Anyone here work for Comcast?

[schild]

Let me know.

They're trying to pull some shit and I want it dealt with.

[Sky]

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=2071

 

[HaemishM]

Given the level of hate for Comcast around here, I'm not sure anyone who did would be crazy enough to admit it. 

[Musashi]

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=2071

 

ha

[schild]

Does nerf actually work for comcast?

I'm having trouble believing their csr wage slaves stance on purging notes from accounts among other things.

[Sky]

Does nerf actually work for comcast?

Nope, I just saw potential for webcams and government petitions.

[Draegan]

Comcast is fucking with my shit recently too.

Meh.

[Bunk]

Does nerf actually work for comcast?

I'm having trouble believing their csr wage slaves stance on purging notes from accounts among other things.

Seriously? They told you they purge notes from their accounts? I guess its possible, but highly stupid if so. We still have running copies of the CRM we used prior to 2001, just so we can pull up historical notes on customers if needed.

Any idea if Comcast runs their own call centers, or do they farm it to one of the mega farms?

[schild]

I don't know, but that's part of the problem. Short story, 3 years after returning some equipment, the girlfriend got a letter out of nowhere for $450 from a collection agency. they're now telling me that between 2009 and 2012 (specifically 3/2009 to 2/2012) they tried to reach her and weren't able to - though they had her forwarding address on file. There's no information on the account in the form of notes or access (because historical data is purged after X amount of time - a number they wouldn't provide me), and the people who accessed the account had access to her social security number among other things.

I'm just not buying any of it. Clearly their baked wage slave in Seattle didn't input some fucking information correctly when the account was closed and 3 years later they're trying to make a buck.

I think I'm just going to email Consumerist and treat Comcast like absolute shit very, very publically.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Bad Service.  It can't hurt to search there and/or post this.  I've read plenty of times about similar things happening to cable customers and usually folks have some advice on who to contact or how to handle it.  Or just bitch about it and get commiseration from folks who've had the same thing happen. 

**N.B. - don't read this or the Customer Sucks community if you want to keep any faith in humanity intact.**

[schild]

I don't care about bitching to likeminded people. That's a waste of my time. I care about it being made public enough, with enough employee ID numbers and internal notes, that I get someone fired and cost them more money than they want from us.

Nothing on LiveJournal will ever provide either of things. Twitter, Consumerist, Reddit, and possibly Engadget will though.

[Paelos]

If they've already sold the amount to a collection agency, then nobody at Comcast will help you.

So yeah, go nuts. Post links, plz!

[Merusk]

Any idea if Comcast runs their own call centers, or do they farm it to one of the mega farms?

A quick Google tells me they're outsourced centers. I take it that means the notes don't transfer as the contract switches hands?

Getting someone fired?  Most of the people who would have fucked your account have already been fired or moved on to other companies.  As you know firsthand the life of a call center drone is fairly short.   If you meant an exec, I don't think it's going to happen but go nuts.

[Paelos]

A approve of any attempt to make Comcast do anything, or fire anybody.

[tazelbain]

I approve of anyone flipping the nerf out as long as they share.

[Draegan]

Install webcams first please.

[Hawkbit]

Find out if the collection is being handled by Comcast, was SOLD to a collection agency (which means Comcast should be 100% out of the loop) or if the collection agency was HIRED by Comcast (which usually means the files are within Comcast still).  If it was farmed out, get that agency's info.

They have to prove to you that the contract wasn't fulfilled.  They must provide you with a copy of the contract and all attempts they made to reach you (and the returned notices) when the equipment wasn't received. 

How was the equipment returned, by parcel or did their rep come and take it away?  If parcel, was it pre-printed label from Comcast?  Any record of the tracking information would be helpful, even if the shipper doesn't retain records that far in the past.  It at least gives you something.

Is your credit being affected?  If they aren't reporting it, then you might want to wait until they sue you.  It's usually a $250 filing fee to sue in small claims, which is more than half their claim.  Ultimately the burden of proof is on them to show that you didn't return the equipment.  As soon as possible, I would set the total amount aside for the bill - put it in savings and don't touch it.  Just in case shit goes downhill. 

Collection agencies are the fucking devil; they are relentless, evil entities.  Fighting it won't be easy and you might just be tempted to pay the money to get them to go away.  Many people do, it's not a right or wrong situation.  It's not a matter of principles or values, it's simply a matter of money.  As a business, collection agencies are going to do anything they can to get that money because obviously that's how they stay in business. 

Here's a couple of blogs that might give you a few ideas.  I don't know all of the information on them and I wouldn't use them as law, but they might spark an idea or two. 

http://www.brokeass-student.com/how-to-fight-back-against-collection-agencies/
http://www.collectionagencydebt.blogspot.com/

-----------

As an aside, I also have issues with Comcast right now.  They're our only provider here in Seattle and we have to use them for cable if we want it.  They quoted me a price over the phone, then sent the contract with higher rates and refuse to send me a hard copy of the new rates.  I've got about 8 days left in my 30 day return window, so I might just have to use it.  It's not that they are flat out refusing, but every time I call they say a supervisor has it and will send it out in 2-3 days.  Which, of course, I never receive and have to call them back, starting the process over.  I wish I could live without internet service.  More than anything I wish that my wife could live without cable. 

