Comcast is a bunch of crooks

[nageov3t]

just a random vent

about a month ago, I got a letter from Comcast notifying me that due to some kind of audit error, they hadn't been charging me a modem rental fee and that going forward, I'd be getting charged $8/month for renting a modem from Comcast. "generously," the letter told me that the charges would not be back-dated but would start with my next bill.

only one problem -- I own the modem, and have for the +4 years I've been with Comcast. :thumbsdown:

I've spent the past few weeks arguing with them on the phone and have even faxed them receipts of my Best Buy online order for the modem, but they're swearing up and down that it's their equipment (nevermind the fact that they haven't sent me one shred of documentation indicating that I signed for equipment delivery from them)

not even sure where to go from here, hence the random venting. I'd cancel in a heartbeat, but then what? give my own modem back to Comcast so they don't send a collection agency after me?

 

[shortylickens]

I was so happy when FIOS opened up in my area. Dumped comcast as soon as was possible.

By the time I went to turn in my box they already had a huge stack of the things in their hallway.

:awe:

FUCKEM!

 

[Pardus]

just a random vent

about a month ago, I got a letter from Comcast notifying me that due to some kind of audit error, they hadn't been charging me a modem rental fee and that going forward, I'd be getting charged $8/month for renting a modem from Comcast. "generously," the letter told me that the charges would not be back-dated but would start with my next bill.

only one problem -- I own the modem, and have for the +4 years I've been with Comcast. :thumbsdown:

I've spent the past few weeks arguing with them on the phone and have even faxed them receipts of my Best Buy online order for the modem, but they're swearing up and down that it's their equipment (nevermind the fact that they haven't sent me one shred of documentation indicating that I signed for equipment delivery from them)

not even sure where to go from here, hence the random venting. I'd cancel in a heartbeat, but then what? give my own modem back to Comcast so they don't send a collection agency after me?

Have Comcast read to you the mac address they have for the modem on your account, if that mac id matches your purchased modem, together with proof of purchase they should stop billing you.

Good luck.

 

[olds]

Comcast kept billing me for the modem I own. I'd clear it up and they'd stop billing for a year, then start billing again. 3 times so far. Comcast is the only high speed provider in my area.

 

[TwiceOver]

$8/mo for a modem? That's crazy.

 

[PliotronX]

 

[nageov3t]

$8/mo for a modem? That's crazy.

yeah, I'm not sure why anyone would rent a modem from Comcast at that price when you can buy one at Best Buy or Amazon for $50.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Ouch that sucks OP. I'd keep escalating and yell at someone higher in the food chain. If that doesn't work, social media might.

Bright House didn't charge a modem rental fee for a number of years but instituted a $2.50 monthly charge on 10/1/2012. In the 18 months since then, the fee has increased to $4/month and I'm sure their end game is to increase it gradually until they hit the $7 or $8 per month mark. I'm going to pull he trigger on my own modem to head them off at the pass but I'll make sure I get something signed when I turn in the old one. FWIW, when I did have Comcast, I bought my own modem and had no issues.

 

[Uppsala9496]

That sucks OP.
When I moved to Comcast I made sure I bought a different brand that Motorola since that is what Comcast rents out.

 

[Brainonska511]

$8 for a modem rental? That alone is criminal. RCN only charges $3.

 

[tmc]

that sucks. let us know how it goes.

this is equivalent to stealing and they should be arrested (or they compensate big time). oh well!

 

[Markbnj]

Have Comcast read to you the mac address they have for the modem on your account, if that mac id matches your purchased modem, together with proof of purchase they should stop billing you.

Good luck.

Yep, this. If it's their modem then they have the MAC on record. And since it's their modem it should match.

 

[mcvickj]

I hope that doesn't happen to me. I just moved and Comcast was the only option available. Using my own modem which happens to be a Motorola Surfboard. We shall see when I get my first bill.

I would think with the original receipt and the retail packaging that should be enough to get them to remove the modem rental charge. Good luck!

 

[darkxshade]

Yep, this. If it's their modem then they have the MAC on record. And since it's their modem it should match.

Wouldn't they have the MAC on record regardless of whether the modem is theirs or not? Basically how would you deal with a situation where they claimed the MAC as belonging to one of their modems?

 

[slag]

yeah, I'm not sure why anyone would rent a modem from Comcast at that price when you can buy one at Best Buy or Amazon for $50.

Comcast modems have been configured to extremely tight tolerances so the bits and bytes are perfectly aligned. They are made for the comcast network and you will see the best performance. They also have the most recent docsis upgrades. Sure, you could get another, offbrand crappy modem from best buy, but it wouldn't be OE and you might lose your warranty, not to mention data corruption and loss of signal due to pathway separation.

 

[justin4pack]

Comcast modems have been configured to extremely tight tolerances so the bits and bytes are perfectly aligned. They are made for the comcast network and you will see the best performance. They also have the most recent docsis upgrades. Sure, you could get another, offbrand crappy modem from best buy, but it wouldn't be OE and you might lose your warranty, not to mention data corruption and loss of signal due to pathway separation.

Actually any docis 3 modem from and of the major brands will work just fine. Just sayen. Its not like I work for them or anything.

 

[JEDIYoda]

It would be funny if the mac addresses matched....poor Op..lol

 

[CubanlB]

not even sure where to go from here, hence the random venting. I'd cancel in a heartbeat, but then what? give my own modem back to Comcast so they don't send a collection agency after me?

