Comcast customers in the Nashville area were watching college basketball this weekend when the broadcast was interrupted by emergency alerts about coming storms. Problem is, when the alert was over, the basketball game had been replaced by C-SPAN and customers were unable to change the channel. [More]
Comcast Locks Customers’ Screens On C-SPAN In Middle Of Basketball Game
By March 19, 2013
Comcast Charges Me $40 For The Pleasure Of Letting It Fix Its Own Screw-Up
By March 12, 2013
It’s bad enough that a Comcast tech futzed with the exterior connection to Consumerist reader Grant’s cable line, resulting in weak and dropped connections. But the folks at Kabletown never seem satisfied to stop at bad enough. [More]
Comcast CSR Provides Perspective On Why People Hate The Company
By March 8, 2013
When we hear stories of inept or insufficient customer service, we often wonder whether it’s a case of a bad employee not willing to listen to the customer, or if it’s an unfortunate staffer being shackled by a system that treats the customer like a necessary evil. According to one billing and tech support rep for Comcast, it’s a bit of both. [More]
Minnesota City Fights Back Against Comcast Rate Hikes
By March 6, 2013
Following Comcast’s decision to start charging $1.99/month for previously free converter boxes and a nearly 10% rate hike for some customers, the mayor of Eagan, MN, has written lawmakers and regulators asking for the right to rein in what the city’s residents pay for cable. [More]
After Much Delay, The Anti-Piracy “Six Strikes” Program Is Nearing Launch
By February 25, 2013
A program intended to fight online piracy without resorting to prosecution was supposed to go live last year but was repeatedly delayed, most recently by Hurricane Sandy. But the folks running the Copyright Alert System (better known as Six Strikes) say it’s ready to go. [More]
Comcast Testing Out Prepaid Internet Access
By February 20, 2013
Given that millions of consumers choose to use prepaid wireless plans for their phones, is it that much of a stretch to think the prepaid model will work for home Internet access? That’s what Comcast is trying to figure out with its new Xfinity Prepaid service. [More]
Which ISPs Are Providing The Speeds They Advertise?
By February 15, 2013
Once again, the FCC has put a wide range of Internet service providers to the test to see whether or not they are delivering on the speeds they advertise to customers. And while it the majority of ISPs are not far off, with a few actually over-delivering, some still have a way to go. [More]
Bank Of America, Comcast Among Familiar Names In List Of Least Reputable Companies
By February 14, 2013
Once again, the folks at Harris Interactive have released their Reputation Quotient Report, which rates public perception of 60 highly visible companies. Regular readers of Consumerist will not be shocked to see which companies brought up the rear this year. [More]
Comcast Set To Swallow NBCUniversal Whole With $16.7 Billion Buyout
By February 13, 2013
What would Liz Lemon do? Well 30 Rock did get in its parting jab at Comcast during its series finale recently, but we’re sure Liz and Jack Donaghy would have plenty to say about Comcast’s $16.7 billion buyout of NBCUniversal. Kabletown — er, Comcast, is gobbling up General Electric’s 49% stake in the company, which will make it the 100% overlord supreme. [More]
Surprise, Surprise: Expert Says Many Broadband Meters Are Inaccurate
By February 8, 2013
While Internet providers look more toward capping data usage and penalizing customers for overages (even though it’s becoming less expensive to provide this service), one expert says many devices used to determine a customer’s usage are not sufficiently accurate. [More]
Comcast Resolves Consumerist Reader’s Auto-Pay Paradox, Then Screws It Up All Over Again
By February 5, 2013
You may remember the story of Consumerist reader L. Back in October, he was puzzled how Comcast had him listed simultaneously as being enrolled in its automatic payment program and not in the program. After his story appeared here, it looked like everything had been resolved. Appearances can be deceiving. [More]
30 Rock Gets In One Last Comcast Dig Before Going Off The Air
By February 1, 2013
The final episode of 30 Rock aired on NBC last night, and whether you enjoyed the series or not (we did), you had to admire how it was never afraid of biting the hands that fed it for seven seasons. [More]
Comcast Now Charging Customers For Formerly Free Converter Boxes
By January 31, 2013
Not so long ago, Comcast customers who had to upgrade to digital set-top boxes were provided up to two free digital-television adapters so they wouldn’t gave to trash their old analog sets. Now, folks who still have those DTAs will have to pay $1.99/month for the privilege. [More]
Comcast Doesn’t Understand The Idea Of ‘Transferring Service,’ Shuts All Of Our Services Down
By January 28, 2013
Brad is a longtime customer of Comcast, and he planned to take Comcast with him to his new home. This was a mistake. Not the part where he was going to keep using Comcast: in many areas, people who want cable don’t really have a choice. His mistake was letting Comcast know ahead of time that he planned to move. Things began to go terribly wrong within mere minutes, and he is still without any of his Comcast services, even though the move is weeks away. [More]
Consumerist And Comcast Bring Blogger A ‘January Miracle’ Of Fast Internet
By January 16, 2013
For the first time in thirteen months, Andrea can do something that seemed impossible only a few weeks ago. She can surf over to YouTube, select a video, and have it play.For most people, this wouldn’t be all that amazing, but Andrea has been fighting with Comcast to get the fast data speeds that she was promised and that she needs to do her job. After a yearlong saga, how did she finally catch the attention of someone at Kabletown? Lots of blogging, a mention on Consumerist, and the heroic efforts of the Comcast Cares team. [More]
Comcast Sells Me Data Speeds It Can’t Possibly Deliver
By January 11, 2013
Andrea needs high-speed Internet access to get her work done. Really high speed. Faster than your average DSL or satellite Internet connection; faster than what she gets once everyone in her town gets home from work or school and starts playing Facebook games or downloading torrents or whatever it is they do. She can get the level of service that she pays for and actually needs, but only for a few hours a day. [More]
List Of Companies With Worst Customer Service Scores Is Full Of Familiar Names
By January 8, 2013
Bank of America, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Delta, Charter, American Airlines — these are just a few of the all-too-familiar companies sitting comfortably in the back of the pack in terms of customer service for 2012. [More]
Is Comcast The 21st Century Version Of Standard Oil?
By December 26, 2012
More than 100 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil had become an “unreasonable” monopoly and broke the mega-company up into dozens of smaller ones. With America’s growing reliance on the Internet and high-speed data transmission, is it time to put companies like Comcast and AT&T under the antitrust microscope? [More]
