comcast woes

[flutes_and_fabric]

Sorry to anyone who works for comcast, I just hafta rant a bit.

September/October-digital change hits my area. My main tv has a tivo with a lifetime membership, so obviously I'm not going to get rid of it and pay more for the same thing through comcast. I need a multistream card installed

November 3rd-make 1st appointment to get the card installed
November 10th-tech comes without the card...I make another appointment
November 19th-tech never shows up, I make another appointment
December 17th-tech shows up with a box, not a card. I've waited almost a month for this appointment, I'm fed up. Call and insist on speaking with a sup, get passed around, talk with a girl who can't speak english, finally get another appointment made
January 3rd-tech never shows up. I call to find out what happened, I'm told that they looked at the account and saw a card was delivered to my home, so I wouldn't need a tech. I never got a card, I don't even think I can put it in myself, how dare they cancel my appointment without notifying me. I call to set up another appointment, explain to one person about what happened, got cussed out because apparently they can't send cards to my home and I'm lying, I ask him to look at my account and tell me why then my appointment was canceled, he looks, screams bitch, and hangs up on me. I attempted to track down who he was, but because there is no record left behind when someone logs onto your account, only when they manually change it, I could not track him down. I ask for a direct number to the local office, get cussed out again because apparently the local office does not have phones.
January 12th-get a call from local dispatch (wait, I thought they didn't have phones) and the person tells me they are canceling my appointment because they don't have any cards. I flip, tell her I need to speak with her sup. Turns out the regional manager is there, I talk to him, he pulls up my record, sees all the shenanigans that have been going on, and checks in the back for cards. There's a bunch there, he doesn't know why they canceled, reschedules someone to come out an hour later.
January 12th-no tech. I call the local dispatch number 3 times, someone finally picks up. They ask me to hold, then forget to put me on hold. I hear EVERYTHING that's going on in that office. Phones ringing, no one picking up, people screaming, every other word is a curse, "where's deshan? what you want for dinner fucker, lets split for pizza, holy shit this is the account that got us in trouble earlier! scream scream find someone to get over there immediately! why's everyone in the city, get raquel back in here! where's marcel? no n**** you can't go home. What the fuck is going on! Don't send someone there! I've allready told that fucktard that he has to turn on the lightswitch to turn the power on to the plug. Every week with that idiot! Don't hand me all those phones! general chaos." Finally things get quiet and no one picks up my phone. Then talk suddenly turns to showercaps...talking about buying shower caps and where's my money? Are showercaps a new kinda drug I haven't heard about, or were they really talking about buying showercaps? And trust me, I could hear everything. Everytime someone said hello I thought they were talking to me. Anywho, someone finally picked up the phone and here's what transpired word for word:

C: Hello?
Me: I don't know if I appreciate being on hold for 35 minutes while you talk about buying showercaps (phone got quiet for a few secs, he must have put me on hold and told everyone that I heard, because things suddenly got very civil in that office very quickly)
C:...How can I help you?
Me: I'm just trying to find out where the tech is who was supposed to be at my home an hour ago
C: well, um, well, there's a lot of...um...stuff going on
Me: You can say it, there's a lot of shit going on. You all weren't afraid to curse and scream not even a minute ago.
C: Well, one of my techs had to go home early and I don't know where the other is and everyone else is in the city...
Me: Well, it's 5:45 and I really don't want someone here during dinner, so I'm fine with pushing the appointment back to tomorrow as long as someone is actually going to show up.
C: That would be awesome, I'll get someone out there first thing tomorrow, let me see if we have any cards
Me: Ok (thinking: they better, cause there was a bunch this morning)
C: Ok, everything is set

January 13th: the tech showed up and put the card in, and it works. So thank you whoever you are who I talked to yesterday. And thank you to the tech who came out.

[Bright_Star]

I'd be filing a complaint with Comcast Corp offices about the way you were treated. Get some satisfaction & don't back down till somebody gets their head on the chopping block.

[Pedersen]

The only part of the whole story that surprised me is that you got a positive result.

In my own dealings with Comcast... Suffice to say that I hate calling them with the passion of a thousand fiery suns going supernova simultaneously. If my hatred of the company could be harnessed and turned into electrical energy, I am confident that we could provide sufficient free power to keep the USA on an electrical surplus for the next millenium. They are the single best cure for hypotension that has yet to be devised (with doing a fresh install of Windows Vista being second place).

The only reason that I have them as a service provider is because satellite would be even worse for me. If FiOS ever comes to my area, Comcast is going to hit the curb so fast that their ass is going to leave skidmarks down my sidewalk and across the street.

Anyway, I'm glad you were able to get things resolved. Congratulations

[ditchdj]

You know what really needs to be done??? You just need to dump your service, period. Because you know who's ultimately responsible for this kind of shit service??? WE ARE!!!! We pay them. They're supposed to serve us. But since there's so much apathy and they've become so complacent they think it's the other way around that now WE serve THEM. That needs to stop.

[Evil Queen]

I agree with ditchdj.

I've had the same problem with Mediacom in the past and Comcast's internet service when I lived in Houston last year. Standard cable was included with the condo but at the beginning of 09 the complex decided it was too expensive.

No skin off our backs; DataJager and I rarely watched TV and when we did it was Food Network.

Comcast kept shutting off our internet instead of the TV service, every couple days we were calling and complaining about it. We'd get our service back and the very next week they would shut it off again. All that hastle is not worth $60+ a month.

[Broomjockey]

You just need to dump your service, period.

Except, you know, for all the areas like Pedersen's where there's literally no other choice, so it's a choice between "horrible service" and "no service." Whether it should be that way, what should be done about it, how it got that way, etc. is stuff for Fratching. This is a vent thread.

[Dreamstalker]

At least once a week we get a call from Comcast wanting us to switch to the all-in-one bundle (currently we have TV and internet through them, with phone line through Verizon). I used to have the "triple play", and if there was a problem on one service there was a problem with everything (not good given that if the phone side of things went screwy, I had no phone as my cell didn't work in the building). Mom can't figure out why they can't put a note on our account to the effect of "doesn't want triple play, do not ask".

If we moved 4-5 blocks closer to the Boston line we would have a choice in providers, but right here it's the only game in town (funny since there's a Verizon office about a block away).

[LewisLegion]

You've got to be in a different state. Our dispatch office does NOT accept customer call-ins, no way no how. We're not paid to deal with customers.

So it wasn't us you talked to. Which makes me feel better now about my shower-cap conversation...j/k.

Also, our supe would skin us alive if we were dropping F bombs like that.

The more I hear about Comcast in other states, the more I like working HERE.

[flutes_and_fabric]

The only reason that I have them as a service provider is because satellite would be even worse for me. If FiOS ever comes to my area, Comcast is going to hit the curb so fast that their ass is going to leave skidmarks down my sidewalk and across the street.

You know what really needs to be done??? You just need to dump your service, period. Because you know who's ultimately responsible for this kind of shit service??? WE ARE!!!! We pay them. They're supposed to serve us. But since there's so much apathy and they've become so complacent they think it's the other way around that now WE serve THEM. That needs to stop.

Except, you know, for all the areas like Pedersen's where there's literally no other choice, so it's a choice between "horrible service" and "no service." Whether it should be that way, what should be done about it, how it got that way, etc. is stuff for Fratching. This is a vent thread.

Yeah, unfortunately comcast is the only service available in my area -_- Otherwise I'd dump it. I kinda feel bad because when I was frustrated whenever the person I was talking to said "thank you for choosing comcast" i replied "i was forced into it!"

[Sunsetsky]

Unfortunately Comcast is the only company in Colorado Springs where you can get cable. I'd have to get satellite if I wanted to be able to watch any good tv. I tried them once before and they were supposed to give me a 29.99 a month deal. They kept charging me 56 a month despite me constantly calling them. So I finally called and cancelled. They tried to offer me a cheaper rating but I declined (probably would've kept charging me 56 anyways).

[Sonoma]

I actually had a very pleasant experience with them tonight. Got an offer in my mail for "Digital Economy TV". $20/month, which is a $10 increase over my "really-cheap-regulated cable, so the cost hasn't increased in years" rate I've got now. For $10/month, it gets me A&E, History Channel, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Animal Planet, AMC, Food Network, Spike, Hallmark, CNN, Lifetime, and Weather Channel, along with a few others I may have forgotten. The rep was very pleasant, and apologized when she initally gave me the wrong price for a second cable box. All-in-all, the best experience I've ever had with Comcast. If this keeps up, I'll keep Comcast for cable, instead of switching to Verizon for everything like I had been planning for this spring.

