If you're thinking
of dealing with Xfinity/Comcast, maybe you should look elsewhere if
you have any other options. They have printed at the bottom of an
email they sent me “Expect Superior Service.”
If you should fall
victim to such expectation you will be bitterly disappointed.
For the past several
years I had been using Clear Internet, but the company was bought out
and shut down. Xfinity/Comcast is available in my area, so I called
them about service. They asked if I currently had cable and I told
them I did not.
They said I could
get 3mps (or something like that) service for $19.99 per month and a
$59.95 installation fee. I called back a week or so later and went
through the rigamarole of qualifying. I was given the figure of
$87.00 for my first bill.
I was sent an email
on December 14, 2015 telling me that the installer would come by
between 8:00 and 10:00 A.M. the next day. As it so happened, I got a
call about 9:30 saying that the installer couldn't arrive until 5:00
– 7:00 P.M. so I was going to get a $20.00 credit.
Around 6:00 or so
the guy showed up and noted that I didn't have a cable. I told him
that the company had asked me if I had cable and I told him I didn't.
He estimated the approximate distance that they would have to run the
cable at ¼ mile and called in to advise that they needed to send the
construction crew to run the cable because of the distance. When he
got off the phone I asked him how long it would be before the
construction crew ran the cable and he said “About a week.”
I didn't see or hear
anything else from them so I called on January 5, 2016 and was told
that somehow the job had been put on hold, but that they were going
to change the deal to 5mps for $9.95 per month for the first year.
January 10, 2016 I got another email scheduling the installation for
the following day from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. I got a call that the guy
could come early, which was fine, but when he arrived he said
something about my not having a cable and I told him that the first
guy had already advised them of that. He tried to run the cable, but
thought that is was too far, so he called a supervisor who came out
and measured the distance which was something like 350 feet, not the
¼ mile that the first guy had estimated and advised the company
about. They stayed about 2 hours or so and took pictures or video and
did a lot of talking on the phone. The supervisor said they needed to
send the construction crew (which I already knew by this time) and
that they would advise. Later that day a bucket truck from Comcast
showed up, which I assumed had something to do with the construction
crew, but when I walked toward him he drove off without saying
anything.
I went in and called
Xfinty/Comcast and was told that they would send somebody the next
day. January 12, 2016. Next day around 2:00 P.M. a guy showed up and
couldn't do it because I needed a “tap” which of course the
company already knew, but kept wasting my time and the time of its
subcontractors. I went back in and called to advise that they needed
somebody that knows something about scheduling and coordination so
that there is some minimum level of efficiency and competence.
January 14, 2016 a
guy came around 10:55 A.M. and measured the distance again and told
me it would be $468.00 to run the line.
Around Noon I called
and got somebody named Lequan or something like that who could tell
me nothing except that he would have the construction people call me.
I told him I didn't need them, I wanted somebody who had some
decision making power, but all he could do is to say repeatedly that
he would have them “give me a call.” My biggest question was why
the price went from $50.00 to $468.00 after they already knew the
distance (actually the distance was much less than the ¼ the first
guy had told them) they would have to run the cable. Why did they
keep sending out people who didn't have the capability to do the job?
After the first installer came, the company knew what the situation
was.
I finally decided to
call Clark Howard's help line ( 404-892-8227, M-F, 10am-7pm ET.) and they gave me the number (215
665-1700) of the Comcast Corporate Office. They probably should see
if they can get the first three numbers clanged to 666 instead of
665, but that's for them to decide.
I called the office
of the president and got somebody named Mariah who said she would
assign it to somebody who would call me the next before 12:00 Noon.
About 11:30 the next day somebody named Sam called and said she would
investigate it and get back the next week, but that she had 60 cases
so it might take several days, but to send her the email quoting the
price, which I did. She gave me her direct number (615 874-7471) and
told me she worked between 11:00 – 8:00 P.M.
Below is my
fruitless correspondence with Sam G. with case number etc. omitted.
Sam: Here is the January 5, 2016 email. The first man came on the 15th of December and said he couldn't install it because the connection was about 1/4 mile away. This was sent after that (obviously), but the second man they sent (and the third) all had the same capability as the first. This is in reference to ESL ******. I hope you can read this as this is all typing on one line for some reason
To: Sullivan
Jan 21 at 8:14 PM
I wanted to follow up with you
regarding your request for new service. I had a chance to review the
information that you provided regarding the installation charges. The
$50 installation charge that was referenced in the letter only
referred to the installation of your service inside the home.
However, the quote that was provided of the $907 amount involves
rebuilding on the outside of your property in order to make your
address serviceable. Once that amount has been satisfied then the
construction department can begin the process of rebuilding at your
property to make it serviceable.
Comcast strives to provide
outstanding customer service and I appreciate your bringing this
matter to my attention.
Regards,
Sam
G.Regards,
Executive Customer Relations
Comcast | Big South Region
Office: 615-874-7471 /615-750-8953
Office Hours: Tue - Sat: 11am -8pm (CT)
To: Sam G.
If this is the case
I should have been told that after the first person came in December.
Why did they keep sending people who couldn't do the job? Why did
they quote a price of $50.00 after the first installer had advised
them of the situation?
Comcast has wasted
over a month of my time and several hours of its sub-contractor's
time. There seems to be an unbelievable level of incompetence in the
scheduling and installation departments...
As far as the
$907.00 quote, this is the first I've heard of it.
I got no response.
As a post script, I have no complaints about the sub contractors they sent out. All were unaware of the situation and had no way to deal with it. When I mentioned the incompetence of the office people one of the guys looked disgusted and said something like "Yeah, it's the people in the office."
I had a modem that I had bought at Walmart which I returned. When I mentioned Comcast at the return desk the clerk launched into a diatribe about how they had made a mess of her bill and was charging her for something (a phone, I think) she didn't even have.