A Total Outrage and Installation Nightmare

On March 3rd I ordered cable for the first time. On March 11th, I blocked out the three-hour appointment time and met with the technician. There was a pedestal right across the street from my house however, it was not energized. He stated that he would write it up and submit it and that I would receive a phone call. I didn’t.

I waited patiently but after not hearing from anyone, I called again. Again, they set up an appointment; I blocked out another three hours and met with another technician on April 8th. Same story. He couldn’t do anything until they energized the pedestal. I was told that the equipment inside the pedestal had to be changed out but that it wouldn’t be a problem. I would have cable within a week, Max.

Again, I didn’t hear from anyone so called Comcast on April 16th. They explained that a week wasn’t really a week but seven to ten working days excluding rain days. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy but remained patient.

Needless to say at this point, nobody called. I called again on April 27th and they actually said I called that morning to cancel which was bizarre to say the least. I asked for a supervisor. It was 4:30 in the afternoon yet they said he was “out to lunch” but would return my call when he returned. He never did. They gave his name as Hodge Hill. I was told during this conversation that they were actually going to come out on the 28th. between 8am and 5pm to upgrade the pedestal. I was upset but happy that finally, I was making forward progress. Nobody showed up on the 28th so I called again and spoke to somebody named T.K. She was quite sympathetic and I thought helpful. She assured me it was “in the works”, she would try her best to expedite it and would actually call me back on Friday to follow-up. They didn’t and she didn’t.

On the morning of May 4th a construction crew arrived. I was sure that my patience and persistence was finally paying off. Wrong again. After meeting with them for about an hour, they decided they couldn’t do anything because the pedestal had yet to be energized. I called Comcast and spoke to Evelyn. Again, a very kind and sympathetic person. By this time, even the Comcast folks aren’t believing that I’m being jerked around the way I am. She too would expedite it and even said she would put in for my first month free for all I’d been through. The next morning, May 5th. another construction crew showed up. I spent time with them also only to hear the same thing I always hear. “We can’t do anything until they energize the pedestal” At this point it is becoming truly surreal.

Around lunchtime that same day a supervisor and assistant showed up to survey and evaluate. He checked out the pedestal while his assistant took measurements with his wheel. He then explained what they were going to do, in detail, right down to how they were going to do it, how they would come under the road and even the path they would use to my house. He assured me that it was taken care of once and for all and that I would be hooked up to cable within a week, max. Again, I was positive that though nobody seems to communicate with anybody at Comcast, I finally met the proper person. He also assured me they would call and keep me apprised til completion. They didn’t.

On May 11th. someone from Comcast spent about a half hour at the pedestal and also took measurements with a wheel but in a direction away from, not towards my house. I didn’t understand it and he never came over to tell me what he was doing. I assumed it was just part of what they needed to do to hook me up.

The final outrage came last night. Since the week passed and still, no cable, no call, I called last night. This time, they blew me out of the water. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, and for the first time, they tell me I have to pay $1,800.00 if I want cable. I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked for a supervisor and spoke with Joseph, employee #738. He said he couldn’t get anyone on the phone to find out why but assured me he would call me back this morning. He. Didn’t.

I’ve lost countless hours reserving time and meeting with your people for nothing. While I didn’t list every call (there were numerous more) no single call lasted less than 30-60 minutes. I even cancelled 2-3 more appointments they tried to make by way of automated calls since even I knew the drop was not ready.

Had someone come out 72 days ago, surveyed my situation and told me I would have to pay for your upgrade, it might have been understandable. At this point however, after countless promises of return calls that never came, installations that never happened, I feel it is absolutely your responsibility to make this right. In spite of trying to talk to supervisors to no avail and asking for someone in authority and being told there is nobody I can talk to outside of the call center, I’m hoping that somebody there in authority will do the right thing. I hope that this can be resolved but if not, after all Comcast has put me through, I surely intend to follow-up on this with anyone and every way thatI can.

Sincerely,