Comcast Cable

I made a phone call to a Comcast Customer Service Representative named Patricia at extension 2521, at around 1:00 pm on 4 April 2008. This call was recorded, and it is very important that you listen to this phone call because during this call, Patricia made me an offer for a specific service for a specific price. Later, Comcast tried to make me pay for additional charges that were not included in the original price quote and terms given to me by Patricia, which I agreed to, on 4 April 2008. I have tried multiple times to resolve this dispute with various supervisors of the local Comcast office, but they refuse to honor the original price quote.

During the phone call I made to Comcast on 4 April 2008, Patricia at extension 2521, offered me a combination of cable TV, internet and phone service, something Comcast calls ‘Triple Play’, for $99.00 per month for one year. I asked Patricia specifically how much the price would be after the first twelve months, and she said the price would go up to $127.00 per month, after those first 12 months. I asked her specifically if there were any other fees or charges, and she said no. Patricia offered to waive the installation fee or start-up fee or activation fee (whatever Comcast calls it now) of $29.99 if I agreed to the terms and price Patricia quoted right then and there. I agreed to those terms and the price she quoted of $99.00 per month for the first twelve months. All these details are on the recorded phone call I made to Comcast on 4 April 2008.

Comcast sent an installer named Alex to my home on 11 April 2008. Alex mentioned that there would be a $3.00 monthly rental fee for the modem, which was required. Because this information contradicted what Patricia had told me, I called Comcast while Alex was doing the installation. I spoke with Mary at extension 2853, and she directed me to the Comcast website, where I read that the Triple Play offer is for new customers only, and I had already had the cable TV and internet service. I asked Mary about this and she told me that Comcast considered me a new customer because I was going to get the phone service for the first time from Comcast. I was very happy to learn that Comcast was offering phone service now because we were dissatisfied with Qwest. I asked Mary about where the term and conditions on the Comcast website Triple Play say that the Triple Play offer ended on February 3, 2008, and Mary told me that the website had old information since the radio ads were in April. I asked her about the $3.00 modem rental, and she told me that I simply had to pay it. I asked for her supervisor, and Mary put my call on hold and never returned to the line.

I called Comcast again and asked to speak to a supervisor. This time I spoke to a supervisor named Jamie at extension 6073. Jamie put me on hold and listened to my original call to Patricia, and when she came back to the line, Jamie offered me one month’s credit of the $3.00 modem fee. I asked Jamie how much the price would be after the first twelve months of Triple Play at $99.00 and after doing some math, Jamie gave me three conflicting answers: $129.71, around $135.00 and finally, $136.00. I asked Jamie to do the right thing and she said she would ask her supervisor if Comcast could give me the prices and terms Patricia had originally quoted me. Later the same day, I spoke with Jamie again, when she increased the offer to three month’s credit for the $3.00 modem rental charge, per her supervisor Angela at extension 6576, and whom Jamie said had also listened to the call I made to Patricia on 4 April 08.

At that time, I also told Jamie that Alex the Comcast technician had left my home without telling me and he also failed to complete the installation. I had walked into my garage, and saw that Alex had simply left without notifying me or giving me any explanation, the Comcast van was gone, and my garage door had been open and unguarded for an unknown period of time. Alex was unbelievably irresponsible for not telling me that he was walking off the job and leaving my garage door open.

The installation date had to be changed first to 15 April, then to 16 April 2008.

I called Comcast on 14 April, and spoke to Jamie again. This time she told me that her supervisor Angela had changed the offer to a twelve-month credit for the $3.00 modem charge in the form of a $36.00 one-time credit on my first bill. I asked Jamie to ask her supervisor Angela at extension 6576 to call me back, or Angela’s supervisor. Jamie told me that one of the supervisors would call me at home at 6:00 pm that same day. I asked Jamie to make sure that the original conversation with Patricia on 4 April 2008 not be erased because that has all the details of our agreement on it. I asked to listen to that call, but Jamie refused my request. I told Jamie that Comcast should not charge me for the modem rental ever, not just for one month or three month or twelve months, but never, because I never agreed to pay a modem fee during the original phone call and that Patricia never mentioned a modem rental fee during that call. Jamie said that that was the best Comcast could offer me.

Jamie tried to say that the conversation I had with Patricia was not legally binding because Comcast does not have contracts. My response was that Patricia made me a verbal offer for services, Triple Play, for a specific price of $99.00 per month for the first twelve months, then $127.00 afterward, she said that there were no other charges or fees and she agreed to waive the activation fee and that I agreed to those terms. This verbal agreement is legally binding and enforceable. The phone conversation was recorded and both supervisors Jamie and Angela told me that they heard the call and that Patricia did not give me complete information.

Between 9:00 pm and 9:30 pm that night, while we were asleep, someone from Comcast named Chris called our house. He was interested in talking about my dispute, but I was angry that he would be so rude as to call us at such a late hour. Chris said he would call me again the next afternoon, (15 April) but he never did.

The morning of 15 April 2008, I called Comcast and left a voicemail message for Scott Westerman, the Vice President of the Albuquerque Comcast. He never returned my call.