[Merusk]

If you've got 8 days on your return do it now.  I'm willing to bet it says "Minimum 7 days processing time before request is registered" somewhere in the fine print.

I started weaning the family off cable 3 years ago.  They didn't realize my master plan but right now we're back down to total basic service on all TVs.  I figure in another year I can dump everything and find another internet provider.

[Paelos]

If you've got 8 days on your return do it now.  I'm willing to bet it says "Minimum 7 days processing time before request is registered" somewhere in the fine print.

I started weaning the family off cable 3 years ago.  They didn't realize my master plan but right now we're back down to total basic service on all TVs.  I figure in another year I can dump everything and find another internet provider.

What do they do? Read?

[Merusk]

That, going outside, games & Netflix.

I'm vastly more OK with series Netflix than on TV due to all the goddamn commercials.   The amount of "i want this/ that/ the other" has been vastly reduced.  Plus less exposure to reality TV.  Hooray.

[Numtini]

We just started an experiment to swap to basic/netflix/hulu/amazon, see if we can live with it for a month before actually returning boxes. Our tv cost hit 120 and even if we're buying everything on amazon at $3 an episode, i can't imagine we're going to hit anything close to that.

[Engels]

I have been living TV/cable free for decades. First I just rented VCR tapes and piped the VCR into my TV tuner card on my PC, then the internetz, then DVDs & Blu-Rays.

Its not only 'doable' but your life quality skyrockets when no longer exposed to the mental mush that is modern TV ads.

Even watching Hulu gets a bit annoying with the ads.

So, total monthly costs to us are:

Netflix, ~$45.00 (4 dvds & streaming)
Hulu, ~$15.00
Internetz ~$50 for 10 down 2 up with Century Link (Seattle based, sucks ass, but its that or comcast)

So a total of about ~$110.

[Sky]

My fiancee was really jonesing for a few things by the time our cable-less summer wound down last year. We missed both the Borgias and Louis season 2, and I think Game of Thrones, for starters. Then lots of little things like local specials, music (they tend to play full DVDs when they're released as promos), and history/nature specials.

There was very little on netflix/hulu/amazon that interested us. I was better off than she was, I spent the summer watching seasons 1-8 of SG-1.

As far as ads go, that's what the DVR is for.

[Engels]

Fair enough, but then you're not simply paying for basic cable, you're paying for HBO and stuff. No ads there, to speak of, but just a bunch of cash on top of your regular internet costs.

It all ends up on Netflix eventually. Maybe one has to wait a year for GoT to come to Netflx.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't snobbery. I watch as much TV as the next dork, but a bit delayed, is all.

[01101010]

I have not had a tv for 3 years. I hulu 4-5 shows tops. I don't miss it save for having a nicer display for watching movies on. Other than that, I HAVE to go with COMCAST for my interweb only subscription. Sucks, but it was either them or without... and I am not that crazy yet.

[Paelos]

That whole principle of getting rid of TV really starts to break down if you have any interest in sports.

[Merusk]

In my book that's just yet another reason to have no interest in pro sports.  Particularly as they're practiced in the US.

But if you insist on it, there's plenty of streaming options popping-up by the non-greedy slaveowners.

[Hawkbit]

That whole principle of getting rid of TV really starts to break down if you have any interest in sports.

That's the only reason we bought it, and it was only for my wife as a birthday present for sports.  We really don't have any decent sports bars in West Seattle and its tough to take a 7yr old along to those places anyways.  

Since getting the cable box two weeks ago, I haven't watched it once, and my daughter watched it about an hour on the first day then went back to Netflix.  If it wasn't a bday present, I would have already sent this shit back.  

[Ingmar]

I just subscribe to MLB.TV, and if there's a football game on I desperately need to see live (and I'm actually free, which I never am on Sundays right now) I go over to a friend's place.

[Hawkbit]

But if you insist on it, there's plenty of streaming options popping-up by the non-greedy slaveowners.

Right now they're a pain in the ass to get working properly and often are really spotty on uptime.  That's why I did cable.

[Paelos]

In my book that's just yet another reason to have no interest in pro sports.  Particularly as they're practiced in the US.

But if you insist on it, there's plenty of streaming options popping-up by the non-greedy slaveowners.

Small talk with you at a party must be agonizing. 

[Merusk]

Less than your mookish desire to discuss Jesus and Football.

 

[Sjofn]

Baseball is better to listen to than watch most of the time anyway. 

[Bann]

Broadcast TV, MLB streaming via ps3 and amazon instant keeps us very entertained. Internet is about 50 a month, 100 a year for baseball, and some small amount for amazon instant. I got so angry at comcast a few years back for a similar issue that I was ready to start tossing cinderblocks through their van windows (their service lot was near my apt.) I went with AT and T DSL service, but it was ungodly slow and still 40 bucks a month. Had horrible outages and CSR interactions with them as well. The Fiancee ended up talking me into going back to Comcast but putting it in her name. I wish I could get the service I'm looking for without having to do business with a company I've had horrible experience with in the past, but it is what it is.

[Paelos]

Less than your mookish desire to discuss Jesus and Football.

 

You follow one sport right? Soccer? Something?

I don't really care what guys watch as long as they follow a sport. A dislike of all sports to me is just odd as a dude.