Michael

I agree that it would be nice if FIOS would spend the money and expand but unless you are one of the fortunate few, it appears you will remain one of the fortunate few.

Except for FIOS, Comcast is the best of the cable companies.

Michael

I don't understand why anyone would call Comcast to cancel services. It can't be 100% completed until your equipment is returned so unless you think Comcast is going to come to your home and pick up your equipment free of charge, all you are doing is creating two contacts with Comcast, one to tell them you want to cancel and the other is to bring the equipment to the local office and have the equipment recorded as being returned.

hungryhorace

Could be the fear that Comcast will bill you to return equipment? Verizon bills you if you return equipment to one of their stores, for example.

You have to mail it in via their prepaid UPS service to avoid a fee.

Michael

Comcast doesn't. I've always just brought the equipment back and with 5 minutes the equipment was scanned and recorded and the service was disconnected. If I had a bad cable box or an older model, I'd just bring it to the local Comcast office and pick up a new model without charge and it's takes less than 5 minutes. The service has been very efficient and hassle free in both Fremont and San Jose.

scrubbedexpat091

No idea what its like inside comcast, but I know someone who works in the call center of the cable company here, and those in the cancellation department have to meet a quota, and if they don't they can be fired or otherwise reprimanded.

My guess is this agent is not meeting a quota, and really can't afford to lose the job, and is getting really desperate to turn cancellations into retaining service.

The company may BS and say they don't approve, but something inside the company led to this agent doing this.

We own our equipment so our local cable company doesn't care about it, but I tried to cancel 3 times this year, I say try because they keep offering the service free, and well I can't turn down free, so I keep it. I just don't want to pay for a cable bill anymore, but if they keep offering it free, I'll keep it.

My guess is they want to show they have not lost subscribers, so they are offering free stuff just to retain people.

MMcD

Moving to the USA? Don't use Comcast
....that's the title of this thread.

Then, by inference, the OP seems to negate the warning by stating:

"....most Americans have a total choice of one provider in their area"

Or is he suggesting that "most Americans" should give up using the internet altogether?
By the way...a "total choice of one" isn't a choice. But we know that was said facetiously .

It's a good idea to reflect before expressing outrage. Consistency helps if trying to hammer home a point

Weeze

We called into the store near us once. Never again. Approx wait time was 90mins. It was worse than Disney.

hungryhorace

Why don't you just **** off?

hungryhorace

Exactly. Whilst the Comcast rep on the phone wants 20 lashes for his behaviour, the ultimate fault lies with the targets their senior management sets with them. They set the agenda, they shouldn't be surprised when employees act like this.

Leslie

Pulaski

Google is coming. It's early days, but unless Comcast wants to lose out in the long term they're going to have to come up with a plan for a fibre yo the home high speed network, otherwise Google is going to pick off the most lucrative and/ or advantageous markets one at a time, .... though I suspect that Google will up the rate of installation once they get into their stride.

hungryhorace

Google probably covers around 1000 homes right now. They're gonna take decades (remember how many lobbyists Comcast owns to stop Google rolling out to their metro areas?) to even come half way to rivalling the number of drop points Comcast has.

Pulaski

It didn't take decades to install the current copper cable network. It had penetrated relatively rural areas by the mid 1980's and once Google builds up a head of steam their fibre net work will come at least as fast as copper did, and given the depth of Google's pockets, probably a lot faster.

AmerLisa

I would imagine most people call to cancel their service on these things. I did have to go and hunt the nearest Comcast office (which wasn't nearby, can't even remember where it was now) to return their stuff. However, after my grandmother passed away and I had to cancel her Dish service, they were kind enough to send me a prepaid box to send their stuff back to them.

hoffage123

TWC are pretty rubbish too. But not much choice in our area, so meh.