Comcast strikes again....

Now mind you, I AM actually a huge fan of Comcast; in fact, quite the Crusader of Comcast. I love the OnDemand, the free movies, the DVR, the fast internet when it works.....AAAND...they have some of the nicest customer reps and techs out there. When we first started with Comcast two years ago over DirecTV (whom I loved more at that time....) I was the biggest cheerleader for Comcast.

But their actual product really sucks. Seriously? And they're dipping into the cell phone service and home alarm system game? Your signal is jacked on a regular basis and we're going to trust our house and family based on our experiences? Uh....I think not!

So, this is in regard to my issues that I've had since June/July of last year...our service has been horrible! Signal drops constantly with all of our triple play services. In fact, as of late I've been trying to win some money off a radio contest and as I was dialing I was cut off a couple of times due to a dropped signal. The cable goes out constantly, and the internet drops as I'm blogging, or couponing...then if it drops as I'm printing a coupon it shows that I've already printed the coupon when I've actually not done so...and that upsets me terribly, especially if it's a really great coupon.

Back in June of this year I blogged about how Comcast was the only cable company in our area until now; with UVerse via AT&T and I've heard RCN is coming with an internet package as well that I'm about to look into, so thank God we'll have choices and Comcast won't have the monopoly on cable/pay for TV services.

At any rate, my post was met w/a comment from none other than a Mr. Mark Casen, National Customer Operations for Comcast. I was more than surprised especially at the fact that he asked me to email him so we can get our problems resolved.

Well, you KNOW I had to double check and make certain this was legit...because you just don't know how many weirdos can pose as someone asking for your email and account info, what have you...and I just give it up willy-nilly. Anyway....

Well, I ended up being careful w/not only the phone call to Comcast but thorough research re: Mr. Casen, and have found Mr. Casen did in fact comment on my blog...but I wasn't quite convinced.

I called Comcast with my usual problem (IE, dropped signals w/all the above: phone, internet, cable) and was chatting w/"Lovely" (name changed to protect the innocent) who lived up two her pseudonym. Did you ever see the commercial for Discover Card where the two women are chatting it up like sisters; one a customer and one a rep. and they're going on about how they hate that robotic voice, it's nice to speak to a human, blah blah..and then the customer forgets what she called for? Well, that's usually me w/Comcast customer service. Chicagoland area Comcast customer service reps ROCK!

Well, "Lovely" and I had nice chat and she cleared up the Mark Casem deal up for me and even emailed Mr. Casen personally giving him the info of my issues, IE, dropped signals since last year, at least 8 techs over, three different DVR boxes, yadda yadda and how this was on my blog....blah blah. Well, as I was transfered from "Lovely" to schedule ANOTHER tech (our 9th tech in the front room as we; uh...type?) to come by and whilst on hold, Mr. Casem calls me, tells me of my plight, and to not only resend the details of what is and has been wrong but the link to my blog.

So, once again our tech checked signals...things seem fine but he did give us a "modem light 101" lesson where he informed us of certain lights going off or on and what that means, thus a problem or not.

Just in! Our tech was told we "cancelled" our request despite I OKed it via automated Comcast system last night and this morning....AAAARGH! The tech was a bit upset as he won't get paid for the call but we told him to tell his dispatcher to call us and verify he spent 40 minutes with and I took it upon myself to call customer service with this info and the rep stated we DID CANCEL the appointment (huh?) and it was stated by us that everything was in working order (Say what?) and when I informed said rep that the tech was already here, and he was informed he "wasn't" and won't get the credit for this call, she wanted to send me ANOTHER tech (????? Aye....
Dios....Mio). Uh, no, not happening...and is not the case. I verified the auto call to confirm our appointment last night and this morning. Cheese and crackers, I feel like I'm dealing w/my Aspie son with the repeating, and repeating...and more repeating. AAARGH! Another thing I get to tell Mr. Casen along with the fact we've still not been credited three $25 credits that were promised, including the latest one where "Lovely" put it through the system last Friday.

Seriously? Who the hell has the time to pussyfoot w/Comcast? They put you on hold as they try to rectify the problem, call at inconvenient times and messed up me picking up my kids on numerous occasions as well as disturbed meal times where our dogs ended up eating more than my kids....it's maddening! And too constant...and making me seriously reconsider our options.

So now we wait...and see.

Options? Well, if you get a great internet service via Clear or AT&T you can fire your cable/satellite company and use your computer with services like Netflix, Hulu, and various others as well as looking into local business that provide a monthly fee (like our area has a small DVD shop called "The Video Strip" where for about $10 a month you can rent unlimited movies). Then if you use a cell phone with unlimited browsing you don't even have to have an internet provider; just tether your laptop to your cell phone....So take into consideration:


With even the basic cable package you'll be paying (if you bundle the trifecta, IE, internet, cable and phone) along with the DVR payments, insurance to keep your stuff functioning, HD charges (which is included when you pay for the whole Magilla, which...we have) you'll pay (in the Chicagoland area) w/all them there wonderful taxes that aren't funding much of anything) about $150.

Well, if I'm going to get misfunctiong and lousy product with what's supposed to be one of the best cable companies around what's the point of paying so much for exactly the same....thing?

What say you?