I just can't take it anymore!

[Zite83]

Comcast has just pushed me too far today... Ever since my ISP switched from Insight to bloody Comcast I have had nothing but problems....

First problem...
After the switch I noticed my torrents started getting many of these kind of client connections. Client: 254.587.21.256 [Fake Client] (IP is just made up) Well after some research, I found out they send fake packets to my IP tricking my Torrent Software to send finished packets which keeps me from using bittorrents. They are getting sued for this ATM :thumbsup: Found away to bybass it thank goodness.

Seccond problem...
Pushed my price up $5 a month

Thrid problem...
Connection up time.. I get a failed connection to their servers every 5-10 minutes. This gets me kicked off WoW alot.. and logging in 5 times isnt fun...

Fourth problem...
THEY TOOK away my National Geographic Channel! Do you know what it feels like to wake up in the morning to watch one of your favorite shows.. and to find out you now have to pay more to watch it.. I now have to upgrade to the digital package if I want this channel..?!? With Insight I got this channel under their basic $13 a month package..!

So... Once I start up my new job.. and have enough saved up.. I will be getting rid of Comcast and most likely go with my areas local DSL provider.. Which I think is Verizon.. Anyone have any expeirnce with them?

[antishadow]

If you have verizon in your area see if you can get FiOS. I've had better experience with it over Comcast for uptime and reliability. But like any network connection - your mileage may vary.

[Yamio]

I feel for you Zite83

When I moved to Florida, Comcrap was the only thing offered in my area. I went from having Roadrunner in KC, which by comparison wasn't bad, to having what may be the worst national broadband service in the US.

Lots of downtime. A terrifying amount of spam began arriving the third day after getting my email set up. It was a fairly unique address that I hadn't emailed anybody from. Where the hell was all the spam coming from? I knew what was going on thou; someone within Comcrap was selling addresses.

I had to call them about the modem not working and the tech on the phone didn't know diddly squat. I was a PC tech at the time so I was familiar with how to fix simple modem stuff and this tech just kept asking the same questions over and over.

"Unplug it and plug it back in."
Already done that but okay.
"Are the lights on?"
Yes.
"Are they constantly flashing?"
Yes.
"Hmmm...not good. Try to unplug it again."

(If the tech on the phone can't ping the goddamn thing then it's fucked up).

Finally I asked for 2nd tier support which normally gets you somebody else. I was left on hold for about 5 minutes and when the tech came back on she said SHE was now 2nd tier support, and the whole same question same answer thing started all over again.

I have never heard of that happening before or since. WTF kind of company does that?? Finally she sent a different modem but it took about an hour on the phone to make it happen. That whole ordeal still pisses me off and has made it so I'll do just about anything to keep from using them ever again.

I couldn't wait to move from South Florida just so I wouldn't have to put up with Comcrap.

[Kissell13]

"Unplug it and plug it back in."
Already done that but okay.
"Are the lights on?"
Yes.
"Are they constantly flashing?"
Yes.
"Hmmm...not good. Try to unplug it again."
The first thing I tell anyone on the phone at tech support is that I am extremely pc literate and have tried all the normal resetting the router and modem and pc and crap and they still pull that same shit your guy did to you. Every time I tell ya. Its because thats all they know it to read off the script. Very few have any real pc knowledge. It kinda sux.

[Jar]

Ive had Comcast for 6 yrs now and I've only had afew problems back when they took over @home in my area. Since then i have yet to have ANY issue with DL speeds or Uploads etc.

CS is great at least for me. i pay 47 something a month for

http://www.speedtest.net/result/300894308.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Naysayer]

Comcast is one of the worst companies I've ever had to deal with. Same problems as most in this topic have listed. Same crappy customer service.

"try turning off your modem and rebooting your pc, the eighth time might be the charm"


....


I'll switch the moment the monopoly ends.

[Yamio]

The first thing I tell anyone on the phone at tech support is that I am extremely pc literate and have tried all the normal resetting the router and modem and pc and crap and they still pull that same shit your guy did to you. Every time I tell ya. Its because thats all they know it to read off the script. Very few have any real pc knowledge. It kinda sux. All depends on how I feel at the moment. Sometimes I'll open the conversation by telling them I'm a tech. Sometimes not. A few years ago if the call was going in circles I would definitely point out that I'm computer literate. If the call was going REALLY bad I'd be adamant about it. Forceful. Asshole-ish. You know the deal...

Now thou, I mostly roll with the punches. While you're on the phone and you remember they're reading from a script or using a knowledge base that only has the info they're regurgitating, then you know they're limited in their knowledge and are helping you the best they can.

When you remember that then the call goes much easier. But if you don't then the call can go really bad for all parties.

