Comcast refusing to disconnect cable service for Engadget editor - call was recorded

[Howard]

I still find it hard to believe a company would purposefully train them to be that obnoxious, lol.

How young are you to be so naive?

 

[squarecut1]

I do wonder under what sort of pressure these retention guys are? Some of these companies can be quite brutal about results

 

[ultimatebob]

I do wonder under what sort of pressure these retention guys are? Some of these companies can be quite brutal about results

Something tells me that guy was WAY behind on his account recovery quota and was about to get fired anyway.

 

[PliotronX]

I hope Comcast doesn't acquire Time Warner Cable. As much as I want to hate Time Warner Cable, they've always been awesome when I've called customer support and now they have 1 hour service windows.

I feel the same way about Charter and Comcrap. If Comcrap buys out or "trades districts" I'm going back to DSL.

 

[mirageracerx]

comcast has the 4 hour service window. but only work 8-5. so its either you have stuff done before noon or after noon. and typically they come 2 minutes before their service window is up. also have had the techs lie saying they were there but werent. i really hate comcast. never had time warner. maybe if they competed against each other they would get rid of their poor customer service. *shrugs* one can dream right?

 

[Atreus21]

http://bgr.com/2014/07/15/why-is-comcast-so-bad-4/

If i could punch someone through the phone, this person would be it.

In all seriousness, why not just stop paying the bill if they want to be like this?

 

[sze5003]

In all seriousness, why not just stop paying the bill if they want to be like this?

Because they will shut off your service and send you to collections. You will have a worse time dealing with the clean up than putting up with a CS person trying to cancel.

 

[Atreus21]

Not really when it comes to service providers. You basically have 1 cable provider, one DSL, and maybe one satellite.

Speaking for myself, I'd sooner pay for a MiFi for Internet than pay a company to treat me like this. I don't care to watch television, so that might be easier for me than others. All the same, I'd sooner starve to death than pay an asshole money to give me food.

 

[Atreus21]

Because they will shut off your service and send you to collections. You will have a worse time dealing with the clean up than putting up with a CS person trying to cancel.

Collections? Tell them to go fuck themselves. What're they gonna do? Sue you for a hundred bucks after you made a good faith effort to cancel normally? Let them try. They're not entitled to my money, just as I'm not entitled to their service.

 

[Jeff7]

Because they will shut off your service and send you to collections. You will have a worse time dealing with the clean up than putting up with a CS person trying to cancel.

Collections, do what they can to ruin your credit....
I wonder if they have something in their T&C that says that you agree not to do that as a means of resolving conflicts?

 

[sze5003]

Anyone who truly wants to cancel just has to say they are moving or taking a job overseas. Or to an area where Comcast is not as available such as California. Unless you want a deal then you tell them to cancel it and bring up a competitor service.

This rep was behind quota or got in trouble before so he was doing anything in his power to keep someone. My guess is he got fired I would hope.

 

[PliotronX]

Collections? Tell them to go fuck themselves. What're they gonna do? Sue you for a hundred bucks after you made a good faith effort to cancel normally? Let them try. They're not entitled to my money, just as I'm not entitled to their service.

The courts are generally in their favor because they've buttered up the legal system just as they have politicians. In the offchance you actually have a recording of them stating that they would cancel it on x day, there is still the PITA of going to court or dealing with a collections notice. I wish I had more time to pursue stuff like that for the principle of the matter. Monopolies are never good for consumers

 

[Atreus21]

Collections, do what they can to ruin your credit....
I wonder if they have something in their T&C that says that you agree not to do that as a means of resolving conflicts?

So let them try. Send a letter to the credit bureau to dispute it, or let them drive your credit score down a couple of points. Heaven forbid.

Assholes will always be able to fuck with your life. That doesn't mean you have to do what they want. Does anyone honestly think Comcast can continually treat customers like this and stay in business? Is Comcast in fact doing this to the majority or even a significant percentage of its customers? And if they were, why on earth would we continue empowering them? Stop feeding them if they're treating you so badly.

 

[Atreus21]

The courts are generally in their favor because they've buttered up the legal system just as they have politicians. In the offchance you actually have a recording of them stating that they would cancel it on x day, there is still the PITA of going to court or dealing with a collections notice. I wish I had more time to pursue stuff like that for the principle of the matter. Monopolies are never good for consumers

If Comcast were a monopoly, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. They may dominate their regional market, but they're not a monopoly anymore than Microsoft or Google is.

The best way to defeat them is to stop voluntarily giving them your money.

 

[sze5003]

So let them try. Send a letter to the credit bureau to dispute it, or let them drive your credit score down a couple of points. Heaven forbid.

Assholes will always be able to fuck with your life. That doesn't mean you have to do what they want. Does anyone honestly think Comcast can continually treat customers like this and stay in business? Is Comcast in fact doing this to the majority or even a significant percentage of its customers? And if they were, why on earth would we continue empowering them? Stop feeding them if they're treating you so badly.

