Save me from Comcast!!

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:38 pm

We have had comcast/xfinity for 2 years now including tv and internet service. As with most people, i have had it with their customer service and changing of service and prices and promotions etc, etc, etc.

We have been doing direct withdraw from our bank account for months (same exact amount), but suddenly we have late charges because a promotion ended (that we had no idea we were on). I have had it and we need a new provider. I don't know what most people pay, but our new bill now is $170 for internet and expanded HD tv service. We get no movie packages or anything like that. That just sounds expensive as hell to me. We do watch alot of tv, but this price is ridiculous.

So my only other option here it seems is Direct TV/Dish. My concern with Direct TV/Dish is how they install the dish and have cables running through the house. We have a TV in our den and one in our basement we spend equal time watching. Do they do a good job of hiding cables during install or is there crap running down the walls?

For those who have Dish/Direct TV, are you satisfied and for a similar package, is it cheaper than $170 with a internet service?

theohall · Post by **theohall** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:47 pm

Xmann wrote:We have had comcast/xfinity for 2 years now including tv and internet service. As with most people, i have had it with their customer service and changing of service and prices and promotions etc, etc, etc.

We have been doing direct withdraw from our bank account for months (same exact amount), but suddenly we have late charges because a promotion ended (that we had no idea we were on). I have had it and we need a new provider. I don't know what most people pay, but our new bill now is $170 for internet and expanded HD tv service. We get no movie packages or anything like that. That just sounds expensive as hell to me. We do watch alot of tv, but this price is ridiculous.

So my only other option here it seems is Direct TV/Dish. My concern with Direct TV/Dish is how they install the dish and have cables running through the house. We have a TV in our den and one in our basement we spend equal time watching. Do they do a good job of hiding cables during install or is there crap running down the walls?

For those who have Dish/Direct TV, are you satisfied and for a similar package, is it cheaper than $170 with a internet service?

If you had cable, they should be able to use the same lines. Attach the Dish cable where the old cable TV cable enters the house. Then it is just a matter of locating your receivers depending on how many TVs you have.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:03 pm

I would think that if you called Comcast (a pain in the ass granted) and complained about the added costs and told them you were leaving they would probably renew you at the reduced rate you just had.

We had Dish for a year or two and they do a good job of installing. We didn't care for the picture breaking up in bad weather, and we don't get bad weather that often here.

We now have U-Verse and have been very happy with it.

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:11 pm

except for the dish on the roof, Dish is no more intrusive than regular cable and as mentioned if you already have existing cable runs in your home, those will work just fine. As an added bonus, Dish is starting up Blockbuster Streaming October 1st, it costs an extra $10/month but I believe they are giving new customers a free year of the service. Its supposed to be competitive with Netflix streaming.
I had Dish for a few years, and I never had issues with bad weather. As long as you have a clear unobstructed view to the NW ( in Michigan anyways ) youre good to go. Most peoples issues that I heard of involved tree branches, that were clear unless it got windy and then they would get spotty service.

theohall · Post by **theohall** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:38 pm

rshetts2 wrote:As an added bonus, Dish is starting up Blockbuster Streaming October 1st, it costs an extra $10/month but I believe they are giving new customers a free year of the service. Its supposed to be competitive with Netflix streaming.

Here is an article about that service.

Still haven't found anything that shows what the Blockbuster streaming selection looks like, though.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:11 pm

What about price? I know promotions give you good prices, but after promotions, what kind of rates are you guys getting for like an expanded HD service?

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:17 pm

My experience with Comcast started when I moved out to Denver and it's not been a good one. I agree there service tends to suck and there prices are high. I was able to use the "Im leaving you guys for another provider" tactic a few times but when I attempted it last year the sales rep said "ok sorry to see ya go, bye".

I looked in to Direct/TV about that time and asked the very same question about cabling. I absolutely do not want new cable run in my house. The sales guy I spoke with told me sorry we cannot use the existing cable. Im no engineer but I did ask isnt it the same type or cable? He responded yes but gave me some bull story about having to run new cable to ensure proper service. Maybe I got a bad sales guy or perhaps Direct/TV was trying to pad their installation costs at the time but I told him no thanks.

