An unusual solution (Part 1)

On Jan 28, 2008 I started a trip that became a total nightmare - but it has a very unique solution.

On the above date I tried to pay my insight bill online - as I have done for a couple of years. I was told I was now a Comcast customer and given a new website to visit to pay my bill. I tried to sign up but it kept saying I needed an account number.

On February 8 I called inquiring about my bill which always arrived by the 3rd or 4th of the month (for 3 or 4 years). I also asked for my account number - have to wait until I get my bill. On the 9th I called back to be sure I was not going to get cut off and a nice gentleman, after several minutes finally found my account on comcast and let me make a payment using a debit card.

He assured me he'd send a copy of my bill.

On February 21, comcast switched me to their network. I know this because my IP address changed and the service quit working properly. Very long load times, if a page loaded at all. I figured we'd have some growing pains but at least have a usable connection.

March 1 or 2nd my Internet connection would not let me read my Yahoo mail - it kept timing out. I called customer service and a very nice lady spent several minutes trying to find my account. Then we got disconnected.

On March 4 I discovered I could chat with customer service. That was perfect because I do not have a phone (more on that later). I chatted with Rozanne:

Rozanne(Tue Mar 04 2008 01:28:12 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time))>

Thank you for waiting Gary, I found out that you are really experiencing slow intermittent connectivity. I will be needing to send you a technicain to resolve the issue.


*ME*_(Tue Mar 04 2008 00:28:42 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time))>

ok - pick a day

So we picked Thu Mar 6. Tech checked and said modem levels were not good and replaced my splitter with a unbalanced splitter and also replaced the tap on the pole because my signal was TOO hot.

After he was done I was still losing packets but I was able to surf. That lasted until early evening and the old problems returned. Timeouts - packet loss - I gave up until late evening.

On March 8 a comcast contractor ran a new cable to the house - I assumed it was replacing mine. Nope, evidently Comcast had disconnected the downstairs from my Internet service so they were getting their own.

(Long story short - My son used to live downstairs with two of my grandchildren. I had the top half, they had the bottom. I used their phone and they used my cable. Easy and cheap. They moved to a new house a couple of years ago - I stayed here - the nice thing about grandchildren is they go home at night - except mine "lived" in my home. As I said I stayed here.)

That evening my DVR started acting up - locking up, resetting itself, not recording scheduled shows - high def channels scrambled. I called Comcast - they reset my DVR and Internet Modem. They asked me to try it for a couple of days. (I had already unplugged them for the required 5 minutes shortly before the call).

On Tues Mar 11 I chatted with another tech that was going to escalate my problem to the next level but I lost the Internet connection before everything was done. I tried to make contact again through the Chat option but could not find her so I sent an email describing all my problems to ensure my issue had been escalated.

Here's part of my email I got back: To assure the proper tracking of this issue, we have created the following customer service ticket: 11843070.

To shorten this (and this is about the 20th time I've had to repeat myself) I had a tech out on Thurs the 13th and another on the 14th. At first they were not going to come because I had a past due amount on my account. But they could not escalate my issue until the tech visited. So the first tech came and said the first guy had done it wrong, so he changed out taps and splitters. Nothing changed (look elsewhere for Modem screen dumps showing my levels before and after tech visits). The tech on the 14th took print outs showing my packet loss and latency problems. He did not even bother to check my levels. I also posted a question on dslReports sometime during the week of March 10th wondering if I could publish the chat logs and emails from comcast that showed my problem.

I got an email from someone high up at Comcast on Friday the 14th of March but I declined his help since the tech visit seemed so positive plus how could I be sure he worked for Comcast?

I had also traded over 20 emails with comcast detailing my problems. On Friday afternoon, the 14th of March, I got the two things I needed most - Comcast emailed me my account number so that I could see my bill but Comcast would not accept my phone number (I'd not had a phone for 2 years). Another email to Comcast and they told me to use a phone number with one digit changed - my old phone number with one digit changed. Somebody must have typed it wrong - no wonder they could never "find" me.

Finally I was going to see my February bill, 38 days after I should have seen it and first inquired about it. The system told me I had to wait until my next billing cycle to "See" a bill. Fine, went to pay my bill and got disconnected 3 or 4 times before I finally gave up could not even get a balance due.

Now I don't pay my bills - I have a book keeper that does all of that unless I can do it online. Like buying minutes for my phone or paying my internet account. But I have to have a copy of the bill or an amount so that my book keeper can move the necessary funds to my debit card I use for online purchases. It always has less then $20 bucks unless I've requested money to buy something online.

There is a couple of things I have not said that just makes this entire issue absolutely hilarious. Seven years ago I had a heart attack and discovered I was diabetic and had COPD and exercise induced asthma. 2 1/2 years ago I had open heart surgery - 7 bypasses - took a full 18 months to recover. 1 1/2 years ago my eyesight starting going. I use software magnifiers to 'see' the computer screen, not all the time but most of the time. I have a part time book keeper to look after my finances since I can't. The only request is hard copy bills or exact amounts for online transactions using a debit card that she can re-charge over the phone.

The text you are reading started life as 20 point - I shrink it back to normal for posting. I do NOT drive anymore, I do NOT have a phone (just an emergency pay as you go phone - which I depleted the remaining balance calling comcast to fix my problem).

And Friday evening I get this email:

Dear Gary,


Thank you for your message concerning your Comcast bill. My name is
krystal and it is my pleasure to assist you with your concern, Gary. In
regard to your issue I would like to inform you that your bill was
already send. Please check your mailbox and if none, make some query in
your postal office. Comcast never forget to released a copy of bill to
their customers. Our technician is not the one who carry the bill to
every residential Comcast customers. Thank you for taking time to email
us.

If you need further assistance, please feel free to respond directly to
this email. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us.



Thank you for choosing Comcast.

Sincerely,

Krystal D
Comcast Online Customer Support


It was at this moment I made a decision that Comcast has the WORST customer service in the world. Absolutely no way I should have received a message like that IF everything, service calls, emails, chats, etc had been posted to my account.

I decided to cancel all services. My father convinced me to hold off - he would handle it. So on Monday 17th of March my 80 year old father called Comcast local office to see if he could solve my problems. They got him my balance, which I think is too high, they assured him everything was being done to fix my problem and I should have a bill soon.. He typed a letter explaining the situation and sent it to the local office along with a check to cover the balance on my account.

At about 10:30 that morning I logged on to add money to my cell phone on the Internet. My father had also been told there was a way to get a copy of my past bills by logging into my account. Not anymore or since I just became a Comcast customer I do not have past bills.

I guess comcast decided they would solve my problems at that moment. They disconnected my service, both TV and Internet - I don't watch much TV because I can not see so who cares. But the Internet connection is my life line.

I use email almost exclusively to communicate with everyone. My phone had less the $3 left on it and each day I used it cost me a dollar plus .10 a minute. I have used it 878 minutes in 2 1/2 years. I do not talk on the phone. Don't need to. I have email.

But family and friends have been insisting I get a phone so I was looking at adding Insight Phone to my account - then of course Comcast took over and I waited - glad I did.

So at 11:30 AM on March 17, 2008 I had to make several decisions. First how to let people know I was OK since I didn't have email.

Long story short - I bought a cell phone that had free night and weekends and stayed with the same company as my Dad and brothers and sisters for free mobile to mobile. Sorry comcast, won't need a phone now.