out another tech who said this has also been happening to him. That someone would definitely be calling me back about this. Did I ever hear from them? No. I let some time go by and then called them. It was determined that it wasn't their fault, but how the shows were being fed to them. Isn't it nice to have a built in answer to everything? It's not our fault, but the other guy's fault.
We now have tiling in every show we watch. When I say tiling, it's the usual tiling, but also where the picture stops, and you lose a lot of the dialogue. Today I was looking forward to this one show. The picture stopped so much I just gave up. I'd missed most of it anyway, so what was the point?
I'm getting to where I'd rather just watch my DVD's and get rid of Comcast and all the problems that go along with it. That or go with a satellite company.
Now Comcast has another way out and it's another reason why they have DVR's. If you have any problem at all, they blame it on the poor DVR.
I was told awhile back there was something wrong with my DVR, and that I should trade up to the newest one. Not trusting the tech's word, I called Comcast at their 800 number and talked to numerous customer service people, including a supervisor, who all assured me that there was indeed a newer unit than the one I had. In taking my unit to the local Comcast office, I discovered I had the newest unit and that they didn't have any spare units to give me, and that it was my unit or nothing. Can you imagine how angry I was having been told that there was indeed another unit out there that made my unit obsolete by not one comcast person but several?
Not long ago, we had a tech come out to see about the tiling. I had samples on my DVR to show him. He said it was the DVR, and gave me the lastest model, which this time having had a lot of time go by from my last latest model experience, there actually was one. He told me that if it tiles again that it was how it's being fed to them.
What I get from all the money I pay Comcast monthly is every show tiling. The tiling is daily getting worse and I don't have any faith or confidence in Comcast, or their techs. I don't feel like calling them again and again getting the run around. I don't want to have them in my house again for weeks on end and nothing coming about it. It's always a waste of time and they'll say it's how it's being fed to them.
Tired of Tiling
8495 3300 4020 2984
- July 11, 2008 at 10:55 AM
As a Comcast customer in Baltimore, I'm one of many basic cable customers who turned on the TV yesterday and discovered that AMC had been moved off the basic tier without any notification. When I tried to contact Comcast via chat, the customer service rep never did explain the move, despite my asking him directly at least three times. Instead he apologized, and offered to upgrade me to standard at $59.95. Look, I'm not angry at him - he was doing what he was trained to do - but I have some choice words for the higher-ups who approved this move:
1. "Mad Men" is a good show, but not good enough to more than triple my current monthly payment. I've already given up most of my favorite cable shows, but you know what? The Internet is a wonderful thing. So is Netflix.
2. In case you haven't noticed, we're in a recession (I'll leave others to quibble over the nomenclature, but let's face it, people are struggling). And when you have to start trimming the old budget, guess what's likely to go first? When you pull stunts like this, you make the choice that much easier.
3. As you know, it is more expensive to get a new customer than it is to keep an existing one. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to screw over your long-time customers - especially since more viewing options are becoming available (satellite, FiOS, etc.).
4. Speaking of options...one of the main reasons I've kept basic is so I can get my local channels (reception is horrible on the first floor of my house). But you know what? I have my digital converter coupon, and I have another TV upstairs that should pick up quite a few new channels with a new ditigal tuner (including the local DC channels that you block). If you continue this pattern of pruning channels on the basic tier, I will walk.
You want a chance to make it right? Put AMC back, and stop screwing around with loyal customers. Here's my account number: 09518375379027
- July 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Update to my posting:
I got a few phone messages from a very nice person at the local corporate office. She also sent me a letter with her business card, so I emailed her since thats the easiest way for me to communicate with people these days. She got a tech to come out on the 7th, but he came after our leasing office was closed so he had no access to the room he needed to get to. He did tell me that my signal was weak and that I needed an amplifier and that "they always do that" (meaning, they never install an amplifier the first time around even though they should). He rescheduled an appointment for me for today between 8am and 10am. No one has called or showed up and its 10:30am (side note: as I was typing this some dumb ass called and said he's on his way, he was rude about it too like its my fault he's late). We'll see what happens and I'll repost.
I really think its just the tech's and the customer service people that are HORRIBLE. The corporate office can only do so much...
- July 12, 2008 at 10:33 AM
I really think its just the tech's and the customer service people that are HORRIBLE. The corporate office can only do so much...
umm maybe the corperate offfice could quit outsourcing to companies that under train there employees and hire someone who knows something
- July 13, 2008 at 5:37 PM
- Ijustwantitfixed said...
Oh Comcast,
I had Comcast for 3 months without any major issue. I paid my bill; they provided service with the regular amount of outages. Then I moved, and I apparently moved ontop of the Comcast hellmouth, because it's been nothing but hell since. I have had at least 4 different major issues with Comcast starting in May. 3 of which have been taken care of more or less, and I will discuss them only breifly. The 4th has not been taken care of at all.
#1: Unexplained network outages. Nobody at the callcenter knows what's going on, or when the service will be back. This seems to be par for the course, so I'll leave it at that.
#2: I was billed over $200 for one month of only cable TV service (under a promotion no less). Between two representatives and literally over an hour on the telephone, my bill was reduced to the correct amount of $25.
#3) I needed an outlet installed. Three appointments were made and none of the techs came prepared with the necessary equipment. I gave up on having the outlet installed for now.
#4) When my cable was installed in mid-May 2008, the tech installed a new bright orange wire outside that runs: the length of my backyard, across the width of my neighbor's backyard, and into the box on the side of my neighbor's house. I have made no less than 3 appointments for this cable to buried. Each appointment has gone ignored--they do not call nor do they come by the house to bury the cable. I have talked to call center reps, managers, supervisors, and technicans, to no avail. My neighbor has CUT the cable TWICE, to get it out of his backyard. This was especially painful for me, because at the time, I was using Comcast internet for MY JOB. I lost DAYS of income because both times this happened, I had to schedule another technician to come repair the cable. I'm sure everyone on this site can appreciate how long it takes to have a technician come to your house after you report an outage. I switched to AT&T DSL. It's more expensive, but at least it does not go out as much.
Yesterday was at least the 3rd 'bury drop' appointment that has gone ignored by Comcast. I have no idea what else to do to get you people out here to bury the effing cable. I've looked for a regulatory agency to contact, to no avail.
I'm going to live in this house probably for the next 8-10 years. If you people could just get your **** together, you have a longterm customer here. I made another phonecall tonight to the callcenter, and she is doing what she can. We'll see what happens.
If somebody from Comcast reads this, please do your job.
- July 13, 2008 at 6:37 PM
- MissTiaWard said...
Here are the 2 letters that I have sent to comcast, today and yesterday:
July 15,2008
I have had your service for over a year, and have had nothing but problems. The most concerning problem is that a significant portion of the channels don't work. Ever. And they NEVER has consistently worked.
I have called many, many times in the past year. Sometimes several times a week. I have patiently waited on hold for at least 10 minutes each time I called. And the results were always the same....a 20-30 minute conversation with an incredibly unhelpful person at the other end. Your customer service representatives have always offered to reset the connection for me, which doesn't work. This approach has probably only corrected the problem once. When I told your customer service representatives that this method had already been tried, many many times, I was informed there was nothing else that they could do to help me, besides sending a technician over.
Many times I've had appointments and have had your technicians to work on the problems. Setting up an appointment is always a nightmare, as I would have to take time off of work. At least one time a technician called to tell me they weren't coming, after I had waited several hours. Other times the technicians didn't come on time. Although most of them were friendly, one of them was wildly inappropriate, hitting on me and my roommates, answering his personal cell phone and bragging, in front of us to his friend about how he was alone with two girls in a room. Classy.
When I would call customer service again after a technician came, to explain that the service wasn't working, they would tell me that it takes time for the signal to pick up again. Really? Or that there is an outage in the area? Really? An outage for over 52 weeks? Impossible.
I have told your customer service representatives that only half of my channels work, so they should consider billing me half of what I pay. A refund or partial refund, which would be the only sensible solution to this issue has NEVER been offered. I feel like I have been robbed of my time, and my money.
I have remained calm and patient throughout the first 12 months of having this service. I constantly called to have the box refreshed, but to no avail. Several days ago I called again about this problem and it wasn't until I yelled at the poor man in customer service that I was actually offered a different option: getting a new cable box. A suggestion that has come one year too late. It is unfortunate that I had to be so verbally aggressive to actually receive a bit more than mediocre service.
Overall I am completely unsatisfied, and disgusted with the quality of your cable service and customer service. I am having my cable shut off in 2 weeks. The only reason I didn't do it sooner is because I had faith that the problem would be resolved, as your customer service and technicians promised me it would be. IT NEVER WAS AND STILL NEVER HAS BEEN RESOLVED TO THIS DAY. Basically, I have paid over $1,200 in the last year for cable THAT NEVER WORKED and customer service THAT NEVER HELPED. I would absolutely never recommend your service to anyone I know.
Thank you for your time.
Tia **********
(203) 314-8300
July 16, 2008
after sending an incredibly long and detailed letter yesterday concerning my problems with your service, I come home to find that my cable has been shut off without my permission. I have an appointment to have the cable shut off on July 26th, but according to your customer service representatives, a technician came and cut the service off TODAY. This doesn't make any sense to me as I asked for the cable to be shut off on July 26th, and now the equipment is still in my house. I was absolutely and completely aggravated that my cable hasn't been working for the past year. Now I get the final slap in the face by having someone come to my house, and shut off my cable without my authorization. Unbelievable.
Let's hope this has a happy ending.
- July 16, 2008 at 8:52 PM
- carter.haruka said...
ok this is just another complaint about that piece of FAIL called comcast, ok now on the weekends i usually record three thing from cartoon network bleach code geass & death note, i turn on my dvr & guess what all three shows que'd up to record aren't there so i check to see whats wrong well it seams cartoon network's been pulled both of the standerd definision feeds have been pulled, has comcast did this in other areas other then virginia.
- July 17, 2008 at 11:56 PM
Just before the premier of Mad Men, Comcast removed AMC from my non-digital cable package. Annoyed as I am, I nevertheless considered moving to digital cable because the price quoted on line--29.99 for the digital starter for 6months or the regular on-line price of 51.10 is actually LESS than my regular cable package. But if I sign up via the phone, it costs considerably more, and if I sign up over the internet, they won't get anyone out there before the show starts (and we have a party planned for the premier). They tell me on the phone that I don't need installation--I just need to add a box--but the web site doesn't give me an option to pick up or have the box mailed to me; it requires an installation appt. And the appts are only available 5 days later than they would be if I ordered by phone. Why can I not order on line and just pick up the box? That HAS to be cheaper for them than sending someone out (and WAY easier for me than waiting for someone to show up).
Acct # 09529 399310-01-2
- July 18, 2008 at 12:38 PM
As we all know Comcast moved several channels to Digital tier this month and one was MSNBC. I no longer get this channel, NOT because I dont get digital, but because I am on a package that wont allow me to get it. My package is Digital PLUS, just plus and that is not good enough. I need to change all my service around to get it. For one channel, please. I am paying for the service Digital Plus and I should receive MSNBC but i do not and they wont add it. Dish here i come, enought is enough. My town cable dept says I should have it.
- July 18, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- Ijustwantitfixed said...
I forgot to leave my account number on the post I made a few days ago.
Still waiting on that bury drop, Comcast!!!!
You can reach me at the phone number listed on my account
-- Megan
Account 8220202104531248
- July 18, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Comcast - please fix my account.
Account# 15011527498-02-7.
I called when I received my last invoice for June and had my TV service switched back to Basic Cable (~$19.99) and set up an appointment to have the digital boxes picked up.
I was home during a weekday for the entire day on the appointment day. I received a call before noon on my cell phone from the Comcast Tech saying that they would be at my home in the afternoon. NO ONE SHOWED UP. NO ONE CALLED. NO ONE HAS CALLED SINCE. Now I have my new invoice for July and I'm getting charged 32.59 for cable when this was supposed to be taken care of last month.
Comcast, can we please repeat last months fix? Please do the following:
1. Please adjust my invoice to charge me for basic tv service for July and make it a permanent change.
2. Please look at my last service ticket and call me on my cell phone which is in the notes of the last ticket to schedule a new appointment to pick up the digital boxes.
- July 20, 2008 at 5:51 PM
- Kyle said...
The story so far: At the beginning of July I bought a TiVoHD that needs CableCARDs to work correctly. We set up an appointment for the cards to be installed.
7/9/2008: I leave work early to wait for a Comcast technician. When he shows up, he has a blank work order and no CableCARDs to install. I call and set up another appointment. The earliest available appointment is a full week later.
7/16/2008: I leave work early to wait for a Comcast technician. No one ever shows up. Comcast says that the technician called my roommate's phone. No one tries ringing the bell, so I sit around waiting for two hours. I reschedule, again, for the following Monday.
7/21/2008: A technician came to my apartment (with a CableCARD! Hurrah!) and spent most of an hour on the phone to Comcast trying to activate the CableCARD he had installed in the TiVo. He said that it was all set, but actually only the basic cable channels were working. Also he took my cable box when he left. Unfortunately I did not notice that I only had basic cable until after he left. I foolishly expected that he would check to make sure it was working.
I spent a half-hour on the phone with a woman who finally said she needed to check on something and would call me back in 10 minutes.
An hour later she still hadn't called so I called back and spent 30 minutes on hold before I gave up because I didn't want to use all my mobile minutes.
I then spoke with someone using Comcast's online chat system; this person told me that I had an appointment scheduled for Thursday, which no one had told me about. This person was also completely useless, and kept saying things like "I'm glad we were able to resolve your problem" to which I would reply "But you haven't resolved my problem!"
I apparently have another appointment for Thursday.
It has now been about three weeks since we first called to request the CableCARDs. During this time I have been paying for TiVo service that I am not able to use because Comcast won't install the cards properly. Now I don't even have access to the cable channels I am paying for. Plus, I've now taken time off work to sit around my non-air-conditioned apartment on three hot July afternoons (and I get to do it again on Thursday!).
I have been lied to repeatedly, I am not receiving the service I am paying for, and I have wasted hours and hours of my time while
Comcast failed to get its act together. I am furious. I want service, and I want to be compensated for the time and mobile phone minutes I have wasted, and I want a refund for the service I have not received.
- July 22, 2008 at 7:21 AM
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- July 22, 2008 at 9:27 AM
- Anne Pearce said...
Saturday Morning, I turn on the tv while eating breakfast and everything is working fine. Not long after that I notice a comcast truck working on a pole in front of my house and I figured one of my neighbors was having trouble. A few minutes later, my cable went out. I saw the comcast guy come down from the pole and then he went back up and a few minutes later, cable was back on. I just figured he had to mess with mine to fix someone elses. I left the room while the tv was still on and a few minutes later I came back into the room and the cable was out again and the comcast truck was gone. HE BROKE MY CABLE AND LEFT!!
When I called comcast and told them exactly what happened, she told me that she saw that I had a tech appointment on Wednesday (it's saturday at this point) from 11-2. I asked her if anyone was going to call me and tell me this because this is the first time I've talk to anyone at comcast for this problem and I have no knowledge of an appointment. She said that it had recently been put in the computer and that someone would probably be calling me soon to tell me what was going on and to tell me about the appointment. She asked if that time would work for me and luckily it did. I do work so I will have to leave work and come sit here for 4 hours and they probably won't show. Anyway, she said that she would call back in an hour to make sure someone had called to explain the problem. I said fine. I'm still waiting for her phone call and it's Tuesday night!!
So, I will be leaving my job tomorrow for 4 hours to come wait for the comcast technician who may or may not show to fix a problem they broke and if they fix it, they will probably not even need to enter my house, therefore making it totally uneccesary for me to even have left work!!
