karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA
1 edit |  My Comcast account was TERMINATED
Yes, I read through *some* of the thread entries in "Comcast Account Suspended..." »Comcast Account Suspended for going over "limit", but there's no way I'm going to tear through all 29 pages of that message monster. Like the author of that posting and the several others who reported the same treatment, some time in July, I was mailed a physical letter that put me on notice that I was being labeled as a "excessive bandwidth" user.
Then, in early September, my account was suspended, meaning, my cable modem would not acquire an IP address, even though it looked like everything was copasetic (sp?). After a week of trying to get a hold of their Network Abuse department, whose only mode of contact is a voice mailbox and a supposed policy of calling you back "within 24 hours", I finally was able to speak with a real live person and get my service turned back on with little to no explanation.
Here we are, in November, that 17th to be exact, when I come home, about 6:30pm, start up my mail client, when it chokes in mid-stream on receives and times out. Half an hour of waiting later, I figure there's a problem with local connectivity. A call to customer service (and three hang-ups on their end) later, I finally speak to a rep who tells me with no helpful detail, that she is forwarding me to another extension. Much to my chagrin, lo and behold, it's the Network Abuse voice mail again!
Three voice mail deposits later (and still no call-back) after speaking to another customer service rep that tells me that my account is "blocked with no explanation attached".
This morning, I tried getting in to my email via the webmail and I find my login and password does not work! Feeling nervous, I try to bring up my websites and find them MIA as well!
Yet another call to customer service informs me that my account has been TERMINATED -- again, with no notated explanations!
Which leaves me completely in the lurch because short of satellite and wireless systems, Comcast is my sole available provider of affordable residential broadband Internet. DSL? Try that when you're somewhere between 19k to 27k feet from your central office -- no, not available. But do they use the central office that's less than a mile from my house (probably even closer!)? No, they give me the one that's over 4.5 miles away.
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~Tony |
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Qumahlin
Never Enough Time
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-05
united state
1 edit | said by karrock  :
Yes, I read through *some* of the thread entries in "Comcast Account Suspended..." (»Comcast Account Suspended for going over "limit"), but there's no way I'm going to tear through all 29 pages of that message monster. Like the author of that posting and the several others who reported the same treatment, some time in July, I was mailed a physical letter that put me on notice that I was being labeled as a "excessive bandwidth" user.
Then, in early September, my account was suspended, meaning, my cable modem would not acquire an IP address, even though it looked like everything was copasetic (sp?). After a week of trying to get a hold of their Network Abuse department, whose only mode of contact is a voice mailbox and a supposed policy of calling you back "within 24 hours", I finally was able to speak with a real live person and get my service turned back on with little to no explanation.
Here we are, in November, that 17th to be exact, when I come home, about 6:30pm, start up my mail client, when it chokes in mid-stream on receives and times out. Half an hour of waiting later, I figure there's a problem with local connectivity. A call to customer service (and three hang-ups on their end) later, I finally speak to a rep who tells me with no helpful detail, that she is forwarding me to another extension. Much to my chagrin, lo and behold, it's the Network Abuse voice mail again!
Three voice mail deposits later (and still no call-back) after speaking to another customer service rep that tells me that my account is "blocked with no explanation attached".
This morning, I tried getting in to my email via the webmail and I find my login and password does not work! Feeling nervous, I try to bring up my websites and find them MIA as well!
Yet another call to customer service informs me that my account has been TERMINATED -- again, with no notated explanations!
Which leaves me completely in the lurch because short of satellite and wireless systems, Comcast is my sole available provider of affordable residential broadband Internet. DSL? Try that when you're somewhere between 19k to 27k feet from your central office -- no, not available. But do they use the central office that's less than a mile from my house (probably even closer!)? No, they give me the one that's over 4.5 miles away.
So wait....how are you posting now? What modem do you have? Normally when we truly terminate an account your modem will not even sync any longer as it is added to the mac exclusion list on out boot servers. To top it off your account becomes blacklisted and if there is particularly nothing to do they will install a return path filter on your line
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Forum Posts:3504 |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA | Ummm... it's called being online at work? |
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MPScan
Premium
join:2001-08-24
Boston, MA | reply to karrock
My suggestion:
Terminate all Comcast services. Wait 30 days. Have someone else sign up under their name (your spouse, roommate, whoever) and order everything again.
