F Comcast

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

What is your contract length?

Typically any change to your service resets your contract.

FIOS tried that with me last year. My original 2 year term was nearly over and i made a change to my broadband that reset it.

Couple of weeks later they completely eliminated my original package and to maintain the same service was going to be $40 a month more, F that.

I called and *****ed up a storm.

My argument was pretty simple, I agreed to pay you X for the next 2 years in exchange for Y. You have eliminated Y so you are in breach. If I try to cancel my service then you would hit me with a $300.00 early termination fee. You can't have it both ways.

I got my channels back.

Cool. +1 for the good guys.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by lane912

I hate comcast!!!!

Media monopoly is wrong

We will not experience free enterprise and competition as long the same company can legally provide both broadband access and broadband content. They know cable is the best access to broadband and they use that sword over our heads to sell us whatever content they feel like selling at whatever price they want to charge for it. Until we are free to buy from Comcast, Time-Warner, NetFlicks, and any the other content provider we want over our cable, we are at the mercy of whatever combination content/access provider has the monopoly in our area. They are always going to work every angle to give us fewer choices for more money.
The solution involves (teapartiers and republicans cover your eyes) government regulation.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Free Market Capitalism ROCKS!

F Government Regulation. Free Market Capitalism always lets consumers choose a brand they trust, and when that trust is broken, they have competitors lined up to choose from and accept their business.

Where else can companies F you over as they like, and when you change brands, they hit you with a cancellation fee, and the new brand you switch to hits you with an installation fee?

The Consumer is always in the driver's seat and companies are at their mercy, always working hard to earn the Consumer's business and money.

[BlackTalon]

The problem is cable companies fronted the cost of installing all the cable. It was a huge capital investment, so in order to get payback the companies were given monopolies. So it's hard to have Free Market Capitalism on lines that Comcast, TWC, etc. own.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I feel your pain...Cindy & I have discussed dropping "comacast" & going dish for the TV...but then, what to do for high speed internet?

I dropped COMCAST cable TV and Internet access after Hurricane IKE. Our service was working fine for 2 weeks after the storm, THEN the signals went weak. Many channels wouldn't work and the internet connection was slow. I had many tech out, but they couldn't fix it, since it was a system issue. 2 months of that and it was gone, replaced by Dish and DSL through our business line.

The DSL ended up being too slow. We did run it that way for a year, but eventually I ponied up for a super highspeed internet (@$80/mth) back with Comcast.

I keep looking to re-combine my HDTV with the Cable Internet, but:

1) I cannot get U-verse on THIS block
2) Comcast doesn't have all the channels I get with DISH in HDTV
3) It won't really be any cheaper

I still have the DSL line as a backup, but it is almost free under my present business agreement.

[RWebb]

I see that comcast raised my internet service by $7 also.

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Maybe it's time to switch to Xfinity...

Xfinity IS Comcast.... I am going through a bunch of crap with thm right now also. Turns out they have been over charging me @ $11 a month for the last three years. They agreed to restitute only 6 months of it because it was MY fault for not letting them know sooner.. And Im also fighting over the phone service, which I dont really want anyway, but it comes with the package..

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

The problem is cable companies fronted the cost of installing all the cable. It was a huge capital investment, so in order to get payback the companies were given monopolies. So it's hard to have Free Market Capitalism on lines that Comcast, TWC, etc. own.

The cable itself needs to be regulated like any other utility monopoly. What we choose to buy over the cable should be up to us, not up to the company that owns the cable. My gas and electricity get here just fine and the gas and electric companies make a nice profit. That model should work just fine for cable operators.

[KaptKaos]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

Free Market Capitalism ROCKS!

F Government Regulation. Free Market Capitalism always lets consumers choose a brand they trust, and when that trust is broken, they have competitors lined up to choose from and accept their business.

Where else can companies F you over as they like, and when you change brands, they hit you with a cancellation fee, and the new brand you switch to hits you with an installation fee?

The Consumer is always in the driver's seat and companies are at their mercy, always working hard to earn the Consumer's business and money.

Government regulation, in this case, happens at the local level, where the cable companies buy...um, er... bid for the local contract. So they are granted a limited duration monopoly.

However, all of this is changing and changing quickly. Why do you think that the net neutrality stuff was so hotly contested? Check out hulu.com, epixhd.com and youtube.com too. Google is in the cat-bird seat, and they have put the cable companies on the run. All of these cable companies want to be able to charge you for the privilege of using someone elses service.

The cables are bought and paid for. They should be deregulated, and thereby allowing multiple cable companies to share the wires. It's entirely possible with today's technology. Too many bought off politicians won't allow that, so the web is the path of least resistance.

It's just a matter of time. The consumer will win out, but the cable companies won't go down without a fight.

Oh, and don't think that the wireless companies don't want a piece of this too.

[Racerbvd]

[Super_Dave_D]

I will dump Comcast when I can get THIS somewhere else!