I am writing this letter, because I cannot believe that Comcast has been allowed to conduct business in an uncontestable and blatantly illegal manner. They have continuously offered services, knowing that their ultimate plan was to eventually and deceitfully increase their service rates (annually) and intentionally charge customers unjustified fees for service and equipment fees they do not even have (monthly). This practice is well-planned and intentional. By not informing their customers prior to signing up for service and charging for services and equipment that the customer never receives, they have constructed and executed an additional way to illegally and unethically acquire revenue.
Additionally, having read a few of the thousands of typical and similar complaints via the internet, one can easily ascertain that rate increases, unwarranted fees, and overcharging for services and/or equipment seem to be Comcast's way of doing business. Comcast not only deceives their customers initially but throughout the interim. Unfortunately, when these issues are questioned or exposed, they will credit gladly, only after many frustrating hours of phone calls, credit those lucky few and informative customers; however, only partially instead of completely. For the record, I also see that Comcast is not regulated in the State of California. They do what they want.
This first page has to do with my own personal issue with Comcast during the first year of service and the rate increase and overcharging I encountered after the first initial year. It seems to be a typical customer complaint. However, it is the next page or year 2-3 that has me most upset. This is not a typical complaint.
In approximately January 2010, a Comcast sales manager knocked on my door, offering me a good deal on Comcast services. Instead of the typical advertisement strategies, Comcast had hired door-to-door salespeople to push their services and counter their competition, AT&T. The salesman, after giving me his sales pitch and considering my personal needs, stated that he could offer me a complete television, internet, and phone package for $89.99 per month. He added that an additional charge of approximately $11.99 would be added on top for an additional fax line I needed. With taxes etc., my monthly bill averaged approximately $126.00.
I agreed, and when the service was installed, the installer forgot to bring a router. He said he would be back within the day with the router, but after many days of waiting, he never came back. So, I had to purchase my own. The installer also left behind a box that I was recently informed is a DVR player (2 years later). I also learned that I have been being charged an additional fee for this DVR for over (2) years. I was told by the installer that if I added an additional television, I could use it and it was part of the package for no additional fee.
So, he hooked up HD service downstairs, a small white basic box to my 3D television in my bedroom, the internet for my computer, my phone line, and the fax. I agreed to this price, because it was lower than that of AT&T. I never signed any contract and was never told of any future increases, etc. It was a handshake deal. No plans, contracts, or rate increases were a part of this transaction period.
In January 2011 or approximately one year later, I received my monthly Comcast bill and noticed my service fee rate had increased from the basic $89.99 charge to $109. 99. With the additional fax line and taxes, etc., my monthly bill went from about $126.00 to $166.00 per month, a jump of $40.00/month. I immediately called Comcast and complained. I told them that I had never agreed or was never notified verbally, in writing or in any way, that this plan would increase after a year.
I asked the Comcast Customer Service woman if she could provide something, anything, in writing that showed that I was ever informed or agreed to a rate increase. She replied that she could not and explained that I had been originally signed up to a plan that was to increase to the normal amount after one year. She then stated that specific Comcast policy is to inform their customers of this rate increase by informing you via your (new) bill and that bill with the rate increase was my notice. I replied, "You have got to be kidding!" I said further that it didn't make any sense. So in short, the increased rate on the bill is your notification.
She went on to say that I was on a plan that offered an initial service fee of $89.99/month. After one (1) year, it was to increase to the normal plan rate of $109.99. I again requested her to provide anything, ad or flyer, a signed contract, letter or email anything that could prove that I was knowingly entering into an agreement with the knowledge of or being informed that my rate would increase in a year. Again, she could not, and again, she repeated the Comcast policy that "Your new bill with the rate increases is your notice." Well, after a few more calls totaling several hours on the phone, frustrated and exhausted, I gave up and thought, "Oh well, what can I do? I felt I was just ripped off and there's nothing I could do about it, except to go back to AT&T. At least I knew what I'd be paying from now on."
Fast forward twelve (12) months, and deja vu! It happened again!