If you do cancel they will want a receipt showing that you at some point bought that modem.

They will require no unique identification of the modem, or any other proof that the receipt is actually for the modem in question.

I had a my comcast bill just randomly go up like 5 times. The last straw was that they said that I subscribed to cable service (I had not) and they had sent me a startup kit, which I never received. So, I canceled, received a final bill, paid it.

Then I received a collection letter, for 30$, for the modem I did not return. A modem that I owned. A modem I had used with 2 other accounts with Comcast, and one with US Cable.

I called many times, each time a service rep would say that it was obvious that I had not been renting it and that they would fix it.

I kept getting collection letters, for 30 Dollars...

Anyway, eventually realized that I had bought the modem from amazon 4 YEARS AGO. I could get a receipt, so I called them back. After a long discussion about how Comcast should need to provide proof that they supplied the modem and could not, I was told that if I couldn't provide proof that I bought it then I had stolen it, and I deserved the collections letter.

Sent them the receipt, they finally fixed fixed it.

Now I love my VDSL, and life is good. Comcast is pretty sucky. If you do cancel, just send them the modem. It's going to get blacklisted as stolen any way. (Mine did)

 

[nageov3t]

It would be funny if the mac addresses matched....poor Op..lol

the serial #'s and MAC addresses do match up, but I'm assuming that when the tech came out to get me all setup initially 4 years ago, he would have written it down the logged it somewhere.

but still, I have the receipt for purchasing my modem and Comcast has yet to show my evidence of me accepting delivery of any equipment.

not that it matters... at this point, I'm pretty resigned that my only real recourse is canceling, letting Comcast steal my modem, buying a new modem, and re-subscribing.

Comcast has a monopoly in my area and Verizon has stopped expanding FIOS, so I'm SOL until I move unless I wanted to downgrade to DSL. I'm seriously considering canceling cable out of spite and going internet-only, though.

 

[slag]

Actually any docis 3 modem from and of the major brands will work just fine. Just sayen. Its not like I work for them or anything.

Whoosh.......

 

[cbrsurfr]

I hate Comcast but I have no other choice for internet. I tried signing up for ATT DSL but they are complete buffoons. My order was cancelled three times for no reason. Then they allegedly set everything up and tested it yet I never had a DSL signal. Ended up cancelling and had to stay with Comcast. Due to a non compete with ATT, Verizon wouldn't provide me service either.

 

[brandonb]

I have vowed to never use Comcast for the duration of my life after a similar incident.

----

I ordered a bundle cable TV package from their website. Something like $59.99 a month. I started getting bills for $120 per month. They said it's because I ordered all the channels individually, even though all the channels I ordered were in the $59.99 bundle.

I said "I used your website, you can't even order channels individually, you have to bundle when signing up." Phone rep said "Well, our system purged the records already for how you signed up. So we can't tell if you bundled or ordered individually... So you owe us $240" (I only had service 4 months into it at that point).

I told them I would cancel my service then. I went in, returned my cable box. Then they charged my credit card $200 for a non returned cable box in addition to their $240 I supposedly owed them.

I went in, talked to some clerk at the desk in the local Comcast building. She confirmed I returned the cable box, and that they were over charging me, and said she'd fill out the paperwork to send me a refund. She said she would give it to her supervisor to sign off on it, and I'd get it.

Her supervisor called me a week later and said there was an error, I was supposed to be paying $150 a month instead of the $120 they were charging me, and I owe them another $120 on top of everything else.

I charged back everything on my credit card, but I lost because Comcast said I refused to return my cable box (the clerk took my receipt when she turned in the paperwork for the sup, and I didn't have a copy anymore! lols.)

Make sure you keep every confirmation, print out any sign up forms, make copies of all your bills, get receipts for any turn ins (demand them if they don't offer to give them to you) and get EVERYTHING in writing. Make copies if they request them. I'd even record the phone calls or any communication with clerks, etc (if that is legal in your state)...

 

[Rvenger]

This is on my list of things to do as well. Dump Comcast. They increased my bill 3 times in a year. They just keep creeping it up by $5 increments when ever they feel like it.

 

[T9D]

I was moving around a lot for a while and every damn time I'd move they'd try to charge me for my own modem saying it was theirs.

People this isn't some glitch or mistake, they know damn well it's happening and you can be sure they do it on purpose. It's criminal. It's amazing that nobody in this government is looking out for us and big business owns this country. The sad thing is comcast must get a lot of people who just pay the fee even though they own the modem. It's sickening.

 

[Brainonska511]

I was moving around a lot for a while and every damn time I'd move they'd try to charge me for my own modem saying it was theirs.

People this isn't some glitch or mistake, they know damn well it's happening and you can be sure they do it on purpose. It's criminal. It's amazing that nobody in this government is looking out for us and big business owns this country. The sad thing is comcast must get a lot of people who just pay the fee even though they own the modem. It's sickening.

That's what class-action lawsuits are good for - forcing companies to stop cheating lots of people individually out of small amounts of money, but a recent USSC ruling allows companies to use arbitration clauses to force consumers to fight individual cases in front of an arbiter instead of banding together as a class. And with that, few people are going to individually pursue a large corporation for a few bucks.