A bit frustrated!!!
- July 22, 2008 at 6:22 PM
I suppose I expect too much out of companies, and that's why I get upset when my heightened expectations aren't realized. Maybe my dealings with Comcast aren't their fault, like I think they are. It's my fault, for expecting them to provide unreal services that are too difficult to meet, such as:
• providing the service that I requested and am willing to pay for,
• having common sense trump bureaucratic policies,
• putting the customer first, or at the very least,
• making sure that they retain the customer so that they can make money.
Let me tell you about my dealings with Comcast over the past few weeks.
I'm in the process of moving, and was aware that it usually took about a week or two between when you ordered cable service and when it could be installed. Being a devout TV user, I called Comcast roughly two weeks ago and order both their cable TV service and high-speed Internet so that it could be installed as close to my move in date of December 15. While on the phone with the Comcast rep, who we'll call "Clueless," I told them I would need one High Definition Digital Video Recorder (HD-DVR) for the house. "Clueless" quotes me the prices, I write them down, we scheduled a time for the installation, and everything seemed to be on the up and up. With Comcast, things are obviously not what they seem.
Comcast appeared to want my business, and wanted me to be at home waiting on them, as they called me Saturday night to confirm that someone would be home for the installation on Monday. They also called twice on Monday, double and triple checking to make sure someone would be at home. I told them that someone would be there.
The Comcast installation guy, who I'll call "No Help," arrived at my house and my girlfriend answered the door. I was in the midst of washing wood finishing off my hands thanks to my girlfriend making me move a table that was still drying. Thanks! While washing my hands, I hear my girlfriend call me and say, "Chris, you deal with this. I can't handle Comcast!" (She already had a previous bad experience with Comcast. By bad experience, I mean making 50+ phone calls over a 3 month span trying to get $150 back that was owed to her.)
I go and meet with "No Help" and ask what the dilemma is. He tells me that there were no more HD-DVRs in the warehouse. I ask him what he brought, and he tells me that he brought neither an HD-DVR nor a DVR, but merely a regular cable box. This simply would not do! TV without DVR isn't TV, it's the stone age as far as I'm concerned. He might as well have brought a stone table with some hieroglyphics (yes, I had to spell check that) for all I cared.
Me being the quick thinker, I told "No Help" not to worry, I had a solution. My brother recently moved and wanted me to turn in his HD-DVR for him when the Comcast rep ("No Help") came to my house. I told "No Help" that, although inept, not all was lost. I told him to simply hook my brother's HD-DVR to my TV and all would be forgiven. Problem solved, crisis averted, sweet precious cable would soon be flowing through my new house and all the starving kids in India would be fed. Did I mention that I was dealing with Comcast?
"No Help" informs me that he can't hook up my brother's HD-DVR to my TV because my brother's account is still active. I quickly dial up my kin and tell him to cancel his Comcast account. He informs me that he tried to cancel in the a.m., and they told him that he had to turn in his HD-DVR in order to cancel the account. Not wanting to bother the good man at work, I asked for my brother's social security number and decided to call Comcast on his behalf. I called Comcast, explained that I wanted to cancel the account and turn the HD-DVR into "No Help", and then "No Help" would hook the HD-DVR up to the TV. The lady on the phone, who we'll call "Stupid Face," told me that the only way to cancel the account would be to turn the box into a Comcast store. I said to "Stupid Face," "So I have to go and turn this HD-DVR into Comcast, and then they'll simply hand it right back to me and I can then have it hooked up to my TV." "Stupid Face" replied, "well, they won't give you the same HD-DVR." I asked her how they would be able to give me another HD-DVR when "No Help" said they were all out. "Stupid Face" informed me that she was unaware that they were out of HD-DVRs, that they must not have been told yet. Shocking!
So I put "Stupid Face" and all of Comcast to the test. The goal of any company is to make money. Sure, everyone likes to think that the customer is king and all that BS, but the goal is, and will always be, to make money. Since I, the customer, am the one giving Comcast, the devil, money, then they should accommodate me. I tell "Stupid Face" that she can either figure out a way to have the box that is SITTING IN MY LIVING ROOM attached to my TV for HD-DVR goodness, or she can cancel all of the services I've ordered and lose me as a customer forever. She said there was nothing she could do. I don't know why I thought "Stupid Face" could accommodate and I hung up the phone.
I told "No Help" to cancel everything. He looked a bit scared after witnessing all of the drama, and of hearing of my girlfriend's desire to blow up every Comcast location. I promptly drove to the Comcast location in Germantown, since I knew the one in East Memphis would be overflowing with customers and short on workers, and turned in my brother's HD-DVR.
I've since ordered high-speed Internet through Bell South and have Direct TV coming on Saturday. Everyone I've talked to has had problems with Comcast and yet they continue to thrive in this market. Ultimately, the consumer has to decide to make the extra effort to get what is fair. Most people "settle" for Comcast and their sub par service because they assume that it's easy to get everything in one package and because it's the standard, or they had service with Time Warner and have continued to use Comcast because it's already installed. While my revolution might not be on the same level as George Washington, I've taken my stand against Comcast and urge the dissatisfied Comcast customers out there to do the same.
- July 23, 2008 at 11:25 AM
- Ijustwantitfixed said...
This a follow-up:
I actually got a phonecall today from a manager at the local dispatch office! I don't know if it was a response to my post on here, or if it was a response to one of the 10 phonecalls I made in the last two weeks, but the point is that someone from Comcast actually acknowledged the issue, and is working to resolve it.
- July 23, 2008 at 11:54 AM
my parents in maryland have had their cable cutting in and out for 6 months now. Part of the problem is a cable that was not buried deep enough in the ground, then suffered water damage. the cable makes a loud humming noise whenever the tv is on (brand new flat screen, HD tv). you can't even watch it. service has made over 10 appointments to the house. countless days of work missed. they have yet to replace or bury the cable. Verizon installed FIOS this week and my parents aren't looking back. they probably have spent 100 hours on the phone with comcast in the past 6 months.
- July 23, 2008 at 12:12 PM
- Anne Pearce said...
Follow up to my post from last night. Comcast was supposed to be here between 11 and 2. At around 1, someone called and said he was running behind and would be here between "now and 2:30, no later than 2:30". Well, 2:30 cam and went and no technician. I called comcast at 3:15 and told them no one showed up. After she tried contacting the technician with no sucess, she said the technician's supervisor was going to try to contact him and she would call me back. I was surprised when she actually called me back. She said the technician would be here within 30 minutes. That was at 3:36. It is now 4:03. He has 3 minutes to get here. By the way, I have now wasted 5 hours that I should have been at my job but I've been waiting here for a miracle to happen. I'm about to cancel my service all together!!!
- July 23, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Two weeks ago, I made an appointment against my better judgment. To install service for 4 TVs in my new built Townhouse in Potomac, Maryland. The diligent sales rep who charged me right there and then $400 at the same time of making the appointment for the installation call told was very nice but took my money right away and I still should wait to have the service. The appointment was made for Tuesday, July 22, 2008between the hours of 8 am to 12 pm. I was there with the Geek Squad waiting from 8 am to 2 pm, nobody from Comcast showed up or called to apologize for not showing up. The Comcast technician that was scheduled to come called at 10h05 am as I was in the bathroom (of course) his name is Mario. So Mario calls and says litterally: "Hello my name is Mario, huh, I am calling from Comcast,we are trying to find your home because it is not into the map, that why we are calling you but you are not into the home, huh, so I think you are gonna need to make a reschedule. Thank you so much. Bye Bye."
That is the message I got. I come out of the bathroom and my celle phone indicates that I got a voice mail, I listened to it and immediately call the number listed, Mario's number. Guess what is response was. "I am sorry but I have another job to go to, you were not at home." So I called the dispatcher at Comcast and they are thr rudest bunch of lazy liars, they said that they have made several attempts to reach me and that I did not responded. They put me on hold like for 15 to 20 mn at a time on a cell phone. I finally went to Comcast to get the boxes that I paid for with 2 of the Geek Squad team, they made us wait 45 mn before coming back to tell us that they cannot give us the boxes. They also said that someone from Comcast (they never did), they will come between 11 am and 2 pm and I told them No. They are liars, and unprofessional and liars, and this is my second lesson, I will never use Comcast nor will I recommend Comcast and I will tell my story to whomever wants to listen. Comcast EQUALS poor customer service.
- July 23, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Just to let you know, I will be using Dish Network, they are coming this Sunday to hook me, everything else is better than Comcast.
- July 23, 2008 at 1:23 PM
- Phil said...
Followup to a post I left 2 months ago. I dumped Comcast cable (kept Comcast internet, no problems there) and got DISH network. The 722 Dish DVR is FAR, FAR superior to the Comcast model. Great, intuitive interface, easy functionality. The best part is they have a "30 second" skip forward and skip backward button, you can race through the commercials with ease. I cannot believe the hours I wasted (and $$$) with Comcast TV.
- July 23, 2008 at 1:57 PM
I am an apartment dweller. Basically for me that means the only way I can watch television is by subscribing to Comcast. I do not have the correct exposure for a dish and I cannot get my apartment wired for Fios. Despite the horrible mess of cable wiring located in basement of my apartment building I have not had problems with my cable. What I have had problems with has been the DVR box itself and no shocker here, Customer Service. Yesterday I had to call the Customer Service line in the Baltimore, MD area to ask for help regaining my On Demand feature and several of my menu features. Now I know the general be all to end all solution offered is to unplug the box and plug it back in. Honestly if asked I would have said I already tried that, really I thought I did. After spending the first 5 minutes being transferred to 2 or 3 different reps I finally got a person who offered solutions to my problem. They included checking all the wires and, as I expected, turning the power to the box off. I did all of that was asked of me and did not think that I was being a problem customer. I am not going to dwell on the disagreement the rep and I had about what my box does or does not display when its off but rather mention my favorite part of the conversation with the rep (whose name I just could not understand): after asking me if she addressed my issues and concerns she asked me if I had ever heard of the expression of making an "L" with my hand and putting it on my forehead, because that what I was a loser. I was stunned. In that split second I had a decision to make, get really angry and ask for a supervisor or let it roll off my back. I decided to take the high road and let it roll off my back (that and I didn't want her to list me as a trouble maker and secretly put in a disconnect request). I figured if she needs to make herself feel better by badmouthing customers than her life must really really suck. But then she had the nerve to ask me if I was interested in Comcast telephone or internet service. I said to her that no I was not interested because I am sure losers would never understand how to make the internet work and I hung up the phone. (I know, I know I should have asked for a supervisor but really I just don't need the extra stress in my life.) But here's just one more reason Comcast is so NOT Comcastic.
- July 23, 2008 at 3:16 PM
- Jimmie said...
After reading all the horror stories on this site it amazes me that Comcast does nothing to fix their internal problems that create such riotous annoyance. I also realize that my own stress is mild compared to the hemorhage that some people have endured.
My roommates and I were "getting by" with the basic package here in Nashville for quite a while. We actually lulled ourselves into thinking that Comcast wasnt that bad because we never had any problems with them at all. One night about a month and a half ago the cable goes completely out and so we call to find out WTF. Come to find out most of the metro Nashville area was out due to a storm. The amazing customere service rep then informs us that we had the option of a free digital box upgrade. This excited us. This beautiful golden princess gave us the key to our digital cable goodness. So two days later we drive out and pick up our box and brought it home. I hooked it up and turned it on. It was amazing to see all we were missing and had been left out of with the glory of digital television. Thats where the party ended though. After a while of channel flipping, we decide to try the on demand feature and it states "e-1003, initializing please try again in 5 minutes". We call the service line and they "ping" the box. We wait 45 minutes. Nothing. We try again 30 minutes later. Nothing. So we call back and this time we get a less than cordial rep that states the problem is probably on their end and not ours. All we can do is wait and they should fix it soon. OK, cool. 2 weeks later still nothing. Plus now the service is digitizing pretty bad on the non digital channels. Sometimes the channels wouldnt even come in. So we call again a couple days later and they set up an appointment to have them come out and look at our box. The morning of the appointment came and they called while my roomate was in the bathroom and missed the call. No service fix today. Now our cable is doing this weird bi-polar work right today, not so much the next BS. We wait 2-3 days until after we are all cooled down about it, and call them back again. They try feeding us the same "its us ,not you " BS as before. Which I am quick to point out that Our neighbors, and friends all of whom live within 1 mile, have perfect service. So they set up another appointment. I specifically request that the tech NOT call because we work nights and one of us will just sleep on the couch and the knock should wake him up. She says "thats fine sir." So the next morning, They call and since no one hears it( my roomates phone , who is the title holder to the plan, is quiet as a mouse at its loudest) they cancel. This was this morning. I had comcast when I lived in MA and this is usually when everything goes down hill. We have discussed it and we dont like the fact that they talked us into paying this extra money every month when we were fine with the basic, and now the biggest option for having the digi-cable is an option that they basically refuse to fix. I hate these g-ded people and cant wait til u-verse becomes available in TN. WTF!!!!!
- July 23, 2008 at 9:55 PM
Comcast account # 8220188903641397
Let's start at the begining. We moved into our house in March of 2006. It was new construction and we had the house prewired for cable. We called to get the house hooked up to Comcast. We already had boxes from our previous house and all we needed was service. We had run a trench from the house to the pole for underground service. The tech came out and refused to run the cable in the trench and said I would have to fish it myself or he would just let it sit on the lawn to the house(which BTW I have seen in other houses in my neighborhood lately).
Once I got the cable to the house he hooked it up to the house, he then went into my house and undid my cable hub to all the TV's. Then he proceeded to tell me he would install cable on my TV's for X dollars in cash, or it would be billed to me for X more on my statement. I kicked him out of the house and reported him to Comcast at that point (customer service did not seem to really care).
A couple months later I was having horrible service, my boxes were not getting a strong enough signal to actually change channels or get even get others in if it would go to that channel. We called and set up an appointment, someone came out, played with our wiring and it seemed to fix the problem.
Yet another couple months later our service degraded again so we called again. A tech came out and she installed a booster on the house. That seemed to work, well at least for a few months.
In early spring a tree in the neighborhood fell and took out power to our neighborhood for almost 8 hours. When power returned we called Comcast at 8pm to tell them we had no cable. They actually tried to ping our boxes and asked me if we had power in the house (not quite sure how he expected my box to work with no power). He said he reported the trouble call and it would be resolved ASAP. We were surpised that they had no idea the line went down almost 8 hours prior. We came home at midnight and the cable was still out and we did nto see anyone working at the pole. We went to bed to wake up to, again, no cable. So we called again and the customer service rep said they had no record of an outage, which is amazing since I am sure we were not the only ones to have called 12 hour prior. When we came home from work the next day still no cable. When we called, they said there was too much traffic on the road to actually do work (amazing GA power managed to work around the traffic). When we questioned why in 24 hours they could not manage to find the time with little traffic they could not answer. Cable finally came back over 24 hours after we lost it.
This month our cable degraded AGAIN so we made yet another appointment. The tech came out, but didn't have the right part, or wanted to change out the box or something. So he made an appointment to come back out on Saturday to repair it. In the mean time I purchased an HD TiVo and I wanted to get the cable card for the box. I figured since they had to come back out anyway (since they refuse to let you pick one up at the store so they can charge you the "install" fee) they could bring one out. This idea was so foreign to them. God forbid I not have to waste my time waiting on them twice. They refused to do it, and on top of that would not come out to the house for another 2 weeks to give me the cable card.
