While we disagree with some who think that Comcast is an admirable company, we certainly don’t advocate using a gun to resolve your disputes with the cable company. Apparently our talk-it-out ways are not shared by a New Mexico woman who is accused of pulling a gun on a Comcast tech following a dispute over unexpected charges for a service call. [More]
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Comcast Cancels Event At Home Of Lawmaker Who Wants To Ban Municipal Broadband
By 7.29.14
As we mentioned earlier today, 20 states have laws on the books that ban or severely limit municipal efforts to launch broadband services that compete with the likes of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and their cronies. And several states, including Kansas, are trying to enact industry-backed laws of their own to prevent cities from offering competitive Internet service. Comcast was supposed to be showing off its home security service at the home of the Kansas lawmaker who introduced that state’s ridiculous legislation, but has backed out of it after the media started asking questions. [More]
Let’s Break Down Forbes’ Laughable “5 Reasons To Admire Comcast”
By 7.29.14
In spite of its two Worst Company In America wins, we know that not everyone hates Comcast. But if you’re going to go out of your way on a popular website to tell America why it should think more kindly of the Kabletown folks, then you’ll need to come up with better reasons than the ones given in a risible Forbes.com column. [More]
Comcast Solves Customer Service Issue, Keeps Calling To Solve It
By 7.22.14
Hey, remember reader Karen, who had trouble convincing Comcast that they had somehow locked her out of all online access to her accounts? She spent more than two weeks fighting her own one-woman Battle of Kabletown, finally getting the attention of the ComcastCares team with Consumerist’s help. It looked like everything worked out for her. It did…except for how Comcast continued to call her about her open “trouble ticket” for days. [More]
Comcast Memo: Rep From “Painful” Retention Call Was Doing “What We Trained Him To Do”
By 7.21.14
A week after the posting of the neediest customer-retention call in Comcast history, the fallout continues, with the company’s Chief Operating Officer telling Comcast employees in a memo leaked to Consumerist that the incident was “painful to listen to,” but that the rep “did a lot of what we trained him…to do.” [More]
From AT&T To Verizon: What The Web’s Biggest Players Told The FCC About Net Neutrality
By 7.18.14
The FCC originally planned to stop taking comments about their net neutrality proposal on Tuesday. But after demand overwhelmed and crashed their antique IT system, they extended the deadline to 11:59 p.m. (EDT) tonight. As of yesterday, well over one million comments had been entered, and that number’s still going up. Clearly, the public cares — but what is the public saying? [More]
Comcast Locks You Out Of Your E-Mail Accounts, Shrugs
By 7.17.14
It all began when Karen paid her Comcast bill online. Maybe that’s what caused her issue, or maybe it wasn’t–all she knows is that when she tried to log in to her account after the payment posted, she got kicked back to the login screen. That’s how two weeks of what she called “Xfinity Hades” began. [More]
Confessions Of A Comcast Video Repair Agent
By 7.17.14
In the wake of that embarrassingly desperate Comcast customer retention call, and statements from current and former Comcast workers who claim that such behavior is par for the course, one of the company’s video repair agents has sent us some inside information about what it’s like behind the scenes at Kabletown. [More]
Senator Challenges Comcast, AT&T Execs On Opposition To Municipal Broadband
By 7.16.14
The Senate Commerce Committee held hearing today on broadband competition, media consolidation, and the future of online video transmission. Among the witnesses were Comcast exec David L. Cohen and AT&T bigwig John T. Stankey. During the hearing, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey directly asked the two about competition from municipal broadband providers. [More]
Comcast Employees Say Needy Retention Call Is Totally Normal
By 7.16.14
While we all spent yesterday shaking heads and commiserating with Comcast customer Ryan Block in his exhausting effort to get a customer service representative to disconnect his service, it’s always good to stop and remember that there are actual humans on the other end of that line, people who are hired to do a job. And in the case of call center workers, we’ve heard from many past and current Comcast employees who say that type of effort might’ve been a bit much, but it all comes down to meeting quotas. [More]
Comcast Is “Very Embarrassed” By That Clingy Customer Service Phone Call
By 7.15.14
Now that everyone has heard just how clingy a Comcast customer service representative can be when demanding an explanation for a breakup, you might be wondering how Comcast is feeling. The answer is, pretty darn ridiculous. [More]
Comcast Demands An Explanation Before Agreeing To Cancel Your Account
By 7.14.14
UPDATE: Comcast has issued a statement regarding the demanding customer service rep and Block’s phone call, saying it’s “very embarrassed” by the employee’s behavior. [More]
You Have Until August 25 To Tell The FCC Your Thoughts About The Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger
By 7.11.14
It’s been five months since Comcast and Time Warner Cable first announced their intention to merge, but the regulatory gauntlet they need to get through first is just now ramping up. Earlier this week, the FCC announced the team doing the review, and now they’ve announced their timeline for taking comments on the matter. [More]
Dish Asks FCC To Block Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger
By 7.9.14
If you could be any player in the pay-TV industry these days, you probably wouldn’t choose to be Dish Network. It’s being sued by broadcasters for its DVR; its one competitor in the satellite market is trying to merge with AT&T, which puts Dish’s future in doubt. So it’s little surprise that Dish isn’t thrilled about the potential marriage of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. [More]
FCC Hires Opponent Of Comcast/NBC Deal To Review Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger
By 7.8.14
Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been treating their merger as a foregone conclusion ever since they announced their betrothal in February. And with the companies cozying up to regulators, dropping huge piles of cash on lobbyists and campaign contributions, and making themselves look as good as possible, it’s not hard to see why the execs at the top would be feeling confident. But the FCC has just made a few key hires that make it look like the agency might actually push back against Comcast’s financial onslaught. [More]
Dinners And Parties: Here’s Why Comcast Isn’t Worried About Getting The TWC Merger Approved
By 7.3.14
Comcast has been using every trick in the book to drum up approval for their pending merger with Time Warner Cable. They’re spending big on lobbyists, filling campaign coffers, relying on revolving doors, and strategically funding feel-good initiatives. But those are just icing on the cake. What really gives them confidence in their merger plan? The buddy-buddy relationship they’ve developed with regulators. [More]
Someone Swiped My House’s Comcast Connection; Comcast Wants $40 To Come Look At It
By 7.1.14
All Consumerist reader Dan wants is to get Internet access to the house he just purchased. Shouldn’t be a big deal since Comcast says the building was previously wired for its service. Problem is, the cable running to his house no longer connects with his house, but instead now snakes off across his yard — on top of the ground — to a neighbor; and Comcast wants Dan to pay up just to come out and fix the mess. [More]
Porn Copyright Trolls Trying To Use “Six Strikes” Warning System To ID Pirates
By 6.27.14
After years of outrageous lawsuits with 6- and 7- figure penalties thrown at people who illegally shared some music or movies online, the cable industry’s Copyright Alert System (better known as “Six Strikes”) was supposed to represent a happy middle ground, where Internet Service Providers sternly warn alleged violators that they’re onto your file-sharing ways and could you please stop so this doesn’t have to go to court? But folks who make a lot of money off of the threat of copyright lawsuits are hoping to use Six Strikes info to identify pirates. [More]
