Complaint Review: Comcast

All I have to say is AMEN Melinda, you speak for all the comcast call center employees out there, well at least the majority!

I agree with Melinda. Comcast is a good company that does care about its customers. It is unfortunate that you have had problems installing your internet, but you should have opted for a professional install or at least placed a trouble call after calling tech support. Sometimes signal strength can cause connectivity issues and if your RF is low, then an amp or replacement of lines is needed. Most of the time, it is the CPU that is the cause of the slow speeds or intermittent connectivity. You may have a virus or spyware on your computer. Since your computer wouldn't recognize the NIC or modem, your system probably doesn't meet the minimum specks and either needs hardware or software upgrades. Did you ask comcast for a username and password for email? Everyone who gets internet doesn't necessarly use all of the extra features such as email & web space. All you had to do was call in and ask for a new username or what yours was if you had forgotten it.

And for those who argue about high prices, you have to understand that Comcast has to pay each network to be able to provide that individual channel (or group of channels). Everytime a contract is renewed, the network raises its price, so Comcast must raise their price. Everyday people call in requesting that Comcast add more channels -- that costs money people! It also costs money when people call in to constantly complain.

Personally, I've had Comcast Internet & TV for years and have never had any problems with speed or reception. I setup my computer, my brother's, my father's, and my neighbor's and everytime the NIC provided in the Self-Install Kit was recognized. Comcast's internet is actually yields faster speeds and is a more stable connection than its counterpart DSL. My DSL speed (though Bellsouth) was around 750 KB (with the advertised 1,500 KB package) and now my Cable speed is a little over 3,000 KB. Bellsouth ran about $52/mo after taxes and fees and Comcast is about $44/mo after taxes and fees for the intenet (I owned my modem with both).

sorry, i have to say this. after reading many, not all, but many of the messages here i have to say several things that need to be said about this company and it's customers.

1. comcast is a good company that cares about it's customers. it is the very VERY few employees that work in the call centers that have to listen to people screaming (LITERALLY) to them about how their bill should have a credit of ten cents or that they didn't get any email (only to find out that the reason is because no one sent any and then they scream at you and curse anyway) that don't care for you. harsh reality, but true. when we spend 6-10 hrs a day listening to people that take 10 minutes to figure out exactly WHAT we mean by "mohh deeeemmm" (this is modem, i'm being sarcastic and pretending to be a customer), we tend to get a little edgy and not be in the best mood to deal with situations that are truly in need of brain power (such as needing to look up 8 specific transactions on a ledger that has 300). this is no excuse to be rude to a customer, but i must warn anyone that calls tech support, do not expect to get treated well if you curse and treat the employee with disrespect because, trust me, they can screw you over by cancelling your trouble call, over charging you, even cancelling your account. would you be rude to the obnoxious 16 year old that works in mcdonalds drive thru? no, he would spit in your food.

2. the price. ahh. the price. it is YOUR decision to keep the service. "but you are the only provider in the area" SO WHAT?? are there no dsl or dial ups? don't ruin a tech support agent's day because poor little you can't get what you want (boo whah)

3. if you don't know what comcast service is or how to use a computer, don't spend $50 a month on the service and complain because you can't use it. i have had calls from people that have never used the internet before, which is fine, everyone starts sometime, but don't complain about the high price if you don't use it for it's ideal purpose (which is gamers, heavy surfers and etc). i wouldn't do level 5 rapids in white water rafting if i'd never been in a boat before...but that's just me.

4. company policy. techs aren't allowed to say "that's company policy," but that's what you're dealing with. COMPANY policy. not EMPLOYEE policy. i once had a call from a woman who's husband had died. she wanted to cancel service but, because it was in her husband's name, she could not..due to COMPANY policy. i felt for this woman and wanted to help her, but i needed my job and had to tell this poor woman that she had to fax in a copy of the death certificate. now, you may think "THEY ARE SO EVIL!!" but think about it, WHY would a company make this rule? trust me, it's not to insult the customer or anything of the like. let me paint you a picture: a man and woman divorce. man gets angry at woman and calls to cancel the service in her home. ooops, can't do it. it's not in his name. "but she died..." in this case, it is false. what would happen if we didn't have the faxing rule in place? well, the account would get cancelled then we'd have the ex wife calling about her service interuption and etc...as much as you want to say that COMPANY policy is "stupid" or "dumb," trust me, there is a reason for it whether you understand it or not.

the list goes on of complaints and blah blah. my points can be narrowed down to this: if comcast was a truly evil company, they wouldn't be in business. next, try to be more calm and respectful of employees that you talk to (i've had customers say they'll complain to the head of the company..folks, he's on a beach in maui drinking cocktails, do you think he'll care for your call? no, so just chill and realize that the people you get to talk to are humans that have feelings and are bound by the rules of their job). finally, although you might be a rocket scientist or a college professor, don't think that you are above reading directions and don't be insulted if you need a tech to come out and help you.
God bless us all and may we all accept that the world has problems that won't go away.