I am interested to hear how this pans out for you Xmann as Im in the same boat, or at least a similiar boat next to your boat.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:23 pm

Ya and we are both in Denver. I'm fed up with Comcast and if Direct TV can not run cables all through my house, I'm going with them.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:35 pm

I've had DirecTV in 2 homes and they always just connect right into the cable already in the house. Both houses were 2004 or newer, but that's all that was special about them. The other thing is they can only split one dish to so many connections. I only have SD and it is 4 splits. Doesn't sound like this will be an issue for you, but thought I'd mention it.

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:08 pm

Tao wrote:My experience with Comcast started when I moved out to Denver and it's not been a good one. I agree there service tends to suck and there prices are high. I was able to use the "Im leaving you guys for another provider" tactic a few times but when I attempted it last year the sales rep said "ok sorry to see ya go, bye".

I looked in to Direct/TV about that time and asked the very same question about cabling. I absolutely do not want new cable run in my house. The sales guy I spoke with told me sorry we cannot use the existing cable. Im no engineer but I did ask isnt it the same type or cable? He responded yes but gave me some bull story about having to run new cable to ensure proper service. Maybe I got a bad sales guy or perhaps Direct/TV was trying to pad their installation costs at the time but I told him no thanks.

I am interested to hear how this pans out for you Xmann as Im in the same boat, or at least a similiar boat next to your boat.

They often contract out installation. It sounds like someone was trying to pad your install costs. When mine was installed, they used the same cable that Comcast previously was run through. They ran a series of signal strength tests when the install was finished, said it was all good and that was it.

DD* · Post by DD* » Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:37 pm

I just did the rate-war two step with Comcast and Uverse. Contrary to most, I've had solid service with Comcast, it was the price that bringin' me down. Starting at just shy of $150, I cancelled HBO for $16/mo. Still not enough, so I looked at Uverse... when all was said and done, they could give me equivalent service ('net would likely be slower) for about $100. I set up the installation.

3 days before install, I call Comcast to cancel. They drop the price to $105 until February. Thank you, I'll keep Comcast, save almost $50 a month, and not blow a half-day vacation for the Uverse install.

If ya wants ta win, ya gots ta play the game.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:23 pm

Xmann wrote:What about price? I know promotions give you good prices, but after promotions, what kind of rates are you guys getting for like an expanded HD service?

I'm the 200 channel bracket, and after the promotion ended, i'm pay 57 a month. (no movie or extras)

That's Dish network

Zekester · Post by **Zekester** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:43 pm

Xmann wrote:We have had comcast/xfinity for 2 years now including tv and internet service. As with most people, i have had it with their customer service and changing of service and prices and promotions etc, etc, etc.

We have been doing direct withdraw from our bank account for months (same exact amount), but suddenly we have late charges because a promotion ended (that we had no idea we were on). I have had it and we need a new provider. I don't know what most people pay, but our new bill now is $170 for internet and expanded HD tv service. We get no movie packages or anything like that. That just sounds expensive as hell to me. We do watch alot of tv, but this price is ridiculous.

So my only other option here it seems is Direct TV/Dish. My concern with Direct TV/Dish is how they install the dish and have cables running through the house. We have a TV in our den and one in our basement we spend equal time watching. Do they do a good job of hiding cables during install or is there crap running down the walls?

For those who have Dish/Direct TV, are you satisfied and for a similar package, is it cheaper than $170 with a internet service?

Im in the opposite boat....i'm thinking of picking up comcast 3-fer deal and do away with my directv/verizon setup.

I detest comcast as a company, but I like some of what their cable can offer. and i'm trying to consolidate all onto one bill.

I pay about $140/month now for 1.5 DSL, basic phone service(required for the DSL), and choice plus directv. Im wondering if comcast can match or better that.

The only thing i've disliked about directv is their receiver. It absolutely blows. 4-5 second delays between changing channels and too frequent lock-ups the biggest problems.

.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:27 am

Time Warner was only willing to knock $15 off my monthly service when I called to cancel. That wouldn't have covered the DVR service and rental costs. My bill went from $120 to <$30 for internet only.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:56 am

Xmann wrote:What about price? I know promotions give you good prices, but after promotions, what kind of rates are you guys getting for like an expanded HD service?

