Comcast Tech Support. Seriously?

[TastesLikeChicken]

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.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This stuff is killing the Windows x86 ecosystem for consumers.

 

[chimaxi83]

Gotta give those overseas foreigners jobs, you know.

 

[Ichinisan]

You sure you called the right number?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

You sure you called the right number?

I just asked him how he contacted them. He said it was through Comcast's (actually Xfinity's) support page.

 

[KeithP]

I just asked him how he contacted them. He said it was through Comcast's (actually Xfinity's) support page.

Comcast provides, free of charge, "Constant Guard" which is a security suite by Norton. I don't know who he called but I doubt it was Comcast.

-KeithP

 

[PottedMeat]

they're allowed to remote into customer's computers? dunno about comcast but att uverse can just do diagnostics on the modem

 

[Ichinisan]

I just asked him how he contacted them. He said it was through Comcast's (actually Xfinity's) support page.

Maybe someone chose a similar domain name to catch people like him. You should check his call history for the actual number he dialed.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Maybe someone chose a similar domain name to catch people like him. You should check his call history for the actual number he dialed.

He's taking a nap right now so I took a look through his browser history. He was definitely on Comcast's support website.

 

[Phoenix86]

He's taking a nap right now so I took a look through his browser history. He was definitely on Comcast's support website.

Then he dialed a number close to their support number by mistake 1888xxx-yyyy instead of 1800xxx-yyyy or whatever. That situation you described is a classic scam but it's not one run by comcast. I'm 99% sure he called the wrong number, was redirected to a fake page, perhaps even caught a rep who was in on a scam... something.

 

[Phoenix86]

Check his host file for a redirect? Check his call log on his phone?

 

[olds]

Comcast sucks but there is no way that was comcast.

 

[drebo]

If he was talking to Comcast, chances are he wasn't asking the right questions, and from the convoluted way in which his email is received, and the fact that you ran malware scans on his computer because he was getting a password error at outlook.com (wtf?), I'd suspect that you wouldn't be able to ask the right questions either.

So, not really a Comcast issue here.

 

[KK]

my computer illiterate mother had the same issue with calling in to support for apple. she was told basically the same thing as the op. She hung up on them and they actually called her back, and scolded her for hanging up.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

If he was talking to Comcast, chances are he wasn't asking the right questions, and from the convoluted way in which his email is received, and the fact that you ran malware scans on his computer because he was getting a password error at outlook.com (wtf?), I'd suspect that you wouldn't be able to ask the right questions either.

So, not really a Comcast issue here.

You aren't following along. I wrote it out clearly enough. He initially only told me that he was having problems with receiving his email so the first thing I checked was to make sure his system wasn't compromised, a wise first option to check for older folks who use Facebook regularly and are prone to click on potentially unsavory links that look innocent. After that I checked the settings for his email and it was me who told him the problem was with his password. It was at that point that he contacted Comcast.

I was cooking at that time so I wasn't right next to him to see what exactly what he did next to contact Comcast but I have subsequently checked his browser history and his hosts file. Nothing is out of place or indicates that he did anything other than what he said.

Nor is his email received in any sort of "convoluted way." It's actually a rather simple method to create an alias in Outlook.com in order to migrate from a provider-based email to a web-based email.

btw, I have been building and fixing computers for well over 20 years. I can assure you that I know them very well and I am confident I could run circles around you.

 

[Newbian]

 

[Drako]

Old People, Seriously?

Having gone through similar situations with several octogenarian relatives, I'm not sure how you can blame this on Comcast, or any other "evil service provider"

 

[Narse]

I thought bright house had Orlando in lockdown as far as cable providers went. I also think he somehow got the wrong number.

 

[lxskllr]

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.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Old People, Seriously?

Having gone through similar situations with several octogenarian relatives, I'm not sure how you can blame this on Comcast, or any other "evil service provider"

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.

I thought bright house had Orlando in lockdown as far as cable providers went. I also think he somehow got the wrong number.

They live in south Orlando near the Lake Nona area. Xfinity has a presence there.

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.

That sounds like the most plausible explanation so far.

 

[Meghan54]

I lived with Comcast for 2.5 years on Cape Cod...was my father-in-law's acct. and setup. He would forget his password every 6 months or so routinely. I was present for a few of the password reset calls and never, not once, did they remote access his computer nor try to upsell some BS anti-virus package.

Sounds very, very suspicious. In fact, out of all the internet providers I've dealt with, that Comcast office/area/whatever was one of the nicest, easiest to work with group I've ever dealt with in my life. They'd send out service/support people to assist setting up televisions for people who had no clue and do it with no charge. Of course, they were damned expensive, but the service they provided was top notch. And the speed of the internet they provided....100/30, and speedtest "testing" darned near always got very, very close to the advertised speeds.

I sorta miss it now while I try to deal with Charter cable. Night and day difference.

 

[Ichinisan]

You aren't following along. I wrote it out clearly enough. He initially only told me that he was having problems with receiving his email so the first thing I checked was to make sure his system wasn't compromised, a wise first option to check for older folks who use Facebook regularly and are prone to click on potentially unsavory links that look innocent. After that I checked the settings for his email and it was me who told him the problem was with his password. It was at that point that he contacted Comcast.

I was cooking at that time so I wasn't right next to him to see what exactly what he did next to contact Comcast but I have subsequently checked his browser history and his hosts file. Nothing is out of place or indicates that he did anything other than what he said.

Nor is his email received in any sort of "convoluted way." It's actually a rather simple method to create an alias in Outlook.com in order to migrate from a provider-based email to a web-based email.

btw, I have been building and fixing computers for well over 20 years. I can assure you that I know them very well and I am confident I could run circles around you.

Did you check his phone to see the actual number he dialed?

 

[Pardus]

someone who remotes into his system ... and suddenly there are screens flashing on his system left and right warning of malware

Comcast does not remote connect to it's customer's computers due to liability reasons.

special security software to straighten his system back out, and for only a few hundred dollars.

Comcast does not sell any software, they would have offered you Constant Guard which includes Norton or McAfee depending on your location free for one year.

 

[pontifex]

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.

working on a neighbors pc now. she got a call from "Microsoft" saying that her pc was compromised and they could fix it for $179. she asked them to prove they were MS and she said they gave her the number from her computer - not sure if she meant windows license key or serial # of the pc (Dell) or what.

I'm thinking she must have a virus that is giving them access to it.

 

[styrafoam]

working on a neighbors pc now. she got a call from "Microsoft" saying that her pc was compromised and they could fix it for $179. she asked them to prove they were MS and she said they gave her the number from her computer - not sure if she meant windows license key or serial # of the pc (Dell) or what.

I'm thinking she must have a virus that is giving them access to it.

The fake tech support will put the person through a bunch of bogus troubleshooting steps, finishing on a command prompt window i think. They will ask "Now when you type this command, does it say this string of numbers? If it does that means you have lots of viruses." After doing so they try and get the person to download some remote admin software.