Why I Hate Comcast

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 1:32 pm

I finally broke down and signed up to get Comcast cable at home. I can't really afford to, but since my wife is going to be home on maternity leave, we decided to splurge. My home is already wired for cable, so I went to the local office to sign up and pick up a couple converter boxes. They told me that they have to send someone to my home to hook it up and that'll cost me. Fine. I scheduled an appointment for last night between 5 and 8, got all of the wiring ready so all the guy had to do was plug in the input, the output and power and the TV's would be done. Then he could reconnect it outside and be done. I was even willing to hook up the boxes inside so he could work outside and get done faster. Well.... they never showed up. When I called Comcast, I was told that a technician was never assigned to come to my house. I scheduled it in person, got a confirmation call, and still the ball was dropped on me.

I'm not even a customer yet and I'm dissatisfied.

I would choose a different service, but I can't get Verizon Fios or RCN in my neighborhood and have seen the problems with DirectTV, so I'm afraid to get a dish.

How can something so basic be so difficult?

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » March 4, 2008 1:35 pm

I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 1:38 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....

At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.

Skibo · Post by **Skibo** » March 4, 2008 1:46 pm

You should be able to talk them into free installation. They do need to dispatch an installer to connect your house. You should be able to install the converters. Call them back and tell them you changed your mind they should send you to the retention group which will give you whatever you ask for to get the service installed.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » March 4, 2008 1:47 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....
At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.

Hmm... I wonder if your dish was not aligned properly. The only time I've had the signal drop out on me was when there was two inches of snow on the dish. Which has only happened once, in really "sticky" snow, through 2 pretty snowy winters, since most of the time the snow doesn't really stick to the dish, as it's mostly upright.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » March 4, 2008 1:49 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....
At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.

if there was a blue screen.. the TV wasn't on the right channel
if it went out.. most likely it needed a tech call..

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 1:55 pm

Skibo wrote:You should be able to talk them into free installation. They do need to dispatch an installer to connect your house. You should be able to install the converters. Call them back and tell them you changed your mind they should send you to the retention group which will give you whatever you ask for to get the service installed.

They offered to credit my account $20 (installation is $25 (check or money order only?!?!?!)). I'm going to give them another chance tonight. If they don't show up tonight, they don't get my business and I get a dish instead. I've already filed a complaint with the county department who handles problems like this.

I've already talked to two people about getting the boxes and hooking them up myself, then the tech could hook it up outsite without needing me and both have told me no, they can't (won't) do that.

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 1:59 pm

ragtopW wrote:
FunkHouse9 wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....
At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.
if there was a blue screen.. the TV wasn't on the right channel
if it went out.. most likely it needed a tech call..

It may not have been blue, but it was a blank screen with some "acquiring signal" message. It was definitely on the right channel because programming would cut in and out. It may have just needed a tech call, but it left paranoia in my mind.

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 2:11 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
Skibo wrote:You should be able to talk them into free installation. They do need to dispatch an installer to connect your house. You should be able to install the converters. Call them back and tell them you changed your mind they should send you to the retention group which will give you whatever you ask for to get the service installed.
They offered to credit my account $20 (installation is $25 (check or money order only?!?!?!)). I'm going to give them another chance tonight. If they don't show up tonight, they don't get my business and I get a dish instead. I've already filed a complaint with the county department who handles problems like this.

I've already talked to two people about getting the boxes and hooking them up myself, then the tech could hook it up outsite without needing me and both have told me no, they can't (won't) do that.

So, I just got a call from Comcast following up regarding the complaint I filed with the county. The man I spoke to was very nice and offered to waive the $29.95 installation fee for the install. I said "Thank you. It doesn't matter much since you're waiving it, but the person who set up my installation told me it was $25, not $29.95." He didn't seem to know what to say.

blackjack · Post by **blackjack** » March 4, 2008 2:12 pm

I've had DirecTV for almost 10 years and it's lost signal fewer than 5 times, only in HEAVY rain, never in the snow.

My brother and parents had Comcast and my brother has switched and my parents are going to switch by next football season.

DirectTv will set you up with FREE basic installation, FOUR free converter boxes and upgraded programming for a few months when you sign up.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...oh wait, you don't have regular programming...thanks to Comcast.

Conolulu · Post by **Conolulu** » March 4, 2008 2:13 pm

Why I love Comcast:

It's NOT Knology....

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 2:15 pm

Conolulu wrote:Why I love Comcast:

It's NOT Knology....

Me too! Wait... what's Knology?

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » March 4, 2008 2:16 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
ragtopW wrote:
FunkHouse9 wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....
At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.
if there was a blue screen.. the TV wasn't on the right channel
if it went out.. most likely it needed a tech call..

It may not have been blue, but it was a blank screen with some "acquiring signal" message. It was definitely on the right channel because programming would cut in and out. It may have just needed a tech call, but it left paranoia in my mind.

tech call..
In six plus years of DTV service I have lost it in weather once..
it was hailing soo bad you couldn't see across the street..

well the snow on the dish a time or two..

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 2:23 pm

ragtopW wrote:
FunkHouse9 wrote:
ragtopW wrote:
FunkHouse9 wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I've had NO problems whatsoever with DirecTV. I have heard bad things aboud Dish and plenty about Comcast though....
At my last job, we had DirectTV in the waiting room and the signal was quite sporadic. If it was storming out, there was just a blue screen.
if there was a blue screen.. the TV wasn't on the right channel
if it went out.. most likely it needed a tech call..

It may not have been blue, but it was a blank screen with some "acquiring signal" message. It was definitely on the right channel because programming would cut in and out. It may have just needed a tech call, but it left paranoia in my mind.
tech call..
In six plus years of DTV service I have lost it in weather once..
it was hailing soo bad you couldn't see across the street..

well the snow on the dish a time or two..

