albie81
Premium
join:2005-01-04
Mount Laurel, NJ
| Comcast passing the buck to the customer for bad service?
This is the last straw in a long line of hellish happenings for me with Comcast.
To give a little history, i have had 18 tech vists in 12 months. Comcast has a hardware issue on my street, actually only my SIDE of the street. Everyone in my building experiences the problem, but i think i may be the only one who relies heavily on my broadband, not just digital cable TV. In my development, my townhouse building is the ONLY building in the entire development that now has satellite dishes on every unit. I am not a tech by any means, so i can't begin to explain what the cause of the problem is. Let's just say, when i finally had a Supervisor Tech come out, his answer to my problem was "It's a Quality of Service Issue, either live with it or get Verizon."
It all started when i moved to this townhouse. The development is brand new, all the lines and hardware are brand new. Within the first month i noticed that my upload pipe was, shall we say, "unreliable"... It's not that it wasn't fast enough to satisfy my needs... It's that it would on certain intervals, drop to ZERO, take a few minutes, cycle, and come back. It took 3 tech vists just to convince them that the problem wasn't any of my network hardware, and they finally told me "the upload signal at the box (at the corner of the street) was so low they almost couldn't measure it."
They then dug up and replaced the main line that ties all of the units in my building to the service main. I can say, they did NOT bury it deep enough, because i can SEE it in my front yard. They also, and i quote from another tech "used a gauge wire they only normally use when they have to run very long distances, which is odd, since they are only running about 120 feet."
This has gone on for over a year and a half at this point. I cancelled digital cable with them fairly early on and got a dish. Within the last 6 months, i was finally forced to cancel my 3rd party VoIP because i couldn't depend on the service for phone security. And after the Supervisor Tech told me to "learn to live with it or get Verizon", I decided to take him up on his advice and i called Verizon. And after 2 months, and 3 promises that my DSL kit was shipped, they informed me that didn't have any "copper" in my development and couldn't provide me with DSL service. (And they haven't yet run FiOS, though i am told it's in the works, whatever that means.)
Now.. this brings us to the NOW.
My connection, not just the upload, the entire connectivity, is dropping at will. It started with a complete service break on friday afternoon during a snow/ice storm, and didn't come back until late in the afternoon on Saturday. But the connection is FLAKY. During a 1 hour period yesterday, i watched the modem drop and reconnect 5 times. It usually stays down for about 5 minutes, then reconnects and comes back. This is happening consistently. And is by no means the first, second or even third time it's happened, it's a regular occurance. Now, considering it went out during a storm, (which by the way, my upload issue i spoke of above, is MUCH MUCH worse when it's rainy/windy/snowing..) leads me to believe that there is nothing wrong with my modem/router, and the problem is OUTSIDE somewhere.
I spoke with Comcast twice about this issue, and they informed me that there was nothing they could do without coming out to the house. NOW.... They then informed me, that they now CHARGE for Tech Service Calls. And since, i do not pay the $3/month fee for "insurance" even if they come out and it's their issue that needs to be resolved, i get charged a $27.50 fee for the visit.
She claimed that they sent a mailer in December notifying of this, but i do not remember getting it. Regardless, i think it's total hogwash. I can understand if a tech comes out and the problem is that i am a moron and don't know how to configure my home network. But if they come out, and the problem is because they have an issue that is outside my control... how exactly is that a problem i should have to pay ADDITIONAL money for above and beyond what i already pay for the service itself? The amount of money is of no consequence to me. It's the principle of the thing. Never have i received the service i have paid for, nor do i have any other viable broadband options... and they have the nerve to tell me that i am responsible to pay them to get their act together?
I'd really like to know.. what course of possible action do i have here? Is going to my local gov. commerce agency a possibility?
It just seems to me... That Comcast turning a buck, by providing poor service, and charging the consumer for their own overhead issues is not on the up and up. Where is the incentive to provide quality service?
