Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I HATE COMCAST!!!

I hate Comcast!

I was paying a fee for a DVR from Comcast. Most of the time, many of the features didn't work. For example, the machine often froze, on demand NEVER worked, and on top of everything else, Comcast had to reset my system several times a month.. all for the high value, very low monthly price of $130.

So, I bought an Elgato Hybrid stick, inserted it in my trusty Mac Mini, hooked the whole thing up to my flat screen and off I went. All those ClearQam channels plus the local stuff. LOVE IT. The story gets better hang with me.

Comcast announced a few months ago that everything was going to digital.. and they did. My Elgato handled it nicely until... Comcast seemingly started encrypting more signals! I lost the Discovery Channel!

Finally over the weekend after missing Mike Rowe I broke down and bought a TiVo --only to find out that I need a multi-streaming CableCard --a PCMCIA card that plugs into the backend of the Tivo. So, on Sunday I enter into a chat session with a very nice Comcast rep who tells me "no problem! I'll ship you one.. or better yet, you have a Comcast office right around the corner from your apartment". If you go pick one up it'll save you ten dollars in shipping. I agreed.

So yesterday I took time over lunch and ran to the Comcast office. After waiting in line for twenty minutes the CSR told me that I had to schedule a service appointment. SHIT! FOILED AGAIN BY F*ING COMCAST! No appointments after 5! I have a secretary who scraps for every timeslot during my day and Comcast wants me to stay in the apartment waiting for one of their idiot flunky high school dropout (ahem) technicians? I asked if they could call so I could meet them... no. I didn't get a card. I didn't schedule a service appointment.

Today I called Comcast. I finally ended up with an appointment. The CSR on the phone put 'a note in the file' to tell them to call thirty minutes before they arrive. She couldn't promise anything. We'll see.

Poor customer service
High price
Low value programming
Three hour time slots required for delivery
Uneducated technicians (the last one sporting Appalachian goatee)

Let me say it again: I HATE COMCAST!!!

Jeff