pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
 ·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
 ·Comcast
| [Business] Equipment fee, but no equipment?? I have had Comcast business HSI for a number of years. When it was first installed on day 1, Comcast was nice and swapped my personal cable modem in to replace their provided SMC cable modem. The next day Comcast collected their modem.
I've seen the threads about Comcast's charges for modems, and wondered how or if Comcast would increase my bill.
Turns out, Comcast is charging me $7 per month for an equipment fee, but they haven't provided me any equipment. Not only is it my cable modem, the wires going to the cable modem are mine as well. At the demarc into my home is where Comcast's cable ends.
There is a cryptic note in my bill, which follows:
The enclosed January 2012 price
adjustment notice contains incorrect pricing for our
Economy Double Play Package. The actual current monthly
price is $56.90 and the new price effective January 22, 2012
will be $64.90, plus applicable fees and taxes.
Previous Balance -1.50
Payment - 01/xx/12 - Thank You -60.00
New Charges - see below 67.37
Total Amount Due $5.87
Equipment Fee 01/xx - 02/xx 7.00
Business Class Internet 01/xx - 02/xx 59.95
Starter
Total Comcast High-Speed Internet $66.95
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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KevTechPremium
join:2002-08-22
Seattle, WA | Have you called Comcast to find out about the charge?
Would be my first step before discussing on a forum composed mostly of non comcast employed users. |
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
·Comcast
| I'm going to. Tonight was the first time in a couple of weeks that I checked to see if I was getting the cable modem bill.
My guess is Comcast will figure out some way to charge me for my own modem and wires. I'm just not yet certain how. This is an attempt to keep a record. Comcast support for billing issues opens in the morning. I'll call and post back here.
If they can bill for equipment while providing no equipment at all, then it isn't really an equipment fee, now is it?
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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 NetFixerFreedom is NOT freePremium
join:2004-06-24
The 'Boro
·Vonage
 ·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to pandora
Check your contract. It probably shows that you have an SMC gateway. Even though they dispatched a tech to pick it up, their equipment database probably still shows one installed at your location.
I hope you got (and kept) some sort of receipt from the tech who picked it up. Possession of a modified contract (signed by a Comcast account executive) indicating that you do not have a Comcast SMC gateway associated with your service would also be a good thing to have.
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History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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WB3FFV
join:2001-12-11
Abingdon, MD | reply to pandora
Yep, they after having Comcast Business Class Internet for many years, all of a sudden with this bill that just arrived, they started charging me an extra $7 a month.
So I called and asked if they were going to now charge me, could I get my own modem, and they said NO, I just had to start paying as I MUST use there modem with my service.
So translated into normal english, we just raised your bill by $7 a month, sucks to be you, so shut up and pay it. So guess that was the easy way to pass on a price increase, like they were actually losing money.. LOL |
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
·Comcast
| reply to NetFixer
said by NetFixer:I hope you got (and kept) some sort of receipt from the tech who picked it up. Possession of a modified contract (signed by a Comcast account executive) indicating that you do not have a Comcast SMC gateway associated with your service would also be a good thing to have.
I saved the receipt, but my cable modem activated on the account isn't theirs. I'd think it's self evident.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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NetFixerFreedom is NOT freePremium
join:2004-06-24
The 'Boro Reviews:
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
·AT&T Southeast
| said by pandora:said by NetFixer:I hope you got (and kept) some sort of receipt from the tech who picked it up. Possession of a modified contract (signed by a Comcast account executive) indicating that you do not have a Comcast SMC gateway associated with your service would also be a good thing to have.
I saved the receipt, but my cable modem activated on the account isn't theirs. I'd think it's self evident. To you perhaps, but not to Comcast. They have a long history of assuming that customer owned modems belong to them (as well as "forgetting" that their own equipment was returned to them).
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History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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 jack bGone FishingPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod
kudos:1 | reply to pandora
You might as well make them supply you with one of their modems, as long as you're already paying for it.
If you should ever have a connection problem, you KNOW they're going to say: Its not our problem, it's your modem.
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~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~
~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~ |
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 JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
| reply to pandora
Yes, you must pay the rental fee for the business class modem, since it is required for your service - even if someone nice let you swap in your personal modem.
So, they are charging you for the equipment you are required, under the contract you signed, to have. Weird, isn't it?
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My place : »www.schettino.us |
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
·Comcast
| said by JohnInSJ:So, they are charging you for the equipment you are required, under the contract you signed, to have. Weird, isn't it?
Thats the thing, when I got Comcast Business class, Comcast allowed user provided equipment. I have my own equipment in accordance with the contract. Comcast provisioned my cable modem and reclaimed their modem.
