As a child, how were you at sharing your toys with other kids, friends and strangers alike? If you rent Xfinity equipment from Comcast, you’re going to have to share your toys–and by “toys” we mean “wireless router”–with everyone in Kabletown. Understandably, some people do not like this idea. [More]
Time Warner Cable CEO Warns Price Hikes May Come Back To Bite Industry On The Derriere
By June 12, 2013
Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn “Two Ns, Two Ts” Britt has been an outspoken critic on broadcasters who package desirable, high-viewership channels with niche-market offerings and tell cable companies to pay for them all or get access to none, which results in the cable providers passing these bundles (and the price tag) on to customers, many of whom only watch a handful of the hundreds of available channels. It’s a model, says Britt, that could have dire consequences. [More]
DirecTV Wants To Sell You A Home Security System
By June 7, 2013
DirecTV’s terrestrial-cable competitors like Comcast and Time Warner offer home security systems, a logical extension of a business that’s already running wires through and piping information back and forth from customers’ homes. DirecTV decided to get a piece of that very profitable action, and bought an existing alarm company, LifeShield Home Security. [More]
Comcast Customer Asks For Password Reset, Gets Enrolled In $6/Month Tech Support Plan
By May 22, 2013
When a Comcast subscriber found he could no longer access his home wifi setup because the installer had given him the wrong password, he was able to get the company to reset the password remotely. Somehow, he also ended up being enrolled in a service plan that charged $5.95/month in addition to a $13 enrollment fee. [More]
Comcast, Time Warner Cable Bring Up Rear In Cable Customer Satisfaction
By May 21, 2013
Comcast and Time Warner Cable may be two of the largest cable and Internet providers in the country, but they’re also the two worst, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index. [More]
Graphic: Which Internet Biggies Are Even Slightly Concerned About Your Privacy?
By May 20, 2013
When it comes to online privacy, many consumers assume that their service provider, or the websites they are browsing, have the users’ best interest in mind and that these companies won’t simply hand over your information to authorities. These people are mistaken, as are those who believe that no online companies make user privacy a priority. The truth, as usual, is a bit from column A and a bit from column B. [More]
Comcast Entices Cord Cutter Back, Can’t Manage To Ship Him A Box
By May 16, 2013
Comcast wanted Craig back. Well, not Comcast so much as the entire cable industry wanted him back. Do you blame them? He was a successful cord cutter, who managed to leave cable TV behind but keep his broadband Internet connection last year. Kabletown called him up and enticed him back with an amazing offer and a year of HBO. He couldn’t refuse…but then Comcast turned cold once it was time to actually ship him the equipment he needed. [More]
When Your FiOS Backup Battery Goes Dead, It’s Probably Up To You To Replace It
By May 10, 2013
If you have an Internet/phone/cable bundle, there’s a chance that your modem has a battery backup that would allow you to use the phone for several hours during a power outage. But not all Verizon FiOS customers know that it’s their responsibility to maintain that battery and replace it if necessary. [More]
SoftBank Says It, And Not Dish, Deserves The Final Rose From Bachelor Sprint
By April 16, 2013
While it has looked for months like Sprint and Japanese telecom titan SoftBank only had eyes for each other and were mere months away from wedded bliss, that pesky Charlie Ergen at Dish decided to come on strong, making his own $25.5 billion case yesterday for why Sprint and his company should elope. Not wanting to be the one left jilted at the final rose ceremony, SoftBank is firing back. [More]
Comcast Jumps On Basic Cable-Encrypting Bandwagon
By April 15, 2013
For years, if you had a cable connection running into your home, you could just plug the cable straight into your TV, call your provider and get the most basic cable channels without the hassle of a set-top box. Heck, you could usually score a handful of unscrambled channels without paying anything. But a recent FCC ruling gave providers the go-ahead encrypt their basic cable signals, meaning they can require you get a set-top box. [More]
EA Makes Worst Company In America History, Wins Title For Second Year In A Row!
By April 9, 2013
Following last year’s surprise Worst Company In America victory by Electronic Arts, there was hope that the video game giant would get the message: Stop treating your customers like human piggy banks, and don’t put out so many incomplete and/or broken games with the intent of getting your customers to pay extra for what they should have received in the first place. And yet, here we are again, with EA becoming the first company to ever win a second Golden Poo from Consumerist readers. [More]
Congrats Comcast, You’re Only The Third-Worst Company In America This Year
April 9, 2013
Though it didn’t get the attention of this year’s title match, yesterday saw another Worst Company In America bout for third-place bragging rights between tournament also-rans Comcast and Ticketmaster. In the end, Comcast managed to beat out Ticketmaster and collect its first Bronze Poo. [More]
Worst Company In America Consolation Round: Comcast Vs. Ticketmaster
April 8, 2013
Because we want to make sure that the worst companies in America get as much recognition as possible, for the second year in a row, we’re allowing the losers of the WCIA semifinal matches one last chance to take home a trophy to impress the parents. [More]
Worst Company In America Semifinals: EA Vs. Ticketmaster
April 5, 2013
The last duel before the WCIA Final Fracas of Fury features the reigning tournament champ squaring off against a longtime contender with dreams of Golden Poo glory in its head. [More]
Worst Company In America Semifinals: Bank Of America Vs. Comcast
April 5, 2013
Today’s Semifinal Double-Bill kicks off with a pair of former champs (well, sorta) trying to earn a spot in the WCIA Hall of Shfame, which is a combination of Shame and Fame that we just made up. [More]
Meet The Final 4 Contenders For Worst Company In America 2013
April 4, 2013
After more than two weeks of dismemberment, disembowelment, and all-around good family fun, this year’s Worst Company In America tournament nears its finale, with only four contenders remaining with a chance at claiming the ultimate victory and clutching the Golden Poo. [More]
I Pay $250/Month, Get Useless DVRs, And Comcast Doesn’t Care
By April 4, 2013
Adam has Comcast’s fantastic new X1 DVR, but isn’t enjoying it very much. He keeps having to swap out his boxes, and the ones he has don’t work. Our usual stable of contacts, the Comcast Cares team, aren’t able to help him, either. [More]
Worst Company In America Quarterfinals: Comcast Vs. Time Warner Cable
April 4, 2013
Two spots remain in the WCIA semifinals, but only one of these craptastic cable companies will be moving on. [More]