We were DirecTV subscribers for about ten years and just canceled about a month ago. Our most recent bill with Choice Plus, three receivers, DVR service, and HD service was right at $100/month. Looking at our last 2 years of bills, it looks like their rates went up about $5 a year.

I had absolutely zero complaints with DirecTV, we were very satisfied with picture quality, customer service, equipment, etc.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:32 pm

I've decided to call Direct TV Monday. I'm canceling Comcast and i wouldn't keep the service if they gave it to me free. Those assholes have given me and/or my wife way to much grief and headaches the past 2 years to continue on.

Another question.....since my main email is through comcast, what is the easiest way to get my contacts from comcast and all the websites i use with this email and all my business i use through this email? Is there no easy way to do it other than start making a list and notifiying those contacts i'm changing?

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:03 pm

I suddenly lost all Comcast channels above 24 this week, called them and they said I need a new dangle that attaches to the back of each TV to get the channels now and I could pick them up. Went in and waited in line 40 minutes to be told that I shouldn't have been getting any channels above that in the first place and it would be $54 a month to get those channels. Told them FIOS is cheaper, but they didn't care. Guess I'll be a Verizon customer now.

Fellstrike · Post by **Fellstrike** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:12 am

For DirecTV, they use RG-6 cabling to provide the proper signal strength to acquire satellite service to their standards. If you already have HDTV service, you most likely have RG-6. If your house has been wired with that type of cabling, tell them to shove it if they want to redo your house. If it's RG-59, then yeah - you should let them redo it. Check inside the faceplate as well to verify.

All techs should be doing their best to do the job correctly. Get on their case if they don't; call it in if they refuse. With that said, there are special charges involved - like wall fishing (like mentioned in redoing the cabling). These techs get paid by what is involved in the service call. If you have problematic service, they send a person out that is a professional troubleshooter & gets paid hourly (that's what I used to do).

Satellite internet sucks. Period. The only reason you should get it is if there's no other option or you only read stuff & really want to stay away from other providers. If you stream, download or game, it is NOT for you. I'd almost wager to say that you would be better off tethering your phone or getting a hotspot for internet than going with Satellite internet.

If you would like to do it yourself, you will need some of these items:
The dish you intend to use & LNB setup
Receivers
Mounting bracket (pole mount or roof mount)
Tar tape (if roof mount)
8' pole, post hole digger & cement (if pole mount)
Spool of RG-6 cable (RG-6 cable strippers, crimpers & compression F-Connectors)
4 / 8 / 16 way splitter (depending on how many rooms you want to service - 2 cables required for DVRs IIRC) to connect all rooms to a central point then to dish
Ground wire on splitter mentioned above & LNB
(2) 7/16" wrench
18v drill w/ 7/16" socket bit (to drill roof mount) & drill bits (if you want to drill through brick morter; 6' drill bit if you want to wall fish from attic)
12v drill w/ phillip's screwdriver bit or just a phillip's screwdriver if you want to use some muscle (for wall clips or any other small item things like that)
Fishing tape
A friend (to assist and yell out the signal reading displayed on the TV while you make adjustments unless you want to shell out 600 bucks for a Birdog)

I think I covered most of it; going off the top of my head. Let me know if you have any technical questions.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:38 am

Ok, before i call....can someone answer some questions for me?

My local company has a triple package promotion of Direct TV, internet, and phone for $89.95 for 12 months. My biggest question is, how does that work? The fine print says, "after rebates and credits". How does that work?

Post by **godhugh** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:47 am

em2nought wrote:I suddenly lost all Comcast channels above 24 this week, called them and they said I need a new dangle that attaches to the back of each TV to get the channels now and I could pick them up. Went in and waited in line 40 minutes to be told that I shouldn't have been getting any channels above that in the first place and it would be $54 a month to get those channels. Told them FIOS is cheaper, but they didn't care. Guess I'll be a Verizon customer now.

