When One Hand Knows Not What the Other Does

Ah, America: The land of corporate hegemony where conglomerates think they can intimidate you into accepting their version of things.

COMCAST has vastly improved their customer service in the past 3-4 years. Whenever I had a problem with my cable, internet, or phone service, I got friendly and efficient answers and help. They worked hard to be sure that I remained at least a somewhat satisfied customer, the ridiculous cost of their services notwithstanding.

Even when I called to cancel my services when I was preparing to leave Pennsylvania, the customer service agent I spoke with was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. She walked me through how and where to return my equipment, explained that the “stop bill date” would be about 10 days earlier than the actual service would stop in case something changed in my plans (because “these things happen” and they never want anyone to be without at least internet and phone), and that I would be owed a refund because their records indicated that I had already paid for my service for about 22 days after my stop bill date. She even told me how to change my mailing address but said to make sure I did it when I turned in my equipment rather than before my stop bill date because sometimes the system shuts off service when the mailing address changes from the service address, especially if they are in different states.

The UPS Store agent who checked in my equipment on the day before my actual stop bill date was also incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. He affirmed that everything I had been told when I made the arrangements was accurate and tried to change the mailing address in the system, though he wasn’t sure it saved on the account. This was actually not a tremendous hardship since I have a forwarding order in place. No big deal, just a few extra days for the final check to arrive.

Except that I got a BILL yesterday for 10 days of three separate services billed not at the Triple Pay bundle prices that I had been paying but at the full separate service price for each. Bear in mind that I had already paid for my service, via autopay from my checking account, for the entire time from August 8 through September 7, and that my service stop bill date was August 17. That means I paid for 22 days of service that I did not use. The way I read the bill, they took off the Triple Play discounts, charged me the full rate for August 8-September 7, deducted the 22 days for the pro-rated unused service, deducted the amount I paid for the Triple Play service, and then billed me for the balance.

Today, I have been on Twitter Direct Message with ComcastCares. That representative keeps telling me I never paid for August-September services and that’s why I owe, though they will zero out my balance because I was a good customer. Nice try, Comcast. You don’t need my $128.15 added to your corporate profit sheet. I, on the other hand, really need that money right now. So, Comcast, the ball is in your court. Prove that I’m wrong and I’ll accept the zero balance. Or make it right, as your excellent customer service agent and your contracted service agent both told me while looking at my account records. Either way, someone at Comcast is wrong.
Big surprise…

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