Worst Company In America: FINAL FOUR Comcast VS Bank Of America
A big cable company vs a big bank. A repeat of our final match-up of 2008. Last year Countrywide (now part of Bank of America) prevailed. Which one will you choose?
It's #3 Comcast VS #2 Bank of America (Countrywide, Merrill Lynch):
This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2009 series. The companies nominated for this honor were chosen by you, the readers, and seeded according to number of nominations. Keep track of all the goings on at consumerist.com/tag/worst-company-in-america. Download the bracket here.
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Hey - at least Bank of America doesn't promise to handle your deposit; only to call you later and say that they couldn't but they can reschedule their next try a week from next thursday!
BoA already had its turn. Its time we gave Comcast its chance. Thats throttling we can believe in.
I voted for BoA though.
BOA deserves this.
@Lucifer_Cat: Yea, they won last year, but that doesn't mean they suck anyless this year. It's not like it matters though because AIG should stomp whoever comes out of this battle.
Those MBS that AIG insured were worthy of a triple A rating and they knew it. As a result when they eventually had to pay out claims on them they didn't have the cash, so we had to give them ~180 billion.
@zonk7ate9: That should read weren't worthy.
When will we have the ability to edit comments? Even if it's like for 5 minutes.
As long as Comcast keeps sending out subcontractors that want to dig and cut and gouge and destroy at will with no mercy or remorse, they deserve to be labeled the worst company EVER. Frank Eliason's efforts are valiant, but it's a drop of holy water in Lucifer's natatorium.
Poor kids are dying in Africa because of BOA. Everyone got screwed by BOA whether we liked it or not. No one makes you do business with Comcast. There's always satellite or dsl.
Bank of America does what it's meant to do fairly consistently: fee and interest you to death while holding your money. Comcast only occasionally does what it's meant to do.
Bank of America as a bank is of course intrinsically evil, but Comcast is the far worse of a company.
BofA never actually lost my money, where as comcast, on several occasions, has done just that.
On the other hand, BofA did help run the economy into the ground.... tough choice.
@zonk7ate9: Indeed. But I like how Comcast and Walmart are very evil, but just not evil enough to win in tough times. I suppose even in relatively better times, people still have "Some Big Event" going on, where they can unload on an otherwise un-noticed company.
I know who won last time... was there WCIA before that? I only started reading this in early 2008.
picked comcast because BoA isn't a imposed monopoly in many areas.
I think AIG well represents the financial sector- Comcast can represent the poor service/monopoly sector- that'll be quite a showdown.
If I'm Comcast and I lose to AIG, maybe I need to rethink my brand a little?
BOA froze my line of credit, comcast just over-charges me. go BoA!
Oh boy, here we go. Cue the 100s of teenagers whining that Comcast is a monopoly, because the only other options they have are HughesNet Satellite, DeepBlue Satellite, T1, T3, Fiberoptics and 40 different variations of dial-up. Damn you and your monopoly Comcast!!!
I'm going BofA because JUST YESTERDAY my card got declined and I called and found out my card number had been stolen and BofA had just sent me a new card ("It's in the mail, you should get it soon!") WITHOUT BOTHERING TO TELL ME IN THE FIRST PLACE ABOUT THE CARD THEFT. Just shutting down the account/number with no notice. Grrrrrrrr.
I asked the CSR, "Don't you think it would have been nice if you guys had told ME you'd deactivated my account at some point?"
His exactly reply was, "Uh ... yeah."
Most of those other options only apply if one moves to a different area. Calling dial-up competition for Comcast is like calling walking or swimming an alternative to air travel.
@Radi0logy: I hope there is some sarcasm there.
T1 and certainly T3 were never positioned for residential use, and at a minimum of $200/mo (more like $450) are not competitive for residential internet access.
HughesNet is a non starter for serious internet use due to the speed of light. Change the laws of the universe and I would consider it a competitor.
Simply put many cable and phone companies are able to deliver Internet access in a competitive manner and not do it in the anti consumer ways of Comcast.
Fiberoptics is misplaced in your list, its an underlying technology that the phone companies and COMCAST use to deliver their products, even if not all the way to your residence.
In most areas you have two legitimate residential competitors, the phone company and the cable company. Cable got a huge lead because Coax has a much larger capacity (T3 uses Coax in its copper form by the way). The problem is that the cable companies were never even good at delivering their video products. I think most have gotten better, but they lack the communications focus.
As the phone companies try to get into television delivery it is fair to expect them to get just as bad.
Broadband internet will get more expensive as the legacy products stop subsidizing the network, but lets hope they don't put up more barriers to protect the legacy products.
