Rant: Comcast Sucks!!!

EagleFan · 01-23-2005, 12:19 AM

For the past 6 weeks my internet reliability has been getting worse Comcast has sent out 6 different techs to the house. Each time, they check everything in the house and say that the problem is outside. Each claims that they will set up an appointment for someone to check the outsde wiring but that appointment had not been made until the words Direct TV and DSL came out of my mouth.

I have gone days without a connection. This week there has been one day in which I had a connection all day and two other days (today included) with a very sporatic connection. Completely out the other 4 days. The money they charge should provide better service that this.

Every time someone has come to the house it's the same thing, though I tell them exactly what they will find (an I know they shouldn't take my word for it but shouldn't all of that have been documented by the other 5 people that came out?). They always start out trying to look around at my settings on the computer. The cable modem is getting no signal from them, my settings have no bearing on that. The dam modem should have those lights on even if it's not even connected to a PC on my end, yet they check my settings.

They test the cables in my house, surprided to find that they test fine (though I tell them that the last X number of techs have done the same thing with the same result, again shuoldn;t this be documented).

Each one leaves basically washing their hands of the situation, it appears to be different people that do the outside work. What's worse is the last few have been telling me that I need to schedule an appointment to get the outside checked out. Shouldn't this be their dam job at this point? Plus when I call to do that, I get told that they cannot schedule that over the phone, they can only schedule and in-house appointment. A tech is supposed to schedule the outside people through dispatch as part of the levels of service. In that case why the hell do the dam tech tell me that it's my job to scedukle someone?

Where does that leave me? Currently I am getting a signal but who knows for how long and who knows when it will come back after it goes out. After talking to supervisor number 3 today they are finally sending someone to check out the cables outside, but not until Tuesday because of the storm.

Stuff happens. I'm okay with that part but six weeks is insane, especially since they haven't even looked outside of the house yet (though it had supposedly been scheduled according to earlier contacts). Hell, I would even accept 6 weeks if I knew they had been actually looking into it but were just puzzled for the moment. It's the six weeks of absolutely nothing but checking and rechecking what we know is working without looking elsewhere that has gotten me pissed.

The problem that I have with my threats of Direct TV and DSL is that I live in a townhouse and the association has to apporve anyone getting a dish and they make people walk on water to approve things (some power trip it seems). I know I could go with DSL but the whole extra bill every month, plus changing email addresses all over the place, isn't a positive in my opinion.

BigDawg · 01-23-2005, 02:53 AM

I used comcast internet a few years back and had simmular problems, I would go DSL my man. SBC has given me good service for 2 years now and in my area their only charging 19.95 a month.

cthomer5000 · 01-23-2005, 03:36 AM

Comcast is terrible. I've just resigned myself to not getting some channels on my television because they eventually stop working and no box replacement or checking the wires ever works.

Their internet has been pretty alright though. Although my girlfriend has serious issues when signing up with them.

Terrible company overall.

ISiddiqui · 01-23-2005, 04:03 AM

Hmmm, that's wierd. In Jersey, we had a Hell of time with them, with the internet going out for days sometimes, and On Demand not working with Digital Cable (though no one in my idiot family has ever thought to call up Comcast, with my Dad saying "you need to pay for that" even though I've told him I get it for free in Atlanta

).

In Atlanta, I've had no problems. Once in a long while, there is an outage in internet connection or the TV.

I don't know if it was the interface that was put in by the prior company in Atlanta before Comcast acquired them or what.

KWhit · 01-23-2005, 09:59 AM

I haven't had any real problems with Comcast Internet or TV.

And their new DVR box is super-sweet (and cheap).

EagleFan · 01-23-2005, 11:23 AM

Conspiracy!!!! Within 5 minutes of posting this thread I lost connection again. It just came back a few minutes ago.

AgustusM · 01-23-2005, 11:56 AM

signal is fine

but no connection lights on the cable modem

um, how come none of the swapped out the cable modem with a new one - seems like a logical next step.

JonInMiddleGA · 01-23-2005, 11:59 AM

Worst ... telecom ... company ... ever !

Ksyrup · 01-23-2005, 12:20 PM

I've got Comcast for basic cable and internet. I haven't had any problem outside of a couple of short internet outages every several months or so that either fix themselves within a few minutes or require me to shut down, unplug the box, plug back in, and reboot.

