UPDATE: Comcast Responds To Yesterday's Article, Waives $1.99 Fee
If you read our story "Canceling HBO Costs $1.99 But Canceling Comcast Is Free, Which Do You Choose?" you should remember Jonathon who was trying to cancel his HBO with a Comcast online CSR that was offering very little help. Jonathon wrote back to us to let us know that after our story ran he received a call from a Comcast supervisor who apologized and said that the online CSR did in fact have the authority to waive the $1.99 fee. Jonathon's letter, inside...
Hey, guys. Jonathon here. Just wanted to let you know that a Comcast supervisor called me this afternoon to apologize for the response I got from both the first and second tech. His name is Mike, though I left his last name at the office. Anyway, he indicated that these techs do most certainly have the authority to waive the $1.99 fee and apologized for causing me the inconvenience. I then asked him what we could do to lower my bill even more since I'm trying to save money. He went through all of the specials and crunched some numbers with me. Turns out that the only thing they could offer in the way of a discount was the $99 introductory package they offer new subscribers. Not a bad deal, but would only save me money if I needed phone service. I don't, so we didn't.
Point is that Mike was very cool. He took the time to help me, looked up info on the Comcast Tivo rollout for me, gave me the skinny on cable cards, etc. I know that you don't usually print happy good-time customer experience stories, but I figured if I took the time to bitch about it in front of 6,000 or so people it would only be decent to give them props where due. Granted, it would have been cool if they were helpful from the get-go, but there you have it.
-Jonathon
Congratulations. It looks like you didn't have to choose between the $1.99 fee and the free cancellation of Comcast after all. For other Comcast customers that are trying to save on their bill, don't forget about the magical "customer retention" representatives, who depending on your location, have broad authority to cut your bill down to size.
PREVIOUSLY: Canceling HBO Costs $1.99 But Canceling Comcast Is Free, Which Do You Choose?
(Photo: Getty)
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Comments:
Thanks for posting the positive as well, Jay. The supervisor's name is Mike Dodge. Thanks again, Mike!
Good for you Jonathon - but you are one of the few. Comcast lost me many moons ago with all their crap - continually billing me after service cancellation, saying I never returned my digital box when it had been returned months previous, giving my parents the same hassles on canceling service...Comcast has zero concept of what real customer service is.
I'm a happy AT&T Uverse customer now - I have real HDTV, not some over compressed 16:9 formatted picture they say is HD. I have a DVR that works the way I want it to and in all repsects is better in every way compared to my old Tivo. And did I mention - I pay almost 20% less for substantially more channels.
I'm glad you had a good experience with Comcast - but my past experiences with them coupled with the numerous horrendous reviews both on The Consumerist and other similar sites means I'll not only not promote their service, I'll do everything I can to convince others to find alternative providers.
Jonathon? Does he have a sister name Marathon?
@friendlynerd:
Yeah, I had to wonder if the Consumerist post had anything to do with their call. But how many reps would it take to trace down every customer who badmouths Comcast online? Maybe I give too little credit to the reach of Consumerist.
Is it too little, too late? Maybe. I'm not going to go off on a mission to spread the good news that The Comcast is risen. But it did make me feel a little better.
Comcast just needs to get rid of this fee altogether. This is just one more reason why I'm using U-verse right now.
I'm waiting for the day when Ben goes power crazy and starts posting about not getting enough fries with his happy meal.
/only half joking
This site has always been about empowering the consumer. If a man can sue for his soda not having the same weight as a standard soda (can't remember the brand name atm), you bet your ass we'd be interested in it.
This doesn't change the fact that Comcast charges you to cancel services, which is flipping ricockulous. There shouldn't need to be a one-time waiver because this shouldn't even be a policy.
I'd rather pay the $1.99 than retain a company that hires inhumane animal abusers as contractors.
"I then asked him what we could do to lower my bill even more since I'm trying to save money. He went through all of the specials and crunched some numbers with me."
Whatever happened to everyone paying one same price? When did getting cable become like buying a car?
Comcast...oh man.
On an unrelated note I have comcast coming to install new service at my apt (no choice about providers) this weekend, and they claim to need to "install" their effing isp service on my laptop. I can't wait to explain to them there is no way they are going to get their kitten painting mitts on my laptop.
So let me make sure I read this right... someone... ANYONE... from Comcast actually called a customer back? And it was a supervisor? I didn't know they HAD supervisors or phones that allowed them to dial out.
Comcast lies. This is news?
Also - woo woo! $1.99!!!!
I was charged the same fee when I dropped HBO after the Sopranos finale last year. I went around and around with the CSR and she wouldn't budge. I'm going to see if I can get the same refund. I've been a Comcast customer ever since they've been in the Chicago area (years and years). I'm about to drop to a cheaper package since I'm in a money crunch, and I don't want to pay it again.
Would've preferred the headline "Success: Customer Cancels Crappy Cable Service"
@Truvill: don't get me wrong, I dream of consumerist spinning off an anti-cable blog and have me be the editor-in-angst
(sigh) that would be aweseome.
I can't help but feel that my tweet about this yesterday is somehow responsible...
Wishful thinking, anyways, it's good to know that Comcast cares enough about their perception to do something when things get out on the interwebs. It's too bad it takes them that long to provide customer service.
Don't think they deserve props for something that should not have a fee to begin with and the fact that he was lied to.
I'm neither a dentist nor a veterinarian, but the chimp in the photograph above looks like it's gotten a human smile and teeth... Courtesy of photoshop?
@ScottCh: They look like chimp teeth to me.
As for Comcast in my experience with them I've found that public shame, phone calls to consumer affairs, or a combination of the two is the only real way to get them to do anything.
However, a well-behaved Comcast isn't that great, either. Before the competition (SureWest) rolled into my part of town I'd have to whine to anyone and everyone for a week to get them to reconnect my service which would be disconnected whenever a neighbor moved in or out. After said week had passed and they'd been shamed/punished they'd give me free service or upgrades at no cost to make up for it.
Now my service never goes down, issues are resolved with one phone call, and if I have a dispute with the bill a CSR will go over it with me and make sure I understand. None of this is bad but with gas and food prices going higher and higher I really could use some of that free service.
Too bad it took public shaming to drop a $2 bogus fee. Too little, too late Comcast.