@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle):
WHY WHY WHY, in the name of all that is holy, would you do business with BofA when there are tons of local credit unions that will provide better service for low or no fees, and pay you a reasonable interest rate? If you find the right credit union a real person will even answer when you dial the phone. Most CU's have government insurance - so the only diff. is that you get better service, keep more of your own money, and the people running the CU make 6 figures rather than 8.
@AustinTXProgrammer: Of course there was sarcasm. The main point was that Comcast haters dismiss Comcast as a monopoly for the simple reason that they don't LIKE the competition's product. It's akin to saying Toyota is a monopoly because I don't like the other cars out there. The relative differences in cost and speed of download/upload has no bearing on the fact that there is plenty of competition for Comcast in ALL areas of the United States, without exception.
Comcast may be a lot of things, but a monopoly they clearly are not.
No one makes you do business with Comcast. There's always satellite or dsl.
@joebobfunguy: Are you seriously making this comment with a serious face?
I mean, Comcast only has a monopoly in 33% of America. Then in other markets, there's Time Warner, and in other markets, there's Charter.
I ask you again, did you make this comment with a serious face or are you just trolling?
I'll even go so far as to take this back to '99
[news.cnet.com]
Have a nice day
@jdmba: No...BoA will at least handle your deposit promptly and then MAYBE they'll let you have access to it a week from next Thursday! How 'bout that? Assuming they don't have to shut off your account access altogether because your PO Box doesn't pass muster with their interpretation of the Patriot Act. Huh.
@vladthepaler: To even get a 768k dsl line, you'd need to combine at least 14 Dial-Up lines, not discounting line noise, distance to the provider, etc.
@Radi0logy: T1, T3, SATELLITE?! Are you seriously saying these are viable solutions for competition? I mean, the cheapest of these 3 is only $224 dollars IF YOUR LUCKY and don't live in a rural area.
@Papa Midnight: Huh? Satellite can be had for under $50 a month. Much cheaper than DSL from Comcast.
Coincidentally, if you had been reading Consumerist recently you would have realized that broadband providers are pushing capped Internet service that could easily go over $150 a month for heavy users. When that happens, $200 a month for a T1 might seem like a bargain. Better get in now, while theres no waiting list!
Bank of America for holding the USA hostage and screwing us out of trillions.
Comcast ahead by 8% as of 2:45. Not what I expected at all.
fuck comcast
BoA is a just another cog in the financial wheel of doom; though its admittedly a very very large cog.
Comcast is unique. They're the definition of price-gouging, money-hungry mega-corporation. They aggressively smash out competition, they treat customers like crap, they poorly communicate service outages, and they just generally have no idea how to run a consumer-friendly business. I will vote for them and vote for them until they finally realize that money is NOT everything and that treating people with dignity and respect isn't just a business expense. It's an investment in your company's public perception and ultimately its long-term financial success.
WE ARE THE MARKET AND WE WILL DESTROY YOU IF DO NOT CHANGE.
As a BoA and former Comcast customer, I can say that both of these companies are equally despicable.
Prior to BoA, I was a LaSalle Bank (ABN Amro) customer and had no problems. Back then, if I wanted to, I could walk into a bank and talk to a teller or account manager and get information and money orders and cash my checks for free. Now, if I walk into a BoA, it's like pulling teeth just trying to get to talk to anyone and for a money order it's $6!???? I can't even talk about loan information, I have to go online to fill out the application, which incidentally doesn't work.
As far as Comcast goes, I've had them at a couple of apartments and homes in different cities over the last few years and I can honestly say I've spent half of that on the phone with Customer Service or Tech Support for one reason or another. I've had issues with the lines (they've swapped out the lines at 3 different locations I've lived at.. even after the lines had just been laid down the previous year). I've had issues with the cable box and modem (more than I care to count). And I've had waaaay too many problems with billing, to the point where I had to go into the local head office, stand in line for up to 45 minutes and then spend another hour trying to explain in plain English that I was being overcharged for services. I even had them put a note on my account that they kept overlooking each time. As soon as AT&T Uverse came into town I switched and didn't look back.
Although BoA is a bad bank, my personal experiences with Comcast have me voting for them.
@mbgrabbe: And I screwed up my punchline, doh...
WE ARE THE MARKET, AND WE WILL DESTROY YOU IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE.
