Rant against Comcast!!

[ISiddiqui]

Ok, so today I was going to have my service updated. I got the Digital Silver Plan with Digital Deluxe. I was upgrading to DVR, and that required a new reciever so it seems.

The guy got in, hooked it up and left, and I noticed that the digital channels weren't working (they said wait until later, basically). After a while (about noon) I got worried and called in. Comcast said the technician called it all in and everything was ok on that end, but there were technical problems. After a few more hours (around 6ish), I called back. The rep then said the technician NEVER called it in and thus they couldn't initialize anything and I had to wait until 8 until the tech got off work so that I could get a supervisor to override the tech's work order. I called at 8. The new rep said, yes, the order wasn't called in, but she was able to get in and fix it. It should be ok in 5 minutes.

It wasn't. I called back (at 9), the rep said I should unplug the reciever and then plug it later and it'll reset. Then I asked to speak to a supervisor. First she told me that the tech called the order in at 10:30! So the reps I talked to in the evening LIED to me! Blatently! No excuse for that! She also said it required time to download everything to the box and since it was a DVR box, it takes longer, and thus should be ok in a half hour. Needless to say, I didn't believe her that much, so I asked, what if it still doesn't work by tomrrow. She kept saying that it would and basically blowing off my concern. Well, guess well, it's after midnight and STILL no digital channels! It doesn't take that long to download the order!!!

I just want my fucking digital channels back!! Take the DVR back, I don't care! Give me back what I'm paying for! I swear to God, if they tell me they can't send a tech to my place until Wednesday or something, I'll flip! Now, of course their technical department is closed and their regular customer service line has an absurd wait.

I wish I owned a house or had a patio in my apartment so I could get a dish. This is utterly ridiculous!

[QuikSand]

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where the local Comcast franchise actually as a competitor. What a nice thing it was to end my (third) frustrating call with Comcast asking for a better deal with the phrase "okay, then, I guess we'll go with someone else!" We now are getting evenb more reliable internet and a full digital package from another cable company for about 2/3 the cost of Comcast's comparable package.

[ISiddiqui]

*sigh* I wish I had that option. AT&T Broadband was no where as crappy as this. Every time I got a problem with Comcast, I'll get a different answer from every customer service rep I call. They are either lying to me or grossly incompetant.

Freaking Comcast monopoly.

[GrantDawg]

They are either lying to me or grossly incompetant.

Yes and yes.

[FBPro]

Directv :)

[tucker rocky]

Dish Network for me here.

[ISiddiqui]

Well I wish I had the option. I got an apartment without a porch, so really no where to put a dish.

[Philliesfan980]

DirecTV's rates are climbing up towards cable rates. The fact that you have to pay extra for the local channels and their lack of High Def channels doesn't make them as an attractive option as they used to be. Also $240 or whatever for the NFL package is getting a little too steep for me.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Comcast Cable takes the word "suck" to new heights. (or maybe that should be depths?)

[tucker rocky]

Well I wish I had the option. I got an apartment without a porch, so really no where to put a dish. ... a balcony, a window ledge...?

[tucker rocky]

dola,

they'll find a place to put it.
in your apt. even, as long as it can receive the signal with no interference.

[tucker rocky]

double-dola,

for your local channels, you might qualify for a locals package.
That way you wouldn't have to get rabbit ears for your TV.

[Easy Mac]

I hate them so much I get thier cable for free.

[ISiddiqui]

they'll find a place to put it.
in your apt. even, as long as it can receive the signal with no interference.

Really? That's interesting :D.

[DanGarion]

I work in the cable industry. This makes no sense. DVR or no DVR they send a "hit" signal to the box that activates it for the channel service you have subscribed to. If that isn’t received then it will not be authorized. It sounds like the box may have been a warm install which means it's activated with the basic channels but has to receive the hit from the server to accept the special tiers of service that you are also subscribed to.

