I have high confidence that *not* paying the bill generates attention.

Not true. I have yet to pay my Comcast bill, dating back to mid July, and not only have they not fixed my service, but they refuse - steadfastly - to give me anything approaching an adequate credit for what they refer to as "services".

I have cancelled my Comcast service today, owing them nearly $1,200.00 for installation that was dicey at best, intermittent cable TV, broadband and phone, endless conversations with reps, tens of hours on the phone, poor picture quality throughout, repeated failures of supervisory staff to contact me (four out of five times I've been told a super would call, they have not) and contract servicepersons who would arrive and then tell me they couldn't do the work I needed because they *were* subcontractors.

Today, Comcast made me their absolute final offer of credit $98.00, and I told them they should come get their gear. Next stop, I imagine, is court, where I will probably have to take them in order to unsully my already spotty credit record. Clearly, it is Comcast's policy that you should give them money, and they will provide you functional service if and when it is convenient.

I was told that it was my responsibility to call *every time* I was having a service issue. I have had a service issue virutally every day since they connected me, and my average call is now lasting over 40 minutes. You can do the math. Comcast has me working for them, not the other way around. They are utterly uninterested in retaining me as a customer unless I give them the amount that they feel they are entitled to, and give no credence whatsoever to my frequent, in depth and detailed descriptions of their service failings.

I have reported them to the BBB, the local newspaper's At Your Service columnist, and a local TV station. No response from any of them, yet. I chalk this up to the likelihood that *this is their normal level of service and normal way of doing business*, and so there's no point in anyone even trying to do something about it. Comcast isn't going to budge. I suspect this is because, if they did, they'd be bankrupt due to incompetence. The only thing keeping them in business is having a monopoly.

So, I'll be here quite a lot less until I get DSL installed, which is about two weeks out right now.

I have never had such poor service and treatment as a customer of any service in my entire life. Unbelieveable, simply unreal.

I didn't say it would necessarily be *good* attention.

Well, I'm sure their business services is a separate operation, but we used to use them back in the bad old days when we had a frame relay hookup at work. We switched for various reasons, but one of the last straws was when they had a planned outage and didn't bother telling us about it.

Some time later, about six months after we had gone over to a competitor, they called me up to let me know about an upcoming outage. :smack:

The only reason that comcast works a little better here, is the system was working when they bought it. :fuse:

We've had very bad experiences with Comcast's accounting, billing and service departments. However, we have been uniformly impressed with the service techs that have come out to our house. Yes, they're independent subcontractors.

After I posted my last note here, I headed home, stopping by the grocery on the way. My cell phone rang, and it was a Comcast CS Manager, who promptly fell all the fuck over herself apologizing, and immediately agreeing to my previously offered 50% credit deal. She provided me with the number to the phone on her desk, and instructed me to call her any time I had any further difficulties. She listened to everything I had to say about their CS practices, agreed with most of the things I told her they should do differently, and said she was appalled at what I'd been through.

This is more what I have been looking for all along. I am a bit baffled as to why it took so long. I think it derived from the fact that I copied most of what I posted here and sent it, with some modification, through their online "help needed" page. Of course, I'd done something rather similar not more than ten days ago, with no response whatsoever, but I guess that I shouldn't complain overly.

A tech was here within ten minutes of my arrival at home, and he checked every connection, every box, every picture, line levels/S-N in and out, told me what, why, how and when, and generally acted like he gave half a shit.

I'm not a Comcast fan yet, but at least I don't feel completely fucking ignored anymore. More details as time goes by.

If you talk to her again, have her g00gle the phrase "comcast sux", with the x, and explain that you are elspode in the third link down. Then tell her you will detail everything good that she does for you and mention her by name.

great idea U-toad! I have to get comcast again when I move back to PA next month. I hope like hell I don't have to deal with all this crap when I do. When I get a comp at home l sure would like it to work occasionally. Elspode - keep her name and # in case l have to call ;)