So how am I required under contract to pay a fee, when the contract at the time I entered into it, permitted use of my own equipment?? I think you have made an assumption. Only in recent years has Comcast refused to permit use of customer supplied modems. When I joined, and contracted, use of a non-Comcast cable modem was accepted practice.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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rody_44Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA
1 edit | reply to pandora
I think he made that assumption on the basis that comcast business contracts always required the use of modems supplied by comcast. Im not saying thjey never allowed customer owned modems because they did. Im just saying the contracts were always written a certain way. hell you have been a member since 2001 which was before comcast even had internet. It was @home back than. But the fact is when ever you apy your bill you agree to there TOS> which includes all chartges. |
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JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
| reply to pandora
said by pandora:said by JohnInSJ:So, they are charging you for the equipment you are required, under the contract you signed, to have. Weird, isn't it?
Thats the thing, when I got Comcast Business class, Comcast allowed user provided equipment. I have my own equipment in accordance with the contract. Comcast provisioned my cable modem and reclaimed their modem. So how am I required under contract to pay a fee, when the contract at the time I entered into it, permitted use of my own equipment?? I think you have made an assumption. Only in recent years has Comcast refused to permit use of customer supplied modems. When I joined, and contracted, use of a non-Comcast cable modem was accepted practice. Does your contract actually say you will use your own gear, or that you will use comcast's gear? If it's in your contract that you're using your own gear, you should be able to get the fee removed. Otherwise, nope. Even if you are permitted to use your own, your service is billed as if you are not (if that's how the contract is written.)
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My place : »www.schettino.us |
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
·Comcast
| said by JohnInSJ:Does your contract actually say you will use your own gear, or that you will use comcast's gear? If it's in your contract that you're using your own gear, you should be able to get the fee removed. Otherwise, nope. Even if you are permitted to use your own, your service is billed as if you are not (if that's how the contract is written.)
A ticket has been issued, and I'm told resolution is to occur by this coming Monday. I shall wait and see what happens.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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Sironin
join:2003-09-23
Pottstown, PA Reviews:
·Comcast
| reply to pandora
No, you don't owe a fee for equipment you don't have. And chances are, if you're in any sort of multi-year signed contract, you wouldn't owe a fee regardless unless it is either stated as part of the total price or you signed an amendment somewhere to agree to the fee/rate change.
Find your original contract. Read it to the next CSR that gives you trouble with removing the fee. If you encounter pushback, note that charging the fee is violating the contract and allows you to terminate with cause (avoiding any early termination fee). |
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JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
| said by Sironin:No, you don't owe a fee for equipment you don't have. And chances are, if you're in any sort of multi-year signed contract, you wouldn't owe a fee regardless unless it is either stated as part of the total price or you signed an amendment somewhere to agree to the fee/rate change.
Find your original contract. Read it to the next CSR that gives you trouble with removing the fee. If you encounter pushback, note that charging the fee is violating the contract and allows you to terminate with cause (avoiding any early termination fee).
Except you were notified a month in advance on your bill (December) and THAT'S when you could have raised the issue. After 30 days, you accepted the change (per your contract that you read.)
That's my guess how they'd play it.
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My place : »www.schettino.us |
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Sironin
join:2003-09-23
Pottstown, PA | Regardless of how it might be played, my contract states that modifications must be SIGNED by both parties. Thus far I've had total success in having the fee removed from the invoice. Will have to wait for next month to see if they try again. |
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JohnInSJPremium
join:2003-09-22
San Jose, CA Reviews:
·PHONE POWER
·Comcast
| said by Sironin:Regardless of how it might be played, my contract states that modifications must be SIGNED by both parties. Thus far I've had total success in having the fee removed from the invoice. Will have to wait for next month to see if they try again.
Hm... modifications to the original contract before its signed by both parties, yes. In other words, YOU can't change any of the contract without comcast signing off on it.
We went through this before and highlighted the potential for comcast to change fees (not base cost) with a 30 day notice, I am pretty sure.
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My place : »www.schettino.us |
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Sironin
join:2003-09-23
Pottstown, PA | No, the wording was quite clear. I would actually have to sign an amendment for my rates to change prior to the end of the contract. |
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sragle
join:2005-08-08
San Jose, CA | reply to pandora
Even if comcast broke my contract, I have no where else to go to get this kind of service from. |
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 joakoPremium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5
·Comcast
| reply to JohnInSJ
said by JohnInSJ:Yes, you must pay the rental fee for the business class modem, since it is required for your service - even if someone nice let you swap in your personal modem.
So, they are charging you for the equipment you are required, under the contract you signed, to have. Weird, isn't it?
That is Comcast's problem for not following their alleged policy and picking up or taking back the modem.
When someone bills medicare for a service they didn't provide it is called fraud. If Comcast bills for equipment they didn't provide despite what the contract may or may not say the correct legal term is still fraud.
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PRescott7-2097 |
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