Complaint Review: human channel marketing / leeroy whaley - seattle Washington

6/4/9 - Someone named Boss White stopped by the house purporting to be a Comcast rep (he had a Comcast badge and Comcast branded clothing) and said they were just checking folks in the neighborhood to make sure no issues, best deals, etc. Since we didn't have service at the house yet I listened as he told me about their triple-play plan. At a price of about $75/month for a year it sounded good so I signed up. Since he didn't have any promo paperwork I could keep, and since the end date was not filled in on the contract I had him explicitly put an end date in a section marked for that: "The promotion you signed up for expires on ___" and he wrote in 07/10 for the 1-year deal he was offering. We both signed the contract and the installation happened a couple of weeks later. I have the pink copy of the contract.

Early Dec 09 - I get a bill from Comcast that is about $130 (and it's usually about $75).

12/14/9, 1:50pm - I call Comcast and explain the situaton. Their records show the promotion ending at year end. Even though I tell them I have a signed contract with a 7/10 end date, the most they will do is open a ticket for escalation.

12/18/9, 9:22am - I talk w/ LeeRoy Whaley who is the escalation person. At first he says he thinks I was misquoted. Then he finds his copy of the paperwork and verifies that the contract has the ending date I say it does. He says he'll have to do some research and will get back to me. He sounds very personable and easy to talk with. I have no reason to doubt his sincerity.

Several days pass and I call and leave voice mails to the point that his mailbox gets full. Since it's over the holidays I'm patient.

12/29/9 - LeeRoy calls and apologizes for being out of touch. He indicates there were no special year-long promotions at the time I signed up. Tells me they are contractors for Comcast. His company is Human Channel Marketing (it shows up this way on caller ID). He says that he hasn't been able to get Comcast to change my rate to what is on the contract, but since the difference between what I was paying and the new rate for 6 more months is about $360, he'll make it right and get a credit on my account for that amount by the 10th and send me a copy of the receipt of the payment. He sends me an email to that effect. I have that email.

Friday 1/8/10, 10:53am - Called LeeRoy to see where things stood since the 10th is on a Sunday. He said he'll get it done Monday afternoon and it should show up on my account Tuesday.

Tuesday 1/12/10, 10:05am - Called LeeRoy to confirm that he made the deposit. He said that his wife and kids were in a wreck and that he forgot about it yesterday. He apologized. Said he had a check from corporate and that he was shooting to make the credit to my account that day or the next morning at the latest. He'll email me once it's done and drop a receipt by.

Wednesday 1/13/10, 12:40pm - No email from LeeRoy. I call to confirm it happened. He says not yet, but will do w/in about an hour (after leaving the office). He will call me (at my request).

3:40pm - Haven't heard anything. I call. He's picking up his son. He's on his way to the Comcast office. Will call after it's done.

4:21pm - Says it's done and should post to the account w/in 24 hours.

Tuesday 1/19/10, 10:11 - I told LeeRoy it hadn't posted yet. He said he'd look into it. I asked for info by the end of the day. He said "not a problem." I don't hear from him until tomorrow.

Wednesday 1/20/10, 9:45am - LeeRoy called. Said the $360 got incorrectly applied to his personal account. He said he's tried to get them to transfer the funds to my account but that they won't do it over the phone. At end of day he's going to a local walk-in Comcast place and try to get it done there. He'll call me afterwards. I don't hear anything more that day.

Thursday 1/21/10, 3:33pm - I call but straight to voicemail. I leave message asking for update.

Friday 1/22/10, 10:15am - I call. Voicemail. I leave message asking for info. I shortly get a text message "In mtg. Will call in 20"

11:13am - He calls and says: can't get Comcast to transfer from his account to mine; can't get the money back out unless he cancels his account; he gets paid on Monday; will pay to my account from his check - sometime Tuesday; he'll call and let me know after it's done

Wednesday 1/27/10, 11:46am - I call. Get voicemail. Leave short message.

2:15pm - He calls. No explanation, but says he'll get to it today. I ask for a call when done.

Thursday 1/28/10, 11:35am - I call. Voicemail. I leave message asking for status and confirmation.

11:39am - He calls. Says done this morning by putting it on his credit card. Should show up today or tomorrow. He made sure it was on my account.

Friday 1/29/10, 12:10pm - I call. Voicemail. It's been 24hrs since he supposedly made the charge and when I did an account check 2 minutes earlier it wasn't there. I left a message stating my dissatisfaction with how things were going.

12:35pm - He calls. Says he did the charge about 9:30ish yesterday. He says he's checking he credit card and that it shows a pending $360 credit. I ask him to call Comcast, check into the status and call me back.

Monday 2/1/10, 9:45am - Since I haven't heard anything and there is still no credit I call LeeRoy. Voicemail. I let him know that I've reached the end of my patience and that if the credit is not on my account by the end of the week I'll take this to whatever authorities I'm able to.

Since that time I've heard nothing from him. There is no credit on my account and he has not responded to the couple other times I've called to find out what's going on. I've left him messages those times stating that I'll take this whereever I can, but I've still heard nothing back.

At this point I can only surmise one of two things has happened: 1) he's been lying to me all along about the money and the delays 2) the details were real which means he has the $360 credit that his company paid to cover the contract, in effect stealing from me and his company.

Since it doesn't look like I'll be seeing the credit he promised repeatedly for so long, my only recourse is to let other folks know not to do business with LeeRoy or his company Human Channel Marketing. In additon to posting here I'll be contacting local and federal consumer agencies, the Better Business Bureau (just did that) as well as investigating small claims court.

I'll also spread the word around the neighborhood and at work (which should get it out to other neighborhoods). I have thorough notes of every conversation as well as a copy of the contract and the email he sent.

I hope I'll be able to save someone else similar grief, effort and money.