...AND THIS TIME DON'T ABUSE YOUR CONNECTION! |
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Qumahlin
Never Enough Time
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-05
united state
1 edit | reply to karrock
said by karrock :
Ummm... it's called being online at work?
Sorry I clarified above. As for the idea of having someone sign up under a different name...that is a no go. 99% of the time if an account is terminated we blacklist the address and every month on your bill you will see a fake charge of Comcast HSI abuse 0.00 which keeps the billing department from re-adding HSI services to your account
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Forum Posts:3504 |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA
1 edit | reply to MPScan
Sorry, but I don't consider myself an "abuser" -- I *do* download stuff, don't get me wrong, but isn't that the whole point of broadband? To web surf and download huge amounts of stuff faster? That's the foundation of their entire marketing campaign -- it's even called "Comcast High-Speed Internet".
Even on their Member Services page »www.comcast.net/memberservices/index.jsp, they specifically link to a game demo download for "Homeworld 2" that's 144.5 MB! Pull enough of those or anything similar or larger on a regular basis (just 11 times will do it), add in all your email and web browsing, and you'll be over that rumored 1.5GB daily ceiling in no time!
I still don't see how then can get away with enforcing a bandwidth policy that doesn't specifically define a line that shouldn't be crossed. It reads in their "Acceptable Use Policy":
Network, Bandwidth, Data Storage and Other Limitations
You must comply with all current bandwidth, data storage, and other limitations on the Service established by Comcast and its suppliers. In addition, you may only access and use the Service with a dynamic Internet Protocol ("IP") address that adheres to the dynamic host configuration protocol ("DHCP"). You may not access or use the Service with a static IP address or using any protocol other than DHCP unless you are subject to a Service plan that expressly permits otherwise.
You must ensure that your activity (including, but not limited to, use made by you or others of any Personal Web Features) does not improperly restrict, inhibit, or degrade any other user's use of the Service, nor represent (in the sole judgment of Comcast) an unusually large burden on the network. In addition, you must ensure that your activities do not improperly restrict, inhibit, disrupt, degrade or impede Comcast's ability to deliver the Service and monitor the Service, backbone, network nodes, and/or other network Services.
»www.comcast.net/terms/use.jsp |
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BaloksPuppet
join:2003-08-18
Hialeah, FL | reply to karrock
So, how much were you downloading and did you try to cut back after you got your abuse letter? Did you keep track of how much you downloaded before and after getting your letter, being suspended and then being terminated? |
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Nax1
Premium
join:2002-05-17
Longmont, CO
clubs:
| reply to karrock
said by karrock :
-- it's even called "Comcast High-Speed Internet".
as opposed to "High Volume Internet".... |
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rahvin112
join:2002-05-24
Sandy, UT
| reply to karrock
If Comcast was your only reasonable broadband offering at your address why did you keep abusing the connection after they warned you? Why even bring it up in your rant? You knew the possibility would occur that they would terminate your account yet you continued your usage pattern so I don't have any sympathy for you nor should anyone else. |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA
| reply to BaloksPuppet
Seriously, I don't know how much I was transferring back and forth. I get email, surf the Internet, play online games, stream multimedia video and audio, download patches and service packs and drivers, pull down game and application demos as well as purchased software.
I don't run a monitoring program to let me know "exactly how much" data I've pushed and pulled across the cable modem, but in retrospect, maybe now I see I should have after Comcast's little extortion notice. But that shouldn't be a necessary evil. Yet another resouce thief running in the background of an already bloated operating system.
I politely asked the first abuse rep after being suspended back in Sept: "If there's a bandwidth/download limit, how will I know I've crossed it when there are absolutely no publicly available numbers to define it?" She couldn't give a solid answer or even a broad one and seemed perfectly content to simply re-provision my modem and hang up. She didn't really want me to talk in her ear about anything in particular, whether complaint, question or praise -- she just wanted to know if I wanted my service back. I said "yes" and within the time she stated, it came back up.