I am a plumbing contractor, and due to the economy, I need to go where the work is. I was in Southern California working, when I got a call from my roommate that he opened the Comcast cable bill as asked by me, and it stated that I owe $470.94. This was for January ($235) and February's bill. On February 29, I paid the due amount of $235.47 with my credit card. I did not know yet that that there had been an additional rate increase or why my bill was so high. I simply planned to look into it when I returned home.
When I did return home, I called Comcast and asked why my bill was so much. They informed me that my rate went up an additional $60.00 per month (again). That I was enjoying a $60.00 per month reduced rate and now I'm back to the normal rate of $169.99 with tax, etc. This came to $235.00 roughly. A second rate increase? I was told that last year! I thought if this continues, I will be paying $700.00 for service within just a few years. I mean can they legally up my rate every year? I have (2) televisions, a phone line, and internet (only).
I called Comcast again, and after having the same type of conversations with them as I did during my first rate increase, I got nowhere and decided to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Several days after filing that complaint, I received a phone call from a Comcast dispute resolution worker. She and I spent about an hour and a half going over my billing statements and information. I gave her the serial numbers to all my equipment provided by Comcast. At the end, I was promised the following:
I had already paid January's bill of $235.47. She asked me to eat that! She would reduce the additional (February) bill to an $89.99 charge. She would put me back on a plan with a rate of $89.99 per month. I got rid of my fax line ($11.99 per month). I would either return the DVR box or, start using it. On 04/04/12, I bought a new flatscreen TV. (I have the receipt purchased at Wal-Mart.) She would credit the fees charged for the prior 26 months of the DVR. She would credit the fees charged for the modem (I bought my own.) for 26 months.
I was to receive several hundred dollars in credits and be back on the original plan I signed up for at a rate of $89.99. All was resolved (I thought) and my next bill should have had nice credits, etc. When I received the next bill, I noticed that only partial credits were applied. The fax line was deleted, the rate plan back to $89.99, and so on. However, there's no DVR (26 months), credit, etc. My current bill did state that I owed $2.20 however it's due April. But, they did not take off, credit, or even reduce the $233.37 (February) amount as promised. They still wanted it. My April bill was $2.20 with an outstanding amount of $233.37. I did not pay the $2.20, hoping I would see the promised credits.
On May 1, I sent Comcast a check for $126.17 (the current bill for May). On May 8, Comcast shut off all my service because of the $233.37 amount that was supposed to be credited. On May 8, I had several early morning conversations with customer service people who got nowhere. They're very rude people who said I could not talk to a supervisor, corporate person, or even the woman who called me and I had thought worked out all the issues with me. I was told that they would not even discuss any issues with me, until I paid the $233.37 (second rate increase).
I overpaid the $235.47 as asked. (I ate it.) I have been overcharged per agreement for 26 months. I paid for services and equipment I never had or used respectfully. I have gone so far out of my way to not only resolve this matter but compromise financially when I shouldn't have had to. In short, Comcast has knowingly ripped me off a second time and is saying loud and clear that there is nothing you can do about it! After the first unwarranted rate increase and knowing I was being overcharged for services and equipment, which is plainly and simply a consumer scam, I gave up and stopped complaining. But to have this happen again and even more blatant and expensive is criminal. My business relies on the internet and my business phone. This has affected me greatly.
Comcast has overcharged me as follows:
2010 - Year 1: DVR x 12 months: $108.00
2011 - Year 2: DVR x 12 months: $108.00 (Rate Increase @ $40.00 per month: $480.00)
2012 - Year 3: Rate increase #2: $150.00.
Total: $846.00*
I paid the $235.47 for January and had my rate reduced back to $89.99. However, Comcast's bill does not reflect this for February. Additionally and very importantly, I noticed on my current bill that Comcast again intends to increase my rate next year to $179.99. With tax and so on, this would amount to a monthly service to $245.00 for television, internet, and a phone line. I also saw several polls where thousands of Comcast customers were polled and Comcast receiving as low as a 1% favorable customer satisfaction rate. This is unbelievably outrageous!
*This excludes any credits they have given me, because those credits were other or additional overcharges; i.e., modem fees, etc.