Have Comcast? Check your bill.

[Casper]

https://plus.google.com/105453543892591957012/posts/jUozXbPyEWo

Inky Reveal - 11:21 AM (edited) - Public

Comcast using a trick to raise rates on internet customers.

My Comcast Business Internet bill went up $7 this month. When I called to find out why, I was told Comcast had done an "audit" of the sales department and found many people should have been paying for their equipment since the beginning of their contract period but weren't. Rather than charge me for the last two years of rental, they're going to be nice and just start charging me the $7/month now.

I signed a contract with them that has a line labeled "Internet Equipment Fee" and the box until the "Total Cost" column is blank (see image below). When I mentioned this to the CS rep she told me that if there was a "$0.00" in that box I would get free equipment. Then, she tried to claim equipment isn't even covered by the contract. When I pointed out there's a line item for it she just changed the subject, in classic redirection style.

When I originally talked to the sales person, back a couple of years ago, I asked if the equipment was included in the price and I was told an emphatic "yes" it was. Now, Comcast is trying to use this ridiculous trick to get $7 more a month out of me.

Apparently there are a large number of people that fall into this category. If that is the case, we need to complain to Comcast and make them understand we won't agree to this increase. A contract is a contract.

I'm curious: did this also happen to Residential customers?

UPDATE:

I have talked with 3 Bill CS reps and escalated to one supervisor. All maintain the same story and claim they can't change the bill. They said the sales department is the only one that can change the contract. So, I called the sales department and, they claim they can't change it and the "customer retention" department is the only one who can change it. Mysteriously, he couldn't transfer me to that department, but gave me the phone number. When I call it, they're closed, even though the time I called falls in the hours they claim to operate (8-5pm Pacific).

[centauro1198s]

Great notice. I'm going to check my bill. Thanks!

[r1crusher]

I would guess that somewhere on that contract there's a clause allowing them to change the terms of the contract at any time. If it's not specifically stated on the contract with some verbiage like that, I'd say they have no legal right to start charging you a fee now. Big corp. lawyers 110% of the time throw a clause of some kind on the contracts.

[Scruit]

I'd be suprised if they had a wildcard clause saying that could change the contract after it's signed. I don't buy the "It is not $0.00" story at all. There is no $0.00 in the "Other" box - what is stopping them from deciding to add a new fee there too?

It's a clumsy put-on that they hope not too many people notice. I'd fight it.

[cmh_sprint]

I had this happen about 2 years ago after CenturyLink bought Sprint. My DSL modem failed and they sent me a new one, no big deal. The next month I see a $5 "equipment lease" fee. I called and asked about it and was told that since Sprint was no longer in existence they had moved me under Centurylink's policies. I pulled all of my old paper work and told them I was on a lifetime contract and that I should not be charged this fee. After talking to 4 different managers the fee was removed and they gave me a $100 credit.

[ohiomike]

Comcast has been at the top of the list of worst customer service off and on for years now.

We had problems with Verizon getting much the same kind of indifferent responses. We kept digging online and found a list of the people on the board for Verizon. The list also had phone numbers and email address's. Surprising how fast we got good service with a couple of carefully considered phone calls to some board members.

Seems the Comcast headquarters was in Denver back when we used them.

Good luck!