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AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2.4Ghz ~ DFI LanParty 250gb nF3 ~ 1gb (2x512mb) Corsair PC3200 ~ MSI Radeon 9600Pro ~ 160gb WD Caviar SATA 150 ~ Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum ~ Cooler Master Centurion ATX ~ Sony 18.1" LCD ~ Cubase SX ~ Cakewalk SONAR |
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juniorx
join:2006-02-05
St John'S, NL
2 edits | said by albie81  :I spoke with Comcast twice about this issue, and they informed me that there was nothing they could do without coming out to the house. NOW.... They then informed me, that they now CHARGE for Tech Service Calls. And since, i do not pay the $3/month fee for "insurance" even if they come out and it's their issue that needs to be resolved, i get charged a $27.50 fee for the visit. This is fabricated. You either never understood the agent or you're trying to make a point by fabricating the story. You only get charged if their is an issue with your equipment. Since you own the cable modem and do not lease it, IF there is an issue with your modem they will charge you a service fee. In your case, it appears to be an external issue, and if so, you will NOT be charged. You have to agree to the service fee incase it is found to be an issue with YOUR equipment(computer,modem,etc...).
said by albie81 :I'd really like to know.. what course of possible action do i have here? Is going to my local gov. commerce agency a possibility? You get on the phone, agree to the possible service fee and get another tech out there. Keep doing that till they resolve the issue.A local commerce agency is not going to fix your internet connection. |
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albie81
Premium
join:2005-01-04
Mount Laurel, NJ
1 edit | said by juniorx :This is fabricated. You either never understood the agent or you're trying to make a point by fabricating the story. You only get charged if their is an issue with your equipment. Since you own the cable modem and do not lease it, IF there is an issue with your modem they will charge you a service fee. In your case, it appears to be an external issue, and if so, you will NOT be charged. You have to agree to the service fee incase it is found to be an issue with your equipment(computer,modem,etc...). Well, i can promise you i am not fabricating the story, or exaggerating, i am simply spitting back what the representative told me. I do agree, that i if i call Comcast, and they come out and discover that i don't know how to configure an IP on one of my PCs, then yes, they CAN and SHOULD charge my stupid ass.
But, the way 2 representatives explained it to both myself, and my brother-in-law... Was that there was a $27.50 fee for service calls. Period.
Maybe this was improperly relayed to me? Did i hear it wrong, twice? Am i lying about it to makemy story "better"??
Doubtful.
Thanks for the useful, constructive feedback.
Oh, the idea of getting on the phone with them... agreeing to pay them MORE money to get them to fix a service they aren't currently providing.. makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth.
(Oh, my modem is leased, i forgot to say that above. I previously had my own modem, but it went south, and instead of buying a new one, i simply leased one.)
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AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2.4Ghz ~ DFI LanParty 250gb nF3 ~ 1gb (2x512mb) Corsair PC3200 ~ MSI Radeon 9600Pro ~ 160gb WD Caviar SATA 150 ~ Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum ~ Cooler Master Centurion ATX ~ Sony 18.1" LCD ~ Cubase SX ~ Cakewalk SONAR |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| reply to albie81
said by albie81 :It just seems to me... That Comcast turning a buck, by providing poor service, and charging the consumer for their own overhead issues is not on the up and up. Where is the incentive to provide quality service? I had a tech at a job last week for over 5 hours. The customers friend did some work for them and cut all telco wires inside and outside because he knew the sub had Comcast for phone.. although we use the same wiring telco uses.
My tech rewired all 6 phone outlets and there was no charge at all.
I wish we did charge. Each area is different but I DO BELIEVE in service charges. I think it would cut down on a lot of DIY jobs and put our truck rolls in check.
A bit off topic-
- but no one here can do anything but guess at your issue. The only advice you will get in this thread that will be usefull is to call the franchise authority or corporate and get them invovled.
The only QOS issue I can see existing that they will not be able to resolve is your own homes wiring. If its a townhouse then I have to say I have yet to see a townhouse with acceptable wiring, quality and craftsmanship. They usually daisy chain all outlets and use low grade cabling. If this is the case then aside from hiring an electrician there is no way to re-run all those lines let alone re-run one line to your modem.
