There’s that old question that asks: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? But in the world of Consumerist, a more appropriate query might be: If the cable goes out for a few hours and customers don’t notice, should they get refunds anyway? [More]
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Report: Hulu Thinks Maybe You Shouldn't Cut Your Cable Cord Just Yet
By 4.30.12
Hulu is one of the many streaming services that have led a growing number of cable and satellite subscribers to cancel their subscriptions and get most of their TV entertainment via the Internet. But a new report claims that Hulu is now looking to appease cable companies by eventually making the service available only to those who are also paying for cable. [More]
New Book About Comcast Is For Kabletown Employees Only
By 4.24.12
We’ve been hearing for a couple weeks from folks inside Comcast that the company had commissioned a book on the creation of the country’s largest cable provider (and current owner of a third-tier network called NBC). And while it’s currently being shipped out to all Comcast employees, the 424-page tome will not be made available for those of us who might want to actually read it. [More]
You'll Take The Cable Box Comcast Gives You And You'll Like It
By 4.24.12
Nancy wants to put a small TV in her kitchen, but there isn’t room for a full ginormous cable box. That’s okay, though: her cable provider, Comcast, makes a special mini box for tiny televisions in tight spaces. The problem is that if you want one, you have to just cross your fingers and hope that the installer happens to have one in their truck that day. You can’t order it, and you can’t even show up at a local Kabletown outpost to pick one up: there’s no guarantee they’ll have one. No, you have to use what your installer shows up with. And you’ll have to like it. [More]
Comcast Tech Manages To Condemn House With His Truck
By 4.18.12
Usually when we write about a cable company tech doing damage to a property, it involves kicking holes in walls or other shoddy workmanship. But here’s the tale of a Comcast tech who managed to have an entire house declare unsafe, all with the help of his company truck. [More]
I Would Rather Gnaw My Arm Off Than Continue Dealing With Comcast
By 4.17.12
M. has had it with Comcast. In fact, she’s not even a customer of theirs anymore. But the good people of Kabletown owe her a $143 refund after she canceled service in February, and she can’t get her money out of their clutches. Even the customer service heroes of the Twitter team promise her that a check is on its way…but it never shows. At this point, it isn’t even about the money anymore. [More]
Netflix CEO Rips Comcast On Net Neutrality
By 4.16.12
It’s been a few weeks since Comcast announced that data chewed up by customers who use the cable company’s Xfinity Xbox app won’t count toward their monthly data cap. The move ignited a debate over whether or not Comcast was unfairly making its product more readily available than those provided by others, like perhaps… Netflix. Well, yesterday, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings decided it was time to make his position known. [More]
This Time Warner Cable Letter Epitomizes What's Wrong With Cable Industry
By 4.10.12
Do you think Ford would ever send you a letter suggesting you give Toyota a try? Or would McDonald’s ever shoot you an e-mail telling you to check out the lovely Burger Kings in your new neighborhood? Of course not. So why would the cable industry not care which company you choose? [More]
FCC Gives Boston Go-Ahead To Regulate Cable Prices Again
By 4.9.12
It’s been 11 months since the mayor of Boston asked the Federal Communications Commission if he could pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top be allowed to regulate what cable companies charge in his fair city. Well, it appears the FCC Entmoot has finally wrapped up and Boston can once again rein in soaring cable rates. [More]
Comcast Is Very Concerned About Your Cocker Spaniels
By 4.4.12
David is a little confused. First, because received a Comcast bill for two months of service, even though he already submitted a payment. Second, because some denizen of Kabletown has started turning ordinary customer service e-mails in to Mad Libs. Or spell check has gone horribly awry. Or…actually, we’re not quite sure what’s going on here. [More]
Either Comcast's Billing System Is Messed Up Or This Woman Really Loves Ordering Porn
By 4.2.12
Who among us hasn’t had a slight bit of buyer’s remorse after buying porn? It’s okay, you don’t need to raise your hands; your silence speaks volumes. But one Comcast customer is being quite loud about the fact that she keeps having to ask the Kabletown folks to remove hundreds of dollars worth of pay-per-view porn items from her cable bill. [More]
Philadelphians With DirecTV Now Have No Way Of Watching Phillies Baseball On TV
By 4.2.12
For years, Philadelphia Phillies fans with DirecTV have found themselves unable to watch most of the team’s games because the satellite provider and Comcast refuse to come to a resolution over the channel that carries those contests. Now another annoying slap-fight between DirecTV and a broadcaster has left its Philadelphia-area subscribers completely in the dark for this upcoming baseball season. [More]
Displaced By A Tornado? Comcast Considers You "On Vacation"
By 3.29.12
They must not get too many tornadoes in Kabletown. Or maybe the folks at Comcast think that twisters really do whisk people away to magical lands with witches and flying monkeys. Regardless, residents of one tornado-damaged Michigan town say they’ve had a hard time convincing the cable company that they are not “on vacation.” [More]
Worst Company In America Round 3: EA Vs. Comcast
By 3.28.12
Imagine you’re playing a game of Worst Company In America Online, Game of the Year Collectors’ Signature Edition 2012 with your pals. You’ve paid hundreds of dollars for the game and all the downloadable tricked-out corporate logos, bloody finishing moves and deluxe cat photos and you’re about to head into the Final Death Match. Then your cable company decides you’ve gone over your data limit and the game grinds to a halt. And when you finally get it back up, the game’s servers have been pulled offline by the publisher. Which company do you end up hating more? [More]
Comcast Thinks Data Caps Shouldn't Apply To Its Xbox Streaming Service
By 3.27.12
This week, Microsoft is adding new streaming video applications from HBO Go, Major League Baseball and Xfinity from Comcast. And while announcing that new streaming video service, Xfinity’s overlord Comcast say the traffic from the streaming video service won’t count against Comcast’s 250GB monthly data cap. [More]
The 8 Remaining Worst Company In America Contenders Sure Are An Elite Bunch!
By 3.27.12
Two weeks ago, 32 of the nation’s worst businesses entered the Worst Company In America Battledome Nonagon, hoping to prove they could out-twit, overcharge and outlast the others to ultimately be named the Worst Company In America 2012. Two dozen companies have since been fed to the shark-eating robot piranhas and only eight remain with a chance to be crowned with the Golden Poo. [More]
Worst Company In America Sweet 16: Comcast Vs. DirecTV
By 3.22.12
Welcome to Day 2 of Sweet 16 bloodshed! Unfortunately, because of exclusivity deals, those of you who haven’t paid $350 for the deluxe, HD/3D/Smell-o-Vision package will be blacked out from seeing the televised broadcast of these TV titans. [More]
Which Worst Company Contenders Force Customers Into Mandatory Arbitration?
By 3.21.12
As we sifted through the mountain of nominations for this year’s Worst Company In America tournament, we noticed a trend of readers who cited companies’ mandatory binding arbitration clauses as a reason for nominating. And while it’s businesses like AT&T and Sony that have made all the headlines for effectively banning class action lawsuits, there are a lot of other WCIA contenders who are forcing customers into signing away their rights. [More]