I personally don't see how a customer service rep (besides the fact that many of them are useless dolts ;) ) wouldn't be able to resolve this issue. In my companies' system there is a chance the box wouldn't be activated but basically all we would have to do would is bring the work order up and update it. They may possibly close out work orders the day after an installation (or the next business day) but that shouldn't delay the activation because the hit can be sent with the update without closing the actual work order. At my company they close work orders real-time and then look them over afterwards double-checking with the paperwork once it's in the office.

The DVR boxes don't require any special download except a possible firmware update, which could possibly be only done by the box driver (the server that sends the firmware) in the middle of the night, be personally I don't see that delaying channel packages.

Now... it could be that the return is bad, so the box isn't able to reply to a package request from the server. Do you have Pay Per View or On Demand (Video on Demand) service? If you do try doing one of those and see if it works. If it doesn't then you have a return issue which means the box is bad OR that someone needs to go out there and look at it and maybe then hand it off to a maintenance tech. But I don't know. If the PVP or VoD works then I doubt that's the issue, but that is a way to test it. And then just call them and say you screwed up testing your new service and you want it the order you made canceled (I don't see any reason why they should deny the request).

I don't work for Comcast, I actually work for Time Warner Cable, and this is how it works for us in my specific division, I would expect it to be close to the same process.

My personal opinion is... well I don't like Dish, but that's because if something happens with your lines in your house or you have a single issue, Dish isn't going to send someone out there for free like a cable company will (unless you fucked it up yourself, most cable providers will charge you then). Dish has it's advantages (Football Package) but quality wise, cable can be better if the provider puts the money into the system (ie, Digital Cable, HDTV, DVR, High Speed Internet, Digital Phone). But that' my opinion and I do work for a cable provider.

Good luck with your problem.

By the way do you have high speed internet through them? If you do and that's working then it's probably not the return, but I guess it still could be.

[tucker rocky]

Really? That's interesting :D.

yes.

[ISiddiqui]

If it doesn't then you have a return issue which means the box is bad OR that someone needs to go out there and look at it and maybe then hand it off to a maintenance tech

Yeah, they are sending someone out to me tomorrow to check the box and the line. The On Demand ain't working so far.

Basically, it isn't that I'm getting 'Not Authorized' screens. What I'm getting is 'One Moment Please: This channel should be available shortly' on channels I am suscribed to and those I am not. It's been like that since I got my box. Apparently the work order was closed at 10:30 yesterday (so said the supervisor I spoke to last night) and a signal was sent numerous times since then. I'm leaning to the box being defective. If it was a problem with my order, at least the basic digital cable channels should appear fine?

By the way do you have high speed internet through them? If you do and that's working then it's probably not the return, but I guess it still could be.

Yep, that is what I'm posting on. Which is why I think it's the box. Though the internet HAS been slow since yesterday.

Thanks for your insight though :). I'll wait until the guy comes tomorrow to see what I should do. I'm at a loss.

[DanGarion]

Not a problem. Glad I could atleast be a little bit of help and maybe help you understand how the system might actually work. I know it can be frustrating dealing with customer service, hell I find it difficult to deal with my company's own customer service. I actually handle technical support for our business class tier of high speed internet services.

[ISiddiqui]

Well you work for a decent company ;). Comcast gives me a different story every time I call. I just called Comcast to see if there was anything else I could do (I want to see Six Feet Under tonight dammit!), but the rep said that the signal was going through, but it seemed the box wasn't downloading the information. It seems the box may have been defective. Hopefully we can get that fixed with a new box.

[gstelmack]

DirecTV's rates are climbing up towards cable rates. The fact that you have to pay extra for the local channels and their lack of High Def channels doesn't make them as an attractive option as they used to be. Also $240 or whatever for the NFL package is getting a little too steep for me.
They may not be as attractive as they used to be, but they're still miles more attractive than ( fill-in-the-blank local cable company ). Time Warner actually had a chance to sneak me away once I wanted to go high def, but they could not even respond to a simple e-mail with some questions (DirecTV responded to the e-mail and called me twice within 24 hours). I'm DirecTV using an OTA antenna for high-def local channels and glad I stuck with it, even with the hassle of acquiring and installing a working OTA antenna.

