ComC@st

[WoodSheddin]

haven't used cable tv since 1995

[iiipopes]

OK, I got lucky. I got cable internet a few months ago. It's been decent. After I got it, the company sold out to another company, but not ComCast. I'm not saying who, because part of the installation deal (before the company sellout, of course) was a trial rental on a cable modem, and they would either start charging rent after six months, or I could then buy it at a price not too inflated over discount store price. Six months have come and gone, and there is no rental for the modem on my bill. Knock on wood!

[Chuck(G)]

You know, Comcast sales keeps sending us ads and then calling us. They don't serve my area nor do they have any plans to.

We have no business relationship with them, nor have we ever had one. They always ask for my wife (she's the one who's listed in the phone book) and we're on the Federal Do Not Call list. They refuse to accept requests to quit calling us.

They don't rank very high in my book.

[SRanney]

When I lived in the Comcast service area, I never had a problem with service, technical or customer. In fact, I switched from the local phone company-provided DSL to Comcast high-speed-internet in order to eliminate the DSL service interruptions that I was experiencing. Whenever I called Comcast and needed to speak with a customer service representative, I never had an issue with getting one on the line. If I were pressed to find a problem with Comcast, it would have been after I canceled service and was told that I had a $200.00 credit on my account. It took them 3 months to have a check cut and sent to me.

My current cable company Mediacom, which I use primarily for high-speed-internet (graduate students don't often have time for television), is just as good: reliable service and prompt billing. It wouldn't surprise me if Mediacom was a subsidiary of Comcast.

SR

[chipster55]

Comcast had such a bad reputation when they were here, I went with DirecTV and Verizon for internet. Time-Warner bought them out, but I'm staying put.

[Chuck(G)]

Well, you can ask to speak to the supervisor and inform them that you are on the list and to take your name off their cold-call list. Isn't there a rather sizable fine for calling people on the do-not-call list? Or you can do what I do, as soon as I determine that it's a phone solicitation... simply say (as soon as they have 2 words out of their mouth) "I am on the (insert state or federal here) do-not-call list" and hang up the phone. Slamming the phone is also good for effect, if you have a phone that allows you to do so.

Yelling at the phone gazoonies doesn't do a thing except ruin the next 20 seconds for them--they're just hired guns. Usually they just refuse to allow me to speak to a supervisior.

A little googling shows that Comcast considers the fine a reasonable cost of doing business. After all, being a virtual monopoly in many areas, they can simply raise rates.

[Mark]

I have had exactly the opposite experience. Comcast service has been very good and the download speed is very fast.

Our former cable provider was AT&T and they couldn't have been worse. Speed was slow and the cable service was down one or twice a month for hours, if not days, and good luck trying to get your bill adjusted.

We're too far from the switching office for DSL and dial-up would be through Qwest (formerly U.S. Worst).

[rwiegand]

Here in the Boston area we have found them trouble-free. The service (internet) works well and goes down much less often that the electricity (though more often than the phones). Service calls are answered promptly by people who seem to be able to solve the problem. I've never had a problem with billing through several rounds of up-and down-grading service (we're on the most minimal TV plan and the fastest tier internet at the moment). I wish uploads were faster, but download speed is impressive.

[rascaljim]

Comcast can suck my left *******.

I don't understand how a company who tells their customers what they're supposed to want keeps doing so well.

I had their service for 4 years. The reason I left? Because I was told my bill was going up 40 bucks a month because of some new great services. My choices were to either stick it out with the bill raise, downgrade my service (which actually would raise my bill by more than $40, however that works), or get rid of it.

I must have called them 5 times with at least an hour on the phone each time while they told me that I should be happy to pay the extra money because I get so much more tv. (it doesn't matter that I only watch like 4 channels because I get soooo much more now and lucky me! I get to pay for it like it or not.)

I got rid of comcast and am saving an a**load by having dsl and dish AND I get more of the channels that I wanted, not a bunch of s**t that the cable company tells me I want.