Well, DirectTV and Dish Network are my only other options where I live. I'll try Comcast for a bit and if I hate it as much as everyone else I know does, then I'll switch.

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 2:27 pm

blackjack wrote:DirectTv will set you up with FREE basic installation, FOUR free converter boxes and upgraded programming for a few months when you sign up.

DirectTV's website says 1 free box and a $4.99 "lease fee" for every box after that.

Your First Month's Bill
CHOICE - $52.99
Lease Fee - $4.99
First Month's Total: $57.98
Online Redemption -$18.00
Final Monthly Total:* $39.98

*Offers end 6/24/2008 and are based on approved credit; credit card required. Credit card not required in MA & PA. New customers only (lease required). Lease fee $4.99/mo. for second and each additional receiver. Additional Offer Details

FunkHouse9 · Post by **FunkHouse9** » March 4, 2008 2:32 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
blackjack wrote:DirectTv will set you up with FREE basic installation, FOUR free converter boxes and upgraded programming for a few months when you sign up.
DirectTV's website says 1 free box and a $4.99 "lease fee" for every box after that.

*Offers end 6/24/2008 and are based on approved credit; credit card required. Credit card not required in MA & PA. New customers only (lease required). Lease fee $4.99/mo. for second and each additional receiver. Additional Offer Details

Although I do see elsewhere where it says on their site:
"FREE Standard Receivers - Up to 4"

surfpirate · Post by **surfpirate** » March 4, 2008 3:25 pm

Several years ago, Comcast strung what I assumed was to be a temporary cable from an above ground box by the road at my neighbor's house to my right, along the ditch/swale beside the road on his property, across his driveway, along the ditch/swale in my yard, across my driveway, and connected it to an above ground box by the road on my neighbor's house at my left.

I paid it little mind and assumed this was some sort of temporary workaround. This was about November.

After about a month, I called Comcast, and after many minutes on the phone waiting and going through many phone menus reached a live person and tried to explain that although I was not a Comcast customer, Comcast had strung a cable acros my lawn and driveway and had not removed it or buried it in nearly a month could someone please come out do something?

I was assured something would be done. December became January .... winter became spring .... and still this cable was running along the swale/ditch on my home and my neighbors' homes and across my driveway. I called Comcast several more times, each time going through the maddening phone menus and carefully explaining multiple times when asked that "I am not a Comcast customer, so stop asking me for my account number, and just send someone out to remove or bury this cable!".

6 months after this danged cable first appeared it was still there. Springtime was in full bloom and now I need to begin mowing my lawn each week, but I have this cable still running across my yard. The first time I mowed I carefully worked around the dang cable moving it as I mowed. It was a pain in the backside to do this.

The two outside above ground boxes that the cable is connected to are not even protected from the elements (the latch on one was broken completely off) and are open and accessible to the weather. The next time I mowed my lawn, I simply disconnected the cable from the box next to my driveway, rolled it up and placed the 200 feet or so of cable by the other above ground box where it was still connected. About an hour after I finished mowing my lawn, a cable truck shows up and the temporary cable is once again strung acros my lawn between the two boxes and connected.

Again I called Comcast. NO I AM NOT A COMCAST CUSTOMER. I DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT ID. REMOVE OR BURY YOUR CABLE! No one shows up to do anything.

The next week, same thing. I disconnect the cable, roll it up and mow my lawn, and WHAM, within an hour a truck shows up. This time I talk to the guy in the truck. He is not a Comcast employee, but a contractor who handles repairs. Turns out every time I disconnect this "temporary" cable to mow my lawn, I am apparently disconnecting cable TV service to huge blocks of customers in Potomac, MD. Hundreds of them begin calling, trouble tickets are opened and a truck is dispatched immediately. Shoot, if I had known that I would have disconnected the dang cable about 5 minutes before the superbowl kickoff in January. Unfortunately all this poor guy can do is reconnect the (now 6 month old) temporary cable.

For the next 4 weeks I gave Comcast a "courtesy call" letting them know that I was disconecting Potomac, MD TV service again so I could mow my lawn. I started disconnecting the cable from both boxes, rolling it up and putting it in my garage. I collected about a thousand feet of cable.

Finally, in late spring, 4 trucks, 20 workers with shovels and equipment, and about 6 foreman showed up and after about two hours of work, a new (I'll assume better quality) permanent cable was buried, and the two above ground boxes were repaired and sealed with a lock.

Comcast is still trying to lure me away from Verizon and DirecTV for my television, telephone and internet service. Yeah, right, the quality of their signal to all those neighborhoods was at least partially dependent upon an above ground temporay cable left exposed to the elements for 6 months. I don't think so.

~~~~~~ surfpirate

Hockey Mon · Post by **Hockey Mon** » March 4, 2008 3:25 pm

..and here we go with the DirecTV/Dish network talk again.

Here is a thread that might be of interest:
viewtopic.php?t=51634&highlight=directt ... 57086e63b1

Conolulu · Post by **Conolulu** » March 4, 2008 3:25 pm

FunkHouse9 wrote:
Conolulu wrote:Why I love Comcast:

It's NOT Knology....
Me too! Wait... what's Knology?

The absolute worst ISP I ever had....and when I moved here it was the only cable modem available....

Now there's 3 and I got rid of it....

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » March 4, 2008 3:43 pm

surfpirate wrote:For the next 4 weeks I gave Comcast a "courtesy call" letting them know that I was disconecting Potomac, MD TV service again so I could mow my lawn. I started disconnecting the cable from both boxes, rolling it up and putting it in my garage. I collected about a thousand feet of cable.

Me? I would've just mowed it. They probably would've fixed it faster.