Between my Internet and cable I am almost paying Comcast $200 a month, and I am not sure why. I get poor service, both on the screen and off. I have mentioned several times to the rep on the phone I am going to research other cable providers, and I get a "so what" attitude. I have never seen a product that is sold have so many problems and the company not care. I REALLY hope someone from Comcast reads this and can fix this situation ASAP.
Joe Keller
- July 24, 2008 at 7:41 AM
I'm sick of the advertisements comcast puts at the bottom of the guide screen. Before you could see 5 shows now you can see only 4. Typical comcast trying to get a nickel and a dime off an advertisement to the disservice of the customers.
- July 24, 2008 at 6:20 PM
This is a rant about Cable TV and Comcast.
Are you old enough to remember when the cable companies said that they would provide a service that would enable you to watch TV without commercials? They said you would pay for what you wanted to watch and there would be no commercials.
I currently pay Comcast $131/month for internet and HD basic cable. True, there are many channels but they all have commercials and in the morning I find "Paid Programming", sort of a full time "Commercial Advertising Channel" Something you never were subjected to prior to cable.
My wife and I rent Netflix movies because it is more cost effective than cable and a wider variety of movies. Given what I'm paying now, there is no way I would pay Comcast more money.
I consider myself lucky because I haven't had to deal with Comcast for repair service for a year. But there have been many an occassion when I've had to endure calling them and trying to get thru to a "person" to find they couldn't understand English and I couldn't understand them. Then if you do finally arrange a repair visit, they expect you to take time off from your job to wait for their 4 hr window appointment. Many a time I have waited and no one showed in the aforesaid window.
Maybe, just maybe if Comcast had competition (and real Federal Regulation) there would be better programming at lower cost. Where I live there is only satellite TV as an option, but because of my location and forest I cant receive a dish signal.
- July 24, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Comcast account # 8220188903641397
Just to update: about 2 hours after posting "Miss Davies" called our cell and said she would be our personal contact and we no longer needed to call the switch board. She assured me she would get our service fixed on Saturday and offered to pump up our cable card install.
Of course we came home to find we do not have a channel working over channel number 30.
So we shall see what happens.
Joe Keller
- July 24, 2008 at 7:03 PM
I have no beef with Comcast. Two years ago I canceled my cable service and the dickweeds never turned it off. Ha Ha!
- July 24, 2008 at 7:40 PM
- Bob said...
Why the heck is it that I can't get channels 2-9 on 2 of my 3 cable boxes!? I've been in my house in Jersey City, NJ for over three years and my Comcast service has been OK for the most part until several weeks ago. One both of my normal cable boxes channels 2-9 stopped working. On my digital cable box, they continue to work just fine.
I've called the issue in to tech support several times without relief. I can't watch the local nbc, cbs, abc, or espn. Yet I still (of course) have to pay for them.
Each time I call they have me reboot my boxes and (of course) wait. Each time, nothing changes and I have to call back over and over.
Once on the line with techsupport the support technician admitted to my wife that is is a common problem across my area. WHAT!!!? A area-wide blackout of the big 3 networks - - no network news, no prime time shows for WEEKS!?
- July 24, 2008 at 7:52 PM
I just cancelled Comcast cable after 11 years and have subscribed to Direct TV. You cannot even imagine the relief! Customer service at Comcast was literally non-existant, unless being connected to someone who barely speaks English and is completely unconcerned about any issue you might have regarding Comcast is considered customer "service" now. Comcast was consistantly eliminating channels from my line up. I was never notified in advance, the channels just disappeared in the night. when I called to complain the service personel from New Delhi or Bangladesh had absolutley no ideas what I was talking about. I asked about my loss of "TCM" (Turner classic movies) and one person said "You need pay more dollars" the other one I called couldn't understand what I meant and just said "Channel gone now, too bad". This was in addition to the TV guide channel being absolutely unwatchable due to signal scrambling. The TV also went blank every few minutes for a second or two for weeks at a time-never got an answer on that one either. Plus the whole thing would just fail if there were a storm. I was sometimes offered a day or two of compensation-which never materialized on the bill. Since there is no cable competion in the Chicago area you're stuck unless you go with a dish. Well so far the dish has been great and everyone I've spoken to at their customer service is actually English speaking and polite, they may even be Americans who knows.
- July 24, 2008 at 8:25 PM
- Jimmie said...
After reading all the horror stories on this site it amazes me that Comcast does nothing to fix their internal problems that create such riotous annoyance. I also realize that my own stress is mild compared to the hemorhage that some people have endured.
My roommates and I were "getting by" with the basic package here in Nashville for quite a while. We actually lulled ourselves into thinking that Comcast wasnt that bad because we never had any problems with them at all. One night about a month and a half ago the cable goes completely out and so we call to find out WTF. Come to find out most of the metro Nashville area was out due to a storm. The amazing customere service rep then informs us that we had the option of a free digital box upgrade. This excited us. This beautiful golden princess gave us the key to our digital cable goodness. So two days later we drive out and pick up our box and brought it home. I hooked it up and turned it on. It was amazing to see all we were missing and had been left out of with the glory of digital television. Thats where the party ended though. After a while of channel flipping, we decide to try the on demand feature and it states "e-1003, initializing please try again in 5 minutes". We call the service line and they "ping" the box. We wait 45 minutes. Nothing. We try again 30 minutes later. Nothing. So we call back and this time we get a less than cordial rep that states the problem is probably on their end and not ours. All we can do is wait and they should fix it soon. OK, cool. 2 weeks later still nothing. Plus now the service is digitizing pretty bad on the non digital channels. Sometimes the channels wouldnt even come in. So we call again a couple days later and they set up an appointment to have them come out and look at our box. The morning of the appointment came and they called while my roomate was in the bathroom and missed the call. No service fix today. Now our cable is doing this weird bi-polar work right today, not so much the next BS. We call back 2-3 days later after we are all cooled down about it, and call them back again. They try feeding us the same "its us not you " BS as before. Which I am quick to point out that Our neighbors, and friends all of whom live within 1 mile, have perfect service. So they set up another appointment. I specifically request that the tech NOT call because we work nights and one of us will just sleep on the couch and the knock should wake him up. They call and since no one hears it( my roomates phone , who is the title holder to the plan, is quiet as a mouse at its loudest) they cancel. This was this morning. I had comcast when I lived in MA and this is usually when everything goes down hill. We have discussed it and we dont like the fact that they talked us into paying this extra money every month when we were fine with the basic, and now the biggest option for having the digi-cable is an option that they basically refuse to fix. I hate these g-ded people and cant wait til u-verse becomes available in TN.
- July 24, 2008 at 10:03 PM
I find my self avoiding commercials more and more lately. Should a 90 min movie be encased in 45 minutes of commercials. Now there are more ads inside the on demand movies and shows. Oh the pop up ads while you are watching a show. I am glad the Comcast ads have slowed in my area lately. I'm also glad they can't force me to watch ads over the internet, but I bet they are working something out.
- July 24, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Compared to some of the other commenters here, my problem is small, but it still made me fume.
We get digital cable and internet from Comcast and have the same problem with both services-- every once in a while the signal cuts out for a couple seconds, then comes back good as new. TV-wise, this isn't the end of the world, since it isn't long enough to really miss anything important, but it is irritating.
When it comes to the internet though, we have a bigger problem. See, every time the service cuts for a few seconds, our wireless modem resets itself, and takes a good minute and a half to reconnect. If you happen to be doing something important, like downloading a large file-- well, you're going to have to try again. Not to mention the frequent appearance of those "page not found" screens on my web browser.
I called Comcast to complain about this and, after the rep insisted for quite awhile that my problem didn't exist, they agreed to send someone out to check out the problem between 1 and 5 that Friday.
As it happens, that Friday morning I was running errands, and I got home about 10 minutes to 1, only to find two messages from Comcast on my home answering machine. The first (at around noon) was to "confirm my appointment" and informed me that they would call back in half an hour, and if they didn't contact me the appointment would be automatically cancelled. The second message, as you might have guessed, was to inform me that, since I hadn't answered, my appointment had been cancelled.
Here's the thing-- no one had ever informed me that there would be a call to confirm the appointment (and, in fact, for other Comcast visits in the past I had never received such a call). If they had just told me they wanted to call, I would have given them my cell number. Instead, I ended up with the same crappy cable and animosity toward the company.
I still haven't had the problem fixed, BTW.
On an unrelated note, why do their installers insist on running cable for new room connections on the OUTSIDE of the house? It looks like crap and is just asking for trouble. Run it through the attic for crying out loud-- I'd rather pay a little more for installation than have to pay another person to fix it right after you "install" it.
- July 25, 2008 at 2:10 AM
- tented said...
The Comcast logo on the menus:
I have a high-definition plasma TV, and have noticed that by using the various menus over time the Comcast logo (the one with the red-outlined "C") has begun to burn in. Very disturbing!
Obviously, these menus are needed in order to do searches, view listings, use options menus, etc. -- in other words, they're frequently on the screen. But with the logo burning in, I'm now too worried to use them.
And before anyone starts telling me that my TV settings are incorrect (i.e., brightness/contrast too high), let me assure you that they're correct, and were professionally set.
Of course, burn in is a well-documented problem with plasma TVs, and I have noticed burn in with other logos and various graphics, such as watching certain channels that have a static logo in the lower corner of the screen, or news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, etc. with static graphics. But because I have Comcast, theirs is the static logo I encounter the most because of having to use the menus. I can easily decide not to watch the other channels, but I can't do that with Comcast menus.
Has anyone else experienced this problem?
- July 25, 2008 at 4:07 AM
- Nan said...
I had been using TIVO for a few years, when we went out and bought a HDTV, and the guys who installed it told me we could use the TIVO-like service of Comcast on our new Comcast box. First of all, I wished I had KNOWN that this service was available right from Comcast. We returned the new HDTV TIVO box to the store where we bought everything. SO we are using Comcast now. The bad thing is that Comcast's TIVO functions are extremely primitive compared to TIVO. I wish I had just kept the new TIVO box. The differences are unberlievable! My customer number is 8773103840005995 and I live in Concord, MA.
- July 25, 2008 at 4:37 AM
The essential problem with Comcast is that it is a monopoly for cable in my area. Why don't we have competition? In one memorable Philadelphia Magazine article, Gov Rendell, then Mayor, was quoted as telling a New York potential competitor more or less that Philadelphia was a Comcast town.
I don't know if that was true--but it certainly feels like it.
For years, I've received the worst service from Comcast that anyone can imagine. I've gone through oh, 5 or 6 DVRs to this point. I've had techs leave machines without the HD feature I've always had enabled. They've dumped machines not compatible with my location. And most of all of course, they use old pieces of outdated junk. no surprise they don't work well. When I first ordered the service I remember being told by the Comcast rep that I should rent the dvr from them because they would always upgrade the technology so I'd have the latest and greatest. What a laugh. What a lie.
Here's one painful story, recounted in a letter to Comcast President:
After numerous calls to Comcast tech support, including calls in which I was falsely promised numerous times that a senior tech would contact me (no one ever calls), I was out of options with Comcast. Over the course of more than a year, I
Called Comcast tech support on numerous occasions
Met with Comcast Techs
Had my DVR replaced several times
At the end of this process, I played recorded shows and watched as the screen freezes, and then turns black, necessitating going back to the beginning of the show and fast forwarding to the place where it broke down—only to have this happen over and again at new places in the recording. There are other problems. The DVR has shut down, losing all programming. It is not unusual for the recordings to pixilate. But this process of the shows freezing, and then usually going black, is intolerable.
Despite wasting my time meeting with Comcast techs (they all report everything is fine), and replacing the DVR several times (each replacement seems actually to be worse), nothing is ever accomplished. I would add that people have not shown up for appointments. On other times, someone has shown up without an appointment—but he was not the Senior Tech promised.
I call Comcast tech support and every recent phone call goes something like: "Oh, this is awful. I can't believe this hasn't been fixed. We'll have a second level tech call you. I promise you this will be different this time." Of course it never is. Not only does no one ever fix the problem, but no one ever bothers to even call me back and investigate it. If this were not so appalling, it would be almost laughable at this juncture. I feel that I must conclude that I am being jollied along, and your tech support will say anything to get me off the phone. If they are not liars, then someone else is incompetent and irresponsible. There are no other choices, and all of the ones I listed speak very, very poorly for Comcast's operation. It does not matter whether I am calm, annoyed, commanding or pleading. The result with Comcast techs is always the same: nothing is solved.
========end letter-----
Despite this, the subsequent process did not go well. They blew appointments.
Finally I got a dvr that seemed better. It too began to degrade. The process started anew. Then finally, someone came and checked settings. That's what they always do. It never matters. It's always fine. Even when not. I finally got someone competent who decided the setting was within normal parameters seemingly but not really right. And then everything worked. The end of a multi-year struggle?
Not for long, I predict. As long as Comcast uses old junk, problems will persist.
- July 25, 2008 at 4:46 AM
WHY does COMCAST have to use so much space on their menu for what-ever??? I get about one and a half lines of 'whats on', and it rolls at a fast pace, so need to watch ten minuts of roll to find what I want. Good part is that I can, and do, turn the sound OFF.
IF COMCAST was interested in the viewers....
- July 25, 2008 at 6:49 AM
This is so true. I live in Reston,VA. It took us 3 times waiting for 3 hours each day to have the come "install" the cable box which takes 5 minutes. Then for the past 3 days I have been getting calls from techs who say they have work orders to do different things to our condo. I keep telling them that we ALREADY have cable and need nothing more than the calls to stop. Because of their mess-ups they did not charge us the $40 install fee, which helps, but I still lost 9 hours of my life sitting on a couch waiting. But then we noticed our HBO and STARS that we pay for were not working. So we called…..waited on hold, got them turned on. Then we noticed our DVR (Digital Video Recorder) was not working….so again we went through the whole process of calling and waiting for the issue to be resolved. It finally did and we thought everything was good to go….not so quick….now my HD channels are flickering on and off sometimes not working at all. Considering just our TV cable bill costs $80 a month, this is ridicules. If only Direct TV could have gotten a signal from our deck!!!!!!! And Comcast is a direct copy of COX. Their menu and channel guide is the EXACT same…..everything is exactly the same. And it's not considered a monopoly in Reston because some people can get Direct TV, but for all of us others we are in plain terms……screwed!
- July 25, 2008 at 7:18 AM
This is so true. I live in Reston,VA. It took us 3 times waiting for 3 hours each day to have the come "install" the cable box which takes 5 minutes. Then for the past 3 days I have been getting calls from techs who say they have work orders to do different things to our condo. I keep telling them that we ALREADY have cable and need nothing more than the calls to stop. Because of their mess-ups they did not charge us the $40 install fee, which helps, but I still lost 9 hours of my life sitting on a couch waiting. But then we noticed our HBO and STARS that we pay for were not working. So we called…..waited on hold, got them turned on. Then we noticed our DVR (Digital Video Recorder) was not working….so again we went through the whole process of calling and waiting for the issue to be resolved. It finally did and we thought everything was good to go….not so quick….now my HD channels are flickering on and off sometimes not working at all. Considering just our TV cable bill costs $80 a month, this is ridicules. If only Direct TV could have gotten a signal from our deck!!!!!!! And Comcast is a direct copy of COX. Their menu and channel guide is the EXACT same…..everything is exactly the same. And it's not considered a monopoly in Reston because some people can get Direct TV, but for all of us others we are in plain terms……screwed!
