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mpovit
join:2005-04-19
Dundee, IL

mpovit

Member

Comcast Extreme 105 - $250.00 Charge

I live in a house and I was considering getting the Extreme 105 Package. Could someone tell me what Comcast does to justify a $250.00 charge. Extra line conditioning, etc.That charge stopped me from going through with the purchase. Then on top of that they want a $30.00 install fee. If I am going to pay the $250.00 charge what is being done, why would I be paying it?

Thanks,

Marc

Chris 313
Because It's Geekier
Premium Member
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
·AT&T FTTP
·Comcast XFINITY

4 edits

Chris 313

Premium Member

said by mpovit:

I live in a house and I was considering getting the Extreme 105 Package. Could someone tell me what Comcast does to justify a $250.00 charge. Extra line conditioning, etc.That charge stopped me from going through with the purchase. Then on top of that they want a $30.00 install fee. If I am going to pay the $250.00 charge what is being done, why would I be paying it?

Thanks,

Marc

The 250 is for them sending a tech out and covers anything. Swapping out your modem should you need it, running new cables, pole work. (For 250, I would expect nothing less) Making sure your signals are within spec (Supposedly, 105 runs with higher signals then the lower speeds. I sincerely doubt that, especially since it's been a few years since 105 debuted.)

For anyone else who doesn't have any signal problems, they just sent out a tech to what amounts to making a phone call to push the 105/20 config file. Not worth 250, is it?

It's the general consensus that Comcast uses this as a pure money grab and as a reminder not to downgrade to a lower speed next month.

I personally think it's crap and would not pay that. If I couldn't get them to wave the fee and just push the file since they'll be getting 100 out of me just for internet alone, I wouldn't upgrade. Especially if they're charging you another 30 on top of that. Isn't 250 enough!?

Blast has just been upgraded to 50/10 and Blast will probably be getting another upgrade to 100/20 within 2 years or less.

And with the recent upgrades, anyone who had 50/10 before the current upgrades, got 105/20 for free, with no tech visit or fee charges, but yet, anyone who wants to go from 50/10 to 105/20 now, is charged the 250. Wacky logic, eh? If your set up was good enough for 50/10, it should handle 105/20 without a problem. Especially since they've had 2 years to iron out any 105/20 roll outs.

So, if you can't shake the fee, just wait it out and screw em'

Hope that helps you whatever you do.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to mpovit

Premium Member

to mpovit
Actually, Its a little more than that. They send the tech to do the install AND they send line techs out to check the node and such. Even at 250 comcast doesnt make any money off the install. The 250 basically covers the cost of the line tech.
rody_44

rody_44 to Chris 313

Premium Member

to Chris 313
Wacky logic to you, but your not the one that had to eat the costs of them line techs after doing the upgrades without the line techs coming out. That doesnt even take into account when node splits and such is required which costs thousands of dollars. Something that very likely wouldnt be needed without the 105 speeds.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

2 recommendations

plencnerb to Chris 313

Premium Member

to Chris 313
said by rody_44:

Wacky logic to you, but your not the one that had to eat the costs of them line techs after doing the upgrades without the line techs coming out. That doesnt even take into account when node splits and such is required which costs thousands of dollars. Something that very likely wouldnt be needed without the 105 speeds.

Well, I think the whole point of this fee now being "wacky logic" has to do with what Chris 313 See Profile is talking about below. Bold mine.
said by Chris 313:

And with the recent upgrades, anyone who had 50/10 before the current upgrades, got 105/20 for free, with no tech visit or fee charges, but yet, anyone who wants to go from 50/10 to 105/20 now, is charged the 250. Wacky logic, eh? If your set up was good enough for 50/10, it should handle 105/20 without a problem. Especially since they've had 2 years to iron out any 105/20 roll outs.

That part is what a lot of people are having a hard time understanding.

If Comcast never did the upgrade, and if I sign up as a new customer on their 50/10 plan, and in 4 months want to upgrade to 105/20, I would have no problems paying the $250 fee.

However, Comcast has taken it upon themselves to do an upgrade of service. Anyone who had 50/10 has been upgraded to 105/20, and all that was needed was a reboot of your cable modem. During the upgrade, did Comcast send a tech out to everyone who had 50/10, and perform the same steps they would do for the $250? Did they make everyone swap out their modems, test their line, verify signals, etc? Nope, they just pushed a new config file, told everyone to reboot their modems, and be good to go.

So now, after the upgrades have taken place, I decide to sign up for the 50/10 plan. 3 months later, I want to upgrade to 105/20. I am still charged the $250 fee, yet Comcast has just upgraded thousands (guess here) from 50/10 to 105/20 a few months ago for free. Did those thousands that got upgraded get charged $250, have a tech come out and verify signal strength, test the line, swap out the modem, and whatever else they do? No, they did not. And that is the problem that most of us now are upset with.

So, in my mind, Comcast should drop the $250 requirement if you move from 50/10 to 105/20 in the future. Or, to be fair to everyone, they need to go back and figure out who got bumped from 50/10 to 105/20, and charge them all $250, and send out the same crew to the customers residence, and perform the same steps they would do on a normal "upgrade".

Its only fair to do it the same for both groups.

--Brian
awasser1
join:2004-03-30
Bloomfield, CT

awasser1

Member

I recently signed up for Blast 50 /10 and often times I get dl Blasts of closer to 100 anyways. No charge except for self install kit. Probably not work the extra price for install. I wouldnt pay much unless perhaps I was a business customer.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 recommendation

IowaCowboy to rody_44

Premium Member

to rody_44
Is the tech they send a Comcast tech or a subcontractor. At $250 I would want an in-house network engineer in my house.

I've had many techs in my house and they've varied from guys with tattoos and look like they've been through the system to one guy who was clean cut and had been with the company for 30 years (back to when cable was 40 channels at most and music was still on MTV).

In my opinion, the in-house techs seem to be better trained and more knowledgeable. I always request an in-house tech when setting up a truck roll.
Armadillos
join:2009-04-28
Denver, CO

Armadillos to mpovit

Member

to mpovit
When I had a tech come out to my place to install it, it was a Comcast tech, not a contractor. And he was with the company for 15 years. I was a bit more okay with paying the fee as I needed cable ran from the cable box to the room, and that was done with the charge.
mario02423
join:2004-06-09
Berwyn, IL

mario02423 to plencnerb

Member

to plencnerb
Well, you could do what I did... Post on the Comcast regional Facebook page, ask for a sales call, and talk with them. It was very easy to explain that the speeds would be the same no matter the classification. There was no $250 charge for me, and the representative pushed the new speeds over the phone while I waited. The process took 15 minutes.