Does Comcast drive anyone else NUTS?!

[jimbob200521]

Just read the interaction below. The scenario is simple: we currently pay $76/month for internet speeds of 25mbps and cable service we don't even use. I find they have a standalone internet package at 3x the speed we have now for nearly half the price. So I chat with a rep. I tried to be nice at first but was getting frustrated trying to talk to/navigate there 1-800 number on top of being told two different things.

Anyone else want to pull out their hair over #(&$ like this?

[olds45512]

everytime i call there i spend at least 45 minutes listening to there crappy music on hold, then i usually have to talk to someone that can barely speak english. i would get rid of them in a heartbeat if there were someone else in my area that had hi speed internet.

[Berwil]

Tim, just tell them your going to switch be cause you bill is too high and they will give you a cheaper promotional rate for a limited time. They don't know you don't have another option (we don't either). My wife puts reminders in her planner for when to call comcast because the promotion is expiring. Until this year, we hadn't paid full price in 3 plus yrs, I think they caught on to us.

On another comcastic note; comcast xfinity is now the title sponser of nascar's second biggest racing series. For half the season, it is broadcast on foxsports1. When there is a rain delay or postponement, they broadcast it on foxsports2. Guess what station comcast does not offer....foxsports2. I have missed watching Nascar Xfinity series racing on my comcast Xfinity cable box because they won't carry the channel the race is be broadcast on! Brilliant

Bill

[Yosemite Sam]

My story is similar.

We don't so much live in the boonies but we're away from "mainstream" stuff. Our local phone company is Frontier.

In January (this year) I discovered that their HS internet is the same price as their dial-up service (not a promotion, their regular price) so I called and "ordered" it. The gal said she would send a router right out to me, and then I was to call back and they would give me the details of when I could hook it up and start using it, from what I gathered this was so I could use it the same day they changed my wires from phone to HS net.

A month went by and no router, so I called again. We'll get it right out to you...

2 weeks, no router. Another phone call...

This went on for 3 months until one day when I called the gal finally told me that there were no more "slots" to plug into, because all the available slots were being used. One day I caught the local repair guy when he was in the area, and he verified to me that there weren't any available space for new customers.

So instead of getting HS internet for $20.00 a month, I continue to pay $20.00 for crappy, slow as hell (and I MEAN SLOW) dial up, PLUS I get to continue to pay $45.00 a month for a phone to hang on the wall that hasn't been off the hook in 4 years.

The end result is that I ultimately get to pay almost $70.00 a month (total) for really bad internet service, instead of $20.00 plus taxes and associated fees, for 5 times faster more reliable service, because THEIR equipment needs to be updated. And they won't give me any kind of break on the price! They act like it's my fault that they can't hook me up. I'm giving them $50.00 a month because their equipment is already at capacity.

Other companies that we can get service from are about $90.00 a month.

I have considered contacting the Illinois Communications Commission, but I really doubt that they give a crap either.

Our cell phone company won't work either, we can text and call from here, but if someone sends me a picture, I have to wait until I go to town to download the picture and the internet won't come up at all.

Anybody got any ideas how I work around this and still keep the cost down?

[Sam Mac]

I have CenturyStink. High speed my A$$. $92.00 a month for internet and phone.

[j4c11]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

Anybody got any ideas how I work around this and still keep the cost down?

http://www.hughesnet.com/

[olds45512]

Originally Posted by j4c11

http://www.hughesnet.com/

Do not get Hughes net, its a complete joke. My parent had it at the shop and if you go over there limit they slow your connection down so it slower than dial up, plus much like anything that involves a dish if its raining or snowing it stops working.

[jimbob200521]

I knew I wasn't the only one who had these kinds of issues, I'm glad (or...not?) to hear other people speak up about similar issues. What gets me is how we as consumers have let things get this bad. After all, WE are what keep them in business.

I've had other similar experiences, as well. Often times, CONcast will call my or my fiance's phone and offer new packages (of course, never cheaper) at a promotional price. We will politely decline these offers but reference the online deals/specials they have. It NEVER fails, they will tell us they will transfer us to a different department to find out more about these and we ALWAYS get disconnected mid-transfer. How convenient.

[j4c11]

Originally Posted by olds45512

Do not get Hughes net, its a complete joke. My parent had it at the shop and if you go over there limit they slow your connection down so it slower than dial up, plus much like anything that involves a dish if its raining or snowing it stops working.

They have a 50GB/month limit, it would be hard to go over that on only casual browsing and e-mail. I don't think Mark is streaming Netflix on his dial up right now. They list the throttled down speed at 150kbps, which is still 3x dialup. I think it would be worth a try.

[Shotgun Wedding]

Originally Posted by Sam Mac

I have CenturyStink. High speed my A$$. $92.00 a month for internet and phone.

You have high speed internet? I would have bet money that you'd have a 2400 baud modem with dial up on AOL running Mosiac internet browser, together with a rotary phone.

Just pulling yur chain!!!