[Rich1033]

I'm DirecTV using an OTA antenna for high-def local channels and glad I stuck with it, even with the hassle of acquiring and installing a working OTA antenna. How has that worked out for you? Soon I will be installing a home theater system for my parents in their newly remodeled home. At the moment I am trying to work with their budget and select the right components. One consern I have is getting the local high-def channels. They had an antenna installed during the prewiring and want to go with DirecTV. Would one of the DirecTV HD Receivers be all I would need(like this (http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?oid=81891&WT.mc_n=4&c=1&b=g&u=c&WT.mc_t=U) Hughes model)?

(edit- The previous link went to the wrong receiver, now it is correct)

[gstelmack]

How has that worked out for you? Soon I will be installing a home theater system for my parents in their newly remodeled home. At the moment I am trying to work with their budget and select the right components. One consern I have is getting the local high-def channels. They had an antenna installed during the prewiring and want to go with DirecTV. Would one of the DirecTV HD Receivers be all I would need(like this (http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?oid=81891&WT.mc_n=4&c=1&b=g&u=c&WT.mc_t=U) Hughes model)?
The HD locals are working quite well. I'm in a low spot (between 2 hills) which wreaks havoc with the signal, but I've got a nice strong directional pointing at the towers (all my local stations come from the same location) and it's pulling in all of them just fine (our local Fox station has an issue that is forcing them to run at half power, so it's having issues, but I was receiving its signal before the problem).

All the DirecTV HD receivers support an antenna input. You can tell the receiver what zip code you are in, and it will pull down the guide information for them into the DirecTV guide. I personally have the Samsung SIR-TS360 receiver and it works really well at pulling in the local channels.

[Philliesfan980]

The HD locals are working quite well. I'm in a low spot (between 2 hills) which wreaks havoc with the signal, but I've got a nice strong directional pointing at the towers (all my local stations come from the same location) and it's pulling in all of them just fine (our local Fox station has an issue that is forcing them to run at half power, so it's having issues, but I was receiving its signal before the problem).

All the DirecTV HD receivers support an antenna input. You can tell the receiver what zip code you are in, and it will pull down the guide information for them into the DirecTV guide. I personally have the Samsung SIR-TS360 receiver and it works really well at pulling in the local channels.

How big are the antenna's?

[Rich1033]

How big are the antenna's?
They are not that big. My parents have theirs installed in the corner of the attic. Its about 2 feet high and 1 1/2 feet wide.


gstelmack- Thanks, that does put my mind at ease.

[Philliesfan980]

They are not that big. My parents have theirs installed in the corner of the attic. Its about 2 feet high and 1 1/2 feet wide.


gstelmack- Thanks, that does put my mind at ease.

Thanks for the info - still too big for my apartment.

[gstelmack]

How big are the antenna's?
The antenna size you need depends on what your relationship is to the TV antennas. Zenith makes an indoor antenna called the "Silver Sensor" that is highly thought of, and RCA has another as well (rabbit ears with a square mesh piece with two loops that rotate in front of the mesh). These might work, if you're high enough and close enough to the towers.

There are a couple of small directionals that can work as well. Winegard makes the Square Shooter that's like a box (maybe 12" per side?) that does a good job of brining in signals.

Or, you get my traditional 80" boom spikey-looking thing ;)

[ISiddiqui]

Finally got everything straightened out, but not before some BS. On Monday, a tech came, but with the WRONG box! Argh! I had to wait 24 hours (noon today) to get another tech to put in the right box. 2 minutes after it was plugged in (no hyperbole), everything was up and working (except On Demand which took a few more minutes). Though the guy who did get me my box did replace all my connections with newer ones, so that was nice. And a nice surprise is that Comcast now has NFL Network, but I watched mostly the Olympics and Fox Sports World today.