Here in South Carolina, I had someone come in to install and repair the second time around and frankly I have had no problem at all.

My question is why did you not have someone come in the first time? They did not charge me at all.

PROBLEM 1) The Ethernet Card (SMC) I was sent did not have the corresponding driver on the At Home Start up disk, so I made my first call to Tech support. There first response of course was, "We will send out a tech." I told them no.....

Better to spend a few dollars than to have a few more grey hairs.....

And when mine went down, I was given a free month and 20.00 off my bill.

Bty, did you have cable service besides internet?

I have both. I would switch to dsl if they came along and see who would give me the best price though.

I wholeheartedly agree that if you do not know how to download a driver off of the internet that you should of paid to have it done. I am a computer professional and when ATT ( now Comcast ) installed my cable modem I saw what they had to go through to get it to work correctly, I said to myself that I was glad I didn't do it. They had been on the phone during the install for well over an hour. My PC had/still has the latest and greatest at the time. I have been on BB for 3 years now and it's as fast as the day it was installed and now I have a home wireless network and it too is fast.
WHAT I HATE ABOUT COMCAST IS THE FREAKING PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For comcast TV and/or phone users the price was
$37.95 now as of 1/1/2004 the new price is $42.95, if you want the Internet BroadBand without Comcast TV/PHONE get ready for this, (ARE YOU SITTING) $57.95! WHAT A FREAKING RIPPOFF. They will also charge you for a network up to $67.95 without Comcast services, ps go wireless it's free for all satellite PC's, just don't tell them.

Their cable TV prices are also rediculous up to $18.95 for HBO alone needless to say it's no great shock to learn people are stealing cable with prices like these. NO I DON'T STEAL CABLE.
COMCAST GIVES US LONG TERM CUSTOMERS A BREAK LIKE 1 FREE MONTH.

I'll be honest with you. We have lived in the Nashville area for two and a half years now, and have never had problems with our cable. But then, we knew enough to have someone come install it for us.

On the subject of customer service, we have had mixed reactions. Usually when we call, the phone is answered promptly by a calm caring person who is completely understandable. A couple of times however, we have been answered with a rude fellow who speaks little english. Which makes understanding each other ten times harder than it has to be. After about ten minutes of "Can you repeat that, a little slower this time?" We ask to be transferred to someone else. Nothing personal to you non-english speaking folks out there, but if you cannot understand english, how can you help a customer who speaks it?

My advice is to stick with it, and I agree with the previous poster who suggested getting them to install it for you next time. It's a little bit more, but at least you won't be playing the guessing game with "name that part!"

Thanks

Comast has over 4 million customers conected all over the u.s.a. with cable running by pole and underground. I think its important to recognize the scope of a company that size. Im a cable tech doing intall for digital cable and high speed internet access. The vast majority of comcast employees are hard working professionals. Writing us all off as "morans" seems a bit harsh. I would have to agree with Joe about having a pro do the install. We can take signal readings and troubleshoot tap problems...if necessary replace drops and outlets to insure that your service is up and running at peak performance. With each house or apt comes a different challenge. Old or damaged wires and splitters can effect block sinc on a cable modem or the quality of your cable service. There are innumerable posibilities to deal with where computers are concerned. Over the phone is not the best way to get it done. More than likely outlets will have to be rerun and fittings changed. On a pro install we deal with whatever is necessary to get things working right. When a customer decides to get things up and running on there own things that we would normally worry about become their problem. In that scenario there is only so much support can do over the phone without sending a tech to take a look. What ive seen of comcast around here is blazing fast internet access and crystal clear digital cable and i have no reason to believe that this is merely the exception. Ill keep on doing my job to the best of my ability and hope someone out there remembers some guy hanging off an extension ladder in a monsoon downpour running a new drop to a house for digital cable and hsd services.