- July 25, 2008 at 7:18 AM
In its usual highhanded way, Comcast removed MSNBC from a package we had, just as they removed CSpan 2 from a package some time ago. I was told that I had been sent a letter (another of their mysterious unreceived letters) informing me of the MSNBC change with my last bill. If I want MSNBC I must subscribe to an additional package and get a cable box. (I now have a cable card.) I asked for and was promised a copy of the letter. Still unreceived. Comcast doesn't seem to understand that when you subscribe to packages, it is one kind of contract: channels for money. They just move things around and charge more. And they sound confused and helpless when you call them about it. Apparently they don't tell their phone people when they are about to offend customers yet again.
This customer (8773 10 217 0249140) wants the deleted channels back without yet more fees!
- July 25, 2008 at 7:37 AM
To avoid phishers, I'll stay anonymous for now, but when Comcast took over recently in Lafayette, IN, they arrived with all sorts of promises of great services. Apparently their idea of great service is to raise prices, and in the most recent move, removed a popular channel (National Geographic TV) from the basic package without notice to the public, and moved it to a more expensive package. Apparently, they did inform the public.When challenged, they replied that they had announced the change. It was buried in the legal notices in a section of the local newspaper that many people don't even know exists in the paper. I wonder what "service" will be slipped past us next. There's no competition here, just the option of satellite, which isn't able to include the local station.
- July 25, 2008 at 8:31 AM
I live in a baltimore High-rise
(165 apartments)and noone in our building who has subscribed to the digital tier is able to get some 14 channels that every one else in the city is able to get. This has been a problem since April and despite numerous visits from Comcast techs that are unable or unwilling to correct. Their current position is 'We know there is a problem, don't call us again' They continue to charge the full amount and won't return phonecalls or attempt to correct the problem.
Account nr 09518 122090-01-06.
- July 25, 2008 at 8:34 AM
During the winter, the electrical company did some digging in my yard and poked a hole on the cable transformer box owned by Comcast. Out of good heart, I called Comcast to alert them of the problem. They said they would send a technician to take a look.
Well, he did not do any work with the box but instead asked to come to the house to look at my cable which was fine. He also informed me there would be no charge for that.
Sure enough, I got a $35 charge on my next bill. When I called to complain, they said since I did not buy the protection plan, I will be charged every time a technician comes to my property.
Everyone knows this is one of the usual sneaky trick Comcast plays to get the customer. They also advertize about the 'low price' then increase by the end of the 'promotion period' without notifying the customer, because by then you are stuck.
What a terrible company!!
- July 25, 2008 at 8:58 AM
- Susan said...
I've had DirectTV, RCN, Cox and Comcast - and although they have all been pretty bad (techs not showing up, calling every month to have the bogus and hidden extra charges they think I won't notice removed, the last few minutes of my favorite shows being scrambled, etc.) Comcast really takes the cake.
We moved this past Saturday to a new apartment, I thought I had reached the promised land when I called Dominion Power Company to get my electric account started and they asked me which cable company I planned on using and what service I wanted. Little did I know, this person (because they didn't work for Comcast) would be the last intelligent being I would speak to about my cable problems. We set up a install date for the night of our big move, and the technician called early to see if that was OK, which it was. He was super polite and even offered to help with some of the bigger things we were moving around in the apartment. The TV was still in the moving van but he said he didn't need it, and although we have an HD TV and I ordered the service he hadn't brought the right box. I chalked it up to my own mistake and he said that he thought they should always ask people if they have HD these days; I agree!
Everything was installed (according to him) but it didn't take us long to figure out that neither our internet nor cable was working. With the sun setting on Saturday we immediately called to avoid going without for the whole weekend. Luckily we called soon enough to only spend about 45 minutes on hold before the person turned on the signal and everything worked. They told us we could exchange the box they gave us for an HD one and so yesterday my boyfriend went there, got the box, and set it up himself. He says that it turned itself off a and rebooted a couple of times, but that he was able to watch it during the day.
When I got home from work and we sat down on the couch, however, the cable worked for a few seconds before turning off. The word boot appears and then it turns itself off. So we unplug it, plug it back in, and try again. The same sequence of events occurs, then a third time. At this point my boyfriend is again on the phone, waiting. We finally are able to speak to a woman who sounds too old to be very tech savy, and indeed after spending the first 3 minutes verifying my identity (I saw the powerpoint on the consumerist, I know they're only willing to spend 6 minutes with me) she spends the next 3 minutes having us unplug the box and turn it on again.
"Should I turn it on now?"
"No, no sir.. just press the power button."
Obviously we're dealing with someone who knows less about this than we do! She said it when it finished loading it would work, he told her that this had already played itself out 3 times and would no doubt repeat itself. She said we should call back, so he said "I guess what you're saying is I won't be watching any TV."
So she agrees to send out a technician, after trying so many other solutions (that's sarcasm, in case you didn't recognize it, she told us to do what we had already tried and then instantly gave us up for lost). Apparently the next available day is Tuesday (we called on Thursday) so this will be my second weekend without HD cable. If my previous experiences and those of the rest of you are any indication, my problems have just begun. This alone wouldn't be so huge if I didn't know exactly what to expect in the future, hours of being on hold and a lifetime of resentment without a permanent solution.
Comcast, get your act together! Investing a little more time in immediately solving one persons problem would give you positive word of mouth and would save the millions you must spend sending out numerous techs and paying customer service representatives who are ineffective. I guess you make up for it by making your pricing nonsensical and adding extra charges that you most people won't notice, they're too focused on trying to get an ounce of satisfaction from using your product! When I told coworkers I was getting Comcast, they gasped and asked me if I was crazy. Are you not embarrassed? You should be, I don't blame your technicians or your representatives, I blame those responsible for their training and for managing them. I don't know my account number right now, I haven't paid a bill yet (I will be calling immediately to complain when I get it, like I always have to) and I can't create a user account without it, and I can't find it without creating the account, quite the Catch-22.
- July 25, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- David said...
I live in Massachusetts and subscribe to Comcast's basic plan via analog cable. Several weeks ago we lost access to New England Cable Network (NECN), our most-watched channel, with no explanation. Word from Comcast finally arrived yesterday, when a brochure arrived in the mail. No explanation was offered; the brochure simply explained that we would now need a digital converter box to watch NECN. The rest of the brochure marketed the additional benefits of digital service.
I went online to learn more. Big mistake, as Comcast's website is just about unusable. After 20 minutes I managed to find an offer for a self-installation kit at no charge and no monthly fee, but at checkout the online agent told me "I don't know why the web site says that. I can't process your order. You have to go to your local office." If there's a web equivalent for "slam the phone down," I did it.
Moving a very popular channel to a more expensive plan is a blatant attempt to sell more stuff. I'm very angry with Comcast for the fact that we received no notice of this change and no explanation once it happened. It's clear that Comcast is not familiar with the word "customer." We are shopping for HD service and we're seriously considering Comcast's competitors.
Mr. Eliason, if you're listening, our account number is 8773100290026794.
- July 25, 2008 at 9:26 AM
- Big said...
-------- the remote is my hands-on contact point with comcast and it reminds me nearly every time how stupid and clumsy i am. the buttons are too small and the layout so counter-intuitive that it has taken five visits by a tech to explain how to recover from some minor keying glitch.
hooking up to my dvd player and actually playing a dvd is another reminder of how stupid i am. did i tell you how much i hate to feel stupid ?
then a free movie coupon which i have to send in by snail-mail ? unbelieveable ! . . .
- July 25, 2008 at 9:48 AM
It is good to see that it isn't just me that considers Comcast the worst company on the planet.
I get depressed every time that I have to call Comcast; as you have to ask yourself...how much are the sixth graders that they have on the phone going to screw up my account this time.
Just in the last six months:
Six months ago: I moved into a new condo in Evanston IL. I called up Comcast to create a new account. Comcast had radio adds talking about discounts. When I called and inquired about the discounts the rep actually laughed at me and said "Those aren't available for your service area." The rep was unable to explain why they were unavailable. I am assuming Comcast knew that they were the only operator allowed in our building; hence, they weren't offering anything to those of us that have to use them. I have since appealed to the board...luckily most of them hate Comcast as well. And they are now allowing satellites on the roof. Too late for me as I will be moving out in about a month.
After the cable was installed, the installer who failed to show up for the first appointment complained for 20 mins that I was unable to locate the cable box running around the complex swearing up a storm, rushed through the installation and didn't check the HD channels. It took me 2 hours on the phone with Comcast to get that fixed after I was transferred 8 times.
3 months ago:
Frustrated with the continually higher prices, I called in asking for a discount. Again, the Comcast representative actually laughed at me for asking. It was strange...two times in a row being laughed at. I have never had this at any other company...so it must be a cultural thing. Either way...I then called them on another phone line about our vacation home and they discounted the service. It must be again that Comcast feels that our building only allowed Comcast and thus we didn't need discounts. But lucky for us, that is no longer the cast.
2 month ago:
My cable box went out. I called up and asked them to come out and fix the cable box. After being transferred to 12 different reps, and hung up on 3 times by reps that didn't seem to understand how to transfer a phone call, I was told that I would need a new cable box. I was given three options. 1. I could take 4 hours off of work and travel to a specific Comcast office to change out the cable box. 2. They could send me a box via DHL...but I would have to be there to sign for the box and thus have to take off 4 hours of work again. 3. I could wait around 4 hours at my home on a Saturday and hopefully the installer would arrive on time.
I chose option 3. Unfortunately the rep(s) on the phone also chose option 2 for me, sending me a package via DHL. I was then required to go down to DHL (as I couldn't be home for the delivery) and pick up the package. I then had to turn around and ship the package back to Comcast via DHL. Here is the kicker....Comcast then added the second box onto my bill and charged me as if I was using a second box. I call up Comcast this past month trying to get the extra charges removed from my bill. But after going there automated message (which takes 4 mins to get to a person even if you have the steps memorized) I sat on hold for about 7 mins each time and was hung up on twice...again by the reps that don't seem to know how to transfer a phone call. Additionally, the installer that came out also did not set the box up for HD...Again had to sit on the phone with Comcast Tech Support to get this started. Luckily this rep was a bit more skilled and it only took 45 mins.
Last Month:
My high speed internet box went bad. I had all the same issues as reported when the cable box went out. But this time I went to the specified office, again taking 4 hours off of work to do so. I got the new box, but while I was at the Comcast office I was told that I could have gone to the office that was right next to my work. I had asked three or four reps on the phone if I could use the office next to where I work and I was told "no" multiple times. I am still not sure who is correct.
Anyway...that has been my last six months. Also, this is only for one of our properties. Keep in mind that we have 12 Comcast accounts for our two homes and then rental properties. Every six months previous to the last has some sort of issue that we have had to solve for Comcast. It is kind of strange; as there is no way that I could possibly be a profitable customer for them with all of the issues and time I have to spend on the phone solving Comcast's problems. All the call hours, phone bills, service calls.
But again, I won't be a direct customer for long. Unfortunately we still have rental units that we offer cable in. After such frustration, I have been thinking of implementing a satellite only policy in our rental properties just to try to stick it to a company that has cost me so much time and thus money.
Adam Faust
Comcast Accounts: 8798101350952110, 8798101050402770, etc.
- July 25, 2008 at 10:17 AM
sorry...correct email is: firstname.lastname@example.com
- July 25, 2008 at 10:19 AM
- Desmonde said...
Major problems w/ Comcast in San Francisco.
For over a month now, I've had ongoing HD reception issues. I've had 4 different technicians come to my place to try and resolve the problem. The Network Team has come out and been unable to resolve the problem. I've been talking to someone named Jason, a Supervisor (of what, I don't know) who calls me to say he's sorry and has no update, no information, and no resolution. But he's sorry!
Strange thing is that the service had worked well for nearly a year. There was an outage about a month ago and since service was restored, I've had problems.
I sent an e-mail to Brian Roberts, asking for his help. No reply.
Well, like Jason, I'm sorry too. I live in a condo building, and I have begun working with the HOA to organize the owners to install a shared satellite dish. This would provide us an alternative to the appalling service we've received from Comcast.
What is so frustrating w/ Comcast is the total lack of focus on resolving customer satisfaction issues. I never get the sense in dealing with Comcast that there is a real interest in effectively resolving the problem. The Supervisor calls me with no news or resolution and keeps ending his sentences with, "ok?" No, it's not ok!! Clearly he's just going through the motions and just wants me off the phone. What adds to the frustration, is that there is no escalation path to get the problem resolved. One is forced to work w/ Clerks who have not interest in really resolving the problem. Good thing for Blogs like this one, eh?
Acct. No. 8770 34 009 3965979
- July 25, 2008 at 10:31 AM
What I cannot stand about Comcast, in addition to the terrible customer service, is the lies and hidden fees. They advertise constantly this $99 bundle for tv, phone, and internet. Well I don't even have phone service but I do have HBO which is $17/month and my monthly bill is about $160, which is way too damn high.
- July 25, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Dear Comcast,
I have been living in my apartment in boston for almost a year now and have a tv in my room that WAS getting all the channels that I am paying for (ESPN,TBS,TNT etc). Now I am only getting basic cable channels 2-12 or something. I need to watch ESPN and i'm paying for it.
Ken Parker
115 Gainsborough st
Boston, MA 02115
- July 25, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Why, Comcast, why?
Why, when Verizon is zeroing in on your cable TV and Internet market in the Northwest, you need to shoot yourselves in the foot?
Why is there now commercials at the bottom of my program guide? Do I pay for this? Usually when you pay for something the advertisements are removed. I request that you provide an option to remove these advertisements ASAP. They are annoying and downright rude. Your explanation of "trying to show our customers how to do things" shows that you have little regard for your customer's intelligence.
We know how to look up things on OnDemand. We know how to order movies. Do you know how NOT to annoy your customers?
Remove it, and just stick with what works. Don't keep making things worse or I can just switch to Verizon TV come August.
- July 25, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Comcast is amazing never had a problem ever.
- July 25, 2008 at 12:43 PM
_still_ hate the new banner ads in the guide - now I go to the menu and choose "view guide by channels" to avoid it all together
I don't care how many canned emails I get telling me they're good for me, they're annoying!
(along with the new, large, AMC banner ads during broadcast shows, but I digress....)
- July 25, 2008 at 1:51 PM
Out here in the midwest, Olathe, Kansas, I lose the Comcast TV business channels for about 20 minutes virtually every day. Most days my Comcast internet access continues to function during the TV outage(s). I believe Comcast stops transmiting on these business channels because of high capacity use at certain times duirng the day, and these channels are probably the least noticable to the average person who is at home during the day. Unfortunately, Olathe does not have a second cable provider.
- July 25, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Cannot Comcast find a way to reprogram their box to make it easier to turn closed captions on and off? Currently, one has to turn off the cable box (thus interrupting any recording), call up the screen to make the change, and then turn on the box again (often to find that you have been switched to another channel).
My customer number is 8773 10 259 0007870
- July 25, 2008 at 3:30 PM
- desmax said...
Here's an update to my post from earlier today re. service issues in San Francisco:
Either coincidence, or the right person at Comcast read my first post. Jason called me today and he came out with another technician to try and figure out why my I'm having problems with my service.
To his credit, Jason conducted a thorough set of tests, finally performing troubleshooting that should have been done earlier. Yes, there is in fact a problem with the signal coming into my building or with the box that splits the signal to the other units in the building. Jason ruled out wiring issues by running test lines from the box in my building to my unit and confirmed, no wiring issues. Now we need to get the Network team out here to conduct more tests and fully resolve the problem because I still have HD reception issues. Apparently Comcast is hesitant to send out the Network to repair / replace due to the costs. Ironic given the number of service calls I've had, which have been adding up, as well as the credits to bill that I've demanded. Long term it would be much less expensive for Comcast to fully diagnose and repair the problem.
My thanks to Jason for coming through and doing what needed to be done. Now we'll see if the problem does in fact get properly resolved within a reasonable amount of time.