I think it's funny when I get all those comcast fliers in the mail. I gave them 5 chances to keep me as a customer, I would have even met them halfway on their raise, but in the end they said they were unconcerned about keeping me as a paying customer and would be happy to turn my service off.

I'm sure that'll help their stock prices.

/rant

[tubatooter1940]

Our local cable provider is so bad that two towns in our county ran them off and the cities now provide 33 channels of cable. Some of our local T.V. stations stopped transmitting over their cable.
I asked to rent or buy a second remote because Hariett and I like to battle it out with two remotes (the best battery wins). The lady told me I didn't need a second one and refused to discuss it any further.
I sang;
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose.
May an elephant tread on your crooked toes.
May you be plagued always with runners in your hose.
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose."
Then I told her I was firing her and left-never to darken their door again-except to return my cable box and the one remote they allowed.

[Adam C.]

I couldn't be happier with Comcast internet. I had some Linksys modem issues at first, but now have a newer model Linksys that works perfectly.

I honestly can't remember the last time my internet was down or was noticeably slow across the board.

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

I've been using a new technological marvel called the slingbox for about a year. With a slingbox part A is attached to the computer/internet and cable lines at a location of a off-site location(like my parents house), and I then downloaded part B on my end and I am able to watch any channel that comes across on my parents' cable. It is nice being able to watch all the cable tv channels and not have to foot a monthly bill other than the initial couple hundred dollars for the setup. I highly recommend it (its available at Best Buy and all the rival electronic stores).

TMB

[fpoon]

I've been using a new technological marvel called the slingbox for about a year. With a slingbox part A is attached to the computer/internet and cable lines at a location of a off-site location(like my parents house), and I then downloaded part B on my end and I am able to watch any channel that comes across on my parents' cable. It is nice being able to watch all the cable tv channels and not have to foot a monthly bill other than the initial couple hundred dollars for the setup. I highly recommend it (its available at Best Buy and all the rival electronic stores).

Problem being that using a Slingbox ties up that receiver/cable jack. The way I understood it was that a slingbox slaved the TV into watching whatever channel is was on, and or the slingbox could only show whatever channel the tv is on.

We used to have Adelphia in our area. HORRIBLE local people, GREAT people over the phone. Comcast tried to jack my cable internet bill up the first month they took over, but I cited an old VA law that states when telecom a buys telecom b they can't jack up the price. Told all my neighbors about that too. My own little way of "sticking it to the man". I would have gone to DSL just to escape Comcast, but I don't have a landline, so it doesnt make $ense.

ALL that being said, my biggest gripe with Comcast is their #$*%ing sports networks. I live in Blacksburg, VA the home of Virginia Tech. My "local all sports network" (on DirecTV) in Comcast SportsNet, out of DC/Baltimore. They decide to show celebrity poker and random womens Big East games when there are ACC mens games on. The only exception to this is Maryland is on... This has led to a hatred of the Terps as well. Thank god for DirecTV, with whom you can get other regional sports networks... It's frustrating when you live 2 miles from the arena and can't get the game.

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

FYI,

It doesn't matter what channel the tv is on at location A. At any given time you can watch any given channel. Another benefit is if your tv set has a S video input jack on it then you can connect your computer to the TV and watch on a bigger screen if you wish. I have yet to find a downside to owning a slingbox.

TMB

[eupher61]

Funny, I've had nothing but wonderful service from Comcast. ATT/Yahell/whatever satellite will end up being just as expensive in a year, after the special sign-up deal ends.

Yeah, there are service issues from time to time, but every one that I've had real problems with has been due to construction in this area. Seems someone didn't pay attention to the utility markings. Several times. Idiots...

[tbn.al]

When I lived in the Comcast service area, I never had a problem with service, technical or customer.
SR

I have had the same experience in Atlanta. No problems, great service, and fast, fast DSL.

[Chuck(G)]

and then, there's all of that research being done by all those Nobel laureates at Concast Laboratories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfdnFOiXUU