I hate Comcast, but little less this time

When I received my latest Comcast internet bill, I noticed my monthly internet cost has gone up from $54.99 to $82.99 for the Blast tier service.  The current download speed for Blast tier is 100Mbps.  The bill indicated the Performance tier would be $69.99 per month.  The current download speed for Performance tier is 50Mbps.   In order to save few bucks I want to downgrade my service back to Performance tier but I dread to call Comcast due to previous unpleasant experience.

When I call Comcast to downgrade my internet service, I was pleasantly surprised to talk to a very cheerful service reps.  I told her I want to downgrade my internet service to Performance tier due to the high cost, she offered me the current internet promotion.  She said the current offer for Blast tier is $69.99 per month and Performance tier is $59.99 per month.  She also said that the Blast download speed is 150Mbps and download speed for Performance is 75Mbps.  She even offered free cable TV with the $59.99 Performance service.  In order not to deal with Comcast, I declined all the offers and just change to Performance internet only service.  I just don't want to deal with cable box and another remote control, and then have to call them to cancel cable TV service later on.

I really hate the Comcast confusing service levels and  promotions. I also hate the annual price increase. Unless you beg, you don't get the lower price.  I was surprised to get the lower price without begging this time, I guess I was lucky to talk to a cheerful person.  All the people I deal with on the Comcast toll free number before gave me the impression they were either inpatient or grumpy, or hate their job.  Anyway, I am still looking forward to sign up the gigabit internet service offered by our city next year.  The charter price will be $49.99 per month for as long as I stay in the current address.  My advice to Comcast is to simplify your pricing and have more cheerful service reps.

This AskBob article mentioned the Colorado municipal broadband.

My history dealing with Comcast.

I hate Comcast

I hate Comcast, continue

Bye Bye Comcast cable TV

Bye Bye Comcast Cable TV

I finally get rid of Comcast cable TV to offset the continue internet service price increases.  Beside why pay Comcast for the channels when I could get them free over the air?

My total monthly Comcast bill was around $68 at the beginning of the year.  The performance internet was $49.99 and basic cable TV was $25, with few dollars of package credit for total of $68.  Then I noticed price increased in August, then again in September and my total monthly bill increased to around $85.  When I questioned the price hike, I was told I no longer had the package credit.  At that point, I said I want to terminate the cable TV service in order to save $25, but was told this would not the case.  Getting rid of cable TV would increase my internet price to $69.99.  Looks like they get you either way.  No wonder so many people hate this company.

So I complained to the Comcast's We_Can_Help department.  Someone call me back next day.  I told the person that I am not happy with the price increase and I want to terminate the cable TV service without penalty.  Unlike the people I deal with on the toll free line, he was more helpful.   He gave me a promotional Blast internet price of $54.99 for 12 months and terminated my cable TV service.  He even gave me $20 credit on the October bill plus sending me a prepaid box to return the TV adapters. 

I am happy getting rid the cable TV, next year when our city offer Giga bit internet service I plan to get rid of the Comcast internet service too.  From what I read in the local news, many people were jump in joy for having alternate internet service provider. 

I can't wait to say the final good bye to Comcast.

You might interested in my TV antenna post.

I Hate Comcast...continue

As mentioned in my previous post, I really don’t like Comcast that much.  Here is another reason. 

Since I don’t watch TV that much, and the stuff I do watch I can get them free over the air, so I called Comcast to cancel my Basic TV service in order to save the $25 per month charge.  I am on fixed disability income, the $25 would buy me couple days of food.  But I was surprised to learn that canceling my TV service would actually increase my total monthly bill by about a dollar.  I was told my promotional price for the internet service is based on me having the TV service.  If I don’t have  the TV service, my promotional price would end.  Well, no one told me that when I accepted the promotional price. 

So I keep the TV service for now but I am not using it because it needs the digital TV adapter.  I can get HDTV over the air but I can only get SDTV with the adapter, plus I don’t want to deal with another remote and another power adapter.  I will cancel the TV service at the end of the internet pricing promotion. 

I am hoping I don’t have to deal with Comcast in couple of years.  I heard City of Longmont plan to offer internet service in 2015, this may be an option.  Worst come to worse, I would switch over to CentryLink DSL service.  Either way, bye bye Comcast.

 

Update April 2014

Comcast was voted worst company in America.  Read more

 

 

 

I Hate Comcast

I just have to rant about this.

I know many people hate Comcast, and I just join this group.  It all started with my acceptance to the so called " free" upgrade to the Blast internet.  Originally I had the Basic internet for around $43.  Soon after I accepted the "free" upgrade, I was moved to their Performance internet for around $54, that is like 25% rate increase.  When I contact Comcast about this, they claimed that my Basic internet is no longer available and the price increase has nothing to do with the free Blast upgrade.  I had the Basic internet for years, I found it hard to believe it disappeared as soon as I had the free upgrade.  This is really a sneaky way to hike the price. 

On top of that, they also increase the price of Basic TV at the same time.  Not sure if this increase has anything to do with the free upgrade.  Plus they encrypted the channels in the Basic TV service.  They forced you to have their digital adapter, now I have one more remote control to deal with.  I plan to get an antenna and discontinue the Basic TV service.  Why pay the $25 when you can get the same channels over the air for free? 

By the way, over the years, Comcast removed few really nice channels from their Basic TV channel line up, like Discover and Barvo.  The latest channel got removed was the MHZ channel.  They filled the Basic TV with filler channels like religious channels, shopping channels, and non-English channels.   

Rant off.  I feel better already. 

Update:  I sent an email to the Comcast corporate support to complaint about the price and threaten to cancel if they don't do anything about it.  Someone called back the same day and offered the Performance tier internet at $40 for 6 months plus free upgrade to Blast tier for 6 months. 

Additional thoughts.  Since Comcast has monopoly cable market in many areas, they can charge whatever price they want.  Their marketing model seems to be squeeze and antagonize their customers as hard as  possible.   If their customers complaint or threaten to switch, they would throw them a small "promotion" discount to keep them on their leash, like they just did to me. 

If there is such thing as corporate karma, Comcast isn't getting any.  Google "I hate Comcast" to see what others said about this company.  On Facebook, there are at least five groups with the title "I Hate Comcast".