Comments on: It’s Long Past Time To Dump Comcast

By: MP Resident

MP Resident — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:10:55 +0000

“I never had these kinds of problems with Comcast until about a year ago”

I wonder if their takeover of Adelphia’s operations has anything to do with it. Adelphia was quite a mess in many places.

By: park'd

park'd — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:45:09 +0000

We know Jeff. We are just filled with slim hope that consumers having a choice might force both companies to improve their support and offerings and start treating customers with respect again. If a company sees 50% of its customer base flock to the other company then you can be pretty sure that someone at the top might sit back and say, “hey, maybe our support really does suck after all” and then do something about it. I never had these kinds of problems with Comcast until about a year ago, so some executive at the top must have had some hair-brained scheme around that time to streamline operations at the expense of the customer. That executive needs to be identified, fired, and blackballed from ever working in the industry again.

By: Leeroy Jenkins

Leeroy Jenkins — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:42:28 +0000

Comcast should check out the despair.com poster that says “we’re not satisfied until you’re not satisfied!”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:09:50 +0000

For every Comcast sucks webpage there is an identical Verizon sucks webpage. Trading big company for another larger company ain’t exactly stickin it to the man folks.

By: One Voice

One Voice — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:05:05 +0000

Hopefully, once we have a choice, everyone will bail to Verizon and those of us that stay with Comcast might get some decent treatment. I would be happy just to have the channel line up back in place of a few spanish channels. They should be premium channels… although I’d love to know what they are saying on some of those soaps!!!!

By: Leeroy Jenkins

Leeroy Jenkins — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:58:57 +0000

That’s a tough one…I’ve never had much experience with cable companies (over many years and places) that I would consider “wonderful customer service” I think any time you’re dealing with what are essentially monopolies (electric, gas, phone and cable). Another problem with cable is that dish doesn’t have a much better reputation. So even where there is competition, if both choices bite, you’re still out of luck. I still believe we the American consumers do a bad job of “voting with our dollars” at places like Best Buy and Sears, let alone a situation like this where there are few good options.

By: MP Resident

MP Resident — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:39:38 +0000

“Actually Greg, the universal (actually international) hatred of the “phone company” was the stuff of legends many years ago.”

We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the phone company!

Anyone remember GTE? And how it used to cost a good 5 cents a minute just to call Centreville from Manassas? How about Contel before that? (What a great name for a phone company, “con”tel. Did they hire ex-cons? Were they the con in the list of pros and cons? Or what?)

By: park'd

park'd — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:14:54 +0000

Agreed. That’s my point.

By: One Voice

One Voice — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:56:42 +0000

Choice/Competition is what makes any service good. We have Comcast and very few issues, however, when Verizon went through here, no workers spoke English, they cut all our lines and our neighbors and their neighbors and their neighbors….. We had Comcast trucks lining the street.

Verizon was not very helpful during this event. I think only when they are both available will customers see any indication of customer service.

By: park'd

park'd — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:28:36 +0000

I just want the ability to choose. When my comcast internet goes down I have no choice other than to deal with comcast and their incompetent techs and their we will call you within 72 hours (maybe) to arrange a time to get it repaired (another week). The last time I called them was a disgrace. The person basically told me that I might be getting a call within 3 business days to schedule a time to work on the problem. Sheesh. FIOS really needs to shake these guys up. When they lose 50% of their customers over night then maybe someone there will say, “hmm, maybe we should revamp our service and start listening to our customers’ complaints.”

Comcast in Alexandria back in the late 90’s was superb in ever aspect but Comcast in MP since about 2005 has been harrible. These guys deserve the customer exodus that is about to befall them.

By: Law and Order

Law and Order — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:21:24 +0000

What Frost me is the Cost creep..each year its goin up and I can pick about 5 channels I actually watch–an ala carte system to pay for what We watch vice subsidising the “trash per view” stuff is needed sorely.

There is no incentive for local,state or fed gov’t to rein thse guys in becuase they collect taxes off of guess what? gross amounts..go figure

By: AWCheney

AWCheney — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:19:07 +0000

“I don’t know if any company ever before has managed to consistently earn such utter and well-deserved hatred.”

Actually Greg, the universal (actually international) hatred of the “phone company” was the stuff of legends many years ago.

By: MP Mom

MP Mom — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:35:23 +0000

“MP Resident said on 25 Nov 2007 at 11:18 pm:
I’d be happy with Comcast if they took a little better care of their outside plant. Some goes for Verizon. When are they (Verizon) going to permanently repair that pedestal at the intersection of 28 and Liberia which has been covered with a trash bag for months?”

Paging Mr. Aveni!!!

By: MP Resident

MP Resident — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:18:04 +0000

I’d be happy with Comcast if they took a little better care of their outside plant. Some goes for Verizon. When are they (Verizon) going to permanently repair that pedestal at the intersection of 28 and Liberia which has been covered with a trash bag for months?

By: Not Maureen

Not Maureen — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:36:29 +0000

Before you jump off Comcast, read the fine print.

I went with Verizon FIOS. WWW linkage is much faster and much more reliable — in my opinion.

However, we were “told” that the fiber box was %5 for the first and the other three are “included.” But the fine print says $5 each, So in the end, I am paying $7 per month more to have Verizon.

Is it worth it? For the Cable Reliability, maybe, but the TV content is lame. So I think its a wash.

Again READ THE FINE PRINT. Also, they sent a notice saying that they are raising their rates. Hmmm. Unilateral change of contract? I need to go back to that fine print.

By: dolph

dolph — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:30:59 +0000

I don’t have comcast stock although I did briefly consider buying it last spring. The stock is only about $19 a share now. It was close to $30. The decline started before the great November stock tank.

I have no complaints with my service. Perhaps it is all where you live. I have TV, internet, phone and dvr service. All work just fine and there is rarely an outage. I have never had an outage with all 4 at once. I like all the conveniences it offers.

By: MP Resident

MP Resident — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:30:32 +0000

West side of MP mostly has above-ground utilities so the FIOS deployment should be quicker on that side.

Comcast hasn’t given me any trouble since the end of August. I’m amazed.

By: park'd

park'd — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:09:38 +0000

mpmom please make sure to let me know as well. I’m sure they will start on the east side of manassas drive since they rarely give us west siders anything except more illegals…

By: MP Mom

MP Mom — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:47:57 +0000

I will be canceling Comcast as soon as Verizon starts up here. I hope to get an estimated date this week. I can’t wait.