Most townhouses do not allow exterior wiring either so running new lines is near impossible.
Moving the modem closest to where your cable enters your residence is the quickest solution if the above is the issue. the cable is still junk but it has to get through less junk and splitters and transversely goes out through less junk in regards to your upload. ( there could even be a splitter in the wall that is unaccesble and unknown that is not correctly passing the reverse for your upload. )
Just a guess, good luck!
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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ccom21
Premium
join:2007-03-01
Chicago, IL | reply to albie81
Your narrative was quite a read but how about giving us some signal diagnostics and post your speed tests. |
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albie81
Premium
join:2005-01-04
Mount Laurel, NJ
| reply to CableTool
said by CableTool :The only QOS issue I can see existing that they will not be able to resolve is your own homes wiring. If its a townhouse then I have to say I have yet to see a townhouse with acceptable wiring, quality and craftsmanship. They usually daisy chain all outlets and use low grade cabling. If this is the case then aside from hiring an electrician there is no way to re-run all those lines let alone re-run one line to your modem. Most townhouses do not allow exterior wiring either so running new lines is near impossible. Moving the modem closest to where your cable enters your residence is the quickest solution if the above is the issue. the cable is still junk but it has to get through less junk and splitters and transversely goes out through less junk in regards to your upload. ( there could even be a splitter in the wall that is unaccesble and unknown that is not correctly passing the reverse for your upload. ) Just a guess, good luck! it's not the wiring at the townhouse. the signal is too weak at the cable box before it even gets to the unit.
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AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2.4Ghz ~ DFI LanParty 250gb nF3 ~ 1gb (2x512mb) Corsair PC3200 ~ MSI Radeon 9600Pro ~ 160gb WD Caviar SATA 150 ~ Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum ~ Cooler Master Centurion ATX ~ Sony 18.1" LCD ~ Cubase SX ~ Cakewalk SONAR |
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albie81
Premium
join:2005-01-04
Mount Laurel, NJ
| reply to ccom21
said by ccom21 :Your narrative was quite a read but how about giving us some signal diagnostics and post your speed tests. when the service is up, i get good latency, and good speed. but the connectivity is unreliable.
case and point... i was downloading an nForce package this weekend. 35mb file downloaded in about 20 seconds. Then, about a minute later, the service dropped entirely for the next 15 minutes.
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AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2.4Ghz ~ DFI LanParty 250gb nF3 ~ 1gb (2x512mb) Corsair PC3200 ~ MSI Radeon 9600Pro ~ 160gb WD Caviar SATA 150 ~ Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum ~ Cooler Master Centurion ATX ~ Sony 18.1" LCD ~ Cubase SX ~ Cakewalk SONAR |
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Risuli
join:2002-01-26
Grosse Ile, MI
| reply to CableTool
I wouldn't be so quick as to say that the original poster was fabricating being charged. I had a problem with my service, I have Comcast's Triple Play (phone, cable & internet), that gave me infrequent connections where I had no TV, no internet and NO TELEPHONE each evening for over a week.
I had 3 service calls with each tech claiming the problem to be something totally different than the last tech. The last tech told me the problem was at the pole at the end of my drive and that some other tech had to come and fix that. Later that day my wife saw a Comcast truck working halfway down the street and what do you know. My problem mysteriously went away that day.
Anyway, although I had made 3 calls for service while the problem was ongoing and had requested a refund at that time for the problems, my next bill showed a $20 fee for a technical service charge! After complaining to three different representatives, they finally removed the charge. So, my experience supports the original poster. |
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jamesnmandy
join:2007-01-03
New Albany, IN
 ·Insight Communicat..
| reply to albie81
i have never been charged for the many many service calls i have had here recently
they didnt even charge me for running and burying 200+ feet of cable underground to my house because the previous owner had satellite
but of course, maybe it is because they recognize the fact that everything has been botched from install to service since i had it connected, they have even offered to credit my account for the days with no service (i declined but suggested a free upgrade to the 8/768 tier for 6 mos. maybe???....didn't work)  |
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EnasYorl
Thieves World
join:2001-12-02
West
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to CableTool
said by CableTool :I wish we did charge. Each area is different but I DO BELIEVE in service charges. I think it would cut down on a lot of DIY jobs and put our truck rolls in check.
