Comcast Tech Support. Seriously?

[Drako]

Later I had the chance to sit next to him and watch him enter his password. The entire problem was that he was hitting the caplocks key instead of shift. Once he entered the password correctly, everything worked fine.

Except that my parents aren't total tech idiots. My dad has done installs of Windows in the past and recently configured a new router for their house, all secured along with a Guest account. While I wouldn't call him a power user, he's not totally oblivious about computer tech like so many senior citizens are.

Sounds like he's pretty oblivious to me .

 

[Perknose]

That sounds like the most plausible explanation so far.

No, the most plausible explanation is that he misdialed the number, as a number of posters here have tried to tell you.

He had the caps lock on and couldn't diagnose that. That's fairly oblivious.

As noted, Comcast does not sell security ware. Why can't you accept that Dad obviously misdialed?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

The wife and I are visiting family for the weekend in Orlando. Last night we are at my parents' house and my dad was complaining that he hasn't been able to receive his Comcast email for a couple of days. He had his Comcast email set up through an alias in Windows Live Mail through Outlook.com and it just wasn't working so I took a look at it. I did some scans first just to make sure there weren't any viruses or malware on his system, then checked through his email settings. I told him that the problem was his password with his Comcast email. It either wasn't correct or wasn't being picked up by correctly by Live Mail. I also told him that he should try to connect directly to his old Comcast email through the Comcast webpage to ensure the password was correct.

So he tries to connect through Comcast and still couldn't get it working. He calls Comcast tech support and they put him through to someone who remotes into his system. I'm in the process of cooking dinner so I'm trying to keep an eye on this at the same time. He tries to explain to the tech what the problem is and suddenly there are screens flashing on his system left and right warning of malware and all kinds of crap. The tech informs him that he has a bunch of malware on his system. He looks at me and I told him, watch what happens next. She's going to try to upsell you a security package for a crapton of money. Sure as shit, she claims that he absolutely needs a system cleaning and their special security software to straighten his system back out, and for only a few hundred dollars. I told him they were full of it and that they were scamming him. There was no malware on his system and there was no way they could have remotely scanned his system thoroughly in the 20 seconds or so it took to start their ridiculous spiel. He declined their offer and hung up.

Later I had the chance to sit next to him and watch him enter his password. The entire problem was that he was hitting the caplocks key instead of shift. Once he entered the password correctly, everything worked fine.

Seriously Comcast? Is this the kind of bullshit you present to your customers; a fucking tech hustle? You should be ashamed of yourselves, but maybe that's precisely why you are more commonly referred to as COMCRAP? DIAF mofos.

TLC, the b est thing you can do is set them up a web hosting account on a private domain. Then create mailboxes for him and have them use these instead of relying on Outlook.com or Comcast.

I did this almost a decade ago and have never looked back. Adelphia, then Comcast, etc., are what will give the most headaches. My wife loves how this is working for us, and she has many custom mailboxes for the variety of stuff she does on the Internet--helps track who is selling which mailbox addresses.

The severs the tie between your Internet connection and your Internet life. Long live the fighters!

 

[QuietDad]

No, the most plausible explanation is that he misdialed the number, as a number of posters here have tried to tell you.

He had the caps lock on and couldn't diagnose that. That's fairly oblivious.

As noted, Comcast does not sell security ware. Why can't you accept that Dad obviously misdialed?

If you read it more closely, This was done during a live web chat and not the phone. Potentially he could have mistyped the web site. I work for a subcontracting company that does work for Comcast and Cablevision. We have the inside numbers to tech support and trust me, they aren't that good.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

No, the most plausible explanation is that he misdialed the number, as a number of posters here have tried to tell you.

He had the caps lock on and couldn't diagnose that. That's fairly oblivious.

As noted, Comcast does not sell security ware. Why can't you accept that Dad obviously misdialed?

Comcast, or in my Dad's case, Xfinity, does indeed sell internet security and virus/malware removal packages. I can't verify that this is what my dad was being offered because I didn't watch every move he made and didn't deal with the techs directly myself. Nor did he apparently "call" Comcast. When I asked him earlier today he claimed he went through their support website to contact them.

Nor is mistakenly hitting the caplocks key something that is limited to the tech oblivious. I'd be willing to bet that it has been the occasional bane of most of us in here because it is placed in a stupid position on the keyboard, being right above the left shift key. It's easy to hit caplocks instead of left-shift when typing, particularly when using a relatively new keyboard as my dad was. If you have never accidently tapped caplock instead, congrats. You'd also be a lying sos.

 

[MotionMan]

If you read it more closely, This was done during a live web chat and not the phone.

I do not read it that way at all:

He calls Comcast tech support and they put him through to someone who remotes into his system.

Where do you read a live web chat in that?

MotionMan

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I do not read it that way at all:



Where do you read a live web chat in that?