[strandvaskeren]

The first thing I tell anyone on the phone at tech support is that I am extremely pc literate and have tried all the normal resetting the router and modem and pc and crap and they still pull that same shit your guy did to you. Every time I tell ya. Its because thats all they know it to read off the script. Very few have any real pc knowledge. It kinda sux.It doesn't matter if you're the king of computers, if they ask 2nd line support for advise without first checking everything on their list, then 2nd line is gonna rip them a new one for wasting their time..

Back in the days, I worked as tech support for a company that sold software and to some extend hardware to the real estate dealers. Basicly there were 4 kind of people calling in:

1) The regular employee. Listens, follows instructions, but sometimes a bit clumsy if you ask them to type stuff like front slash and other stuff they rarely use.

2) The bosses. Rarely do what you ask them to do, complains about everything, spend 10 seconds looking for the G key and right click icons with the mouse.

3) The company geek. Some are real nice people and actually team play when you ask them to do stuff. Others cut you out of the loop, lets say you ask them to click start, run and type cmd <enter> you hear them click 24 times and type for 15 seconds straight, and that just leaves you wondering what the hell they are doing.

4) The secretary. My favorite of them all. Highly skilled in using a computer, know where every key is and does EXACTLY what you tell them to do, nothing more and nothing less - it's the next best thing to being on location.

It doesn't matter to a supporter if you are "noob" or "pro", what matters is do you "play ball" or do you go your own ways and leave them hanging? If the supporter have to go through a list, help him or her out by making it smooth, it doesn't take them long to realize you've been down that road before.

[Yamio]

Alright. I'm bored at work and I have some free time, so I'm going to pass along one of my most frustrating tech moments ever. Be forwarned; there is a Wall O' Text a-comin'.

A few years ago my ex sister in law had ordered a pc and a printer from Dell. Some small form factor machine that went for like $700 bucks and a POS printer. She called the house and said they had arrived and asked the family tech (me) if I would install it for her.

Sure I'll do it.

When I got to her house there were not two but three boxes. I asked my ex sis if she had only ordered a pc and a printer and she verified that was all she had ordered, but yet there was a small Dell box, a little larger Dell box, and a pretty good size Dell box.

What the hell...?

I opened the large box first and it was a tower pc. I can't remember if it was a Inspiron or a Dimension but I know that at the time it was one of their high end systems. She had a Mac so I looked up this system and it cost $1500. A far cry from the measly $700 machine. I opened the other two boxes and there was her complete order; the SFF pc and the printer.

What the fuck is going on here?

The packing lists for both systems were for the $700 system. This $1500 rig was not listed anywhere on any paperwork that was included with this shipment.

Now here is where it gets frustrating.

My ex sis is really religious, so this extra system was "not ours so it really needs to go back to Dell". A very Christian thing to do, I know. I’m thinking God will understand that you have an extra pc, but I didn’t voice it.

No matter how much I pleaded, she demanded that I contact Dell and get a RMA number to have this thing shipped back. I'm a grown man and yes, I'll admit I went through all the emotions a liitle kid would show attempting to keep her from making me do this horrible horrible thing.

I pleaded. I got angry. I threw a tantrum, and at one point I may have even had tears well up in my eyes. "Please don't make me do this!!", but she didn't listen. “We really need to call them cause it’s not supposed to be here.” I’m serious when I say I may have had tears.

So I looked for a Dell warehouse number or something of that nature because I knew the regular customer service line probably wouldn't be able to handle this, but I didn't find one so I ended up calling the CS line anyway.

I get Dell India...(oh shit),...and a long call begins. This person on the phone had no idea what the hell I wanted, Not only did we have a bit of a language barrier but I was asking her something that she had never encountered before. Several times she asked for what purpose was I calling when I clearly had said I was trying to send a pc back to them.

She confirmed the order for the SFF pc and the printer. She had no idea about this “other pc”. She couldn’t grasp what I was asking. Hell, I couldn’t either.

Think about what would you say if you were trying to send a free computer back to somewhere. Think about how you would ask that. Now think about what the person on the other end would say. Add in a language barrier. Now add in this religious person who is looking at you with concern as you begin getting madder and madder with frustration.

I was so frustrated by having to ask this woman for a RMA number that I not only began yelling at her but I began yelling at my ex sister in law too for asking me to do this stupid thing.

We were on the phone for over an hour and finally, FINALLY, this american guy gets on the phone and flatly says, “Look. We don’t send out RMA’s. Not from this facility, and I can’t tell you who to call to get one. We’re not set up to handle that. You have a pc that we don't have paperwork for. Congratulations. Do you need anything else?”

Hell naw foo.

My sister in law seemed relieved when I explained to her that they wouldn’t take it back….which is exactly what I told her from the start. She gave me the $700 POS SFF pc for my troubles, and I still have it. It’s sitting under a bunch of shit in my office at the house, collecting dust. It’s a Celeron so under that shit it’ll stay.

