Yesterday the wife and I got a letter in the mail that said our check to them for last month's bill bounced, so we were supposed to call them and give them a Visa number within 10 days or our service would be cut off.

We called our credit union, and they said the check was never presented, plus we have "overdraft protection", where if there isn't enough money in the checking account they still pay it and just charge it to our Visa account.

Comcast wasn't impressed by this, and said that bottom line the only way to solve the overdraft would be to pay the balance over the phone with a credit card number, and they would not consider waiving the penalties involved.

I wonder if Direct TV operates so shabbily...

The bottom line is if the check was presented and returned than Comcast will have it, with the NSF stamp on the back. IMO, your best course is to get the bank to tell you in writing that they never got the check, then escalate it with Comcast.

Comcast starting shit...why am I not surprised?

I'm tired of hearing all this about Comcast being so "good" for Philadelphia. Granted, they own the Flyers, Sixers, and the arenas, but I wonder if they've gotten too big for their own good. They took over my cable system in Maryland not too long before I moved...and took over most of the cable systems in DC and Maryland. Trying to get good service from them was trying. (Not to mention, their name will be on the new basketball arena that is being built at the Univ. of Maryland.)

Since I've moved here, the service has actually been great. However, it disturbed me when I saw how they were blocking RCN from coming into the market...how they tried to say that RCN would be discriminating by starting in NE Philadelphia. And quite frankly, I think it is time for competition in actual cable (not direcTV or satellite)...we have competition on just about every other facet now.

Go after them. After you prove them wrong, kindly explain how distraught you were over this situation...and the time it wasted. You should be free of a cable bill for at least a month.

My read on the Comcast/RCN situation is that Comcast paid off the proper parties and RCN didn't do so (or was outbid).

The price of cable is eternal vigilance.
 

Saw a story on Time.com's site a week ago that said the price of cable has escalated (I think it was 3x, but I'm not certain) far beyond the cost of inflation over the past couple of years.

Also, not surprisingly, that in places where cable faces competition, this rate is significantly lowered.

One of these days when I get around to it, I really think I'm going to toss AT&T Broadband (the Bay's system) for DirectTV. Anyone with a dish to give me pointers?

some things never change, eh? flint

:hide:

A bit paranoid, perhaps, but make sure you really are talking to Comcast. It reminds me of a phishing email.

right.

Ten years ago.

Be nice or the cable police will get you!!

Am I the only person who gets along well with comcast?

I believe there is indeed statistical proof that you are the only customer who doesn't hate Comcast. There are probably dozens of people who don't hate them yet, because they haven't had to deal with them.

At least that's what I heard.

Wolf, you have some karma that we don't have.
You get along with Comcast ... AND... WalMart doesn't do her dirt.

Good on you.

Out of the blue, I just received an automated "reminder call" from Comcast
for a "service installation" this coming Sunday, the 25th.
The automated menu then was "Press 1 to confirm", Press 2 to change"

I pressed #2, and was connected to a nice young man who said
they would be out to install my new "wireless internet" service.
I denied I requested such a new service, and he transferred me
to another (not so nice) young man.

This fellow asked for my name and address, which I gave him.
He then wanted the account number, which I didn't have.
He then wanted the amount of the last billing, which I didn't have.

We then went into a round-and-round in a Mexican standoff,
with him saying he needed the all four pieces of information to "access the account",
and me saying I did not have either of the last two.

I suggested he just pretend I had given him the account number and billing $,
so he could access the account and cancel the installation order.
This set off another round-and-round Mexican standoff.

After about 7 minutes of this, I told him that should the order not be cancelled,
and the service man arrived on Sunday, I would send him away.
This then set off yet another round of standoff.

I think the fellow then said "please ... something inaudible",
and the canned music started.
After a minute or so, I hung up.

We will leave both of our attack dogs outside all day Sunday.

Wow.

Plus whoever ordered that Sunday installation, and probably had to wait awhile to get it, will be really pissed off.