MotionMan

I was out turning the steaks on the grill and when I came back inside he was speaking on the phone with them so I assumed he called them. When I asked him later for the specifics he said he contacted them through their website and that they called him.

I checked his browser history and it appeared he did exactly what he claimed. If he got connected to some scam website instead, I'm not sure how that happened.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Was CS foreign? Maybe they were running their own thing on the side, like the MS scam where they cold call people to tell them they have problems. I think they originate from otherwise legitimate call centers. If your father sounds old, they may have heard that, and thought he'd make an easy mark.

I was thinking the same actually. Double dipping at it's finest. Hey, why not. In their shoes I'd probably think of the same thing. :biggrin:

I had the fake MS guys call me but I was not properly setup for it, so I had to fluff them off saying my PC wont turn on so I can try to buy time. They just hung up on me. I'm prepared now, I really hope they call again. I just want to screw around with them and waste their time and I'm also curious what kind of stuff they put on the system.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Given how poorly most people describe their problems, I have to feel sorry for the Comcast support people.

Taking the OP's example, how the heck would the Comcast person ever guess that the problem being described was due to an incorrect password because of caps-lock?

It's really not surprising that they are stunned and ill equipped to deal with callers (like us?) who have and can actually describe a real technical problems.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Comcast, or in my Dad's case, Xfinity, does indeed sell internet security and virus/malware removal packages.--- no they do not sell packages...can you read??

Those are the going rates to ghave a technician either access your computer remotely or come to your home.
That is NOT a security package!!

 

[MotionMan]

I was out turning the steaks on the grill and when I came back inside he was speaking on the phone with them so I assumed he called them. When I asked him later for the specifics he said he contacted them through their website and that they called him.

I checked his browser history and it appeared he did exactly what he claimed. If he got connected to some scam website instead, I'm not sure how that happened.

I still do not see anything referring to a "live web chat". I see "speaking on the phone" and "they called him".

MotionMan

EDIT: I am not sure what OP responded as he did above (I just realized it was OP). I was debating with QuietDad.

OP, was he on the phone or on a web chat?

MotionMan

 

[Juddog]

OP post the phone number that was called so we can double check it.

 

[olds]

op post the phone number that was called so we can double check it.

867-5389

 

[MotionMan]

867-5389

Or was it 867-5309?

MotionMan

 

[SKORPI0]

Or was it 867-5309?

MotionMan

Hello, this is Jennifer... How can I help you. :awe:

 

[Juddog]

Maybe it was "Windows Support", from India, that called.

 

[darkewaffle]

You sure you called the right number?

This was actually my first thought. Comcast will certainly try to upsell you on their packages given the opportunity, but this doesn't really sound like their MO.

 

[waggy]

He had the caps lock on and couldn't diagnose that. That's fairly oblivious.

?

Sounds like he's pretty oblivious to me .

So neither one of you have done that? or had colleague's that have done that?

if you say no you are either liars or don't work with computers.

I have seen high level is people do it. Then when pointed out laugh..

 

[waggy]

Taking the OP's example, how the heck would the Comcast person ever guess that the problem being described was due to an incorrect password because of caps-lock?

actually a good tech's first question when hearing that the password don't work is "is the caps-lock on?". :biggrin:

 

[Perknose]

It's easy to hit caplocks instead of left-shift when typing, particularly when using a relatively new keyboard as my dad was. If you have never accidently tapped caplock instead, congrats. You'd also be a lying sos.

We've all done it, no doubt. And we've all done the minimal trouble-shooting to find out this was the problem when we have. Your Dad was apparently unable to do this. What does that tell you?

 

[Perknose]

So neither one of you have done that? or had colleague's that have done that?

if you say no you are either liars or don't work with computers.

No one is saying that. Stop with the stupid strawman argument. See above.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

We've all done it, no doubt. And we've all done the minimal trouble-shooting to find out this was the problem when we have. Your Dad was apparently unable to do this. What does that tell you?

Well Perk, you know how old guys can very often be obstinate, stubborn, and believe themselves to be infallible?

 

[Perknose]

Well Perk, you know how old guys can very often be obstinate, stubborn, and believe themselves to be infallible?

So why are YOU behaving exactly like this here in this thread, obstinately and stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the obvious and acting as though YOU are infallible?

Are you a tragic victim of progeria?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

So why are YOU behaving exactly like this here in this thread, obstinately and stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the obvious and acting as though YOU are infallible?

Are you a tragic victim of progeria?

 

[Perknose]

Comcast tried to sell my Dad bogus security software, I swear!

It's obvious to everyone that your Dad wasn't talking to Comcast. People have patiently tried to explain this to you.

Yet. post after post, you've left nothing but a diaper load of idenial.

It's nappy, nappy nap time for you!