I recently moved and unfortunately my existing internet service provider, Qwest (which is a great company) couldn't provide service at my new location. Luckily, although I couldn't fulfill the two year contract I had with them, they didn't charge me a cancellation fee because it wasn't my fault. My only two remaining options were Verizon or Comcast both of which have lousy reputations. Even tough there were endless warnings about Comcast on the internet I decided to take the risk and sign up with them because they were offering the best deals/speed options.
On Comcast's website they were offering 20/2mbits internet only service for $19.99mo. For 6mo's and $54mo. Thereafter. Before signing up for the service I called Comcast's customer service line to ask a few questions, my first mistake, and the person I spoke to told me that the offer on the website was wrong. He told me that it required me to also sign up for their TV cable service, which he tried to sell me, and although I told him I was looking at the internet only packages he said the website was mistaken. At this point he told me they had a special on their super high-speed 20/30mbit service which was free for 90 days and $74mo. Thereafter. He also told me that if after ninety days I chose not to continue with the 20/30 service, I could down-grade at no charge and still take advantage of another offer that would cost $24.95 for 6mo's and $54 thereafter. This sounded too good to be true so I asked him if he was sure if the service was indeed FREE for 90 days, meaning no charge at all and he said, "yes". He also told me that there was no charge for the installation, since I would be doing it myself.
Four days later I received my new modem and plugged it in but it didn't work. I'm a computer engineer and could instantly tell that the modem wasn't receiving a signal. I called customer service and they told me they'd send a tech. Out to patch service into my apartment and call. Two days later the service tech showed up and made the necessary fix and my internet service was functioning. He also told me there was No Charge for the service call.
About a month later I received a bill from Comcast for $124.83 for the internet service, install kit and the service call! I called customer service and told them of my previous discussions and that I was told I wouldn't be billed anything until the 90 day promotion ended. At this point I was told there was no such promotion and that there was always a $23.99 charge for service calls, which was completely contardictory to everything I had been told up to this point. After a long discussion the best she said she could do was to waive the service charge, which I wasn't supposed to be charged for in the first place! Unfortunately, now I'm on the hook for two years with a dishonest company, unless I want my credit to suffer or pay a large cancelation fee.
I went against my better judgement signing up for Comcast and have never felt it necessary to submit a complaint online about any company. There are endless warnings and horror stories about Comcast and I learned the hard way that they are true. Their customer service rep's will lie through their teeth to get you to sign up and once they have you you will have no choice but to pay up or have your credit rating suffer.
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