Actually IMHO this would drive DIY jobs up not down, as people tend to avoid the charges if they can. |
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MrWhippit
You Big Dummy Gimmie Back My Bandwith
Premium
join:2002-04-04
Philadelphia, PA
2 edits | reply to juniorx
No this is far from fabricated. I've had this quoted to me also.
And I'm sure you being a Rogers customer...know all about Comcasts policy.
But to get back to the point. I don't think the issue is the charge, I think the issue is with the connectivity and service.
Thank you for your quite helpful post JuniorX, I wish everyone here could be as helpful and knowledgeable as you
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Its all BALL-BEARINGS these days! |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| reply to EnasYorl
said by EnasYorl :said by CableTool :I wish we did charge. Each area is different but I DO BELIEVE in service charges. I think it would cut down on a lot of DIY jobs and put our truck rolls in check.
Actually IMHO this would drive DIY jobs up not down, as people tend to avoid the charges if they can. I dont follow.
If I know Im going to be charged if I do a crap job and it kills my service Id be more likely to pay to have them come and run the outlet themselves.
The amount of people that run outlets themselves wouldnt INCREASE because we charge for service calls. Hopefully the amount of people that research and do it right would increase.
Weve always charge for actual wiring.
DIY repair jobs might increase, which is fine as long as they fix it.
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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EnasYorl
Thieves World
join:2001-12-02
West
·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | said by CableTool :I dont follow. If I know Im going to be charged if I do a crap job and it kills my service Id be more likely to pay to have them come and run the outlet themselves. The amount of people that run outlets themselves wouldnt INCREASE because we charge for service calls. Hopefully the amount of people that research and do it right would increase. Weve always charge for actual wiring. DIY repair jobs might increase, which is fine as long as they fix it. IMHO your giving the average consumer far more credit about doing research or thinking this through. They will think they are going to save money by doing it themselves, but in the end pay more if they don't have the craftmanship to do it themselves.
End the end I still believe if you raise prices more people in the end will attempt it themselves. Keep the charges to a minimum and you'll have a happier customer base. |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | I agree, trust me, I dont give them that much credit.
As far as prices being at a minimum, most areas have the prices at 0.00 for service calls. Even when told in regards to HSI that if the techs finds your system is at fault there will be a charge, its BS. My system quotes the same thing and we have never charged anyone one cent.
In my example above- My tech spent 5 hours to repair something the subscribers friend did. He should have been charged.
Im not naive enough to think it will be reflected in rates but it would be nice to re-coupe some overhead on jobs that we roll to which are 100% the customers own fault.
We have a customer whose home we go to about once amonth because their dog chews the jumper from the wallplate. Why are we spending money each truck roll because the customer cant stop their dog from chewing the line? Or digging in their yard and not knowing there is cable there? Or running 6 outlets themselves only to realize they have no clue how to do it?
Or use CB radio barrels for Digital lines?
Im not sure how charging for these issues would actually INCREASE people doing it themselves. And if it DID increase then that would only mean our new source of revenue would also increase! The Trip charge!
And to trickle that down even further, it would also probably increase job quality since the tech there would know the customer is in fact paying an extra charge for the repair he is making. Might take some of the spite out of running all new lines because the customer thinks cable is just like antennae.
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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albie81
Premium
join:2005-01-04
Mount Laurel, NJ
| Wow... i didn't mean for this thread to become entirely about billing and retarded customers who hack at their cable line with a pick-axe.
The billing/being charged for service tech calls is secondary here. While it pisses me off, i would be willing to stomach a certain amount of abuse, if Comcast can fix my issue.
