Comcast is just mad they didn't when the golden turd award and AIG walked away with it. They are taking their frustrations out on the customers (who they never respected anyway.)

Oh, Comcast, you teasing little minx: hiding the big guns until the Golden Turd was safely buried away deep into AIG's colon...

Do Comcast customer service reps get bounties for dickish behavior, or is it the result of cunning pre-employment psychological screening?

I just contacted them yesterday at their twitter site about the CableCard Run around I was getting between their live chat, stores, and phone... got a personal phone call within an hour and the situation was resolved within 10 minutes after that. I wish I didn't have to know the secrete back door to do that, but it got the job done!

Sounds like Comcast has taken another one from the Sprint playbook. They should also take a look at Sprint's customer loss numbers. Meanness and gotcha schemes are not good for business.

Uhm, read the contracts you sign like a grown-up? I agree w the consumerist when they say that you should be allowed to go back to the previous level of service, but I don't feel it's their obligation to.

A contract, it's an obligation kiddos.

@erikislame: So you'd agree to every stupid little thing in the contract, including things like mandatory binding arbitration and the likes?

Let me guess, where this OP lives there is no competing cable company?

@erikislame: It's a phone conversation. What's he supposed to read?

@Trai_Dep: Ewwwww...

I'm almost positive that Comcast contract is one of those 'That Reserve The Right To Change At Any Time' so it should be unenforcable.

[www.techdirt.com]

@erikislame: If YOU had perhaps actually done some reading, you would have said that he did not think that his contract was being terminated in favor of a new one. If he had thought he was going to be ending a contract, he would have checked the "fine print" by asking the rep.

Additionally, as they were more than willing to create a new 'contract' over the phone without mentioning it, I sincerely doubt they have his signature on anything other than maybe a check.

@erikislame: Err, read the article you replied to like a grown-up?
Reading, it's an obligation, kiddo.

@devwar: You know that little scribble you put on the line that says "signature"?

Thats what says you agree to all those stupid little things.

"I didn't ask because I figured I was entering into a new contract." HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? If you switch contracts, even if you were in one before you're still CANCELLING the other contract aren't you? Therefore, a ETF make sense, although it WAS bad that he wasnt warned about it.

Im not saying "oh noes blame the consumer", but its partly the consumer's job to protect themselves, and all O. had to do was ask and this would be an non-issue.

It really depends on the original contract, but we would be happy to look into. As an example if the original promotion provided a free Wii, there is an early termination fee. It is fully disclosed in all documentation. There are other promotions that are similar. We would be happy to look into the full details regarding this experience, including the calls that occurred. Listening to an experience can help us continue to improve.

Thank you!

Frank Eliason
Comcast
We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com

@CreativeLinks: What is this "competing cable company" think you speak of?

On a serious note, yea, this is a dick move by Comcast. Why isn't Consumerist delivering them a silver turd?

@erikislame: Well, here it is:

[www.comcast.net]

Find the ETF...although I do see the ubiquitous, "we can change the terms anytime we want" language. Which does put it back on Comcast to at least say, "hey, this will cost you $150." Especially when the OP makes note in the article that he told the rep that he was doing this because he could no longer afford cable.

It didn't sound like he was entering into a new contract. It sounded more like he was adding or deleting a service. I've used both DirecTV and FIOS, changed premium channels from time to time, and never had an issue with an early termination fee. The man is not terminating service and is still a Comcast customer. Does it make any business sense to play "gotcha"?

I think a complaint to the attorney general's office is in order.

@H3ion: To get a promotional pricing you have to bundle. Bundle simply means having 3 services (most of the time, internet, TV and phone). By changing your services you are breaking your bundle and with that your contract (if any).

@comcastcares: If the account was on a term contract, that should have been presented to the CSR on the account screen even before they enter the termination process. The CSR should have reminded the customer of the termination fee AND stated how much it was. By FAILING to do this, the CSR leaves the customer with the impression that either he is out of the contract term, or the fee does not apply because he is still at least a minimal customer, or some other circumstance is not causing a fee.

At the very least, what Comcast should do is UNDO what this CSR did and restore things to the original condition, charge the customer only for the $40 level service during the time that he was receiving only that level of service, and restore the previous level of service for its original term and pricing.

That's in addition to further CSR training that clearly at least one employee needs (go see if there's a recording of the phone call).

@AgitatedDot:

They still should have told him there would be a fee.

@comcastcares: I applaud you for replying.

Yup, you have a point, that it depends on the original contract whether he should be charged the ETF.

