coastdweller4
"Teh Fff Wizard"
join:2002-01-29
Modesto, CA | Failing their customers
They continue to dance and fail to innovate... PFT!
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Dave F
@verizon.net
| I am not shocked under the current administration, but I am quite dissappointed that the FCC doesn't step in and stop this. While PR folks like to think they can redefine common terms at a whim, that is not legal. Perhaps Comcast needs to see a class action lawsuit. They've now stated publicly that they are not following the commond definition of unlimited. Consider for a moment what unlimited would mean for your phone minutes...
Someone either get the FCC in on this or file a class action. Comcast should be made to pay a few million for both robbing the community of assistance dollars and then lying to the very public that helped to pay them to become what they are.
That's really the only way they'll learn to back off the "but we don't define that word that way" methodology of illegal abuse of the customer. |
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Bowersdmstec
join:2001-02-02
Washington, IL
| reply to coastdweller4
Even though im not a Comcast user personally, I still have followed this story since the beginning reports. What I find interesting I guess you can say is this:
This is what was said by them: "A Comcast spokesman argues that when they're talking about "unlimited use" in marketing materials - they're talking about the lack of a per-minute charge, not unlimited data consumption."
"Not unlimited data consumption." Well that is fine, thanks for clearing it up. However please point the Comcast customers in the right direction of the T.O.S (Terms of Service or whatever they refer to it as) where it cleary defines what the "DOWNLOAD CAPS" are. They still dont seem to have provided customers with that answer. Just seems like beating around the bush to me.
I hope that made sense. Just dont understand that since they are explaining to the public the "Confusion" behind this, that they didnt take it further and clear it up with actual numbers for customer's to obide by.
Whiteice |
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Sarick
It's Only Logical
Premium
join:2003-06-03
USA
 ·FrontierNet Intern..
|  reply to coastdweller4
Your right.
You can't tell someone they can drive a car unlimited then give them a limit on the amount of gas they can use. A car needs fuel to preform it's function, without fuel a car serves no purpose.
If you can only drive 20 miles do to gas restrictions that defeats the unlimited portion.
Your TOS is as good as it's weakest link.
So to compare them...
If you make the connection unlimited (time) then set a cap on bandwidth. Your limiting the time someone can use it based on the bandwidth.
That's where they're failing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that access and bandwidth are one in the same. If one is capped the other suffers.
With this technical flaw advertising unlimited under any circumstance means false advertising.
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J D McDorce
Premium
join:2001-12-29
Westland, MI
| reply to Dave F
The FCC's official position still seems to be taking a "hand's off" approach to cable internet, somehow linked to the FCC's Broadband Initiative. Nonetheless, Comcast's handling of this matter probably does not make Mike Powell's fight to overturn the Ninth District's BRAND X INTERNET SERVICES v. FCC decision any easier. |
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tirebiter
join:2002-02-16
Champaign, IL | reply to coastdweller4
.5% * 4.8 million = 24,000
They have cut off 24,000 subscribers? That's a whole bunch of subscribers to cut off! |
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RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA | reply to J D McDorce
Of course it is, they probably gave Bush money  I'm glad we have Adelphia up here in Mendocino County, CA |
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GorbGuy
join:2003-09-23
Middleville, MI
clubs:
| reply to tirebiter
Heh, I was thinking the same thing. Kinda says something about a company who thinks "bah, it's only .5% or roughly 20k or so customers who were misbehaving, let's dump em." I'm really curious to see what this percentage will be 6 months or so from now, when higher speeds are rolled out across Comcast country. Looks like SBC and others might be rolling out more RT's in the future, me thinks.  |
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RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA | "Looks like SBC and others might be rolling out more RT's in the future, me thinks"
Don't count on it, they'll probably find some state or group to blackmail unless they get their way. |
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fatmanskinny
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Wandering
 ·Comcast Digital Vo..
 ·Comcast
|  reply to J D McDorce
said by J D McDorce  :
The FCC's official position still seems to be taking a "hand's off" approach to cable internet, somehow linked to the FCC's Broadband Initiative. Nonetheless, Comcast's handling of this matter probably does not make Mike Powell's fight to overturn the Ninth District's BRAND X INTERNET SERVICES v. FCC decision any easier.
Funny! Powell's little Mikey can take a hands-off approach on this obvious case of false advertisement and dance Comcast is doing around the cap but he can surely find time to investigate Janet Jackson's boob....errr.....half time performance flap.
Mike and the FCC are the real boobs. Just my 2 cents.