[draggar]

January 12th-no tech. I call the local dispatch number 3 times, someone finally picks up. They ask me to hold, then forget to put me on hold. I hear EVERYTHING that's going on in that office. Phones ringing, no one picking up, people screaming, every other word is a curse, "where's deshan? what you want for dinner fucker, lets split for pizza, holy shit this is the account that got us in trouble earlier! scream scream find someone to get over there immediately! why's everyone in the city, get raquel back in here! where's marcel? no n**** you can't go home. What the fuck is going on! Don't send someone there! I've allready told that fucktard that he has to turn on the lightswitch to turn the power on to the plug. Every week with that idiot! Don't hand me all those phones! general chaos." Finally things get quiet and no one picks up my phone. Then talk suddenly turns to showercaps...talking about buying shower caps and where's my money? Are showercaps a new kinda drug I haven't heard about, or were they really talking about buying showercaps? And trust me, I could hear everything. Everytime someone said hello I thought they were talking to me. Anywho, someone finally picked up the phone and here's what transpired word for word:

C: Hello?
Me: I don't know if I appreciate being on hold for 35 minutes while you talk about buying showercaps (phone got quiet for a few secs, he must have put me on hold and told everyone that I heard, because things suddenly got very civil in that office very quickly)
C:...How can I help you?
Me: I'm just trying to find out where the tech is who was supposed to be at my home an hour ago
C: well, um, well, there's a lot of...um...stuff going on
Me: You can say it, there's a lot of shit going on. You all weren't afraid to curse and scream not even a minute ago.
C: Well, one of my techs had to go home early and I don't know where the other is and everyone else is in the city...
Me: Well, it's 5:45 and I really don't want someone here during dinner, so I'm fine with pushing the appointment back to tomorrow as long as someone is actually going to show up.
C: That would be awesome, I'll get someone out there first thing tomorrow, let me see if we have any cards
Me: Ok (thinking: they better, cause there was a bunch this morning)
C: Ok, everything is set

January 13th: the tech showed up and put the card in, and it works. So thank you whoever you are who I talked to yesterday. And thank you to the tech who came out.

If nothing else that conversation while you were on "hold" should be enough to write one hell of a letter to Comcast's corporate office.

I get jacked around a lot, too (and it seems like it is a common occurrence with them).

The sad thing is that today they have a legal monopoly. If there is competition, they have agreements with other cable providers (not satellite), Comcast gets one town, the other(s) get another town(s) and so on. Apparently they buy up the towns (yet I never got a check from them?) which allows them to be the only provider in that town yet they tell the government "Oh, there's plenty of competition!". This gives them the impression that they can treat their customers however they want.

Comcast kept shutting off our internet instead of the TV service, every couple days we were calling and complaining about it. We'd get our service back and the very next week they would shut it off again. All that hastle is not worth $60+ a month.

We had (still have?) the same issue and every time it goes out I call them and insist on a credit. I'm sure they're getting sick of hearing me and I'm also sure that I'm on their "list" of annoying customers but you know what? I PAY FOR THE SERVICE. If I didn't pay my bill I'm sure they'd turn of my service as soon as it was due and also if someone didn't supply a service that Comcast paid for then I'm sure they would be yelling and screaming in the courts.

This thread also reminds me I need to call them since I wasn't able to watch TV all weekend and into Monday / Tuesday morning - they're blaming it on the cold (uh-huh, odd how I didn't have those issues in New Jersey yet I do when the temps got into the 30's in FL).

[flutes_and_fabric]

Comcast kept shutting off our internet instead of the TV service, every couple days we were calling and complaining about it. We'd get our service back and the very next week they would shut it off again. All that hastle is not worth $60+ a month.

I had internet with Comcast. It kept shutting off, but they insisted that was an on site issue, not them doing it. Took me 2 months to get the problem fixed. They kept sending out level 1 people even though it was a level 2 problem. The issue ended with me walking out to the end of my driveway, opening up the cable box, and fixing the issue myself. It's sad when I was able to fix it when their techs were not. They wouldn't take the 2 months were had to go without internet off of our bill, so I switched to Verizon. Strangely I can get internet service from them, but not cable.

[ditchdj]

I told my wife if that corporate cannibal Comcast gobbles up our cable provider I'll drop them so fast they'll suffer whiplash.

[Geek King]

Please also lodge a formal complaint with the city and state directors over TV services (usually utilities commision, but look it up to be sure), and also the FCC over your treatment. Cable companies have to be licenced every year, and they'll be grilled over their behavior if complaints are recieved. Also, your local area may decide to open up your area to competition if enough voters complain.