[Lorune]

Wall of text

Clear case of "Ok sis i'll drop it off to Dell myself." :P

[blast3r]

What weird timing. My Comcast cable TV (not internet thank god) got suspended due to non-payment. Funny because I made the payment. I called them and I have to send proof to them. Of course they do this on a Friday afternoon! Dipshits! Got Verizon coming next week to install DSL, Phone and DirectTV. I used to have Verizon and they were pretty stable from what I remember.

[TheHamburglar]

I work for Directv as an Installer, I can Give you guys the Number and Code for Friends and Family Sign up. You usually get a Free Receiver or Receivers and dicount on programming iirc.

[Diamndzngunz]

Comcast is the shit.

[Depherios]

Lol, so glad I live where I do... over here Comcast bought out our local cable company, but kept most of it's infrastructure intact. So I've been using Comcast for years now without a single complaint!

[strandvaskeren]

My sister in law seemed relieved when I explained to her that they wouldn’t take it back….which is exactly what I told her from the start. She gave me the $700 POS SFF pc for my troubles, and I still have it. It’s sitting under a bunch of shit in my office at the house, collecting dust. It’s a Celeron so under that shit it’ll stay.Hey, how come she kept the $1500 computer, she didn't pay for that. She should have kept the $700 system she paid for and left the $1500 system to you.

[Katharsis]

Comcast is the shit.

Not at my house! I live out in the woods and for the longest time all I could do was dial-up. When I started my consulting business I got an ISDN line. When DSl became available I begged and pleaded for a hookup but was told I was too far away and there was not enough customer base in my area to make it worth their trouble. I ended up paying $800/month for a 512k T1 line. Then one day a Comcast truck pulled up. My driveway is 1/2 mile long and Comcast has installed a line amplifier just for me. I am a very satisfied Comcast customer.

[brandonbwt]

Amen, Comcast is probably the worst company I've ever had to come in contact with as a customer.

Customer service, actual internet performance, reliability/technical knowledge of techs, etc. You name it and they have screwed me over with it, likely more than once.

Sadly, the place where I live now (i'm in an unincorporated area b/w two ATL bedroom communities) has no internet provider beyond Comcast (except for Hughes satellite = too much $$$, crappy internet), so I'm stuck with the devil for now. Hopefully AT&T will get u-verse out this way sometime over the next 12-18 months.

I think i'd sell my left kidney to get some FiOS in the area...too bad the entrenched cable monopolies make it impossible for Verizon (or any other potential competitors for that matter) to ever really attempt a build out here.

[Sarduci]

So I roll out of bed, and flip on Food Network. Nothing but static. Turns out Charter "moved" around all the channels to improve signal quality. They "forgot" to mention that it is in the same frequency range as the PBS station that get broadcast a 1/2 mile away from the house. Anything longer than a 20' long cable after the first split is just fuz on the screen. (This was a known issue they were able to tell me about instantly when I called, they didn't even have me try anything.)

Their solution: don't watch 2 of my 4 tv's (master bedroom, guest room, den downstairs and the bar room, pick two). WTF?!??! They actually told me to NOT watch tv!

Needless to say after my neighbor cuts down the two trees that are blocking LOS for direct tv I'll be dropping them like a rock.

[Bradster]

So... Once I start up my new job.. and have enough saved up.. I will be getting rid of Comcast and most likely go with my areas local DSL provider.. Which I think is Verizon.. Anyone have any expeirnce with them?Short version because it could get quite long. I had DSL with them for a while. They would never send the bill, they punish you for being late when they wouldn't send you a bill. Then when you send payment in full there's a 50/50 chance they will cash it. The other 50 they toss it to get you on more late fees.

Had them for about a year and a half, then dropped them because of this stuff. Now I haven't used them or had DSL in two years. Keeping that in mind I recently got a letter in the mail stating they are going to shut off my service. lol I haven't had DSL in 2 years. Now they want money for the service I didn't ask for. Yeah thats going to happen. I told them where they could stick it.

[Klamor]

comcast has been pretty reliable over the past few years.... not much DC or downtime
RCN on the other hand.... worst company ever

my whole town was without internet/TV for 3 weeks
and since i have Vonage, my house phone was out too, oh the horror!

cant wait till my dad finally gives in and pays the extra for some better god damn service

[Biomehanikka]

sry to hear comcast has been sucking it up for alot of people. here in sacramento, ca the onyl trouble ive ever had with them is getting them to fix my USA line, the one leading from their box into my house, took em a month to get it together and fix it, but now i got free hbo and a $20 a month bill cuz i bitched about it, o and heres my speed test:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/301910279.png ('http://www.speedtest.net')

i love comcast and would never downgrade to the shit speeds dsl gives me around my area, id trade up for fiber optic but we are behind the tiems where i live