BofA, because their incompetence could have gotten me audited and fined by the IRS, not to mention their system of issuing debit cards is rather stupid
1. The teller mis-entered some savings bonds I cashed as something else. I call up in early February asking for my 1099-INT, their customer service person directs me to a phone number for the US Dept. of the Treasury that tells me about current bond rates and how to buy them (script keywords FTL!). I twitter their guy, and after two weeks of calls and digging through records, they finally find the transaction and discover their mistake. If I had not raised a stink and they found it later, then I would have been in trouble with the IRS for not reporting my income accurately.
2. Despite canceling my accounts with them in December, I still received a new debit card. I called their customer service and learned that even though I closed my checking account, they didn't close the debit card linked to it. How dumb can you make your systems that when someone closes their accounts, they don't close an associated debit card with them? That card hit the shredder when I got home.
Must be all of those BoA folks on their lunch hour pumping up the Comcast score. Considering BoA is nationwide, and Comcast is regional....and how BoA in all its incarnations has been and will be evil. I vote BoA, the carpetbagging bankers over the local cable operators.
@briansaysdie: at least with BofA you have a choice to bank elsewhere, and they could be worse (WaMu?)
Comcast blows. No direct competitors = no other options.
BoA is run by idiots, Comcast is run by the FRAKING DEVIL. No contest.
@The_Legend: BoA doesn't screw everyone...only a minority. Comcast screws over everyone that is their customer, at least on pricing and customer service. I bet there are more disgruntled Comcast customers than disgruntled BoA customers. Personally, I HATE Comcast and have had no problems with BoA in over 10 years of banking with them.
Never had a problem with Comcast, you people are insane.
@Yokai Monsters Spook Warfare: Well, your experience has been different than mine then. I'm guessing that has to do with how "risky" they think you or your deposit are.
Nope. You sir are an exception to the rule!
@1234tu: What's that phrase about "assume"?
1) My primary bank IS a credit union. I'm one of the CU fanatics who always shrieks "CREDIT UNION!" in banking threads.
2) I have fled BofA repeatedly. They keep buying my credit card companies. At this point, I've kind-of given up.
3) My primary credit card is an AmEx, with which I am very happy. This is my secondary card, a MasterCard through BofA, which we held on to because it's more than 10 years old, has a high credit line (both good for credit scores), a good rewards program, and serves as our backup for places that don't take AmEx.
Finally, I'm not really sure how you got the idea that I *bank* with BofA when my entire post was about a CREDIT CARD. And finally squared, I'm still entitled to reasonable customer service, EVEN IF I'm stuck with a megabank for whatever reason. And reasonable customer service would seem to include letting customers know when you shut off their freaking credit card because someone's committing fraud.
(And finally cubed, while I have access to an excellent credit union, not everyone does.)
@johnva: You might not be charged fees, but I bet the interest rate on your checking account (if you get anything at all) won't touch a CU. Same with savings accounts. My CU pays over 6% on the first $500 in each, and then a good rate after that amount. I used to bank with Wamu and never got a dime on my checking account. The APR on the Visa credit card through my CU is currently 6.9%. How's B of A?
As for this vote, it wasn't close for me. Comcast, FTW. They are a monopoly for me because satellite isn't an option (too many trees) and FIOS is not available. So they jack up my rates every year, and forced me to use their stupid digital converter box for extended basic, which doesn't get HD.
@Guvmint_Cheese: I don't keep much money in checking, so I don't really care about the interest rate. The difference is negligible, and more than made up for, for me, by the convenience of the huge number of BoA ATM locations. Savings I keep in different banks that actually pay me a good rate (although BoA actually does have some savings accounts that pay really good rates...they just aren't the ones that they advertise and give you if you just go in and ask to open a savings account. They are affiliate accounts, etc).
@mbgrabbe: All well and good, but until you're willing to suck it up and stop sending them money, they WILL NOT CHANGE.
This is like those stupid "Don't buy gas on Monday! If we all do this, it will hit them hard" BS that goes around.
Change your consumption. Otherwise, they will continue to not give a sh*t about your outrage.
@johnva: To each his own. But FWIW, checking interest has added up for me. I only keep enough in checking to pay the bills every month with a little extra cushion, and I made about $60 on it last year.
Also, the CU ATM's in my area are surcharge free for any CU customer, so I can go to any of them as if they were my own. In addition, all ATM's in 7-11 convenience stores are free too. So there's about 10 of them within a 10 mile radius of my house versus one B of A and one WAMU/Chase. I've been exclusively CU for about 4 years, and have never paid an ATM surcharge.
![[danzarrella.com]](http://danzarrella.com/monopoly.jpg){kind=link}
Comcast may screw over it's customers, but BofA helped #%!& up the economy.