Comcast Corp
Free HBO and Showtime Removed After Purchase, Digital Box Required

My wife and I elected to have Cable TV Service installed in our home in 1998. We were offered basic cable service with free HBO and Showtime. At the time a company called TCI was serving our neighborhood. TCI was eventually purchased by AT&T. Subsequent to that purchase, our basic cable with free HBO and Showtime continued. Understand - this was never a promotion, this was an offer with no expiration date.

Recently Comcast Corp. purchased AT&T's interest and business in our neighborhood. Up until four days ago, our basic cable service with free HBO and Showtime had remained. We even inquired in the Spring of 2003 and were told that these services would be free until we cancelled our service with Comcast.

Last Tuesday, October 4th, we noticed that HBO and Showtime were "GONE". I called Comcast Customer Service for an explanation. Here is what I was told. "Those channels have gone fully digital and in order to receive them, you need to rent a digital decoder @ 4.95 per month and pay about $15.00 EACH for HBO and Showtime.

I don't need to remind anyone that cable tv has gone up more than 300% in the last four years do I?

We have no choices. Our current cable tv service (we still only have basic) and the added, unwanted additional charges would make our cable tv cost around $87.00 each month.

No way. We have to pay for something now that was included... All of a sudden... Just like that... End of story?

Comcast, your treatment of customers is unnerving, unacceptable, and abuse of your stewardship credentials.

We are going to use whatever (respectably harsh) means necessary to draw managements attention to understand that they may not run people over.

Company: Comcast Corp
Country: USA
State: Pennsylvania
City: Philadelphia
Address: 1500 Market Street
Phone: 2156651700

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