If you own your cable modem, make sure you have your receipt with you when you return your equiment at the end of the snowbird season.
Two months ago, Comcast started charging us "rent" for our own cable modem, and when we complained, they claimed the modem was theirs. The representative used the serial number of the modem which the installer had listed in his records as their proof. They said that we would have to prove ownership with a receipt or they would continue. I suggested that THEY provide proof that THEY owned it.
The representative said others were making the same claim, and that we would have to surrender that modem when we turned in our equipment at the end of service if we could not show a receipt for purchase. I told them they were trying to steal my property -- and probably that of others (since the representative said she had four more such claims as ours). She still demanded a receipt, but we had no receipt for this out-of-state purchase that was at least 18 months old.
Luckily for us, we found the original installation copy in which the installer had written "Cust. owned modem" in one corner. That saved us, but what about the other snowbirds that will lose their personal property to Comcast as a result of their policy? Surely, Comcast must have a record of which cable modems are truly theirs and which are owned by customers. What lousy customer service!
This happened in Bonita Springs, FL, at the Comcast Tamiami Trail office, but it could happen anywhere Comcast is the service provider.
THAT explains what happened to me when I moved!!!!!!!! I thought I was losing my mind!!!! Yeah, they took MY modem!!!! That was 7 yrs ago, so won't even begin to try to rectify that. Thanks for the warning for others!
With the returns of the boxes that we saw in the Comcast office in Stuart, FL because they were not working, I'd say they want all the working boxes they can get. Spent an hour waiting for 2 boxes so we could watch the free cable at the park. They don't trust the manager to hand out boxes so you have to go down to the Comcast office and pick the boxes up. Then wait another week for the Comcast tech has to come out because the boxes they gave you don't work and after he fools areound for an hour or so finds out the main office has the wrong numbers listed for the boxes they gave you.
After another tortuous hour, we got back from another meeting with Comcast. We had the box the modem came in, a copy of a chat with Motorola stating that the modem had been sent from Nichols, NY, to our Best Buy in State College, PA., AND a work order prepared by the Comcast installer who installed our equipment "WITH THE INSTALLER'S OWN NOTE stating "Modem cust owned."
Was that enough? NO! They still had to question our integrity by telling how "some people" will take carbon and add messages like that, and they had to find their white copy to verify the note. Then, to rub salt into the belittlement, they did some kind of search by serial number to see if OUR MODEM had ever been rented out to other Comcast Customers. It hadn't.
Imagine all of this happening to you in front of a dozen or so other Comcast customers waiting for their turn at this marvelous Comcast customer relations SNAFU. Embarrassing to say the least.
We are now going to investigate satellite TV -- after I write to Rick Germano, the Senior Vice President for Comcast Customer Operations, and add this to the Comcast Facebook page as well as one or two other blogs and websites!
* This post was
edited 04/24/12 02:49pm by fchammer1 *
On the flip side, I have Blue Ridge Cable (Pencor), a regional provider in Pa. I called at 11 AM this past Saturday to report a defective cable modem. They supplied it, I own it. Customer service did online diagnostics and reported that it was their problem, either a bad modem, or defective on the incoming line. They scheduled a sevice call later in the day. Tech. arrived at 3 PM, spent a bit over half an hour testing incoming line quality, and the modem, replaced the modem, then speed tested the system. The billing was digital, billed to my account. The total service call, including purchasing a new, upgraded modem......$40. Got to love the service and the price.
Similar thing happened to us with Direct TV about six years ago. They insisted they would send around their tech to get their modem. It belonged to us. I told them, if they came and took it I would have them charged with theft. The exchange with their people in Asia went on over a couple of days.
Still don't have local channels even though it was part of our contract, in writing, from then.
They sent us to collections, since I was in TX at the time I could give them the proof. So paid the money. They said they had sent me notice but only knew about it after letter and collection proceedings. Was not a happy camper. Real big rip off. But what a way to get revenue.
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