You should be using FIOS anyway. It's a million times better then any of the cable providers or DirecTV. I switched earlier this year from DTV to FIOS and I've never regretted it.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:49 am

DD* wrote:I just did the rate-war two step with Comcast and Uverse. Contrary to most, I've had solid service with Comcast, it was the price that bringin' me down. Starting at just shy of $150, I cancelled HBO for $16/mo. Still not enough, so I looked at Uverse... when all was said and done, they could give me equivalent service ('net would likely be slower) for about $100. I set up the installation.

3 days before install, I call Comcast to cancel. They drop the price to $105 until February. Thank you, I'll keep Comcast, save almost $50 a month, and not blow a half-day vacation for the Uverse install.

If ya wants ta win, ya gots ta play the game.

Uverse does have a DVR that will record four shows at once using multiple TV's.....I know when we had Comcast and then Dish neither of theirs could touch that. For me with two teenagers in the house the DVR was a great feature.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:51 am

Xmann wrote:Ok, before i call....can someone answer some questions for me?

My local company has a triple package promotion of Direct TV, internet, and phone for $89.95 for 12 months. My biggest question is, how does that work? The fine print says, "after rebates and credits". How does that work?

If it is like the other services they promise you pay full price and then promise credits (sometimes gift cards) and rebates on your bill. When they don't show up you call them and remind them and then they show up.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:54 am

Xmann wrote:Ok, before i call....can someone answer some questions for me?

My local company has a triple package promotion of Direct TV, internet, and phone for $89.95 for 12 months. My biggest question is, how does that work? The fine print says, "after rebates and credits". How does that work?

I can only speak for DirecTV, but their pricing promotions give you a credit on your bill for X months. The only thing I don't like is that they tend not to show your credit on the statement, it will just have a lower price. Then all of a sudden one month it's higher. You call to ask why your bill suddenly jumped up $30, and they'll tell you that some credit just expired. I wish they were more clear about those on monthly statements.

DirecTV offers small gifts and incentives for long-time customers, usually some programming upgrade for 3 months or a small rate cut. In our last couple of months of DirecTV service, our gift was $5 off our bill every month. However, if you look at our statement, it doesn't show "$5 credit" anywhere. The rate was just lower.

Also, DirecTV likes to add a $5.99 monthly "protection plan" without asking customers. It's basically a warranty on your equipment - if any of your receivers or DVRs break, you get a free replacement and often a tech to come out and swap it for you at no cost. However, after I made a service change a year or two back DirecTV added this to my monthly bill without asking me. When I called to question it, they told me it was part of the service package and couldn't be removed.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:57 am

Well its all a mute point. The local company i was going to bundle Direct TV, Internet, and phone doesn't service my area. Gee, i only live outside Denver.

Gonna look at Uverse now i guess.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:59 am

And neither is Uverse, guess i'll continue to get screwed by Comcast

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:36 pm

Well, poo.

Our taxpayer-owned municipal electric utility (BELD) who's been our ISP for the past...well...forever years, just announced that they're getting out of the internet biz. The equipment upgrades they were facing were prohibitively expensive and would have led to substantial rate hikes. So they sold us to Comcast, effective immediately. Comcast will be contacting us in the next few weeks with details. (Comcast is Xfinity, right?)

Is Comcrap still as hated as it was the last time I had to deal with them? It looks like my only alternatives are Verizon FIOS, T-Mobile Home Internet (limited availability), and a couple of satellite services -- Hughesnet, with very poor speeds, and Viasat, with middling speeds starting at $65/mo (we currently pay $40 through BELD).

I reckon we'll try out Comcast, since that's the path of least resistance. I suspect that we won't like it.

I'm really going to miss BELD. As a small, local utility, they were a pleasure to do business with.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:48 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:36 pm (Comcast is Xfinity, right?)

Is Comcrap still as hated as it was the last time I had to deal with them?

The answers are related. Comcast is Xfinity. It was an attempt at rebranding because they were so hated. Their ability to piss off customers hasn't changed. They're expensive, choose what you're allowed to pick from, like to hide costs, and push their services and hardware like crazy. They have data limits in most markets that you have to pay extra to avoid, and even if you get good down speeds, their upload speed is awful. I get almost twice the national average download speed (because we have four people in the house using it simultaneously), but at the same time, I get just over half of the average upload.