I'm not a comcast customer, but it seems to me that you should be able to intall an ethernet card. Go to the library or a friends house if necessary, download it from the manufacturers site unto a floppy.

If you could not do such a simple task, you should have had a professional installation done.
I do not work for comcast, but do run a service oriented business. Most of the "problem" accounts come from people that think they know more than they do. People that are so hard headed they dont read directions or look for other methods of getting information before placing blame.

I know you will rebut this post with "you didnt read the first part about the communication". But the bottom line is if you can't do the work, leave it to a professional.

I'll look forward to you not posting this.

First and foremost don't call them "comcastoff" as this is degrading to russians.
Second; I've worked for attbroadband for a few years and although I personally had great internet speeds, I had to call (My work) the day of install because it had been canceled that day. I told them who I am (a supervisor) and luckily someone was sent because I could prove this. I didn't get my promotion and was charged for a network card I did not receive. This was credited when I called after receiving my first bill. I also had signed up for digital phone. The tech installed it 2 hrs. early (before I had even got off work) but luckily my jacks worked and i didn't have to rewire them. (good thing I know how) when I moved a while later, I had service transfered to another address. The # couldn't be transfered as this address was serviced by a different switch. The lazy agent finished the transfer order instead of starting over with a disconnect and a new install. Finding out my new # only took 1 call but the $20 I had overpaid on the previous bill has yet to arrive over a year later. They charge 1 month in advance in case you're wondering why they had money that belonged to me. After calling 3 times to correct my billing address so I could get the check, I finally found someone who entered it correctly. In case anyone wonders why I didn't do all of this myself, It's because I'd be fired and risk possible lawsuit for editing my own account. For those who still don't believe me, Just notice that I didn't give my name. I signed a non-disclosure with attbb not comcast but I'm sure their lawyers would prove much better that my own.

Troy,

I'm sure you are aware that few people take the initative to actually complain to a company, fewer still are going to complain on the internet. If everyone of the "millions" of subscribers were also net savy AND all of them checked out pages where one could inform the public about the problems with Comcast (and read other people's complaints) the numbers would rise considerably. Also take note, the funds involved are not as large as the big ticket items (such as a home), so therefore the number decreases as the amount decreases. Statistically, this company has more complaints than others.

Again, it is great that YOU have received good service up till now. However, just because you have not had problems does not mean that you will not. Your number just hasn't come up yet.

I'm quite interested in why YOU are so dedicated to the cause. What moves you to belittle those who have legitimate complaints? So, you haven't had problems with them yet. It doesn't make the issues others have had to deal with Comcast any less because ONE person out of all the people who have posted otherwise correct.

You have made your plug for the company. We all know you have great service and think it is true nationwide. Apply to work in their customer service department here in Atlanta and get paid for your "good deeds". I have a problem with them for you to handle.

It is so noted that you have perfect service. Now leave room for others to state their problems OR satisfactory service. Unless you want the only rebuttals in your favor to be only yours. Of course, we all notice when it is only one person who thinks otherwise and ignore that poster as someone with ulterior motives.

Good luck to the rest of you. We are currently at the end game with our problems with Comcast(one way or another). I will post the entire scenario when it has ended.

Hello again well i have done alot of leg work or finger work if you will, and I have found that with the number of complaints that come in for Comcast and the number of customers that Comcast suplies service to. Actually there are alot more customers without complaints than with complaints. You see you have to think of the millions of homes ,businesses, schools and government facilities that Comcast suplies sevice to and then you will see that there are far far less people that actually have a problem with Comcast than the number of customers they serve. So I am sorry to disapoint you but if you have had trouble with Comcast then you are one of the few. Thank you So Very Much..

If you do not work for the company AND you are a satisfied customer of Comcastoff, then you are one of the fortunate few who exist. Count yourself lucky.

After having my own issues with Comcast since being acquired from AT&T, I've spent time researching the company. Not only will you find consumer complaints about them here representing different areas of the country, but you will find them on many other boards for the same issues.

Their lack of customer care service, destruction of property, faulty billing practices, and deception are not only well known, I understand there may be lawsuits regarding these issues. Just because it works in one tiny hamlet of the entire USA does not mean they are a good company.

So before you jump on someone because YOUR service works, perhaps you should do a little leg work. Your legs might become tired, but it will be better than tasting a little bit of shoe leather.

