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They thanked me for my loyalty as a business class customer when I moved by charging me money for equipment I had returned + continuing to bill me after I cance

They thanked me for my loyalty as a business class customer when I moved by charging me money for equipment I had returned + continuing to bill me after I cancelled and had moved away from the location. I ended up having to go through a local regulator to bludgeon them into submission, at which point an upper management level Comcast employee called me on the phone and begged me to sign a paper to make the regulatory complaint go away. I refuse to ever live somewhere Comcast-only.

happytiger 3y ago
They are the HOA of the Internet world. I’ve had the exact same equipment scam happen. I ended up paying the first time. The second time I had a full video of me walking into the office (because at the time you had to return the equipment to the actual office, couldn’t ship it) and it took only a few months to get resolved. I don’t think there are many places that aren’t Comcast only. I briefly lived in an area with fiber-to-the-home. It was the same general cost as Comcast, but so much better and the service was rock solid reliable. They are a national disgrace, especially after all the money put into rural broadband initiatives and fiber optics rollouts somehow managed to produce basically… nothing. But I’m sure they weren’t involved. And what’s happening is plain as day. Check this quote out: > Comcast’s lack of broadband growth started last year, when the largest U.S. internet provider reported no additions in the second quarter of 2022 for the first time in the company’s history. Since then, Comcast has reported net broadband losses in three of the last five quarters. > Comcast executives have pushed investors to focus on broadband’s rising average revenue per user (ARPU) growth, driven by price increases and upselling packages, rather than net additions. Comcast’s residential broadband ARPU rose 3.9% in the quarter. > “As we continue to manage this balance, we expect ARPU growth to remain strong and our primary driver of broadband revenue growth with somewhat higher subscribers losses expected the fourth quarter compared to the 18,000 loss we just reported in the third quarter,” Comcast Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong said during the company’s earnings conference call Thursday. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/26/comcast-broadband-worries.html https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/26/comcast-broadband-worries.ht... They’re not even interested in expanding broadband footprints anymore, just getting more revenue out of existing customers. And they are completely upfront about it. Sorry, but I haven’t had one good interaction with this company, and I don’t think I’m alone. https://www.pcmag.com/news/comcast-is-americas-most-hated-company https://www.pcmag.com/news/comcast-is-americas-most-hated-co...
- pxeboot 3y ago
  > I don’t think there are many places that aren’t Comcast only. Really? There are entire states (and countries) without a Comcast presence.
  - happytiger 3y ago
    I’m sorry I was only speaking of the US, as this is a US company. > You already knew that home broadband competition is sorely lacking through much of the US, but a new report released today helps shed more light on Americans who have just one choice for high-speed Internet. > Comcast is the only choice for 30 million Americans when it comes to broadband speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream, the report says. Charter Communications is the only choice for 38 million Americans. Combined, Comcast and Charter offer service in the majority of the US, with almost no overlap. > Yet many Americans are even worse off, living in areas where DSL is the best option. AT&T, Verizon, and other telcos still provide only sub-broadband speeds over copper wires throughout huge parts of their territories. The telcos have mostly avoided upgrading their copper networks to fiber—except in areas where they face competition from cable companies. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/comcast-or-charter-is-the-only-25mbps-choice-for-68-million-americans/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/comca... Also, “broadband” being 25 mbit is their lobby’s choice and definitely should not be a legitimate threshold in the modern world. Then add that even though others operate in different regions, they generally do not compete for high speed service or are very poor at delivering it, thereby not actually presenting an alternative even though they “officially” do. Also, be clear that these two companies, that dominate areas of the US, collude. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/comcast-and-charter-agree-not-to-compete-against-each-other-in-wireless/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/comca... https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/comcast-charter-announce-mobile-operating-platform-partnership https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/comcast-charter-annou... https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-charter-flex-nationwide-streaming-xclass-tv https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-charter...
    - epcoa 3y ago
jwatte 3y ago
Ditto
epiccoleman 3y ago
Please tell us that you didn't sign!
livueta 3y ago
Oh hey, they tried this exact thing on me one time too. They were all over me for it, then went totally silent after I got an attorney friend to write them a nastygram. I really shouldn't be surprised it's a pattern of abuse - they must get away with it pretty often.
linsomniac 3y ago
Exactly the same here: We had Comcast Business for at least a decade, and cancelled it ~Oct after switching to city fiber. They wanted me to ship back the equipment by taking it to a UPS store, didn't have to package it up or anything, just hand it to staff. I took photos of the gear in the UPS store. We worked for a few months with them to try to get it cancelled after that, eventually they said we didn't ship back all the gear, there were 2 wifi boxes we didn't return. We never had Comcast WiFi. We made a couple more back-and-forths saying this, and eventually they relented, but during this time I think we were charged $600-900 bucks (2-3 months of service) that we couldn't use (because we returned the modem) but they wouldn't cancel because we still allegedly had the WiFi gear.
niuzeta 3y ago
> I ended up having to go through a local regulator to bludgeon them into submission I would love to hear more in details on this. I feel like I am going to have to do something like this but not sure where to begin the research.
- kevingadd 3y ago
  I forget exactly what I did, but it was an FCC complaint. Here's what one of Comcast's executive customer relations officers sent me after the FCC complaint was processed (with parts removed): I am writing in response to the FCC file received in our office on December 2, 2014 regarding your request for the disconnection of your Comcast Business Service. I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this has caused. I have forwarded your concerns to the Business Services Group and you should be contacted by a representative concerning this issue. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ----------, ext. ------- and I will be happy to forward any questions or concerns you have to the correct group. Thank you for your time.

