How to get Comcast to waive its fee for cancelling a service

By adamg on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 11:01pm

Write about the fee on your blog.

Topics:

Annoying companies

Free tagging:

Comcast

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Comments

If only...

By Kyle on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:00am.

Getting fees refunded sounds great, but does anyone know some secret way to make Comcast provide service? After three visits over the last two weeks, I still don't have the service I am trying to get from them (digital cable via CableCARDS). Plus last night they took my cable box away before checking that the new service was working properly, so I only have basic cable. Oh, and they promised to call back and never did, and they made another appointment for me without actually asking me whether that day and time was OK. What's the magic word?

What's the magic word?

By Anonymous on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 10:21am.

May I speak with your manager?

The magic word

By Kaz on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 11:36am.

"I'm switching to RCN if you don't fix this."

I switched to RCN anyways before they had a chance. I am getting better cable modem performance and I don't have to worry about RCN ratting me out for any of my data traffic as opposed to Comcast which will give you up at the first whiff of a DMCA request. Also, if you get HD, RCN does not compress their channels the same way that Comcast does. Comcast adds extra compression on lesser watched HD channels to fit more within their bandwidth.

What magic words then

By anon on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 11:53am.

They didn't fix it and you switched to RCN. What if you have a problem with RCN that they don't fix? What magic words will you use then?

"I'm switching to

By Arborway on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:00pm.

"I'm switching to Comcast"

At which time they will either:

A: Do what you ask.

B: Laugh at you, then hang up.

C: Refer you to the authorities for threatening self-harm.

You're confused

By Kaz on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:07pm.

I didn't have anything to fix with the service coming to my house. I just didn't want Comcast any more based on what they wanted to provide. The magic words to get any company with stiff competition (cell phone provider, cable, etc) are "I'm going to switch if you don't fix this". There are whole departments based around customer retention that make deals every day to get you to stay put. As long as you remain civil and explain that they are losing a customer based on how you've been treated or what's gone wrong that you expect not to have problems with by switching, then they should give you a lot of good deals (for example, the original person asking shouldn't have to pay for the time while they haven't had service). If I have a problem with RCN, I'll threaten to go to Comcast or even talk about getting DirectTV. They don't likely know (or care) whether I left Comcast to come to them. Hell, if they do know, they know I'm likely to switch the same way I came to them and I even have the drop for Comcast already outside my house for easy hookup.

Companies with heavy competition take no customer for granted and as the customer you should make sure you're getting the most from these companies.

the magic word

By anon on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:36pm.

Kyle asked "What's the magic word?" He wanted to get Comcast to fix his problem.

You said, "I'm switching to RCN if you don't fix this."

I asked: "What if you have a problem with RCN that they don't fix? What magic words will you use then?"

You said: "You're confused"

What am I confused about?

Clearing it up

By Kaz on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:47pm.

Well, you also started with the premise that Comcast didn't fix my problem with them so I went with RCN. I didn't ask Comcast to fix anything in my personal situation. That was what you were confusing about my situation and what I addressed first in my response above. I simply chose to leave Comcast in my case. I could just as easily choose to return to Comcast if RCN ever did anything that made me want to leave them and their retention people didn't satisfy my wants...but of course, I already said that up above.

the magic words

By anon on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 1:09pm.

I see, your advice is to switch vendors if a vendor does not address your problem.

You're right, I did assume you had a problem with Comcast and that you tried to get it fixed and could not... because that is the premise of the thread. You confused me by changing the premise and not telling me.