HELLO I LIVE IN INDIANA AND AM A COMCAST CUSTOMER. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH COMCAST DIGITAL CABLE OR INTERNET. I DO KNOW SOME ABOUT THE CABLE WIRING AND COMPUTERS KAT-5 WIRE ETC... AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU SOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THEIR COMMERCIAL IT SAYS "HAVE A NEW COMPUTER? THEN SUPERCHARGE IT WITH HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVIICE!" THIS WOULD IMPLY THAT YOU NEED 32MB OF RAM AL LEAST 166MHZ PROCESSOR AND 150MB OF HARD DRIVE SPACE. ALSO I HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU ARE RUNNING WINDOWS 98, 98SE, 95, THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO UPDATE YOUR SYSTEM. I MEAN IT IS 2003, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU INSTALL A NIC, OR AN ETHERNET CARD IN A PC WHICH HAPPENS TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE OPERATING SYSTEMS ON IT YOU WOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY SEARCH THE HARD DRIVE OR THE CD OR THE FLOPPY A DRIVE. THAT IS MORE THAN LIKLY THE PROBLEM THAT YOU WERE HAVING. LIKE THE GUY WITH THE FIRST REPONSE SAID YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF HAVING IT INSTALLED PROFESIONALY BY COMCAST THAN TRYING TO DO IT YOUR SELF. YOU SEE THERE COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE CABLE WIRES IN YOUR HOUSE DEPENDING ON HOW MANY OUTLETS YOU HAVE HOOKED UP FOR CABLE. THAT WOULD ALSO MAKE YOUR SPEED SLOW, BUT THE HIGH SPEED INTERNET WILL ONLY RUN AS FAST AS YOUR PC. SO IF YOU HAVE A SLOW PC WITH A SLOW PROCESSOR OR A WHOLE LOT OF PROGRAMS RUNNING DOWN BY YOUR CLOCK ALL OF THE TIME. THAT WILL ALSO SLOW DOWN YOUR PC. AND IT WOULDN'T HERT FOR YOU TO DEFRAG YOUR COMPUTER. NOW TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE WHERE I AM FROM THE COMCAST CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY GOOD AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM AND NOR DOES ANYONE ELSE THAT I KNOW OF, AND I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE! I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT COMCAST IN TENNESSEE. BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU TO SAY THAT THE WHOLE COMCAST CO. IS BAD SINCE YOU HAVE NEVER DELT WITH ANY OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS! THANKS FOR YOU TIME

That moran expression could have only come from a comcast employee. Please, the only reason you don't have a problem is because you work there. Everyone else in this world gets screwed by you people. I am actually filing a law suit against Comcast. I don't have the dsl, because I know that Comcast likes to keep track of who, what, when, and where each of their customers are on the net. I dare you to deny that, it has been on every news station over the last 3 months.

I got your digital cable. The techs that work for your company have no clue as to what their doing. The digital cable doesn't always work (eg. paid channels like HBO will be out for a week here a week there) The parent lock doesn't work when your guide never works.

I had a tech come out in February of this year that only came out to talk and talk. He ended up messing with our VCR and DVD player and nothing would work, he hooked everything in backwards. Then two techs came out in March, one of the techs snuck into my garage, when they told me they were leaving, and when asked they didn't give me a reason to go in there, so of course I told them NO! They ended up messing with my garage door and locked it. When my husband got home and hit the opener button, the motor burnt up costing us $550 but Comcast doesn't feel they are reasonsible for the incompetence of their employees. No, I don't think so. I sent a letter to your main office and was told not pay my bill until they have found a resolution. My cable was cut yesturday. Therefor, Comcast is going to be hit with a lawsuit by us. So, whatever.

We are not the only people you do this too, just about everyone I ever known has had problems with Comcast and their incompetence. So, don't act like we're the morans.

Jerome,

Congratulations, you have joined the endless stream of people in America with poor reading comprehension.

The original complaint referred to the conflicting answers given by tech support, the unreliable and inconsistent service and the lack of accesability to the accounts e-mail.

Comcast demonstrated to this individual he was not important as a customer.

Just for kicks, a moron is
1.A stupid person.
2.A person with mild mental retardation.

What is a moran?

I have the comcast online system and never had a problem. Its people like you that call us for unnecessary problems.

If you would take the time to read and follow instructions maybe this would not happen please spend the extra money and have it installed for 49.00.

I never have problems with digital or cable or internet.Its cheap stupid people that complain I am not saying our system is flawless but their are problems with AOL and MSN as well but our system is the fastest system out there even faster than DSL !!!