
Renee of Philadelphia, PA on June 7, 2001
I ordered cable internet service from Comcast Cable in December. We received our self installation kit, but were never able to get it set up properly. After several attempts at installing it, we basically gave up, no longer interested in the service. Admittedly, we were lax about having the service officially shut off. But since we never actually received service, we didn't think that we would be charged for the service.
When we called to get the service shut off and to get reimbursed for the months of service that we had been charged for yet never received, we were told that we would be reimbursed as soon as we turned in the modem. We did that, but still continued to be charged for service. It seems that everyone we spoke to tried to shuffle us off to someone else. Either that, or they would get very secretive about information. One supervisor told me that he was not allowed to give me the number of the billing department so that I could resolve my problem.
I do not want to pay for something that I never received. Finally, I after faxing copies of the modem return receipt (to no avail) and being kept on hold for about 4 hours, I have gotten them to reimburse me for the months since the modem was returned. But I still can not receive compensation for the two months that we had the modem but never had service. I am willing to pay for the modem rental fee, but I do not want to pay $100 dollars for internet service that I never received.
Mostly, it has been an incredibly frustrating hassle to try and hunt down someone who can help me. Since Comcast has a monopoly on Philadelpia's cable market, I can see why they wouldn't bother giving good customer service. I really hate the thought of a company structured around ripping off their clients and making themselves extremely unavailable.
Renee should complain in writing to the Philadelphia city agency that licenses Comcast.