Part One – Taken to Collections
First, when I opened my account, for some unknown reason Comcast did it TWICE. Unknown to me, I had TWO accounts. Apparently and also unknown to me, I got billed for installation twice. I paid the installation on the only account I knew of. I have paid EVERY statement since within a day of receipt. I have not been late once, nor missed any payments whatsoever.

Within the first month of signing up, I began getting threats via USPS from Comcast about unpaid balances. Each time, I called Comcast and they verified that I was current. Within a few months, after numerous calls to Comcast to deal with this, I began receiving COLLECTION notices. I continued to call Comcast, who found I was current.

Shortly later, I began getting mail from a COLLECTION AGENCY. At this point, I scoured the internet and came across an email address for a Comcast Vice-President. I emailed him, telling him the complete saga. He said he would resolve it. Within a couple days, I received a call from Comcast stating that they found the issue… it was a duplicated account. THEIR fault. So, Comcast took a good-paying customer who had never been late or missed one payment, to collections over a mistake that THEY made.

Part Two – Telemarketer Hell
At the end of my 1 year agreement, I discontinued Comcast cable. I had purchased HD, and Comcast’s HD was pathetic compared to the other choices available. Additionally, I was about tired of Comcast’s nonstop marketing (the turtle commercials). Some time after I discontinued my service, I began getting phone calls from (719)546-6354. When the very first call came in, I did a Google on it versus answering it. I found that the number traced to Comcast in Pueblo, Colorado. I found that hundreds of people were complaining about getting “spam” telemarketing phone calls. I saw many who told of their attempts to get the calls to stop. Some said Comcast denied involvement. Some said that Comcast refused to do anything.

After receiving MANY of these calls, most of which came at inopportune times, I decided to bring it to an end. I began a log, to log the calls and my attempts to get it to end. Initially, I began placing calls to their 800-Comcast number. On some instances, the representatives would deny involvement in the spam calls. At other times, they would admit that it was Comcast.

I received about 3 promises that my number had been removed from their telemarketing list. Each time, I would continue to receive calls. Each time, I would immediately call Comcast to complain… where I would receive more promises that it would end, and that my name was now off the list. This time for sure, to quote Bullwinkle. Each time, the calls continued.

Eventually, I asked to speak to a manager. I had reached the end of tolerance and sought to get a manager to help me. The representative asked for my account information, in order to get a manager for me. After I gave it to her, she put me on hold to find a manager. My call was then transferred to Tech Support… to avoid getting a manager. In Tech Support, the call was answered by Joseph Everett. Again, I had to provide my account information in order to speak to a manager. I provided it. Everett then told me that he would not transfer me to a manager. Period.

I then contacted Comcast via email, and via their chat link on their website. In both instances, I was told that they had just removed my number, and that I would receive no additional calls. Also, I was promised that a manager would be calling me.

Days later, no phone calls from Comcast management. I DID get a phone call from Comcast; Another TELEMARKETING call. I was in the car when the call came in and I answered it via my bluetooth headset, so I did not see caller ID. The caller identified themselves as a representative from Comcast, calling to see if there was anything they could do for me, as far as television service and phone service. I mustered the loudest, foulest voice possible, cursed at her at maximum volume until she hung-up the phone. I checked the call log and, you guessed it, the same number in Pueblo Colorado.

I immediately called Comcast and got to “Mar” in their Billing Department. She asked for my account info. I gave it. She said she would put me through to management. As I drove to my local Comcast office, “Mar” came back on the line and said she could do nothing further for me, and she was not going to put me through to a supervisor. I then mustered the same loud, foul mouth and described in detail how she could copulate with herself a’la Dick Cheney.

I went to the Comcast office. I explained the issue to the representative. She admitted it was Comcast placing the harassing calls. She refused to answer me when asked why Comcast harasses good-paying customers. She said that she could take my number off the primary account number, and put it on a secondary number, and THAT would stop the calls. I told her to do so. She said it would take 30 days to get me off the telemarketer list. I offered to send her emails from Comcast that said I was already off the list, that it was effective immediately, and that I would receive no further calls. She did not want the emails. I told her of the problems getting through to management. She was unresponsive, and frankly didn’t seem to care.

I asked for the period end date. She didn’t give it to me. I asked again. She told me it was on the 12th. I told her that I would shop for a new service and cancel Comcast by the 12th. She said that she had corrected the problem, and didn’t understand why I would cancel. I told her that many Comcast representatives have said they had fixed the problem, yet here I am, experiencing the problem again. I told her that it was too late for Comcast to repair the business relationship with me. I had offered ample opportunity, and Comcast appeared to deal in bad faith. I told her I would call to terminate when I get new service

As I walked out of the office, a woman clear across the office shouted angrily, “So, do you want to schedule the de-installation?”. I told her, again, I would call when I get new service, before the 12th.

This is what you can EXPECT if you are stupid enough to sign up with Comcast for ANY service. ANY SERVICE! You get taken to Collections and harassed for months, because THEY made a mistake on their end. You now get harassed by Collection agents daily; how wonderful! You also get the world’s WORST customer service, who will lie to you at every turn and who insulates their executives away from customer complaints at all costs… which means problems really have no hope of ever being corrected. And, on top of that, your phones numbers get added to their telemarketing service, and you too can and will get hammered daily by telemarketing calls. Calls which continue above and beyond your stated objections. Calls which you cannot stop. Your only hope to get the to end is to change your phone number, which is what I am now forced to do in order to get off their call list.

Do yourself a favor: DO NOT SIGN UP WITH COMCAST. Find another option. DirecTV. AT&T wireless internet. Two dixie cups with a piece of string. Even THAT has to be better than Comcast. I regret EVER signing up with Comcast, and I will NEVER make that mistake again. NEVER! Comcast has been the WORST cable experience I have ever had… and likely will ever have.

I read Chris Pirillo’s recent post about the trouble he’s been having with canceling his Comcast service and remembered Andy’s post about the exact same problem a few months back and our commenter Thomas who said the same thing happen…

I think Comcast is probably one of the worst services out there in terms of canceling service.