Posted on 07/15/2014 11:01:48 AM PDT by PoloSec
Deciding to cancel a cable service subscription can be difficult -- breaking the news to the cable company can be near-impossible.
Tech journalist Ryan Block and his wife Veronica Belmont tried to cancel their Comcast service last week over the phone.
Block says 10 minutes into his frustrating conversation with the Comcast customer service representative, he started recording the phone call, which he posted on SoundCloud.
The representative, whose name Block withheld, repeatedly demanded to know why Block would want to cancel the service.
Block tells WTOP he and his wife told the representative they wanted to change providers, before the recording began.
Several times the agent said "I'm just trying to understand," although Block's statements were clearly understandable.
"It sounds like you don't want to go over this information with me," says the representative.
"I am declining to state why we are leaving Comcast, because I don't owe you an explanation," Block said patiently.
"We are the number one provider of Internet and TV service in the entire country," continues the rep. "Why is that you're not wanting to have the number one service?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what it is about Comcast service that you're not liking, and not wanting to keep," states the agent.
Block asked the representative to simply cancel the service, but the agent countered with "I'm just trying to help you."
Contacted by WTOP, Jenni Moyer, senior director of corporate communications network & operations apologized.
"We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally apologize," says Moyer.
"The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives," says Moyer.
"We are investigating this situation and will take quick action," says Moyer. "While the overwhelming majority of our employees work very hard to do the right thing every day, we are using this very unfortunate experience to reinforce how important it is to always treat our customers with the utmost respect."
Listen to the portion of the phone call Block posted to SoundCloud: (AUDIO @ SITE)
Who needs cable? Netflix offers plenty of great content, and with Amazon I can receive tons of great shows that I receive the day after a broadcast. I get to watch my episodes of Walking Dead, True Detective, House of Cards etc. And I still get to watch sports using one of the many streaming services online. Cable is a waste of money and when I get my own place the only thing I would think of updating would be my internet.
I signed up with TWC and then tried to cancel when I discovered I wouldn’t be able to stream with the service they signed me up for - despite being on the phone over an hour and insisting on need for streaming.
The man I spoke with about canceling spent 45 minutes trying to sign me up for a more expensive package. I was so frustrated and finally he transferred me to another department to cancel. THEN, after 10 min on hold and several minutes talking to the rep, I was able to cancel.
THEN, I had to call another department to get my f-ing money refunded which was another 20 min.
Total time to sign up and then cancel was over 2 hours.
Screw TWC. And thank you. I so enjoy ME TV and their wholesome family shows. For free!!!!
Funny, when I tried to cancel my comcast before I moved every time I pushed 2 or what ever it was to cancel the call would drop...
I pushed 1 or what ever for sales and they canceled it for me.
Don’t know how the US banking system, but with our banks you can stop an automatic payment with a single Stop Payment order.
FWIW I *never* do automatic payments for anybody; it’s just as easy to set up an auto-pay via my own bank where I have 100% control.
” the CEO golfs with Obama weekly.”
That’s more than enough to make me split with these clowns. But I know a lot of people who did leave because ironically, CC throttles’ their downloads thinking they’re all downloading illegal movies etc.
In addition...CC tried a dirty trick on us a decade ago. We had DirecTV since 1998 or so and Yahoo DSL since 1999 and didn’t want or need Comcast. A rep came to our door and asked if we wanted CC cable. We politely declined and he left. A week later we found a printed note on our door stating that it appeared we had tried to illegally connect the cable. It went on to say that it would forgo any legal action if we signed up. Screw Comcast.
My wife and I snow bird down to Arizona every Winter. During the Summer we only use over the air TV. Each Winter we go to our local Comcast store and get internet and cable for 6 months. So far they have been great (no I don’t work for Comcast). We get the introductory deal discounted for the first six months (that’s as long as we will be there anyway) and then just return the equipment and they say, “see you next fall”.
Maybe it is because there are so many snow birds and they are so used to dealing with us on a temp basis.... but I can’t complain about the way they treat us.
This is Tucson, by the way.
I dropped Commiecast over ten years ago, and it was an ordeal. Netflix is all I need, will never get cable again no matter who is the provider.
I had a problem with Trakphone people. The rep. kept insisting to phonetically spell out every detail - I remember a comedy routine where something like this happened. It was infuriating; that is “I” as in India, “n” as in November ... etc.
If customers don’t accept the full package of programs, shows almost viewer-free, like “Girls, Bill Maher or today’s version of West Wing” just might get canceled. The NYT elite can’t have that.
“I had a problem with Trakphone people. The rep. kept insisting to phonetically spell out every detail - I remember a comedy routine where something like this happened. It was infuriating; that is “I” as in India, “n” as in November ... “
Elaine May and Mike Nichols had one.
“K” as in knife.
.
I'd report the fraudulent charge to the credit card company and let them sort it out.
YMMV. I've had good luck with my CC on stuff like this.
Sure you are. They're reading from a script that you, the management, gave them.
Dish is just as horrible. They will cut your Sat feed before you are even off the phone with them, but make you use their box to return their equipment. They take over 60 days to send the box, for which they charge eighteen dollars, and then also try to charge you equipment fees for the two months you had their equipment, and didn’t return it.
My box was sent from El Paso, TX. I am about 500 miles away from there, yet somehow it took 60 days (plus my gripey phone calls to them) to ship a cardboard box 500 miles?
All this idiot had to do is hang up on the obnoxious sales puke and redial. He would have gotten another representative. If that one was a tool then repeat the procedure.
Actually, the won't. They will just keep billing you for several months and then turn you over to a collection agency.
Fascinating business model. I've no idea how it works, other than sheer inertia on the consumer's part.
Dish Net acted similarly...tried to make my cancellation a sales pitch.
Business Socialists will spin this nonsense...but, main part of a Free Market is to be able to decide who and who not to do business with
Well of course i did that - USAA is great.
Used to be that you could just change your CC# but that doesn't work anymore b/c new law. So I wonder how long they'll keep this going.
Every family needs a doctor, plumber, math teacher, and a lawyer he he he
My skill set includes excellent documentation...
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