HOWEVER, you have to admit that, whether or not it's strictly illegal, it's a pretty slimy business move to NOT remind the customer about any ETF, especially when he was calling specifically to lower his bills. I know whenever I call my cable company (Charter) to change things, at the end of the call I have to sit through the rep reciting the "you are agreeing to blah blah blah, and understand that blah blah blah", and it doesn't go through until I say "yes".

@floraposte:

Two years ago, I called Comcast to drop some service because my promo rate had run out. They offered to keep the promo rate - then mailed me a contract to sign, which included the fact that it was a 2 year contract and that I would be charged an ETF if I dropped it.

If the OP signed a similar contract, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy, although the CSR should have reminded him about it.

Once again incidents like this remind me of my two Consumerist Affirmations:

1) Never buy anything from Best Buy

2) Never be a Comscat customer.

When I moved to the SF bay area I applied the correct affirmation going with DirecTV and DSL (two seperate services) avoiding Comscat like the swine flu. It amazes me that there are actual customers of Best Buy and Comscat that are also regular readers of Consumerist. Oh well. I guess some people can learn from others' experiences and some.. not so much.

@AgitatedDot: Contracts are quite different from terms of service.

Just last Friday, we cancelled our comcast cable tv service. The company kept raising the price and taking away channels. I called the comcast company to see how I would go about cancelling our service. When they found out that, they could not talk me into a temporary price reduction, they transferred me to the department which handles cancellations. After I was transferred, the phone rang and the recording said that this line was not taking calls at this time, so try again later. I tried again later and was on hold for 62 minutes and then finally hung up. With all the tv shows available on internet, we are going to save $79 a month and not miss the bill at all.

@razremytuxbuddy: Well that doesn't matter for things like cable companies which for the most part have monopolies.

@mmmsoap: "HOWEVER, you have to admit that, whether or not it's strictly illegal, it's a pretty slimy business move to NOT remind the customer about any ETF, especially when he was calling specifically to lower his bills."

Frank needn't do anything of the sort. After all, his job on here is online damage control for his (rightfully) much-maligned company that, while perhaps fixing the problems of a few people who bring their problems to light online (thus, potentially to a larger audience), still leaves countless of less savvy consumers in their same crappy positions.

@ldavis480: What happens when Comcast is the only high-speed wireless service in town? Many cities still don't have access to DSL and don't have other cable companies competing with Comcast. Do you suggest these customers revert to dial-up? Maybe you will tell them to move, regardless of the economic, social, and physical reasons for these customers living in said city?

Perhaps you need to examine a handful of other posts before spouting insulting nonsense.

@erikislame: It is pure gotcha capitalism. I really doubt you carry every service contract with you everywhere you go or have them all committed to memory. Most companies do not consider your account terminated if you change features of your service. Seriously, cancel Showtime and get charged an ETF. This isn't even logical and if they do actually have this written in the contract it is still a totally dick-headed move.

@comcastcares: The CSR never mentioned what the guy was doing was going to incur an ETF. Why not?

This guy should be restored to his original plan, all the ETF nonsense wiped out and the CSR given 40 lashes for being either that lazy or that stupid unless this is a company policy to not tell people.

@Bathmat: Well said.

Bathmat: I just moved to the bay area. Previously, before living here, the area in which I lived did not have Comscat, COX, nor any cable providers, nor did it have DSL.

However, high-speed satellite Internet was was available. So your argument that there aren't alternatives is just nonsense. To answer your question though, I would use dialup before Comcast. Maybe you (that is, if you're talking about yourself) the one who needs to do some more research?

God I hate Comcast! I will NEVER be their customer again. Even if they buy Verizon, I'll leave!

@ldavis480: i don't have comcast, i have a different evil service provider.

but i do shop @ best buy.

@ldavis480: I would love to not use Comcast, but in my city they have a monopoly on high speed internet at the speeds I want. I suppose I could go to dial-up, but in my line of work I need a high speed connection to be productive. I think all companies that have virtual monopolies should be owned by the community, not by for profit terds. This includes electric companies,and gas companies

@ldavis480:

I read Consumerist and I am a customer of Comcast. I have used Comcast in Denver for the last 7 years and have never had a problem. Maybe I am lucky and others are just unlucky.... /shrugs. I also use Vonage. Never have I had a problem with them in over 4 years either. In fact, I think I AM one lucky SOB. :)

@bohemian: Contracts can be agreed to verbally. If you call in to upgrade your phone with me and I inform you the change will extend your contract and you agree to go ahead and upgrade, you have just extended your contract, ETF provision and all.