happytiger 3y ago

They are the HOA of the Internet world. I’ve had the exact same equipment scam happen. I ended up paying the first time. The second time I had a full video of me walking into the office (because at the time you had to return the equipment to the actual office, couldn’t ship it) and it took only a few months to get resolved. I don’t think there are many places that aren’t Comcast only. I briefly lived in an area with fiber-to-the-home. It was the same general cost as Comcast, but so much better and the service was rock solid reliable. They are a national disgrace, especially after all the money put into rural broadband initiatives and fiber optics rollouts somehow managed to produce basically… nothing. But I’m sure they weren’t involved. And what’s happening is plain as day. Check this quote out: > Comcast’s lack of broadband growth started last year, when the largest U.S. internet provider reported no additions in the second quarter of 2022 for the first time in the company’s history. Since then, Comcast has reported net broadband losses in three of the last five quarters. > Comcast executives have pushed investors to focus on broadband’s rising average revenue per user (ARPU) growth, driven by price increases and upselling packages, rather than net additions. Comcast’s residential broadband ARPU rose 3.9% in the quarter. > “As we continue to manage this balance, we expect ARPU growth to remain strong and our primary driver of broadband revenue growth with somewhat higher subscribers losses expected the fourth quarter compared to the 18,000 loss we just reported in the third quarter,” Comcast Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong said during the company’s earnings conference call Thursday. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/26/comcast-broadband-worries.html https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/26/comcast-broadband-worries.ht... They’re not even interested in expanding broadband footprints anymore, just getting more revenue out of existing customers. And they are completely upfront about it. Sorry, but I haven’t had one good interaction with this company, and I don’t think I’m alone. https://www.pcmag.com/news/comcast-is-americas-most-hated-company https://www.pcmag.com/news/comcast-is-americas-most-hated-co...

pxeboot 3y ago
> I don’t think there are many places that aren’t Comcast only. Really? There are entire states (and countries) without a Comcast presence.
- happytiger 3y ago
  I’m sorry I was only speaking of the US, as this is a US company. > You already knew that home broadband competition is sorely lacking through much of the US, but a new report released today helps shed more light on Americans who have just one choice for high-speed Internet. > Comcast is the only choice for 30 million Americans when it comes to broadband speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream, the report says. Charter Communications is the only choice for 38 million Americans. Combined, Comcast and Charter offer service in the majority of the US, with almost no overlap. > Yet many Americans are even worse off, living in areas where DSL is the best option. AT&T, Verizon, and other telcos still provide only sub-broadband speeds over copper wires throughout huge parts of their territories. The telcos have mostly avoided upgrading their copper networks to fiber—except in areas where they face competition from cable companies. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/comcast-or-charter-is-the-only-25mbps-choice-for-68-million-americans/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/comca... Also, “broadband” being 25 mbit is their lobby’s choice and definitely should not be a legitimate threshold in the modern world. Then add that even though others operate in different regions, they generally do not compete for high speed service or are very poor at delivering it, thereby not actually presenting an alternative even though they “officially” do. Also, be clear that these two companies, that dominate areas of the US, collude. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/comcast-and-charter-agree-not-to-compete-against-each-other-in-wireless/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/comca... https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/comcast-charter-announce-mobile-operating-platform-partnership https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/comcast-charter-annou... https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-charter-flex-nationwide-streaming-xclass-tv https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-charter...
  - epcoa 3y ago

jwatte 3y ago

Ditto

epiccoleman 3y ago

Please tell us that you didn't sign!

livueta 3y ago

Oh hey, they tried this exact thing on me one time too. They were all over me for it, then went totally silent after I got an attorney friend to write them a nastygram. I really shouldn't be surprised it's a pattern of abuse - they must get away with it pretty often.

linsomniac 3y ago

Exactly the same here: We had Comcast Business for at least a decade, and cancelled it ~Oct after switching to city fiber. They wanted me to ship back the equipment by taking it to a UPS store, didn't have to package it up or anything, just hand it to staff. I took photos of the gear in the UPS store. We worked for a few months with them to try to get it cancelled after that, eventually they said we didn't ship back all the gear, there were 2 wifi boxes we didn't return. We never had Comcast WiFi. We made a couple more back-and-forths saying this, and eventually they relented, but during this time I think we were charged $600-900 bucks (2-3 months of service) that we couldn't use (because we returned the modem) but they wouldn't cancel because we still allegedly had the WiFi gear.

niuzeta 3y ago

> I ended up having to go through a local regulator to bludgeon them into submission I would love to hear more in details on this. I feel like I am going to have to do something like this but not sure where to begin the research.

kevingadd 3y ago
I forget exactly what I did, but it was an FCC complaint. Here's what one of Comcast's executive customer relations officers sent me after the FCC complaint was processed (with parts removed): I am writing in response to the FCC file received in our office on December 2, 2014 regarding your request for the disconnection of your Comcast Business Service. I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this has caused. I have forwarded your concerns to the Business Services Group and you should be contacted by a representative concerning this issue. If you have any further questions, please contact me at ----------, ext. ------- and I will be happy to forward any questions or concerns you have to the correct group. Thank you for your time.