Comcast told its employees to not comment when customers ask about recent reports in an AP article that it contracted BitTorrent sabotaging to a company called Sandvine, or to even discuss that a relationship exists between the two companies. Too bad that Barron’s financial magazine reported back in April that the two are in bed together:
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LEAKS: Insider Tells Us There's Proof Comcast Contracts BitTorrent Sabotaging To Sandvine
By 10.26.07
In the reports about Comcast’s disruption of traffic between customers using the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol, it’s alleged that Comcast outsources the traffic meddling to a third-party company called Sandvine. Publicly, and in an internal talking points memo leaked exclusively to The Consumerist, Comcast refused to comment on having any relationship with Sandvine.
Comcast's "We Don't Throttle BitTorrent" Internal Talking Points Memo
By 10.26.07
You may get customers who are contacting us with regard to several articles which were published recently, accusing Comcast of blocking or otherwise filtering customers’ Internet traffic. An in-depth AP story suggests Comcast is hindering our customers’ ability to use BitTorrent, a peer to peer file sharing program. If a customer contacts us to inquire about this, please use the following talking points.
Comcast BitTorrent Meddling Draws The Attention Of Congress
By 10.26.07
Comcast’s meddling with BitTorrent has prompted a member of congress to say something nice about file sharing. Aww!
By 10.26.07
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Comcast’s profit fell 54% and Standard & Poor’s downgraded the stock to sell. So sad, it brings a crocodile tear to our eyes. [Post-Gazette]
Update: Why I Did Not Cancel Comcast
By 10.25.07
Remember “Mr. Pants,” the guy that was canceling Comcast? Well, a Biblical-grade swarm of technicians descended upon his home like locusts with service trucks. So he’s keeping them.
Comcast Ceases Throttling Traffic After Negative AP Story?
By 10.24.07
Last week, Comcast got positively busted by the AP for disrupting users who use a popular file-sharing method called BitTorrent. Now Reader Brandon in the DC area says:
I’ve found that Comcast isn’t throttling traffic now that they’ve been exposed. I’d been throttled for the few days prior to the story, then two days after bam, I was downloading. I downloaded 2 gigs of music.
Comcast is probably just going into hiding so other outlets can’t issue confirmation reports of the AP story, then after the news forgets about it, they’ll go right back to it. But not the internet. The internet never forgets. Especially when you’re trying to stop the internet from internetting.
Comcast: "We Throttle Traffic To Help Other Users; Besides, It's Not Permanent"
By 10.24.07
Comcast is in heavy PR-spin mode this week following last week’s reports that they spoof customers’ computers to cancel peer-to-peer connections, and have been blocking corporate users from sending large attachments via Lotus Notes (that blockage was “fixed” last week, around the time this story broke). Comcast says that they don’t “block” anything but rather delay requests, and that it’s only done to improve overall performance for their customers.
Comcast Impersonates Users' Computers To Meddle With Internet Traffic
By 10.22.07
Comcast uses its own computers to masquerade as those of its users in order to disrupt and throttle internet traffic—specifically the peer-to-peer kind—whenever it chooses, according to nationwide independent tests carried out by the Associated Press. A Comcast rep dances around the charge by saying that the company doesn’t “block” access to anything—but he makes no mention of throttling or disrupting connections to shape traffic, probably because if he did, he’d have to admit to it or blatantly lie.
Why I Canceled Comcast
By 10.22.07
Reader “Mr. Pants” writes us with the story of why he canceled Comcast. It’s all the reasons that everyone cancels Comcast wrapped up into one spiffy complaint letter.
Comcast Reminds Customers Not To Start A Mass Spontaneous Uprising
By 10.19.07
Comcast PR sent us this statement about the hammer-wielding grammie:
Legend Of Comcast Office-Smashing Grandma Spreads
By 10.19.07
The old lady who busted up a Comcast office with her hammer after getting sick of their delays, that we told you about two weeks ago, got her story written up in a new and even more exciting fashion by the Washington Post. The piece includes this photo of Mona Shaw posing with her trusty tool of consumer vengeance.
Comcast Prices Rising Around The Country
By 10.18.07
Comcast rate hikes have been seen across the nation in Chicago IL, Houston TX, Lancaster PA, Tacoma and Seattle WA, and San Francisco CA. The cable company says the higher prices reflect the cost of hiring hundreds of call-center and technical support employees. Maybe they got sad after years of being the lowest in customer satisfaction and decided to do something about it.
Comcast Law Enforcement Handbook Leaked
By 10.16.07
Comcast’s Law Enforcement Handbook (PDF) was leaked today and posted on Secrecy News.
Comcast's Official Angry Customer Policy
By 10.10.07
This is an internal Comcast document entitled, “So you have an angry customer?” It’s a guide for technical support and customer service representatives for when unhappy customers call. It’s actually very good, full of plain talk and ways to think about the situation to help solve and defuse it. Apparently none of the Comcast customer service reps our readers complain about have ever read it.
Sick Of Waiting For An Install, 75-Year-Old Woman Smashes Up Comcast Office With Hammer
By 10.9.07
“Have I got your attention now?” asked Mona Shaw of the Comcast payment center employees as she smashed their keyboard, monitor and telephone.
New Comcast Complaint Site: Comcastmustdie.com
By 10.5.07
Cranky Advertising Age columnist Bob Garfield has channeled his Comcast loathing into a new blog endeavor, Comcastmustdie.com. Garfield figured why should he have all the fun lambasting Comcast on his blog? So he set up a new blog and invites you to give Comcast what’s for in the comments. Besides your complaint, he encourages you to include your customer number in your posts so Comcast can identify you (in case they decide to care).
Comcast Says Chicago Will Have TBS HD For Tonight's Cubs Game
By 10.3.07
I am having trouble getting the Cubs on Comcast. I have been working with Comcast for two-plus weeks on this and it is still not working. The first game is tonight at 9PM to beyond midnight. I have a Tivo Box that uses the “Cable Card” approved by Comcast. It is on Channel 47(TBS) but that station is not working due to “Content Security” problems. I am stuck, as Comcast is the only provider due to Cable company regulations.