And customer service is a nightmare. Last time I had an issue, it took me forever to convince the internet specialist I was talking to on the phone that I didn't want to unlock my sports, I needed to unblock some ports. She didn't know what ports were, even after I explained it.

So, welcome to the club. And if you want to save yourself headaches and not use your own modem, put theirs into bridge mode and buy your own router.

Drazzil · Post by **Drazzil** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:31 pm

Xmann wrote: ↑Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:38 pm We have had comcast/xfinity for 2 years now including tv and internet service. As with most people, i have had it with their customer service and changing of service and prices and promotions etc, etc, etc.

We have been doing direct withdraw from our bank account for months (same exact amount), but suddenly we have late charges because a promotion ended (that we had no idea we were on). I have had it and we need a new provider. I don't know what most people pay, but our new bill now is $170 for internet and expanded HD tv service. We get no movie packages or anything like that. That just sounds expensive as hell to me. We do watch alot of tv, but this price is ridiculous.

So my only other option here it seems is Direct TV/Dish. My concern with Direct TV/Dish is how they install the dish and have cables running through the house. We have a TV in our den and one in our basement we spend equal time watching. Do they do a good job of hiding cables during install or is there crap running down the walls?

For those who have Dish/Direct TV, are you satisfied and for a similar package, is it cheaper than $170 with a internet service?

Comcast *wrecked* my credit because I refused to pay 300 they hit me with on the way out. Comcast xfinity and Spectrum suck.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:43 pm

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:57 pm

Drazzil wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:31 pm Comcast *wrecked* my credit because I refused to pay 300 they hit me with on the way out. Comcast xfinity and Spectrum suck.

You don't get to cancel your service at will if you are under contract. You also don't get to just not pay a bill because you think it's "unfair".

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:36 pm Is Comcrap still as hated as it was the last time I had to deal with them? It looks like my only alternatives are Verizon FIOS, T-Mobile Home Internet (limited availability), and a couple of satellite services -- Hughesnet, with very poor speeds, and Viasat, with middling speeds starting at $65/mo (we currently pay $40 through BELD).

I reckon we'll try out Comcast, since that's the path of least resistance. I suspect that we won't like it.

Honestly, I don't have much of a problem with Comcast but I play their game. I always know exactly when my promotion is due to expire. I used to go to the Xfinity Store and renew in person every year. Last time they couldn't get me any promotional deals as an existing customer, but the website did. My current promotional bundle is internet + 2nd cheapest cable package for $80 (plus about $34 in fees). It expires next month, so I'll have to go fishing again. I use my own modem, my own router, and only 1 cable box (other TVs in the house access cable channels through the Xfinity app on the Roku).

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:39 pm

you will need to negotiate to get (and keep) better rates.

important to know -i thought Comcrap was the worst, but i didn't know what true customer service incompetence was until i switched to Century Link. dear god.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:14 pm

Dont forget to sign up for covid discounts.. My internet has been $25 for months. Now I lost my promotions its gone up to $29.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:20 pm

Customer service was the best aspect of BELD. They only had around 10,000 customers, all the employees are locals, and they went out of their way to solve a vexing problem I had a couple of years ago with a free technician visit and multiple followup calls. I'm going to really miss that friendly personal touch.

I'll play it by ear when Comcast contacts me. As a legacy customer, I don't have a contract. If they're going to make me rent equipment from them and sign a commitment, maybe I'll bounce to Verizon instead. IDK if they're any better, but at least they don't have the lousy reputation of Comcast. Wife and I both work from home, though, so uninterrupted internet access is critical. I just want internet. If I have to buy a cable bundle, I can probably dump YouTube TV.

Any Verizon customers here?

Drazzil · Post by **Drazzil** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 10:37 pm

gilraen wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:57 pm
Drazzil wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:31 pm Comcast *wrecked* my credit because I refused to pay 300 they hit me with on the way out. Comcast xfinity and Spectrum suck.
You don't get to cancel your service at will if you are under contract. You also don't get to just not pay a bill because you think it's "unfair".