To be continued......
- July 25, 2008 at 3:47 PM
- desmax said...
Here's an update to my post from earlier today re. service issues in San Francisco:
Either coincidence, or the right person at Comcast read my first post. Jason called me today and he came out with another technician to try and figure out why my I'm having problems with my service.
To his credit, Jason conducted a thorough set of tests, finally performing troubleshooting that should have been done earlier. Yes, there is in fact a problem with the signal coming into my building or with the box that splits the signal to the other units in the building. Jason ruled out wiring issues by running test lines from the box in my building to my unit and confirmed, no wiring issues. Now we need to get the Network team out here to conduct more tests and fully resolve the problem because I still have HD reception issues. Apparently Comcast is hesitant to send out the Network to repair / replace due to the costs. Ironic given the number of service calls I've had, which have been adding up, as well as the credits to bill that I've demanded. Long term it would be much less expensive for Comcast to fully diagnose and repair the problem.
My thanks to Jason for coming through and doing what needed to be done. Now we'll see if the problem does in fact get properly resolved within a reasonable amount of time.
To be continued......
Acct. No. 8770 34 009 3965979
- July 25, 2008 at 3:50 PM
My complaint is that in Palm Beach County, Florida Comcast has removed the only Country station we had here. They added some junk stations and took away one of the most watched stations in the area. Junk for good is not a fair trade. Seems like that they want to do this so we will have to sign up for some premium service. Not me. I don't want them to any more of my money for their junk stations.
- July 25, 2008 at 4:54 PM
I have read that Comcast reads and responds to these comments and complaints. So, here goes:
Comcast meets the definition of a monopoly, and they stink!
I have "expanded basic" cable-I don't want a cable box, because I have a modern TV that is equipped to receive all the signals required to get the channels THAT I CURRENTLY PAY FOR. Yet, Comcast doesn't allow me to access all the channels, they've deleted several channels and made them available only if I pay for a converter box - which then makes my digital recorder use restricted to the channel to which the almighty box is tuned.
What a scam.
I can't believe this isn't illegal. It is really criminal.
They should be ashamed of themselves.
- July 25, 2008 at 6:07 PM
- Carol said...
For three weeks, the apartment development I live in in Baltimore has had intermittent-to-no service whatsoever from Comcast--no TV, no Internet, no phone. After several visits to different customers, and several neighbors talking to each other, we determined the problem was not our individual service but a problem in the complex. The technicians "bumped up" the service request to the next level, and we were assured it would be taken care of right away. *Then* we were told it would be 7-14 business days before anyone could do anything about it because they had to get permission from the county to dig up the ground (not, of course, that they actually know what the problem is!). Now they're telling us the problem is fixed, when we clearly have no service whatsoever. I called two hours ago and asked to speak to a supervisor and was assured someone would call me back right away...as you can imagine, that hasn't happened. One hand doesn't seem to know what the other is doing, nor does anyone seem to care--the other day someone told me that since I didn't have a business account (I'm a journalist and told her that I was unable to work without an Internet connection) I wasn't entitled to the same service that business account holders receive (of course, the fact that the leasing office in the complex has no service either doesn't exactly support that notion). We are beyond frustrated. If anyone has any suggestions, or if someone from Comcast is out there listening (and according to today's New York Times, you are!), please get back to me. My account number is 09519502721-06-5. Thank you!
- July 25, 2008 at 7:20 PM
I am posting here with another problem with the Comcast Cable Service. After what was a very long wait, Video OnDemand has finally reached my area. So far this month, I have experienced issues with OnDemand pretty much every single day, and sometimes more than once per day.
At the beginning of the month, I began getting on demand error E6302. This error code came up anytime I switched from one menu to another, such as going from the HD OnDemand menu to CBS OnDemand. There would be a long delay, followed by the error code. This error code came up multiple times a day.
To "change things up a bit," a new error code came up which was E3602. This came up when trying to access the OnDemand system. I also got a E5324 error code.
All the error codes occurred eveyday and multiple times each day from July 1 through July 15. For the time being, the error codes have gone away, but now the audio is dropping out.
I have gone through the support channels prior to posting here. I first attempted to get the issue resolved via e-mail but basically didn't have much luck with that route. It actually took more than one e-mail to support before I got a response that "tests were performed and no problem was identified. We have contacted maintenance, and this issue has not been reported as a problem in your area." I was then directed to online chat support.
I started the whole discussion over again with online chat support. Online chat support supposedly sent a reset, but that has not fixed the problem.
After having contacted support via e-mail and chat, my next step was to send an e-mail to the office of Rick Germano. About two days after sending that e-mail, I received a call from Comcast. This was actually a very brief call and I was informed that the cause of all these issues is that OnDemand is new to my area.
The issue of the audio dropping out continues, and it is really frustrating to have to watch a program this way. As I am typing this, I just finished watching a program on NatGeo OnDemand. The program was 45min. and in that time frame, the audio dropped out EIGHT times. I am posting here as a last resort.
Something needs to be done about this. How much longer is going to occur? Can Comcast Engineering please look into this and identify the cause of the error codes and the audio drops, and attempt to find a resolution?
Acct #8495751010139957
- July 25, 2008 at 11:49 PM
What happened to MSNBC?
With this economy, how does Comcast expect people to upgrade their service?
I will just dump Comcast, and save myself some money.
- July 26, 2008 at 1:33 AM
- Ralph said...
I moved from Salt Lake City (Comcast) to Houston (Comcast). SLC comcast had state of the art, new, motorola cable boxes which were fantastic, Although it did overheat (we set up a fan to fix that problem).
Now, in Houston i have a retro 1990's Scientific Atlanta dual tuner cable box that has an early 80's feel to it. That is the "newest" box they have. dinged, dented, scratched. It has been used all those years. So I have no way to get the new, dual tuner DVR motorola box that I had. This upsets me as the difference in picture quality, functionality, ease of use, features, etc. is literally decades behind my previous box.
Comcast has been nice in saying that it isn't offered in Houston. WHY???? Houston is one of the largest cities in the USA. I expect the ability as the consumer to be able to decide which model of cable box I want, especially since I know it exists. I should have just somehow kept the box from utah, but that wasn't allowed either.
I would also think a company as large as Comcast would be able to provide a paying customer with something that Comcast already has in its inventory.
Comcast has also suggested I buy my own cable box, but that just isn't easy to do. Motorola only supplies those boxes directly to Comcast. Shady boxes on e-bay and in pawn shops also just isn't my thing. Then too, if something went wrong, it would be my box's problem and not comcast's problem.
I have high praise for Comcast in SLC, they did us right. I have no praise for Houston at this point.
Whatever happened to the Sherman Anti-trust Act?
- July 26, 2008 at 2:43 AM
Two points. 1) Does anyone notice that Comcast "bumps" TV cable network commercials with their own Comcast commercials? They do this very often on many different channels. 2) Has anyone ever had their service "turned off" after calling customer service and complaining? Real curious as to what the responses would be here.
- July 26, 2008 at 7:17 AM
Account no. 01723122692-01-3
I am a Comcast survivor. I have since switch to AT& T DSL, also switched my cable TV to Direct TV.
I found many channels to have snowy reception; trying to watch a "Saints" football game on FOX was extremely frustrating. A call to the local office were useless, when you did get through, the employees were surly (probably from receiving so many complaints}
E-Mail to the company was equally useless, they would say that you were the only one having problems (divide and conquer strategy) however when talking to friends and colleges, they were experiencing the same unsatisfactory results.
I was a little afraid that perhaps the weather would affect the reception of the satellites dish, to my pleasant surprise, that is NOT the case. If the weather is very bad you may loose the signal for a few seconds and it returns clear. Every channel is almost like watching "High Definition" channels and I don't choose that option. I have a much larger selection of channels. It is all less expensive than the bill from Comcast.
When you call these folks for support, they jump.
- July 26, 2008 at 7:30 AM
- trippenhammer said...
I had Comcast service when I lived in Miami in 2006 for TV and Internet. It was Comcastic!
Comcastic service starts right when you place your order. Comcast gives you a date to sit home and wait, for the tech to set up your service. This is an excellent time to reflect, as generally, the tech doens't show. However, when you call Comcast, you are always told "the tech came to your door, no one answered." After 2 such days, I stayed home, with the door open, and called Comcast every 30 minutes. Eventually, a Comcastic tech graced me with his presence.
The internet service was highly reliable. At least 2 days a month, it would be down. Given that my only phone at the time was VOIP, that was Comcastic!
The TV service actually worked most of the time. It was quite affordable, as they had promised me a promotional rate. However, every bill was a surprise.
For example, Comcast reps would tell me "your bill for the month will be $56." Later, my bill would show up, and be up to twice that amount. That would necessitate a call to Comcast, which would undoubtably take far more time than necessary. During said calls, the Comcast reps would try to explain that "while your bill is $56., there are other taxes and fees." When told that amount included the taxes and fees, and to look at my last bill, I would be told the bill was not for the regular one month period. One rep even stated, "the best thing you can do, is take whatever amount we give you, and add $15.00." My understanding of contract law is somewhat different.
Thankfully, I moved from Miami, and no longer am stuck with Comcast. I now have Bright House cable, which is so much better. My bill is right every month, and the service works uninterrupted. Every Comcast customer should switch now. Every once in a while, I have to deal with Bright House, and I always tell them they are so much better than Bright House, though that says very little.
The funny thing is, I have friends who live in Miami, without cable, for the simple reason that they do not want to deal with Comcast. Comcast service really is Comcastic!
- July 26, 2008 at 8:25 AM
Dear Comcast,
I have moved out of my apartment and canceled my television service (Beginning of June). I called Customer Service to have them send me a mailing box to return my cable box through the mail, as opposed to dropping it off at a Comcast location. They told me it would take a week at most to get to my apartment and that would have just made the deadline before I moved out. Well eventually moving day came and went and no mailing box showed up. Three days after I moved out I got a call at work telling me that there was a technician at my apartment to pick up the box. I told him that I no longer lived there, and I was suppose to receive a mailing box.
A few days later, I received a call from Comcast, and I told them I had moved (they knew when I was moving out because I told them originally), and gave them my new address and said they can my mailing box here. They said "ok" and I should have it within a week. A week passed and no box. They called back to see if I received my box and I told them I had yet to receive it. They said they would send another one confirmed the new address and I should get it within a week.
I have yet to receive a box at my new address, but was somehow able to get the bill for my last month of service and a bill for the cable box I am trying to send back at my new location.I guess Comcast assumes I am trying to keep it because they charged me $150 for it.
All I want is a mailing box sent to my new address so I can send back my cable box. I work all day like most people and don't want to have to drop it off.
8798 10 120 0476443
- July 26, 2008 at 10:09 AM
- Amin said...
I have never been so amazed at the poor service we are receiving from Comcast.
We had been a TWC customer for ten years when the switch to Comcast occurred in late 2007 I believe. We have had cable and high-speed internet and hadn't had major probelms until we purchased an HDTV a number of months ago. I am now investigating DSL and Satellite as an alternative to Comcast.
Bottom line - our HDTV has not worked since March 2008 or so. We have had so many technicians out to our house I have lost count. I have spent hours on the phone with "customer service". They send techs to the house who say the problem is at the line. Supposedly they fix that, but nothing improves. So I call back again and now they have to send another tech to the house. THEY ARE SIMPLY INCAPABLE OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
I have looked into alternatives but we don't have U-verse or Verizon available in our area. The monopoloy sure provides Comcast the ability to do a piss-poor job of taking care of its customers. And by the way, our bill is like $130/month - FOR PATHETIC SERVICE.
I am at my wits end. Half the time I call customer service I get a call center in Mexico (nice guys) but they can't do anything but input info into the system. I can't ever speak to someone higher up the food chain who might make something happen.
I will badmouth Comcast each and every time I get chance.
87777 010 7000 4723
Houston TX
- July 26, 2008 at 10:42 AM
- Amin said...
I have never been so amazed at the poor service we are receiving from Comcast.
We had been a TWC customer for ten years when the switch to Comcast occurred in late 2007 I believe. We have had cable and high-speed internet and hadn't had major probelms until we purchased an HDTV a number of months ago. I am now investigating DSL and Satellite as an alternative to Comcast.
Bottom line - our HDTV has not worked since March 2008 or so. We have had so many technicians out to our house I have lost count. I have spent hours on the phone with "customer service". They send techs to the house who say the problem is at the line. Supposedly they fix that, but nothing improves. So I call back again and now they have to send another tech to the house. THEY ARE SIMPLY INCAPABLE OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
I have looked into alternatives but we don't have U-verse or Verizon available in our area. The monopoloy sure provides Comcast the ability to do a piss-poor job of taking care of its customers. And by the way, our bill is like $130/month - FOR PATHETIC SERVICE.
I am at my wits end. Half the time I call customer service I get a call center in Mexico (nice guys) but they can't do anything but input info into the system. I can't ever speak to someone higher up the food chain who might make something happen.
I will badmouth Comcast each and every time I get chance.
87777 010 7000 4723
Houston TX
- July 26, 2008 at 10:43 AM
i wasnt getting internet or digital for about a month, well the other day i got all hooked back up, and i called to get my bill prorated, cause of course they will keep charging you even though you are not getting anything.... well the ladies like we dont show you were not getting internet or digital, (hello, if it wasnt being payed for, do you really think this company is gonna leave it on,) no!! well after going around and round with her, and not getting anywhere, (of course) i hung up and called back, i asked to talk to a supervisor, well surprise, surprise, no supervisors were around, so they took my name and # and i was told i would here back from them in two hours, well its now been two days, this is the second time i have had issues with them about over charging, comcast loves to see how many people they can over charge without them noticing, if i were you all i would look over your bill real good, i have been getting charged on mine for a phone hook up and i dont have a home phone, hhmm!!acc # 791779-3
- July 27, 2008 at 6:23 AM
I applaud the efforts of this blog. However, the only thing that is going to change the way Concast behaves is to stop using them. It all boils down to one simple thing....money. If it stops flowing in, and the stock holders see a plunge in stock prices, they will force the big dawgs out and get new ones in. Now, that may not change anything, but it will depend on what the new dawgs believe in. If it is all just the cash, then things will never change. If it is about providing the best product in the market, and they invest the money to do it, then you will see a major change. The metrics are there, they just choose to ignore them. The sad part is that they choose this way of dealing with it: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/25/business/comcast.php
I am happy that this guy has a job, but he is really just a PR guy and does not have the means to actually change the way Concast does business. He just wears a cape and tights, flies around solving crises and flies off again. The root causes are not being identified and resolved. To do that would require a complete culture shift in the company and a change in the way it actually runs its business. This guy (nothing personal Mr. Eliason!) is just a "Bandaid" approach to negative PR. The good thing is that the position will be for life. However, he will more than likely be replaced fairly quickly. It will be a high turnover position because the Concast board will have a "Fall Guy" in that position. They can always blame him for the lack of increased positive PR and replace him with another "future fall guy". Unless, of course, the position is part of a bigger plan to record all of the issues, bring them to the board, and initiate changes to the business to ensure that their reoccurences are minimized. Hah! Are you kidding? That would require a sizable investment! No way the stockholders or the big dawgs will take a hit in their pockets to do that! In all fairness, this is not just the way Concast does business. You see it in all sectors and industries. There are very few that actually follow this model and are successful at it. It requires a lot of hard work and sincere effort to want to make things better. Everyone will know when that day comes for Concast. They won't have to advertise it. It will just show up in the customer satisfaction and the increased revenue due to people adding more services or increased numbers of subscribers. Good luck, Frank. You are really going to need it. And, good luck Concast stockholders. Enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
- July 27, 2008 at 8:24 AM
This is going to be a long post...