The issue being:
Myself, and everyone else feeding from the line that services my building, not having a reliable connection, and in the past nearly 2 years, comcast has been unable/unwilling/uninterested in actually fixing.
if it WERE a problem with my computer, i am geek enough to diagnose/fix it. i will not however even THINK about diagnosing/fixing a line issue outside. i will do more harm then good, shoot... i barely understand what the techs tell me.
i'm reaching out here... to people who may even be in the tech field.. tell me what information you might need from me... i can run line tests, i have been keeping logs of when the service drops and when it comes back up....
i want this issue resolved so bad i can TASTE it! the service fee is secondary like i said... i can stomach a fee, i will still fight it... but i can stomach it...
i cannot however, be OK with less then mediocre, unreliable broadband service. i can't sustain that. and i have been doing so for far too long.
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AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2.4Ghz ~ DFI LanParty 250gb nF3 ~ 1gb (2x512mb) Corsair PC3200 ~ MSI Radeon 9600Pro ~ 160gb WD Caviar SATA 150 ~ Creative SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum ~ Cooler Master Centurion ATX ~ Sony 18.1" LCD ~ Cubase SX ~ Cakewalk SONAR |
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rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA | reply to Risuli
what your story supports is the second tech didnt feel the problem was outside and charged you. the third tech scheduled the line department and didnt charge you. |
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rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA | reply to albie81
care to actually give us some signal levels? one thing i can say is the lines never to big on the hardline. 625, 750, 875 the bigger the better. |
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EnasYorl
Thieves World
join:2001-12-02
West
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to CableTool
said by CableTool :I agree, trust me, I dont give them that much credit. As far as prices being at a minimum, most areas have the prices at 0.00 for service calls. Even when told in regards to HSI that if the techs finds your system is at fault there will be a charge, its BS. My system quotes the same thing and we have never charged anyone one cent. In my example above- My tech spent 5 hours to repair something the subscribers friend did. He should have been charged. Im not naive enough to think it will be reflected in rates but it would be nice to re-coupe some overhead on jobs that we roll to which are 100% the customers own fault. We have a customer whose home we go to about once amonth because their dog chews the jumper from the wallplate. Why are we spending money each truck roll because the customer cant stop their dog from chewing the line? Or digging in their yard and not knowing there is cable there? Or running 6 outlets themselves only to realize they have no clue how to do it? Or use CB radio barrels for Digital lines? ![]() Im not sure how charging for these issues would actually INCREASE people doing it themselves. And if it DID increase then that would only mean our new source of revenue would also increase! The Trip charge! And to trickle that down even further, it would also probably increase job quality since the tech there would know the customer is in fact paying an extra charge for the repair he is making. Might take some of the spite out of running all new lines because the customer thinks cable is just like antennae. I have no issue with charging for repeat service calls for Animal destruction, etc.
My point was about charging too much would force more people to attempt it themselves trying to save money.
I understand our points and I'm not saying they aren't valid. My point is most people aren't pleased with all the rate increases as it is. You have to look at what your competition charges as well. How many DIY Cable modem kits do you have to go out to fix an issue on? Wouldn't it be better too just not allow DIY kits and run a truck instead to make sure it's done right the 1st time? |
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hobgoblin
Sortof Agoblin
Premium
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY
clubs:
| "I understand our points and I'm not saying they aren't valid. My point is most people aren't pleased with all the rate increases as it is. You have to look at what your competition charges as well. How many DIY Cable modem kits do you have to go out to fix an issue on? Wouldn't it be better too just not allow DIY kits and run a truck instead to make sure it's done right the 1st time?"
I can assure you these numbers are tracked and if it was NOT cost effective it would have been done a long time ago.
It may surprise you that people have been doing this sort of work for a long time now!
Hob
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"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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EnasYorl
Thieves World
join:2001-12-02
West
·Verizon Online DSL
| said by hobgoblin :I can assure you these numbers are tracked and if it was NOT cost effective it would have been done a long time ago. It may surprise you that people have been doing this sort of work for a long time now! Hob Nothing would surprise me. I wanted some data to be provided. Do you have any data? |
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