Not the case at all, but thanks for assuming the worst of me.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:01 am

The last time I had to deal with Comcast, my BIL had moved away and left a vacant house with some of their equipment that still needed to be returned. I was volunteered to do that. I gathered it together and went to their office, only to find that it kept banker's hours and was closed on (whenever I went). I tried again and after some processing red tape I got a receipt, which I texted to BIL, knowing that they would screw him over somehow. Sure enough, they hit him with a late fee because they were closed the first time I went. Fortunately, my BIL has rage issues and got them to see it his way.

The more I think about this, the more I think I'm going to bounce to Verizon.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:14 am

When I jettisoned AT&T they made me drop off all my equipment at a UPS store. The guy at UPS told me AT&T doesn't even want the stuff, but at least he took it off my hands.

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:54 am

Im on centurylink fiber with the priceforlife , for about 3 years now. its been great. just internet, no changes, no hassles. obviously they don't have fiber everywhere, but if they have some in your area, I can recommend it.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:13 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 7:36 pm Well, poo.

Our taxpayer-owned municipal electric utility (BELD) who's been our ISP for the past...well...forever years, just announced that they're getting out of the internet biz. The equipment upgrades they were facing were prohibitively expensive and would have led to substantial rate hikes. So they sold us to Comcast, effective immediately. Comcast will be contacting us in the next few weeks with details. (Comcast is Xfinity, right?)

Is Comcrap still as hated as it was the last time I had to deal with them? It looks like my only alternatives are Verizon FIOS, T-Mobile Home Internet (limited availability), and a couple of satellite services -- Hughesnet, with very poor speeds, and Viasat, with middling speeds starting at $65/mo (we currently pay $40 through BELD).

I reckon we'll try out Comcast, since that's the path of least resistance. I suspect that we won't like it.

I'm really going to miss BELD. As a small, local utility, they were a pleasure to do business with.

Comcast still have reliability issues with not care for accountability but I don't think any of the home broadband carriers have any care for reliability or accountability. Or that's my minimal experience. What you should get from Comcast with an existing line is a great new subscriber rate. Know your terms, Take the ones that match your desire, and then be ready for your out in 1 or 2 or 3 years depending on what you sign on for. Make sure your rate is locked for as long as your term and then be prepared to jettison if you don't like the terms at the end of your term.

they're going to make me rent equipment from them

My experience is they don't make you but they do make you get complaint equipment and in doing so they will try to strongarm you into renting their equipment.

uninterrupted internet access is critical.

Good luck with that. They'll all promise their business level service is reliable until you want it on paper. None of the shared broadband services them will guarantee you any level up time.

Any Verizon customers here?

We tried using Verizon 5G as a backup because Comcast reliability. It was a nightmare. We finally got a stable fiber connection through a small LEC. Not cheap but stable and with guarantee of service.

At home I have WOW. They are expensive and suck and may eventually push my back to Comcast. They're service is as bad Comcast's but they went from way less expensive to even more expensive. When I move to the post employment world, I'll be weighing my expenses and what I have will be seen as to expensive for my budget with less inconvenience for going without.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Dec 08, 2021 7:47 pm

Went to sign up for FIOS today and was told that it's not available at my address. Grrr. That leaves Comcast and some crappy satellite services.

Went to see what Comcast offers, and found out that "you already have an account at this address." I can't access it and don't know anything about it, but it's already a done deal. I'm an Xfinity customer, like it or not. Presumably they'll contact me when they want me to send them money.

Drazzil · Post by **Drazzil** » Wed Dec 08, 2021 11:32 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 7:47 pm Went to sign up for FIOS today and was told that it's not available at my address. Grrr. That leaves Comcast and some crappy satellite services.

Went to see what Comcast offers, and found out that "you already have an account at this address." I can't access it and don't know anything about it, but it's already a done deal. I'm an Xfinity customer, like it or not. Presumably they'll contact me when they want me to send them money.

My experience with them is that they are INCREDIBLY dishonest and bear watching very critically. Don't assume that you will get the rate that they sign you up for, and they will try to either increase your rate or hit you with fees at some point, so watch the charges on your bill. Also always get the paper bill if you can.