I've had sporadic problems with Comcast since I moved to Philadelphia eight years ago, but nothing too egregious occurred until I moved to another apartment - in the same apartment building - last December.
Comcast began the cascade by entering the wrong time for my appointment into their computer system. I deliberately made an appointment for the end of the day in order to minimize the vacation time I would have to take. I repeated the time back to their rep at least twice, and she confirmed that I had a 3:30 to 5:00 appointment. Around 11:00 on the day of my appointment, the Comcast tech called me to see if he could come earlier. He told me that his work order said 1:00 to 3:00. So, if he hadn't called, I would have missed the appointment completely. Thinking I had been fortunate, I arranged to leave work and went home to wait for the tech.
When he arrived, he called me from his truck for directions to my apartment and said he would be right up. After I had waited about 15 minutes, I called him to make sure he hadn't gotten lost! According to him, he was still getting what he needed from his truck. Once he finally showed up, he couldn't figure out where the signal enters the building. He disappeared for over half an hour. Then he called his supervisor, who suggested that he have me contact the building's maintenance men so they could show him where his company's lines are!
He also failed to communicate with the customer - ME! He wouldn't tell me what he was doing, gave me very brief, uninformative answers when I asked questions, and, several times, disappeared for so long that I thought he might have left!
He finally found the signal and, supposedly, brought it into my apartment. Then he began to run cable. Black cable. On white walls. I asked him to use white cable, and he told me he didn't have any in his truck. By this time, he had been here for several hours; and I just wanted him to finish. He also was running it along the middle of the baseboard, so I asked him to run it along the edge. He ignored me. You might ask why I didn't just tell him to leave? Well, I didn't know how long I would have to wait before someone else came, and I thought that I would at least have cable once he was done!
He finished running cable and checked to see if I had a signal. I didn't. So he called Comcast and learned that the box driver for my entire area was down. He told me that I should have a signal by 7:00 and left. He had been here for four hours!
At 7:00, I had no signal and called Comcast. They gave me an appointment for the next morning. I also, during the call, said that I thought the tech who had done the work could use some retraining. The rep I spoke to apparently passed on my complaint.
Now it seems that once Comcast gets a "trouble call," they bring in an outside contractor. The tech who came didn't work for Comcast, and HE knew what he was doing. He confirmed that I had no signal coming into my apartment and immediately identified the source of the problem. He also told me that, if I asked, Comcast would send someone to re-run the cable. While he was here, a Comcast manager called to follow up on the complaint I had made the previous night. I told him that a tech was there (at that time, I still thought the tech was a Comcast tech). I told the manager what had happened the previous day, and he said that he would send his supervisor to fix the problem and re-run the cable. And the tech who was already there, who knew what to do? The manager wanted me to send him away! That was when the tech told me that he doesn't have to follow Comcast's orders, and he wouldn't leave until he had made certain I had a signal into my apartment.
When the supervisor finally showed up, he brought the incompetent tech from the day before with him! He had called me to confirm that I would be home when he arrived and failed to mention that he would be bringing the tech I had complained about back into my home so he could use my installation as a training exercise. Because I might have objected, he just brought him and presented me with a fait accompli. And when the supervisor saw the work his tech had done, he told me that he wouldn't have let him work on HIS home.
They were there for two hours. By the time everything had been done, I had to take a day and a half off from work.
When I got my next bill, I saw that it included various installation charges. So they basically charged me for training their tech. I don't ordinarily challenge my bills, but I definitely objected to having to pay for this!
I called Comcast billing, got a completely unresponsive rep, insisted on speaking to a supervisor, and was told that he would look into it. The next day, someone called me to investigate. Once he heard my story, he apologized and said that he would remove the credit me for one month's regular charges - which he did.
Around that same time, I noticed that I could no longer get C-Span2, which, in my area, shares a channel with PCN. Instead, I could only get PCN. Thinking this would be a simple matter of changing a setting, I called tech support. The tech didn't know what I was talking about and, after checking, confirmed that we do get C-SPAN2 on that channel on the weekends. I told him that I knew this, and the problem was that I wasn't receiving it. He put me on hold so he could ask his supervisor. When he returned, I could hear her dictating to him in the background. He told me that it's a network problem, but he couldn't tell me what kind of problem. I actually started to feel sorry to him when I pressed him as to the nature of the problem, because he clearly had no idea. He told me that Comcast is just the provider, that C-SPAN determines what we see, and that since PCN is showing, C-SPAN is having a networking issue. So I asked him if he meant that C-SPAN is having a problem and so Comcast is showing PCN, and he said, "You could say that" in a tone that clearly conveyed that it's not really what he meant, but he hoped I would accept it and get off the phone.
I never got any results, but I felt sorry for the guy. He didn't seem to have any more info, obviously couldn't do anything about it, had someone who sounded very impatient telling him what to say, and had a customer who was asking too many questions that he couldn't answer. So I gave up and got off the phone.
When the problem persisted, I started to look for another approach. I went to the Comcast site to look for an email address and found an email link for a senior VP of marketing. I emailed him, and someone from his office called me to investigate. She told me they might have had my account coded incorrectly, as areas very close to where I live have PCN full-time on the channel I'm supposed to be getting C-SPAN2 on.
She also said that the tech I spoke to, and certainly his supervisor, should have known that this might be the case and should have investigated it. She contacted the engineers, and, by the next weekend, I once again received C-SPAN2. Then the woman from the VP's office called me again to follow-up. This was good customer service, but she also had another reason for contacting me. She hadn't been able to get anyone to call her back to tell her whether they had fixed it!
And then, the final problem in my very long post....
Last February, I came home to find that I had no service. I called Comcast and was told that they would send someone the following day to check outside and make certain I had a signal into my apartment. They told me that I didn't need to be there. Shortly before 5:00 of the day they were supposed to send someone, I got a phone call from them telling me that they hadn't sent anyone because I didn't have an appointment schduled, and they wouldn't send anyone unless I was there. The woman who called me promised to call dispatch and call me back. Of course, she never called me back. She did make an appointment for me for the following day, but I didn't learn of it until I called Comcast back that night.
I have no complaints about the tech who came the next day. He knew what he was doing and resolved the problem immediately. However, it seems that another tech had caused the problem.
He explained that someone had been assigned to connect another apartment, couldn't get into the box, and disconnected my line at the box so they could connect the other apartment.
The box is locked, and they send the techs out without a key. Only the supervisors have the key, and, intead of waiting for a supervisor, the techs just disconnect someone else. He told me that it happens all the time. He also told me it probably would happen again. I later mentioned this to my building manager, who said that this is a frequent occurrence.
Comcast did credit me for the time I had no service.
Since I was eventually able to get all of these problems resolved, I decided not to write a letter to Comcast detailing my complaints. However, I have learned that I have to go to inordinate lengths to get satisfaction from Comcast on issues that could and should have been taken care of by first level customer or technical support. I also learned that Comcast actually creates many of these problems through ineptitude, indifference, or malfeasance (not to mention misinformation). They have some good, competent people, but you have to be very lucky and, sometime, extremely persistent, to find them!
Just in case someone from Comcast wants additional information: my account number is 09513 240983-09-4
- July 27, 2008 at 1:35 PM
I will not beat the dead horse of "tiling," no sound, electronic feedback on the VoIP phone. Nor will I remind everyone about the terrible customer service, poor technical skills of personnel sent to my home, or repeated attempts at problem resolution. Instead, I will simply post the letter to the Mayor of Houston that I just sent and copied the Public Utilities Commission of Texas.
Dear Sir:
It is my understanding that cable, like most utilities must renew their franchise agreement with the local municipality on a regular basis. CenterPoint Energy, our local electric utility has a franchise agreement that requires that a certain level of reliability be maintained. That is obviously not the case with Comcast. The service being delivered in my area is abominable and the customer service is, by far, the worst of any company I have to deal with. I will not torture you with the litany of hours spent on the phone with poor customer service, the days of vacation wasted waiting for service technicians not showing up, the wholesale ignorance of the personnel Comcast sends into my home and the damage Comcast personnel have done to my home and personal property. If CenterPoint Energy allowed outages at the same rate as cable, they would be brought before the City Council and PUC in short order. I realize that there are options for other providers for video in Houston, satellite, U-verse, etc. but only cable is in the joint trench with electricity and gas. Please consider not renewing the Comcast franchise agreement or amending it to include standards around both technical performance and customer service requirements. As television is being used more and more as an Emergency Management tool, I am gravely concerned how poor performance can be tolerated in the dead heat of hurricane season. As long as Comcast is permitted to be a monoploy in the City of Houston, operating much as a utility, they should be subject to similar reliability requirements that other utilities must adhere to. Therefore, Comcast should be held to similar perfomance standards as other monopoly utilities in Houston.
Emilie Hudson
Contract Number 877770122725
I don't know how else to get this situation resolved because phoning customer service certainly did not get it done.
- July 27, 2008 at 4:14 PM
- Daniel said...
I came home from vacation last night. After a 12 hour drive I was looking forward to watching a little TV and surfing the web. Well... my cable was laying in my yard. No TV, no internet.
I called and they said a tech would be out today (Sunday) between 8am and noon. Never showed up. I called at 12:30 and the rep said he was still on another job and would be here when he finished. Fine, no problem. I skipped my nieces birthday party to wait on him. Never showed up.
Called again at 4. The rep said I was part of an outage. Even though I tried to explain to her that my cable line was broken and laying in my yard, she still insisted that I was part of an outage and would be contacted by noon tomorrow.
Fuming, I called back and got a smarter person. This guy was nice enough. However, my trouble call had been rescheduled for tomorrow between 8am and noon. I just got off of vacation, I cant take anymore time from work right now.
Fortunatley I have a friend who is a tech. He came to my house, on his day off, and fixed my broken line.
Anyway, the point is that I wasted a whole Sunday waiting on somebody who was never going to show up anyway.
Comcast, you are pathetic. If you had competition in this area I would drop your asses. I never had this problem when Adelphia was here. In the words of a wise man, I give to you specially huge amounts of hatred and cess ridden filth. I hope your stock plunges and your company dies in a small, insignificant death. You would not be missed.
- July 27, 2008 at 9:04 PM
I live in Pittsburgh, PA, and have been a comcast cable user since they first began offering service in my suburb.
While working on a project at my computer this morning, I thought I would 'multitask' and try to reach someone at Comcast to arrange to downgrade my level of service due to recent channel cutbacks on the expanded basic cable package. They do have a lower tier available (unadvertised) that gets you only the basic networks and public television for less than $20 a month.
I have already attempted to make this change online, but was informed that 'this type of transaction cannot be completed online'. I have now been on hold for over 30 minutes with the "Customer Loyalty Group" and if they ever do answer, I intend to cancel my service entirely.
Thank you to the site for allowing us the chance to tell someone about all of the frustration that goes along with being a Comcast customer. Clearly Comcast doesn't care.
- July 28, 2008 at 8:41 AM
- Stressed said...
My family has had Comcast for seven years, and yep we have from time to time gotten behind, same as a lot of people do in this economy. We were already a month behind on payments when we put our house on the market in May, BUT when we arranged with Comcast to turn service on to our new location no one told us they would charge a large amount to do so! When we had moved into the house we were selling four years earlier they gave us a special rate, and treated the new address as if we were new customers, this time they didn't. Our new bill came and we had been charged an amount nearly the same as a month of service! Our bill was over $600, OUTRAGEOUS!! It had been only $175 or so before the move, so we paid $170 on June 15, and then the service was shut off on July 2nd, we hadn't even received any notice of disconnection in the mail. And we had just paid on the bill 15 days previous. My husband is in the military and going to school online, passing his classes are important or he will be paying back the government. I called Comcast and tried to explain to them I could pay the $270 they wanted on the 15th, they said nope and wouldn't even turn just the internet back on. I borrowed money and paid $270 on July 3, then only a short time later we got a disconnect notice!
SO my husband called last week when the disconnection notice came in the mail and told them we don't get paid until August 1, and we will pay the $228 they wanted as soon as payday came, and they said they would notate the call.
HOWEVER first thing July 27, on a Sunday no less our cable and internet was shut off. My husband tried to call and tell them we need it so he can go to school and that it is ONLY 5 days till payday and they could have cared less. He also tried to explain by the time we pay this upcoming payment we will have paid a total of $668 since June 15th! Yet they won't offer us an introductory package so we can get caught up, it is not like we have the largest package deal they offer. We have the triple play deal, and need the fast internet as I am now going to be attending school for my Master's degree. Yet due to the lack of concern on Comcast's part we are being forced to check into satellite for tv and DSL for internet.
We have no other option, we have paid Comcast more than a months worth of grocery money since June 15. We have been loyal customers for seven years, and yet they are unwilling to work with us! Their customer service representatives are callous and everyone gets treated like just another account rather than a person. All these years we have had them we have never had this type of situation with them, and yet since we moved we have been through three months of hell with Comcast.
I have spent far too much time, tears, and frustration all over my internet and cable. Just to end up having to find new providers in the end, something I have now spent two days doing since we have no internet at our house. Comcast REALLY needs to spend more time taking care of their loyal customers needs, and not so much time hunting down new customers. Sure they are out there with tons of specials, rebates, discounts, and even a free WII for new subscribers, but what about those of us who have stuck with them through all their rate hikes. Why do WE never get a reduced package, why do we never reap a loyal customer deal, rebate, or freebie, and why do we never get treated like we matter to the company!!!!
Account: 8778101022005267
- July 28, 2008 at 2:33 PM
OK, is it TOO MUCH to ask to get good Digital HD service for a REASONABLE PRICE, WITHOUT requiring a f***ing external box?!?!? I just paid $2500 for a TV with an HD digital tuner built in, and I SHOULD NOT be required to have some fugly external cable box in order to enjoy it!!!! Besides, I already have FOUR remoted to deal with, and DO NOT need one more of those either!!!!
Comcast, either you people improve your services and selection, or ROT IN HELL!!!!!!
- July 28, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Dear Comcast:
I notice that you pre-empt, bump or overlap the network commercials on the FOX NEWS CHANNEL with your own commericals and PSA's (Comcast Cares). I know you do this because you don't do a very good editing job. When the Comcast commerical ends, I can see for about a second, the "tail-end" of the commerical that was just pre-empted. Why do you do this? What is the explanation? And why do you only do this on the FOX NEWS CHANNEL and NONE of the other Cable TV News Channels (CNN, MSNBC). Don't deny that you do this. Comcast has a history of "interrupting" service delivery. Read the recent FCC opinion on your monkeying with Comcast Internet customers connections. I have a call into the FOX NEWS CHANNEL about this and I am curious how they respond.
I have my own suspicions on why Comcast would only do this on the FOX NEWS CHANNEL. Maybe I'll DVD-R what they're doing and mail it to the Fox News Channel. Then maybe Comcast will stop doing this. I'm not at that point yet. Anyone else notice this happening on the Fox News Channel? Peace, NJ
- July 28, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Four *remotes*, that is.......
- July 28, 2008 at 2:42 PM
- Larry O. said...
I rely on closed captions as I am hearing impaired. I'm in Amherst, MA. For several weeks I've complained to Comcast that closed captions are not showing on two Monday evening Fox network programs, "Bones" and "House." That is still the case. I have checked with two different TVs, both having closed captions enabled, and which display captions on other channels. If you're reading this tonight and either program is still playing or if you've TiVo'd either, please enable close caption display on your TV (CC1) and see if captions are displayed. Thanks!