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Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
| reply to RR Conductor
said by RR Conductor :
Of course it is, they probably gave Bush money I'm glad we have Adelphia up here in Mendocino County, CA
Oh yes, Adelphia; truly a gleaming tower of morality in the cable industry...just ask their stockholders
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b_zen
Premium
join:2002-07-24
Saint Louis, MO
clubs:
·TTNet
| reply to tirebiter
No, this is what it says: "Comcast says they've sent disconnection notices to only 0.5 percent of their 4.8 million high-speed Internet subscribers"
Notices were sent. It would be interesting to know the actual percentage of disconnections among disconnection notices...
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J D McDorce
Premium
join:2001-12-29
Westland, MI
1 edit | said by b_zen :
Notices were sent. It would be interesting to know the actual percentage of disconnections among disconnection notices...
The last published report quoting Comcast suggested less than 0.01% have had their service terminated. The "warning" letters are the first step in the process, however, guidance from Comcast regarding what one needs to do to avoid termination is vague at best. |
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JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs:
·LINGO
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·surpasshosting
 ·Verizon FIOS
| That may have been the most recent report quoting Comcast, but earlier reports said...
said by
Tracy Davidson, NBC 10 Consumer Reporter, September 30, 2003
Unlimited Internet Use Not Always Unlimited
Some Comcast Customers Threatened With Cutoff Of Service:
Comcast said it sent a couple hundred letters nationwide and that customers are panicking for no reason.
said by
Tracy Davidson, NBC 10 Consumer Reporter, September 30, 2003
Unlimited Internet Use Not Always Unlimited
Some Comcast Customers Threatened With Cutoff Of Service:
A Comcast spokesperson said that no subscribers' service would be terminated, despite what the letter says.
So... I guess customers are now panicking with reason. |
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J D McDorce
Premium
join:2001-12-29
Westland, MI | With regard to the second quote, apparently Comcast changed their mind.  |
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b_zen
Premium
join:2002-07-24
Saint Louis, MO
clubs:
·TTNet
2 edits | reply to coastdweller4
There's no way a company in their right minds, in this day of hard earned cash, would get rid of 24k customers! come on... Also,if it is true that those guys are on the black list, I'll be more than willing to go to my banker with a plan: Bad Apple ISP, inc. " Sir, I have 24K waiting to be picked"!
Edit: Hmmm! Upon reflection, I wonder if calling a company Bad Apple Computer would get me sued |
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J D McDorce
Premium
join:2001-12-29
Westland, MI
1 edit | said by b_zen :
There's no way a company in their right minds, in this day of hard earned cash, would get rid of 24k customers!
If one believes the figures derived from Comcast's quotes, less than 24,000 have received at least initial warnings, while the January quotes suggest that less than 500 have actually been expelled.
As for getting rid of customers, there are certainly economic factors that can be used as justification. This could range from direct economic impact of high use customers to indirect items, such as supporting the existing customer base with less bandwidth or supporting an increasing customer base with existing bandwidth (with numerous combinations also being a possibility).
From 4Q01 to 3Q03, Comcast (including AT&T Broadband prior to 4Q02) has added an average of 338,000 internet subscribers per quarter. Historically, they can make up for the loss of 24,000 subscribers in less than a week. If there is nothing stopping them from culling the subscribers who make them less money, the only risk is damage to Comcast's persona in the eyes of the public.
As a side note, there appears to be somewhat of a disparity between the News listing and the actual article. It is not clear in Contra Costa Times article that the "letters" being referred to are actually "disconnection letters." My personal read of the article is that the letters are the initial "advisory" letters (essentially saying "mend your ways or else") rather than letters advising that the user's service is being disconnected. |
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NoFatChicks
No, I'M The Exon And You're The Intron
join:2002-06-15
Blountsville, AL
| reply to Dave F
Although I am not a big fan of lawsuits, I think that may be the only alternative, as you suggested. Actually, I’m shocked one has not been filed yet or a call to get similarly affected parties to get organized and ask for class action status. |
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Nightshade
sic semper tyrannis
Premium
join:2002-05-26
Salem, OR
| reply to Bowersdmstec
Exactly
Comcast thinks it is not that important to have their download caps clearly defined the T.O.S that I agreed to as a comast user.
Well this comcast customer says BULLSH*T!!
Do I not have the right to know this information as a paying customer? |
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JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs: | Seems to me, not only paying customers have the "right to know", but potential customers have a "right to know" too. |
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