That was then, this is now. No advance notification by email, no phone calls, no letters. Just turned off and it looks like they've removed all instance of my account's contents, be it personal email or website. And I still have yet to hear from anyone from Comcast other than the 1-800-COMCAST customer service that doesn't have a clue about any details of the sitation. |
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JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
clubs: | karrock , just curious, do you have any IP phones? |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA | No IP phones, but I was looking into it at one point. I'd be quite happy to be rid of the land line that costs me considerably more a month to maintain than my mobile phone. |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA
| reply to Nax1
OK. How can you get "High-Speed" without "High-Volume"? When email, webpages and downloads shuffle along at multiples times the speed of dialup connection, I don't know about you, but I do *more of everything* on the Internet. And I suspect the same of the bulk of all broadband users. More interaction means more data transfer. Period. |
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fc_spy
join:2001-12-04
San Mateo, CA
2 edits | reply to karrock
How about everyone quit worrying about why his service ended and actually offer up some answers instead of talking out of your asses. If you want to chat go signup on the Oprah board. That said..
Karrok, I would make sure and call COMCAST and remind them about your city's charter with the cable provider. ie, if you let your City Hall know about how Comcast is choking its customers without some form of guidance or 'line in the sand' in regards to bandwidth. If you, or I, for that matter, were to put the screws to Comcast and take them to court I suspect their EULA wouldn't hold a lot of water. You can't say don't speed and not post a speed limit.
Call city hall and get a supervisor on comcast straight out of the gate. If that doesn't work gimme a shout on PM and I will let you know someone to call directly at Comcast that carries some weight.
Happy Hunting. |
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Skratch
join:2003-10-09
Philadelphia, PA
| reply to karrock
If you get a notice, Comcast should at least give you some type of estimate that shouldn't be exceeded. I mean, you have to be pushing at least 100 gigs/month from what I understand reading around here. That could be inaccurate though. Most of us don't keep track, but with a number at least you wouldn't be running around blind. I mean it is broadband, and you want to use it to its potential, but a blank limit? |
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MPScan
Premium
join:2001-08-24
Boston, MA
| reply to Qumahlin
said by Qumahlin :
said by karrock :
Ummm... it's called being online at work?
Sorry I clarified above. As for the idea of having someone sign up under a different name...that is a no go. 99% of the time if an account is terminated we blacklist the address and every month on your bill you will see a fake charge of Comcast HSI abuse 0.00 which keeps the billing department from re-adding HSI services to your account
What if the user was a renter and they moved out and the LL leased to another person... your saying that other person can't get HSI because of a previous renter? |
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karrock
join:2003-11-20
Reston, VA
| reply to karrock
Thanks rwc_spy and Skratch! I very much appreciate your constructive advice and support.
I'll look into Reston's charter with Comcast -- because they *are* the sole provider of cable service to the association-managed part of the community. The rest of the entire county of Fairfax (yet another exclusive arrangement) is saddled with Cox. |
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Teriwyn
Neko Girl
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Germantown, MD
| reply to MPScan
said by MPScan :
What if the user was a renter and they moved out and the LL leased to another person... your saying that other person can't get HSI because of a previous renter?
If I understand correctly, they will require on Leasing office letterhead a statement from the landlord/rental office indicating that Renter A (who was the one termed for abuse) is no longer the tennant. A copy of the new leasing agreement showing Renter B (further proof) may be required. |
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SEPA Comcast
@uu.net
| reply to karrock
The same thing happened to my neighbor here in West Chester PA. He just cancelled his cable service and had his roommate signup again. His roommate told Comcast he was the new tenant and they signed him right up with the 19.95 for 3 months package. It was a win win situation. The people at Comcast out here are so clueless and incompetent that they have unplugged my cable connection three times thinking it was my neighbor's house. (The reason they keep coming out is because his digital cable tiles like crazy and they have no idea how to fix it other than unplugging lines they think are inactive). I ended up opening the junction box and putting a tag on the line that read "DO NOT UNPLUG, THIS ISN'T THE PROBLEM". |
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MPScan
Premium
join:2001-08-24
Boston, MA
1 edit | reply to Teriwyn
said by Teriwyn :
If I understand correctly, they will require on Leasing office letterhead ...
Thats all well fine and good for the highrise folk, but what about the other 74% of renters in this country who have rental housing owned and provided by "Mom-and-Pop" type landlords with less than 3 units?  |
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