Larry Orloff
- July 28, 2008 at 5:10 PM
Yes, Yes & YES. I called Comcast to complain about the extraordinary amount of Comcast commercials they run on the Fox News Channel. They said that they need to be editing their commericals better so that people don't notice the bumping. I was shocked by this admission. I'm looking forward to Fox News picking up on this apparent censorhsip of Fox News Channels sponsors. Could it be that Con-cast wants to shut down the Fox News Channel by not airing their advertising? After all, to shut down a cable TV news channel whose views you don't agree with simply don't run their ads. That means people don't see the commercials and don't patronize the sponsors. Very clever, Comcast. People are on to waht your doing. Maybe there's a different rational explanation on why their doing this. Yes, I also heard about them messing with peoples internet connections. The FCC investigated this matter. All comcast did was deny deny deny and lie saying that they don't do this. I never cease to be amazed by the antagonistic actions of a company like this. They really make an effor to *mess* with their customers! No wonder they are at the bottom of the customer satisfaction survey. Shame on you Comcast!
- July 28, 2008 at 7:33 PM
comast sucks sooooo many balls. im in NH and we use to have Adelphia, which was pretty perfect, even though the board of directors was stealing money, the service was great. then crapcast came along, screwed up the entire channel lineup, took channels off, raised prices, and has the worst ever customer service. We switched to DirecTV immediately and its awesome. We got like 300 channels (digital) and I just checked comcasts lineup, they got barely 120 channels, 70 of which are not digital. thats just not cool.
- July 29, 2008 at 8:58 AM
- Jon said...
Comcast and Verizon and their ilk are clearly in a race to the bottom to see who can have the worse service.
My first account number is 05613285817-11-9 an account which i closed. why they asked? Because I was moving and didn't want to use comcast anymore. Great they said, just pay $x.xx and send us your new address.
Then today I get a call from Comcast. They call me. AND PUT ME ON HOLD FOR 10 minutes. They woman says I owe $200+ on that account. I tell her I closed that account and returned the equipment and asked what the charges were. Her reply? I don't know I'll have to transfer you.
I'm sure they will just hit my credit because they are total pains in the butt (even though I am again a customer for internet). I hung up after being on hold again for 20 minutes.
At least their website is also run by idiots and whoever did their call system must be a fan of Rube Goldberg machines. I swear you have to enter in a super secret code to even talk to a human being.
- July 29, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Well, I must admit this is my first foray into hating a cable company. Of course, it is mostly because I had Adelphia for years, and there was nothing to hate there. But then last year, Comcast gobbled them up. That's when the real problems started.
First, the picture wasn't coming in on most of the premium channels. They charged for them anyway. Finally, the technician they sent out blamed it on shoddy Adelphia hardware. Fixed.
But, today, I come home to see disconnected service. Why? Because they lost part of my payment. How can one lose partial payment? Because I send 2 checks in each time -- 1/2 for business purposes and other for personal. Been doing this for 4 YEARS. This time, they lost the smaller check ($35 approx). That was enough to obviously bankrupt them, so disconnection was in order -- almost immediately. No warning. No notice. Just a blank screen.
Talked to a nice service woman, who gladly took my credit card and restored said cable. She, however, admitted they probably did lose the check. But, in true Comcast fashion it was up to ME to fix it by throwing more money at them. God forbid some executive's bonus be shy $35. Jeez...
I am sure some accounting admini dropped the check somewhere and is now laughing his butt off that this poor sucker
- July 29, 2008 at 3:46 PM
- Erin said...
Our account number is 09518-280508-01
We have had endless and eternal strife with Comcast since the moment we signed the two year contract. We have had numerous issues with their billing department (you know, the kind where they say we didn't pay and we say, oh yeah we did and here is the cancelled check, and they say, no you didn't.) We have asked and been assured on five different occasions that we would receive a complete and detailed listing of all transactions on the account. Never once has that particular item arrived in our mail.
Last month we had no service for five solid days. After arguing with the billing dept we finally received proper credit. Today we came home from vacation and discovered that yet again we have no comcast internet (posting from someone else's wi-fi with permission) and no television and no telephone. My three questions are as follows: 1- how do my 8 and 10 year old call 911 if there is an emergency and the service is not on in the morning as promised tonight by comcast. My husband and I are at work all day, and there is a baby sitter here. No technician can enter our home without us here. Two: Who at comcast shall I sue into 4 generations should this happen, and three: we have a two year contract with comcast. This contract states that it will provide services to us in the form of the internet, cable television and telephone. We spend more money on our cell phone calling comcast than any other number to report problems. At what point is comcast in breach of this contract? God knows we could never dream of cancelling without yet another exhorbitant fee being tacked on to our already mysterious bill.
- July 29, 2008 at 6:53 PM
- cdw said...
I hope they read this. I am at the end of my rope with this "company" Cable SUCKS. Phone SUCKS. Internet SUCKS. It started with just cable. signal comes and goes non-stop pixelating. I've had half a dozen "repair-people" out and no one can seem to figure out what the problem is. I know the problem; YOUR COMPANY BLOWS. You could care less about the service you put out only about cashing my check every month. No other high speed internet available in my area, only satellite or comcast for tv. Tried satellite. To many old growth trees in the direction of the signal is what the installer told me. So I have no choice but to continue calling and sitting on hold forever and then demanding a credit for the lost service. I actually thought that costing your pathetic excuse for a company would get some help but I guess you're "bigger" than one person. Then I heard about this site, a beacon in the night. I hope the rumors are true and that horrible company does read this. I swear if any other company did buisness like this they would have to close their doors. Nothing like paying for a service, barely getting it and then just waiting for the bill to show up and do it all over again. I don't know why no other service is available in my area but it isn't. I apreciate this site even if its just to vent out my frustration. This has been along time building up. I've got yet another "tech" coming out on Aug. 4 I told comSUCKScast this is it if it can't be fixed they can take it all away with them. Requested an actual comSUCKScast employee and not a contractor. I'll go back to sattelite and get dial up again if I have to. Thanks for letting me vent. I truly hope this works.
- July 30, 2008 at 2:15 PM
So I had just switched to Comcast. They were running a fantastic promotion that I could not pass up - would cut my cable bill in half for the next year.
I hesitated though. I had Comcast before and problems in the beginning of my service. But I decided to go for a second chance. However I knew there was a problem from the first minute I called. First off the customer service agent didn't even know of the promotion. I got the "there is no way we could offer it at that price" line. After arguing with her, she checked with her supervisor and she readily agreed that they were running that promotion in my city after all. And along with the price offer was free installation. So a good deal all in all.
So today I get the first bill. No promotional rate, no free installation - no discounts at all. A huge bill. So I make the call to customer service. I again get the "there is no way we could offer it at that price" line again!! Do they not share promotion info with their customer service people? So after being transferred to two different people, I finally got someone that agreed that promotional offer did exist! But then short of calling me a liar, she stated that there was no free installation that went along with it. After arguing for a few minutes, she finally waived the installation charge.
I know this experience IS NOT rare. The two feelings I have: 1)Comcast customer service agents will state whatever it takes to get you to sign up - whether it is the truth or not (i.e. "Yes there is no installation charge" when in fact there is not). 2)Comcast does not follow through with giving the promotional rate on your bill. I have to believe this occurs because either people don't catch it on their bill or they don't want to bother calling to argue with someone about it.
This is NOT quality customer service. I feel like signing up with Comcast is like signing a deal with the devil - you know you are going to get screwed over in the end to some degree. And to feel the stress of arguing with a team of customer service agents to get what was promised to you in the first place IS NOT OKAY!
Todd Crawforth
Fircrest, Washington
- July 30, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Here's why I hate Comcast right now. It all started 2 months ago when we wanted to move our "TriplePlay" package from our apartment to our new home. Our home has never had cable run to it or in it. We set up an appointment (making it clear that the cable would need to be run from the street), moved all our cable modems and boxes to the new house and waited for the requisite 4 hours for the cable technician to show up. He told us that our electrical system didn't have an outside grounding rod and we had to have one to have cable. We got an electrician to put in a grounding rod, called Comcast back and we were told that we would have to wait for 3 WEEKS! for someone to install the lines. Finally, 3 weeks (without phone, internet or cable) the technician dispatcher calls and asks me why I'm not at my apartment. Because I moved out 3 weeks ago and I'm switching the service to my house. (Why did Comcast change the service back the apartment? Who knows). He gets the technician to come to the house. The technician arrives and tells me that there is no available hook-up at the street and the maintenance department has to take care of that before he can do anything. WHY DIDN'T technician number 1 look at that when he was here 3 weeks ago? I don't know.
I spent the rest of the day on hold with various customer service people who wouldn't actually set a time for installation of the port at the street. Finally, I said enough is enough and called the telephone company. I had a phone that day and internet in 3 days.
Alas, the saga does not end there. Feeling totally fed up with Comcast incompetence, I looked into a satellite tv. The deal was unbelievable - a year for free if I paid $50 for installation and went online to get a rebate. The guy would be out in 2 days! Amazing. Today, the service technician called and asked if he could come EARLY!! I didn't even have to wait at home for the entire window of time. It was definitely too good to be true. Sure enough, our home is too wooded to have a satellite television provider, so I'm back with the monopoly, the one, the evil- Comcast. I'm hoping that posting this will a. help me release my frustration and b. maybe expedite the process of getting television so that maybe, maybe, we'll be able to watch the Olympics or at least election day coverage come November. I'll believe it when I see it.
My old customer number was 8220202104122519.
- July 31, 2008 at 7:07 AM
i am finally fed up with comcast's ridiculous antics! the sad part is that i am not shocked by their behaviour. we have been having troubles with some of our channels not coming it etc and had a got a new box blah blah blah then i just wanted to switch from hbo to showtime (for the on demand you see all the good shows started up again). the on demand showtime was not working but after 4 calls to comcast letting them know of this (each time they sent a new signal, big whoop what does that do?) on the last call they were going to send out a tech and i'm like WHY you just gave us a new box and sent 4 signals what the hell is the problem? the assinine part is they wanted to CHARGE me 35 dollars for the tech visit (they had charged me 35 dollars recently and i just got the bill and found this out)so we tell the comcast rep, why the hell would we pay for a tech to come out here when we are already paying for your services, they should just be WORKING. i have had it and were goin to dish like i hope everyone else does and comcast goes down you nazi bastards.
- July 31, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Acct # 05659 122137-03
I called Comcast in April to see what I could do about lowering my rates and possibly adding the voice service. I was assured that I had the lowest rates possible for cable and internet. We looked into adding the phone service but my number was not going to be able to be moved because of some sort of location issue. I live in White Plains but the number I have is considered an Oxon Hill or DC number. (I have been told this afternoon by a couple of legal eagles that this breaks the # portablilty legislation but I am not sure which end I need to pursue that on, Comcast or Verizon) Since we woulnd't be saving any money to make the switch and we would have to change our number we did not make the change.
I pay my bill automatically so I did not catch it until this week that my rates went up almost 50%!! I called them immediately yesterday and spent over an hour on the phone getting absolutely NO WHERE! They said my 'deal' ended and they would not offer anything unless I changed my phone service to them. You see as she so kindly explained to me as if I was a two year old and had a hard time understanding simple budgeting and math - If I changed my phone service then I wouldn't have a verizon bill and that would make it all work out perfectly to what I happened to be paying previously. All nice and tidy with comcast monopolizing another thing in my life. End of discussion. I explained again that I had tried to do that a few months ago and I was NOT informed that my package would be expiring very soon and that they were not able to provide me with my phone number so I was not willing to change service. She then said she was transfering me to someone else that might be able to help since they couldn't move my number but the extension she switched me to was not valid. I spent another hour trying to get someone on the phone. Never did happen.
Today I started all over again. This time the woman was not helpful and I started with my frustation level a the red level. We obviously got nowhere fast. I formally requested to speak with a supervisor. She said she could put in a request for a call back but it would be 24 to 48 hours. I would not accept this. I wanted a formal note to be put on the account that this was my day 2 of dealing with this situation and I wanted a call back today. She said if she did that then she would have to also put the note that I was told it would take 24 to 48. I told her that was fine but I wanted my complaint and request to be on file exactly as I stated it. She basically kept trying to get to say nevermind. I instead mentioned that I am sure a lawyer would be more that happy to see it and that I will make sure the stonewalling would be included if I decided to file suit. Well this shut her down and she refused to do anything but repeat the contact information for the legal department and make sure I knew that no one would be returning my call because I said lawyer.
The kicker is that I still think there are extras on my account that I requested be taken off from the gitgo yesterday.
- July 31, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Today, about half the channels below 100 went out. After waiting awhile to see if the problem was transient, I phoned. I got a real idiot. Who'd guess that would be possible?
I was told to turn off the box and the TV, I did. He said it was so he could send a signal to the box.
OK, I want to know why the TV has to be off. What difference does it make? Is the Ethernet cable plugged into my TV going to talk through my switch to the Ethernet cable connected to the HDDVR box? Of course not! Neither one is on my network!
I was then told to unplug the box. I asked why, as that would bake the program guide and that it would forget the channel tags. He couldn't give me a reason. I told him it takes DAYS to get the channels tagged again, and frankly, about half are not tagged right now. I told him I put the box on a UPS because minor power bumps makes it lose the channel guide and tags and I find that unacceptable.
He said he needs to send out a technician to check out the signal levels. I told him they are fine, that I would be happy to quarry the box to check them, but that SOME channels going out wasn't going to be caused by low signal level. Hey, the analog channels are fine on the TV with no box, so that isn't the problem.
He then went on to tell me that it could be a KINK IN THE FIBER! He tried to tell me that my house is fed by fiber! I told him it is either RG-6 or RG-11. He said, "No, it's RG-9."
Now, I am amazed. My house must be the only one in the country fed with 51 Ohm cable! Where do they FIND these IDIOTS?
Why don't they explain to these jerks that the guy on the other end of the phone JUST MIGHT KNOW MORE THAN THEY DO? I spent 26 years in broadcast engineering, then another 11 in communications site management. They cannot snow me!
The audio on Channels 62 and 63 has been out all day. OH, they call it sound.
There was a EAS Test, and RWT today at 4 PM. Static text, a "slide," no dual-tone, and no audio. It then switched to Univision, and then back to the channel I was watching. SO, the EAS STILL isn't working!
The RMT on July 23, 11:47 AM also failed. The system did "activate" with a static "slide" and no audio. No dual-tone, and no repeated audio as required, just a static "slide" of RMT.
I STUPIDLY assumed I could record it from the DVR and send it to the county and the FCC. OF COURSE, the memory on the DVR purges itself. Had I thought about it, I would have known that. I will record it externally next month.
OH, I did record directly from the cable, as if a TV with no cable box. Lifetime was the channel. NOTHING HAPPENED! NO EAS TEST AT ALL! A row of dots did crawl across the screen! Well, that is just great. Next month I will be recording the box output and a channel with no cable box. The DVDs will be going to the county and the FCC. I am sick and tired of this. I actually thought Comcast was going to fix the system that Adelphia had no interest in fixing. It turns out Comcast doesn't care either. Adelphia was run by criminals who are now in prison. What is Comcast's excuse?
Ward Fetrow
Account #: 01668 024168-01-1
- July 31, 2008 at 3:24 PM
- desmax said...
Issues in San Francisco - Latest Update:
Technician came out over the weekend and installed a line amplifier in my unit. This is needed because the signal is not strong enough to support quality HD reception on two TVs in my unit. As noted in my earlier post, the Supervisor confirmed that the problem I'm having is caused by an issue with the signal coming into the building.
The amp is an interim solution while waiting for the Network team to make the necessary system repairs. The amp solves most of my problem, but I still get tiling on certain HD channels.
