Earlier today, Jessica wrote to us about her Comcast horror story: there was something that smelled terrible, and the smell was coming from inside her apartment! He also hooked up her replacement modem incorrectly, so it still didn’t work, then said he’d be right back and drove off forever. Luckily, she was able to steal enough wifi to send an email to Comcast, and as of now the problem has been resolved.
installations
Time Warner Calls You In Another Dimension, Or Something
By 1.7.09
Kushal wants to know how Time Warner verifies the call logs for its installer technicians, because when they say they call, his phone doesn’t ring.
Most Verizon FIOS Installations Violate National Electric Standards
By 8.30.08
A two-year investigation has concluded that most Verizon FIOS installations fail to meet national safety standards, and could cause fires or electrocutions. FIOS is famous for house fires, but New York’s Public Service Commission first started its investigation back in 2006 after several inspectors discovered improperly grounded installations.
Man Threatens To Sue Extortionist HVAC Company In Small Claims, Wins
By 7.14.08
Last winter, David’s old furnace broke down. But things got really heated up when the incompetent HVAC repairmen he hired threatened to report him to collection agencies and put a lien on his condo when they wanted him to pay up for a repair they never finished. Just to give a little atmosphere, this takes place in Chicago, famed for its merciless winters. David’s story, and how fought back, inside…
Powerpoint By Pissed Comcast Employee Reveals They Know Exactly How Much They Suck
By 6.20.08
It’s no secret to Consumerist readers that Comcast’s outsourced techs are often late, rude and incompetent, and that calling customer service is more akin to improving dialogue in a Beckett play, but as this exclusively obtained powerpoint made by a Comcast employee shows, it’s no secret to the cable company either. (I know the damn thing wasn’t officially created by Comcast corp. C’mon, give us more credit than that. It’s pretty obvious that it’s too funny to be official. I just meant to describe how it was created by a Comcast employee and passed around to other Comcast employees and came from inside Comcast. I realize now that “internal” makes it sound official, and that wasn’t my intention. I apologize for the confusion.) Watch and/or download the powerpoint, inside…
FiOS Is Great, If Verizon Ever Manages To Actually Install It
By 3.25.08
Ben is getting some crappy customer service from Verizon in attempting to get FiOS installed. His phone is disconnected, they made a half-assed install, don’t show up for installs, don’t call, oh, and he still doens’t have FiOS. He writes:
To file amongst other I hate Verizon articles. Typing and summarizing while on hold with Verizon for approximately the 8th time…
Customer Pulls Shotgun On Late Dish Network Repairman
By 2.8.08
A San Diego Dish Network repairmen got more then he bargained for when he showed up late for a service call: homeowner Gary Thomson pulled a shotgun on him and threatened to kill him if he didn’t fix the TV. “The repairman, who told detectives he was terrified, went inside and fixed the problem. Thomson put the shotgun away at some point during the visit,” reports the San Diego Union Tribune.
Comcast Refunds $121 To Frustrated Customer
By 2.5.08
After an unhappy Comcast emailed his complaint to the CEO and we posted the letter here (see “Repeated Comcast Outages Nearly Cost Reader His Job“), Comcast refunded him $121 in installation and other fees, in addition to the $263 it had already refunded. “Not worth all the trouble my wife and I endured,” our reader writes, “but I have to give Comcast credit for trying to make it right.”
Verizon Doesn't Care If It Eats Up All Your Vacation Days Waiting For Installations
By 9.14.07
To whom it may concern:
Comcast Installs Cable With Extreme Incompetence
By 9.12.07
This above pictured pile of cables is but the beginning of Glen’s magical mystery tour into the wonder of having a Comcast contractor install cable…
Verizon Spins Causing Electrical Fire During FiOs Install Into Sales Pitch
By 9.8.07
When will Verizon wonks learn that it’s in incredibly bad taste to insert a sales pitch in the middle of your apology for yet another FiOs technician causing yet annother electrical fire at a customer’s home?
The good news is that Wilen loves his FiOS service…now that it is up and working. As a friend wrote to me earlier, “If he had this sort of problem when it was installed, and still likes FiOS this much, it must be a great service!”
Never, it seems, never.
Verizon Techs Blow Out AP Reporter's Electrical Box During Installation
By 9.6.07
Verizon FiOs techs have flubbed another install, hitting an electrical wire and leaving the electrical box smoking. This time, the customer was an AP reporter. Oopsy poopsies!
By 8.21.07
../../../..//2007/08/21/professional-wired-blogger-experience-the/
Professional WIRED blogger experience the ignominy of waiting for days upon weeks for a Comcast installation. [Gadget Lab]
Stick It To The Smartass Cable Tech
By 5.31.07
Thing is, though, it’s not the tech’s fault the dispatch system is messed up. — BEN POPKEN
Best Of Comcast Bad Install Stories
By 5.10.07
“So why did Comcast’s installer show up without a router asking for $115.80 in cash? Why did he drill holes in Jason’s walls and baseboards, and unplug his HP Media Center PC Box (thereby breaking it)? Why was he rude to Jason, requiring him to “show the cash” to “make sure he had it?””
Where's My Tech? Call Comcast Dispatch (We've Got The Numbers)
By 5.7.07
Comcast is notorious for techs missing their appointments. If you would like to see where you tech really is, and maybe have him get his heiny over, here’s a whole bunch of Comcast’s internal dispatch numbers.
What Is Up With These Horny Comcast Techs?
By 9.6.06
Remember that gal who had Comcast install her cable and then the tech proceeded to call her over and over again, trying to get a date? Reader Andrew reports that the tech got turned in by another Comcast tech. The first lovelorn tech left a message on her cellphone saying that he was wrong and would stop calling. However, the second Comcast tech may have just been trying to make elbow room . He too hit on our consumer and asked her out.
Happy Day of Labor!
By 9.4.06
Today is a bank holiday for the Gawker Media Network but that doesn’t mean that the fickle wheel of commerce stops keep spinning round. Here’s some updates on consumer’s stories we reported on last week.