It would take a significant amount of people to quit their service for any effect to take place. They are the major provider in the east coast. Fios will not be installed in my apartment or near the area I live in. If you want internet or need it in my case since I'm on call and need to log in to my work pc sometimes, dsl doesn't cut it for what I have to do.

It sucks that we can't have other competition. I have unlimited data from Verizon so I could tether 4g lol.

 

[Atreus21]

It would take a significant amount of people to quit their service for any effect to take place. They are the major provider in the east coast. Fios will not be installed in my apartment or near the area I live in. If you want internet or need it in my case since I'm on call and need to log in to my work pc sometimes, dsl doesn't cut it for what I have to do.

If they continue treating their customers so poorly, a significant amount of cancellations will accrue insofar as people perceive the cost of Comcast's service to outweigh the benefit. And even if they don't, you'll at least have the satisfaction that they're not getting any more of your money to treat you like a dog.

It sucks that we can't have other competition. I have unlimited data from Verizon so I could tether 4g lol.

I admit I have no experience with Comcast. Cox Communications is the big kahuna around here, and frankly I'm not thrilled with their service either. So I don't use it. My employer gave me an unlimited 4GLTE Verizon MiFi, and that works for just about everything since neither I nor my family watch much television. And if they didn't give it to me, I still wouldn't use Cox. I got better things to drop $120 a month on.

 

[BUTCH1]

As much as I dislike Comcast this is probably just an example of an overly aggressive rep.

They are probably rated by how many customers that call in to disconnect service they can convince to not cancel but this guy just gets beyond annoying and redundant when it's clearly told to him "I choose not to explain my reason" at least 7-8 times through the conversation..

 

[edro]

If you imagine the Comcast guy is actually an actor on Crank Yankers, it's pretty funny.

 

[Aikouka]

Imagine me, a nerd with a genuine interest in electronics, technology, and helping people taken out of electronics and replaced by an airhead blonde who didn't know a NiMH battery from her butthole but had a way with selling cards is somehow considered the optimal experience for shoppers and the perception Target wishes to behold.

It's probably not all that surprising. Electronics most likely has their most expensive items, and if said blonde is really good at getting people to sign up for a line of credit, she's probably convincing them to buy some expensive item. Although, Target probably cares more about selling the ridiculously-overpriced accessories (just like other businesses), which she might have been good at too.

Of course, I'm not saying that Target is doing right by their consumer, but that it makes sense for Target to put a good card pusher there. I end up going to Target often as it's on the way home from work, and there have been times when I've helped customers in the electronics department because their staff didn't understand any of the more technical stuff. I remember one guy wanting something like a HDMI to "yellow plug" cable. The people had no idea what he meant; so, I just piped up, "It sounds like you want a HDMI to RCA/Composite solution. Unfortunately, HDMI is digital and composite is analog, which means the solution won't be simple. Chances are that you'll need some sort of digital-to-analog converter, which I doubt that they sell here."

 

[Fritzo]

I think I would have just hung up and got someone else. He was kind of feeding the rep after a while.

 

[ElFenix]

idk, I see garbage delivery trucks with an all-too common frequency in my neighborhood.

pizza delivery in a non-beat up audi?

 

[BUTCH1]

Customer should have just answered the questions honestly to shut the rep up.

All this stuff about I don't have to tell you or it's none of your business is what's wrong with this generation.

What? he is under NO OBLIGATION to answer any questions, he's not applying for a car loan, he's canceling his cable service, let Comcast find out themselves why they are among the most hated companies in the world, if he chooses not to discuss his reasons THAT'S HIS BUSINESS!.

 

[Aikouka]

pizza delivery in a non-beat up audi?

I live pretty close to a Domino's, and I saw a fairly new Infiniti G37 with one of those tacky Domino's signs stuck on top.

 

[ultimatebob]

So let them try. Send a letter to the credit bureau to dispute it, or let them drive your credit score down a couple of points. Heaven forbid.

Assholes will always be able to fuck with your life. That doesn't mean you have to do what they want. Does anyone honestly think Comcast can continually treat customers like this and stay in business? Is Comcast in fact doing this to the majority or even a significant percentage of its customers? And if they were, why on earth would we continue empowering them? Stop feeding them if they're treating you so badly.

Not only will they screw with your credit, but the collectors will hound you for months until you threaten to press charges against them for harassment.

 

[Phoenix86]

What? he is under NO OBLIGATION to answer any questions, he's not applying for a car loan, he's canceling his cable service, let Comcast find out themselves why they are among the most hated companies in the world, if he chooses not to discuss his reasons THAT'S HIS BUSINESS!.

I imagine answering "because Comcast sucks", over and over and over would, at a minimum, be fun.

"Ahh yes, I would, but as I said, Comcast sucks".
"Well, if you recall my previous answers, Comcast sucks".