McSweeny · 01-23-2005, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I've got Comcast for basic cable and internet. I haven't had any problem outside of a couple of short internet outages every several months or so that either fix themselves within a few minutes or require me to shut down, unplug the box, plug back in, and reboot.

pretty much the same kind of experience i've been having. The times my internet has gone out i usually just unplug the modem and reset my router and all is fine.

My only problem is they don't offer Fox Sports World on ANY of their cable packages

atatange1 · 01-23-2005, 12:48 PM

I used to have the same kind of problems a couple of years ago. But have been trouble free since. I think it may have something to do with reworking/planting the line's since when they bought AT&T's interenet. That could be totally wrong but its a thought.

JeeberD · 01-23-2005, 01:04 PM

They just pissed me off for the first time the other day. I just moved to a new apartment and I called to transfer my service. Well, for some reason they cancelled my old internet account and I had to start a new one. Everything I had uploaded onto my web space is now gone and I have to replace it all...

DanGarion · 01-23-2005, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeeberD

They just pissed me off for the first time the other day. I just moved to a new apartment and I called to transfer my service. Well, for some reason they cancelled my old internet account and I had to start a new one. Everything I had uploaded onto my web space is now gone and I have to replace it all...

So let me get this straight. You already canceled your old account, and now you wanted to transfer it to the new one? Or did you keep your old account active after you moved out?

JeeberD · 01-23-2005, 01:57 PM

I called them up and told them I needed to transfer my service to a new apartment. They asked when I wanted it done and I told them. A guy come over on the appointed day and switched the cable on. He also dropped off a new cable modem, and when I told him I already had one he said that I would need the new one. So I brought my computer to the new apartment, plugged in the old modem and everything was fine. Then, three or four days later, my internet connection just stopped working. I rebooted my computer and when the Comcast internet software tried to verify my account it said that my subscriber number wasn't recognized. I looked up my subscriber number on the work order, and it was different than the one I've had for the past year. I then had to use the new modem that was brought over since Comcast didn't recognize the old one anymore...

Somewhere along the way I had to re-register with Comcast, and my old account (along with the files I had uploaded) was cancelled...

DanGarion · 01-23-2005, 04:27 PM

Damn sounds like when you called in to transfer they didn't link the accounts or something.

QuikSand · 01-23-2005, 04:35 PM

I'm blessed to live in an area where we have cable competition. In time, it ought to come for many more of us.

DanGarion · 01-23-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I'm blessed to live in an area where we have cable competition. In time, it ought to come for many more of us.

Just because an area doesn't have cable competition doesn't mean the cable company in an area doesn't do as much as they can for their customers. We don't have cable competition with my company but I think we do just about everything we can to try and please customers besides bending over and letting them take advantage of us. There is competetion regardless if it's another cable TV company, Dish and Telephone are our competetion.

QuikSand · 01-23-2005, 05:40 PM

I'm not trying to attack you or every/any employee of cable companies. But I think that the widespread sense that cable companies are not particularly customer-responsive has some basis -- it didn't just come out of nowhere.

Yes, there is a sort of emerging competition in the field, even without multiple cable offerings. But it's still very imperfect competition -- a franchised cable company simply offers the most approachable bundle of services for most people, they know that's true, and they simply lack the full range of incentives that face a company that sits in wide-open competition for every customer. I'm not defending the facts behind any particular argument about any specific cable company, but it's just simple economic logic -- the more worried you are about losing your customers, the more you work to keep them.

So, I will stick with my original comment. True open competition for cable services is a good thing for customers, and will bring about better services -- in terms of service reliability, customer responsiveness, and better pricing -- than we have had any reason to expect under a franchise/monopoly arrangement.

EagleFan · 01-24-2005, 11:44 AM

I've been out since about a half hour after that last post. Out all day yesterday and still out (from what my wife tells me). I'm at work now, my sole access to the net and to FOFC (I'm Jonesing here!!).

01-23-2005, 04:03 AM	#4
ISiddiqui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Decatur, GA	Hmmm, that's wierd. In Jersey, we had a Hell of time with them, with the internet going out for days sometimes, and On Demand not working with Digital Cable (though no one in my idiot family has ever thought to call up Comcast, with my Dad saying "you need to pay for that" even though I've told him I get it for free in Atlanta ). In Atlanta, I've had no problems. Once in a long while, there is an outage in internet connection or the TV. I don't know if it was the interface that was put in by the prior company in Atlanta before Comcast acquired them or what. __________________ "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages" -Tennessee Williams

01-23-2005, 11:59 AM	#8
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	Worst ... telecom ... company ... ever ! __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

01-23-2005, 12:20 PM	#9
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I've got Comcast for basic cable and internet. I haven't had any problem outside of a couple of short internet outages every several months or so that either fix themselves within a few minutes or require me to shut down, unplug the box, plug back in, and reboot. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

01-23-2005, 01:04 PM	#12
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	They just pissed me off for the first time the other day. I just moved to a new apartment and I called to transfer my service. Well, for some reason they cancelled my old internet account and I had to start a new one. Everything I had uploaded onto my web space is now gone and I have to replace it all... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

01-23-2005, 01:57 PM	#14
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	I called them up and told them I needed to transfer my service to a new apartment. They asked when I wanted it done and I told them. A guy come over on the appointed day and switched the cable on. He also dropped off a new cable modem, and when I told him I already had one he said that I would need the new one. So I brought my computer to the new apartment, plugged in the old modem and everything was fine. Then, three or four days later, my internet connection just stopped working. I rebooted my computer and when the Comcast internet software tried to verify my account it said that my subscriber number wasn't recognized. I looked up my subscriber number on the work order, and it was different than the one I've had for the past year. I then had to use the new modem that was brought over since Comcast didn't recognize the old one anymore... Somewhere along the way I had to re-register with Comcast, and my old account (along with the files I had uploaded) was cancelled... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

01-23-2005, 02:53 AM	#2
BigDawg H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Michigan	I used comcast internet a few years back and had simmular problems, I would go DSL my man. SBC has given me good service for 2 years now and in my area their only charging 19.95 a month.

01-23-2005, 09:59 AM	#5
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	I haven't had any real problems with Comcast Internet or TV. And their new DVR box is super-sweet (and cheap).

01-23-2005, 11:23 AM	#6
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	Conspiracy!!!! Within 5 minutes of posting this thread I lost connection again. It just came back a few minutes ago.

01-23-2005, 11:56 AM	#7
AgustusM College Prospect Join Date: Dec 2003	signal is fine but no connection lights on the cable modem um, how come none of the swapped out the cable modem with a new one - seems like a logical next step.

01-23-2005, 12:48 PM	#11
atatange1 High School JV Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA state	I used to have the same kind of problems a couple of years ago. But have been trouble free since. I think it may have something to do with reworking/planting the line's since when they bought AT&T's interenet. That could be totally wrong but its a thought.

01-23-2005, 04:27 PM	#15
DanGarion Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: PNW	Damn sounds like when you called in to transfer they didn't link the accounts or something. __________________ Los Angeles Dodgers Check out the FOFC Groups on Facebook! and Reddit! DON'T REPORT ME BRO!

01-23-2005, 04:35 PM	#16
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	I'm blessed to live in an area where we have cable competition. In time, it ought to come for many more of us.

01-23-2005, 05:40 PM	#18
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	I'm not trying to attack you or every/any employee of cable companies. But I think that the widespread sense that cable companies are not particularly customer-responsive has some basis -- it didn't just come out of nowhere. Yes, there is a sort of emerging competition in the field, even without multiple cable offerings. But it's still very imperfect competition -- a franchised cable company simply offers the most approachable bundle of services for most people, they know that's true, and they simply lack the full range of incentives that face a company that sits in wide-open competition for every customer. I'm not defending the facts behind any particular argument about any specific cable company, but it's just simple economic logic -- the more worried you are about losing your customers, the more you work to keep them. So, I will stick with my original comment. True open competition for cable services is a good thing for customers, and will bring about better services -- in terms of service reliability, customer responsiveness, and better pricing -- than we have had any reason to expect under a franchise/monopoly arrangement.

01-24-2005, 11:44 AM	#19
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	I've been out since about a half hour after that last post. Out all day yesterday and still out (from what my wife tells me). I'm at work now, my sole access to the net and to FOFC (I'm Jonesing here!!).

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