On 16 April 2008, Comcast technicians John and Alan completed the installation.

On 18 April 2008 I called Scott Westerman’s office again, and reached Lynn Sabo, his executive assistant. She said that she would investigate my complaint and call me back. Lynn Sabo called me back and told me that the $36.00 credit was all I was going to get from Comcast, no matter what Patricia had quoted me. She refused my request to speak with Scott Westerman.

On 21 April, I spoke with the supervisor Angela, at extension 6576. She claimed that she had never received any of the multiple requests I had made for her to return my calls. She would only give me a credit for one year of modem rental, no matter what Patricia and I had agreed upon. Angela outlined the extra per month charges as such: Taxes of $7.30, Peg fee $0.44, franchise fee $1.93, User fee $0.06, gross receipts tax $4.87. These are all over and above the $99.00 monthly fee quoted me by Patricia on 4 April 2008, but I don’t know if those fees and taxes are based on $99.00 or $102.00, which is what the total would be if the $3.00 monthly modem fee was included. I am not going to pay taxes and fees on a monthly modem charge that I did not agree to pay in the first place. Although she admitted that Patricia did not give me correct information, that Patricia and I made an agreement for service at a specific price, and that she understood how I felt, she would not do any more to correct the problem.

I have three unresolved points of dispute with Comcast, for which I am requesting your assistance.

1. During the original phone call of 4 April 2008 with Patricia, I agreed to pay $99.00 per month for the first twelve months of Triple Play service. Comcast insists that I pay the extra fees and taxes outlined above, regardless if they are based on the inclusion of the $3.00 modem rental fee that I never agreed to pay. I am asking Comcast to be honest with its customers.

2. During the original call, Patricia stated that after the first twelve months, the price for Triple Play would be $127.00 per month. Neither the supervisor Jamie, at extension 6073, nor supervisor Angela, at extension 6576, could give me a definite price for the Triple Play service after the twelve-month promotion period, but both of them were certain that it was higher than the price Patricia quoted me. I am willing to pay only the price I agreed to on 4 April 2008. I would like Comcast to honor its promises.

3. I will not pay any modem rental fee that I did not agree to pay during our original conversation on 4 April 2008. Comcast can not change the terms of the agreement after the fact, even if the Comcast representative made a mistake. Comcast has credited my account $36.00, which equals the $3.00 fee for twelve months. I am not willing to pay a modem rental fee, period, even after the twelve months. I didn’t even know that a modem was required until Alex the technician showed up at my house with it. Patricia never mentioned a modem fee during the initial conversation, so I will not pay for it. I am asking Comcast to be fair.

I have made several good faith attempts to resolve my disputes with Comcast supervisors and even the Vice President of the local Comcast, who ignored my call. I now am trying to let everyone in your broadcast area know how Comcast treats their customers.

Comment On This

ok, so you spoke to her on the phone, did you also look over and sign a written agreement when the installer came to your home? THAT is the legally binding thing here. Just b/c some customer service rep forgot the mention taxes (witch is an implied fee) dose not mean you can just not pay your bill. She forgot the tell you about the modem fee, and that was something that they were willing to waive for you for an enter year...most people would get no more than an apology about that.

Bottom line, before entering into a contract, look over everything in writing! Before you just sign it. She could have told you it was going to be all free, and you would still have to pay every dime, b/c you signed the contract!

Comment On This

well i have been living in my new home for about 3months now. and i have not recieved a bill. i have tried to contact someone from comcast but the hold time is to long for me. finally on 12-16-08 i recieve a final notice and a bill of 388.00. i finally got someone on the phone. she insists that 3 bills were sent to my home address.when she broke my bill down to me i was in shock.first of all when i moved i was told that the special i had i could no longer have it because my special can't be transferred.then they charged me 39.00 to transfer my service. then on top of that they charge me a one time fee of 28.00 to transfer my old balance to a new account. i laughed at them.she just wasn't making any since to me. i told her that she was talking as if i have these bills in my possession. i only recieved the two statements i had just told her about. i told her i would pay the 148.00 and work of the rest and she said she couldn't make that decision and that she would have to transfer me. guess what? the phone went dead.it is not my fault that i didn't get any of the bills they claimed they sent and i am not interested in just giving comcast my money without a complete itemized statement.now i see why people get illegal cable. because these people are ridiculous.when i first got my service i was quoted a price of 69.00 and when i recieved a bill it was for 80.00 or so.i inquired about that and the woman got smart saying that don't include tax. well damit you should include the taxes because i thought i was getting something for 69.00 and to find out that it was 80.00. come on. this is not the only bill i have to pay. they act as if they are the only source of cable or something. comcast make to much money of its customer to do this. if they made a mistake they should try to help me out.

Comment On This

If you honestly thought you'd get away with not paying taxes your crazy. The Bundle is 99.99 per month, for 12 months but yes, taxes are not included in that quote.

Considering that the cable you probably have is 55.98 a month, the internet is 59.95 a month and the phone is 44.95 a month you should be happy you have that deal. *the prices quoted are just the products alone, the cost goes down with each additional product you have*