I can't speak for Comcast, but when I worked for Sprint they were major league asses about crediting ANY early termination fee.

Let me offer you a scenario: I took a call from a lady who had been with us EIGHT years. She had gone in to a Sprint store and a rep told her she was off contract and eligible to get a new phone cheap if she went back under contract.

As it turns out she decided to go to a competitor. As it ALSO turns out, the rep got his facts wrong. She was actually still under contract (the opportunity to upgrade occurs prior to the end of the contract) and got hit with an ETF. She called Sprint to dispute the charge and got speaking to me.

Unfortunately I did not have the power to waive an ETF (we were told that we could be fired if we did it so nobody below a supervisor ever did it) so she had to speak with my Sup, who didn't really give a crap about her arguments or the misinformation and basically told there would be no credit and all she could do was pay up.

The kicker? She had 32 DAYS left on her contract when she jumped ship. Sprint refused to credit an ETF for an EIGHT YEAR customer just 32 DAYS from the end of her contract when it was misinformation on their end that caused the charge to occur in the first place.

But like I said, good luck getting any company to credit an ETF to you, it's worse than pulling teeth.

Ok, so I'm in Denver, and after two years in building that could not get access to cable I switched to Comcast specifically because I was told "No contract" like directv or dish. I did not sign anything that had an ETF. Are people saying the "change service at will" clause lets them do that? My plan is to just switch back and forth to retain a promotional price every 6-12 months, is this untenable?

@erikislame: Once AT&T bound me to a very expensive contract by calling my answering machine and hanging up on it. They even had a recording of the call to prove it! Apparently, me NOT answering the phone or even being aware of who had called constituted my consent to renew the contract at AT&T's discretion, with CHANGED TERMS, no less.

They then refused to provide me a copy of this contract since I should "already have it." (I had the PRIOR year's contract but, as noted, AT&T renewed it without my approval and changed the terms without consulting me.) The contract *I* had said that the renewal could only happen with my consent ... nowhere in the letter did it state that "consent" could be "calling your answering machine and hanging up without leaving a message." They insisted that was adequate.

Quite a bit of dramarama followed (I'm a lawyer part-time, and this was actual a service AT&T provided to my law practice, so the awesome just kept escalating on both our ends), but the point is, these companies make shit up. Even when you read the contract. Even when you're a lawyer. Even when they're screwing over a sue-happy lawyer's lawfirm with a false contract renewal.

@Alternate, I cho-cho-chose the impossible: "If you switch contracts, even if you were in one before you're still CANCELLING the other contract aren't you?"

Generally, no. Most companies, if you change/renew the contract, just re-start your two-year ETF clock. They get the benefit of having you locked in that much longer, so they don't charge you the ETF. Having gone through that scenario multiple times with multiple companies, I would personally have been shocked to be slapped with an ETF for CHANGING my service, not terminating it.

@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): That.... is pure awesomeness.

And I agree, everyone seems to think by changing the terms of the original contract, the first contract is essentially "terminated", thus they are allowed to charge the ETF. Absolutely not, reader O didn't TERMINATE the original contract, they changed the terms. Same way I have Directv- if I want to change my package to a cheaper one, my original contract is still in effect unless I opt for a new promotion which could lengthen the contract term.

Do cable companies normally have contracts? I have never heard of such a thing.

@dragonfire81: If the CSR says it's true, Sprint should have honored it. Was or was not the CSR the part of Sprint? A paid agent of Sprint? Then they represent the company. I would have sued.

@bohemian: /agree

I had Comcast for years, have changed my "plan" several times, canceled and gone back several times and I have never been charged an early termination fee. He's leaving something out of his story, like he got something through a promo like a Wii or something.

@Suulia: I don't see how. If my contract comes with a very specific set of service terms, then how can they change them willy-nilly, but rape me when I try to change something in my contract? Seems pretty one-sided to me.

@gravitus: I lived in Westminster, and you know, I didn't once have a problem with Comcast either. That said, you should note that there are a few alternatives available to people out there in Denver, which may be why Comcast isn't so bad when all is said and done. ;)

@Cyberxion101: By the way, since moving to Santa Fe, my Comcast experiences have consisted of one drawn out nightmare after another. The main difference between here and Westminster, Co is that there is little to no real competition available here. I could go with Qwest, but my bro had service with them before I moved here, and they sucked. Bad.