The Supervisor contacted me today to let me know that the process has begun for fixing the signal coming into the building. A construction crew has to be contracted to replace the cable coming into the building - larger cable needed. Network team will have to "rearchitect" the box where signal is split amongst the units in the building.
Good progress, but not yet fully resolved. For all other subscribers who read / post to this blog, the supervisor mentioned that he received an e-mail about something "I had posted on some blog." Confirms my suspicions that Comcast read my post and contacted the supervisor. While I'm glad that the issue is being worked on, why would Comcast allow this situation to get escalated to the point where a good customer is posting complaints on a blog? Why not address the issue when it happens instead of allowing it to get so bad?
Will post updates as they occur.
Acct. No. 8770 34 009 3965979
- July 31, 2008 at 3:31 PM
- Camosid said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 31, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Comcast account # 8220188903641397
Ok this really ticks me off. I take back anything positive I said about them in my previous post. We scheduled with our new account rep Ms. Davis for a rep to come out this morning to install the cablecard in our box over a week ago.I called and talked to her 2 days ago just to make sure everything was ok and let her know the TIVO took 2 cards not just one, and she was actually glad I called because turns out we need a special "tivo" card which of course they charge for. She said she would send out 2 Tivo caards and 2 TV cards just to make sure everything worked.
my appointment was for 8am to 11pm today. we got a call @ 9 telling us they are all out of cards. This of course is after the fact I took apart our A/V system getting ready this appointment. So I am sitting here having to put the old TIVO back into the system.
Needless to say I am furious. How did they not know they were out of cards until after the window of time of my appointment started!!!!!! I took time off work to be here waiting for them too. Is comcast going to compensate me for the time I am missing? Oh hell no. What they are going to do is give me another "window" of time to sit around and wait for them to come and make me miss work again.
As I am typing this Ms. Davies calls me back. She told me they get a truck in every AM that delivers the cards. They never know how many they get in. So today they didn't get enough or any to hold them for our appointment so they just cancelled. I mean seriously how f'd up of a company are you that someone orders something from you, they make arrangement to get it, then you tell them that you don't have it and don't know when you will get one. I mean the reason I made the appointment a week ago was because this was the earliest appointment they would have for us. I cant believe that in over a week no one thinks to tag the cards for upcoming appointments. Oh and when I told her I took apart my system, and I have a flight to catch her response was "well you wouldn't be using the TV anyway this weekend." Like it mattered if I was home or not. TIVO is still catching my shows when I am not here.
Anyone know a good cable provider who will take my $200 per month and actually work for it?
Joe Keller
- August 1, 2008 at 6:22 AM
My name is Gene and I live in Sudbury, MA.
Recently COMCAST just dropped the TV Guide channel from our towns Standard analog service. Channel 22 is now a green screen with white type saying that it was moved to the "digital lineup".
We do not want or need the expense of the "digital lineup" that requires a digital services contract and monthly rentals of digital boxes for each tv.
This is just a raw power play to get us to move to a more expensive service by elimintating the most important channel they have in the analog line.
Since they are under contract with our town, it is important for us to organize and let them know that unless they restore this channel, and do not bully us into a much more expensive service, then we will not renew their contract.
Please do not sit idly by while this occurs!
- August 1, 2008 at 7:01 AM
- Unamused said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 1, 2008 at 4:18 PM
- Unamused said...
I wish I never had a need for this blog but after reading many comments I find that I am not alone.
Well, today is Friday, Aug 1. Yesterday my cable was working fine and today it is gone!!! I am a reluctant subscriber from Dacula, GA. My Bellsouth Cable service was discontinued after 7 happy years, but AT&T has not offered Uverse here yet and I am or was leary of a 2 year agreement for satellite service.
It seems that Comcast thinks not having cable service that they are supposed to provide when you pay them is not one of their business objectives. I am supposed to wait until Wed to have a service tech come and see what they can do. Well, I have been with Comcast less than 30 days and have already had a box replaced and several calls to get OnDemand working. Then charged for a pay per view to see if the OnDemand was working. Well.....after getting fed up and hanging up with a customer service rep my Tuesday appt was cancelled and my sales rep informed me of this after telling me that Wed was now the soonest. Well....now I'm with local corporate and Matt is telling me he'll see what he can do. Well it is now 7:12 on a Friday night, no cable, kids not happy, mommy not happy. US Open Tennis Series on this weekend but no cable to see it.
I am also a Comcast stockholder, never sold it after the AT&T split. What a mistake!!! Those suckers are gone as soon as the price is right, which may be never since I never knew how bad cable service could be.
Still waiting for my cable!!
- August 1, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Account number: #8495751010139957
STILL waiting for Comcast to follow up on the original issue posted here on 25 July.
MEANWHILE, the issues with OnDemand continue -- constant error messages on a daily basis and audio drops multiple times during programs.
I hope that Comcast is still looking at this blog site.
- August 1, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Indianapolis, IN area CableCard Installations
Hardware: TiVo Series 3 HD
Sofware Ver: 9.4-01-2-648
Day 1: Before Comcast tech showed up, I sat up the TiVo. It was working perfectly with analog. The tech showed up. As soon as he entered my house, he made a phone call. I over-heard it was his first time installing CableCards. When he was done with the phone, I told him the only thing he needs to do is insert CableCards. He said that the TiVo is connected to a cable that was not supplied by Comcast, so he needs to disconnect everything and change them all. I asked him not to do that, but I let him since he told me that if I would not let him, then I must reschedule for tomorrow. While he was connecting the cables, he got confused (my TV set is rather complicated). He was treating the TiVo like their digital box. TiVo has no coaxial output, thus nothing showed up on the TV. The tech got rude. He did not connect all the cables back as it was, and he just left without scheduling for another tech to come out. I called the 317-872-2225, which is on my Comcast bill and suppose to be the local comcast #. I never ever gotten any local customer service persons by calling the local # but National Call Center. Anyway, I scheduled another appointment for tomorrow.
Day 2: Different tech showed up around 11 AM with only 1 M-Card. The tech asked me if the TiVo was ready to go. I told him that the tech from yesterday disconnected everything, and I left it alone. He immediately start connecting the cables. Once he was done connecting, he insered the M-Card in the slot 1 of the TiVo. He called the office giving Host ID, DATA and CableCard S/N. The TiVo gave "Accuiring Channel" screen. The tech told me it could take up to 4 hr before I could use TiVo. While on wait, I asked him that I thought this model requires 2 CableCards to do dual tuning. He said that the card is M-Card, so I don't need another one. We waited for 2 - 3 min. Since there was nothing he could do while waiting, he asked me if it was OK for him to leave. He gave me his cell # which he used to call the main office. I waited...after an hour or so, I noticed the tech connected the cable to "Antenna" coaxial instead of "Cable" coaxial on the TiVo. I yanked the power cable off the TiVo, then reconnected the cable. I called the tech around 3 PM. He said that he will be back today to fix everything including installation of a second cable card. 5 PM, the tech had not shown up. I called the local Comcast #. The lady I spoke with assured me he'll be back today before 7 PM, which is the closing time. I waited until 7:30 PM to call the Comcast back. This lady I spoke with, she didn't know much about the CableCards, however, she listened about the validation, etc. She got the CableCard working!!!
Day 3: The same tech guy showed up around 3:30 PM. He brought the second Motorola M-Card. He asked me what's the problem. I told him one of the problem (premium channel) is solved. What I need now is the second digital tuner/CableCard working. He reported the Card S/N, DATA and Host ID of the 2nd CableCard back to the main office. He was using the Push-to-Talk of the phone feature, I heard everything what the office said. It'll be ready in 5 min. The tech did not wait for 5 min. to check channels. It appeared all were working. One tuner showing HBO and another showing Encore. Sweet, it's woking!!! The tech left. I do not know how long it took, but one of the tuner stopped working. I could not watch any channels. All of the channels were grey. The second CableCard somehow stopped working. I went into the "Conditional Access" to check what's happening. Con: Yes, Val:?, CP: Enabled, Auth: MP for the 2nd CableCard, and Con: Yes, Val:V, CP: Disabled, Auth: S for the 1st CableCard. By looking at those, these told me the Comcast Main office send wrong signal to the second CableCard: the card was sat up to use multi-stream instead of single-stream. I called TiVo before I called Comcast. We got into a 3-way calling. We swapped the CableCards because TiVo lady said that CableCard slot 2 might be broken or the CableCard #2 is bad. After pairing without new DATA, slot 2 worked without problem. This told there was nothing wrong with the TiVo. The slot 1 wasn't working and Auth: was showing MP like when this card was in the slot 2. The Comcast lady said that there is no way she could modify the signal to make the Auth: S from Auth: MP. I was so frustrated because I know Comcast can. Oh, while on this 3-way calling, we discovered that CableCard #1 had Firmware 613 and CableCard #2 had firmware 516. TiVo lady and I asked if it's possible for her to send new firmware. She said she cannot do anything about the firmware, and it is not possible to send the firmware to the CableCard. I know Comcast can, and I just hang up on both TiVo and Comcast. I called the Comcast back. I explained the situation. CableCard #2 is having a multi-signal configuration, etc. She said that she was going to perform "signal boostl" or something like that. I have a Comcast digital box as well, and it all the sudden got restarted. She told me to wait for 45 min. or so then restart the TiVo. I did. Once the TiVo restarted, I went into the CableCard setting section. Both of the CableCard now had the same firmware: 613, Con:Yes, Val:?, CP: Enabled, Auth: S. She fixed the damn Auth:MP, which was supposely impossible to do remotely. Great! I can watch everything except premium channels because I lost the validation/pairing. I called the Comcast back telling them I have no premium channels. The lady supposely sent a signal. I waited for 45 min., then restarted the TiVo. Val: was still ? meaning both of the CableCards were not pairing. I called the TiVo back. The guy told me to put the channels on the premium, then read the status of the CableCards. On both of the cards, Con:Yes, Val:?, CP: Enabled, Auth: CAD on the premium channels. For normal channels, Con: Yes, Val:?, CP: Disabled, Auth: S. We tried to do 3-way calling with the Comcast again. We waited for the Comcast for about 20 min...I somehow got disconnected from the TiVo on the phone. Never heard from the TiVo. I call the Comcast back....I still have no premium channels....
I talked with at least 10 Comcast people. I've written only some names. These people were not helpful at all.
JC in Indianapolis = kept saying to send tech back. I asked for the manager. He refused to let me talk to the manager. He refused to pair the CableCard. The only local person that I could speak with.
Lensy in Kansas City = the same as above.
David in Kansas City = the same as above.
Karen in Missouri = the same as above.
- August 1, 2008 at 11:40 PM
- Unamused said...
Update day 2.
Got a call back from Matt, supposed to be local corporate. He is very nice but he cannot get dispatch to get someone out. He is not happy.
Well.....guess what, neither am I! Still no cable, day 2. US Open Series on cable so the one thing I REALLY want to see I can't because of Comcast.
I have NEVER, NEVER had any issues with any other cable company I have ever used. We have had Cox, Time Warner, a local company in NY, Bellsouth Entertainment and now Comcast. I don't understand how you can mess up cable.
Still waiting 7PM Saturday.
- August 2, 2008 at 3:04 PM
- Unamused said...
One more thing. Now under a severe thunderstorm watch and we do get VERY severe thunderstorms here. Good thing I checked the weather channel and I use AT&T for my internet service or I would never have known.
Comcast this is NOT just an inconvenience this is a safety issue since I am presently not getting updates on severe weather.
- August 2, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Below is a letter I emailed to Mr. Rick Germano, Comcast VP of Customer Service on Wednesday, July 30. Four days later I still have not received so much as a form letter acknowledging that someone had read my letter. Never have I seen such pitiful regard for a customer.
RE: Acct. # 01603 408950-01-4 - Serious Tivo cablecard problems
Dear Mr. Germano:
On June 16 , our local Comcast server was switched to the larger server in York, PA. Prior to that night, our 2 month old Tivo, using a multi-stream card from Comcast, worked perfectly. If you will check the history in our account, since that time we cannot receive any digital or HD channels through our Tivo and nearly all of the analog channels we do receive are not in the correct slot. While the banner displays the correct channel information, the video behind is from a totally different channel, i.e. our channel 54 should be the Food Network but the video on channel 54 is A&E. As you can see by the account history, we have had numerous techs here replacing cable cards to no avail. We are now working with the local tech supervisor, Don , who has been nothing short of a tiger trying to solve our issue. We are not alone. He has over a dozen Tivo units with the same problem.
As this issue is now going on its second month, we would like to know what Comcast plans to do to solve it. Don is working tirelessly with both Cisco and York offices but no one seems to have an answer. Nevertheless, we, and many other households, are left with over $600 worth of equipment which is worthless. Tivo and other DVR technology is not new. It's been around close to 10 years. Comcast, as arguably the largest cable operator in the country, has done an incredibly poor job in training its customer reps on the phone and techs in the field. It took many telephone calls before we found any CSR who had even heard of a multi-stream card. The techs who have come to our home have been courteous, professional and prompt but clueless about our issue. This is not their fault nor the fault of their supervisors. No one has been trained.
We would appreciate a swift response to this letter and a resolution to our problem. I am giving Don a copy of this so he will know we don't hold him to blame. This is an upper management issue. If your field techs are not properly trained, it is the worst kind of customer service. We are not paying $80 per month to be held hostage to a company which cannot maintain the high standards of customer care which your marketing touts.
- August 2, 2008 at 6:28 PM
- Camosid said...
Comcast has the wrong address for me. My billing address is 708 Elm, but for some reason they have the cable connection at 728 Elm, so every time I call for service they show up at the wrong house, but I get my bills just fine. This has been going on for 7 years. I have tried to get them to fix it but they can't seem to get it right.
Recently lightening struck close to my house and knocked out a power transformer for the cable amplifier box outside my house. I know this because I am an electronic technician and I troubleshot it. I called Comcast, made an appointment for repairs and they didn't show up. They didn't call either. If they had called I could have corrected the address. The service technician went to 528 Elm, no one was home so he left but did not call.
I called and talked to a technical support person about no one showing up and she said the guy called and no one answered (they do have my correct phone number). I told her I was home all day and no one called from Comcast. She said the technician did call. I told her I even checked my caller ID and no one called. She then insisted that I didn't answer the phone call or was not home and the guy did call because the notes said he did. She was blaming me for the mix-up and calling me a liar. I lost my temper and told her the technician was a liar and I yelled F*** you and hung up. I think I had a small stroke because I saw stars moving around the room. I hardly ever lose my cool.
I then called back and asked for a supervisor. 30 minutes later I talked to a guy who seemed to want to help. He said he will change the address and schedule another service call. He called back immediately to ask what my address was and he said he would call back later after he fixed everything. He called back 30 minutes later and said he couldn't fix the address; the system would not let him. He then said he would schedule a service call and call me back.
2 hours later, no call. I called and after 15 minutes I got a technical support person. I ask if a call was scheduled for me. He said yes, for Thursday, 7 days from now. I then asked to talk to a supervisor again. After 30 minutes of dead air, all the while thinking I was a fool for holding, because I couldn't tell if I was on hold or hung-up on. Can't they play music or something? Someone finally picked up. She said all she could do is write a few notes. Sent them off and hope for the best.
I have an electronics degree so I just temporarily fixed it myself. Comcast forces us to do things we would not normally do, because of the shear madness of it all. Comcast you can't be that bad by accident, you have to try hard to be that bad at customer service. You can't just band aid over stuff you have to make drastic changes to repair your customer relations. What baffles me the most is how you have any investors, they must be dish customers.
Account Number: 8220133030114603
- August 2, 2008 at 6:55 PM