Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/05/16/because-fuck-you.html
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They tried to charge me this fee, when I had unplugged the cable from my house, myself, after cancelling service. I -HAD- a scheduled service call but they missed it twice, so I cancelled.
Tech shows up to a non-customers house. Re-attaches the wire, claims he did not, then Comcast tried to charge me for something he didn’t do, and also for equipment that wasn’t working, which he would not take with him (unless he was leaving new equipment, at an upcharge). They said they’d send a box for me to UPS the stuff, but since then have insisted I drive 30 miles to drop the stuff off at their center. Heck No!
My credit rating can take the hit, heck, they can sue me. At this point it’s just fun to demoralize them on the phone by being frank and honest with them, about how their people operate, when they call, and when I choose to take the call. They keep trying to send me to debt collectors, who then refuse the case once they’ve spoken to me. I’ve been bounced back to Comcast twice now by collectors with whom I have no relationship, and who refuse to collect on what I let them know could be a legal matter.
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Yes, Comcast does this. So does Verizon.
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The problem is made worse by the fact that employees probably have no idea what the policies are on various fees. I recollect when someone working for the neighbor cut my phone line (where it went over their property), and the first repairman who (ostensibly) came out to fix it insisted that he’d have to charge me, despite that not being the policy (which I had confirmed with the phone company before he came out). It never really became an issue because he didn’t do anything (nor did the next repairdude), but I don’t think he was trying to run a scam, I just think he was clueless.
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If the “free” market was not allowed to operate, with oligopoly business practices, companies with draconian policies such as this would just go away.
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Verizon at least goes around to the outlets with a meter and will replace bad-runs.
For Comcast your equipment IS the meter. My modem used to lose signal for maybe 5 minutes out of any hour, and occasionally for 24+ hours. When it ran it was fast. When it did not run there was a 45 minute journey to customer service ahead for me, which would yield a service call, which would yield nothing, if they showed up for it. They replaced my ‘outdated’ equipment 3 times in 3 years. Outdated each time. The first modem they provided me, they claimed a year later that it was my own as they didn’t issue those, so I pointed out their sticker on their box.
Comcast demands to be split up. They’re really asking us for help here.
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I had the opposite experience. I did the self-install to save money when switching from a competitor. I got the modem in the mail while I was still using the competitor’s service. I called them, like the instructions said to, and they instructed me to just swap the modem. I said ‘Uh, its still connected to , don’t you need to send someone out to swap the cable line outside?’. They said no and insisted it would work. I tried three or four times before they said ‘maybe we need to send someone out to take a look’. It did not instill confidence.
But that’s all I needed to get back on the BS promotional pricing scheme at the competitor. I dropped the equipment off at one of Comcast’s offices and never paid a penny.
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They gave me “free” installation to sign up. The service guy checked existing equipment and wires. Setup my TV even tho the screen was busted from the move. Except for the expense, I don’t really have a problem with Comcast. Still I know they track me and all, but who doesn’t these days.
We have had a lot of trouble with Verizon (which subesquently became Frontier). I had a three day outage due to bizarre clerical error at Frontier, and I finally tracked the chain of command to the point that I left a voicemail message on a supervisor’s home number. The next day a guy showed up and solved my problem, but the actual DSL connection sucked.
So we changed to Time Warner for cable internet, and they proceeded to botch the initial installation, and then botch the reinstallation and the reinstallation repair call. Holy cow I was frustrated. It all finished up with a free-ish modem and very fast internet connection. Then they changed over to Spectrum. No problem so far.
Other than that, as with all of these services, each monthly bill has some incremental increase over the previous month. A few cents here, a dollar there, but always more and never less.
Fortunately you’re wrong here. Comcast technicians all carry meters. The equipment does contain modems as well and show some levels but not everything. The install charges cover any new lines that need ran or existing lines repaired. Or at least that’s how it was in my case.
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Your mileage has varied, is not someone else is ‘wrong’.
I’ve seem comcast check the line at the outside connection. Never seen them use one inside, mostly because they’ve never asked to come in.
But by all means, correct my story to suit your needs. It’s what we’re here for.
The prices have gone crazy. i signed up for a package that was supose to be 139plus fees for boxes.my bill was 183.86. its now 204.00. they automacticaly add a late fee. when i try to switch plans online it says call in. i do then get told heres no new plans cheaper than i have. they tried to get me i thoght i could switch over. they wanted me to get home security,tv ,phone ,internet.i dont need security.the new plan is 174…plus fees. its bad if you are on a budget . i m going to to satelite. in my area you cant take your boxes. but if the service isnt active. after you call over and over. the tech has to come they find ways to get you. then they want you to subsribe to movie channels. i dont need them. im stuck with starz ,showtme.i hope this helps sorry for my spelling lost my glasses.
Back when I had cable, a Comcast installer told me that the federal government owns all the cable inside my house and that he needed to re-wire all my work. I threw him out after I picked myself up from rofl.
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Comcast offers customers like this to do free self installs. I know because I work there and I do go to those failed self installs. Only to find a pile of boxes in the corner not even hooked up. Customer never attempted to do the install. Many times they are not even connected to Comcast.
Reminds me of when the new car dealer tried to double charge me on a couple of items by changing their titles (one example: ad fee = marketing fee). “Oh. How did that get in there?”
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