[gardenia]

I am totally disappointed and frustrated by the number of dropped connections on my COMCAST land (phone) line so today I decided to switch to Century Link. I have been patient. For the first few weeks after I moved into my new home in Tamarind Grove in early November 2010, was on the phone with Comcast just about every single day (sometimes more than once a day) to report the problems with constant dropped internet and phone connections, and problems with HD boxes or missing channels. Technicians came out to the house several times, never found anything wrong in the house, said signal was strong and eventually ordered service to the box/line outside in Dec which eventually seemed to have resolved the TV and internet problems. However, the dropped phone calls several times a day remain (up to this morning) and have been nothing but headaches - so irritating to be on the phone 10 minutes and suddenly lose a call, and have no dial tone for up to 10 minutes. Sure, they gave me lots of "credit for the lost service" but I don't want CREDIT I want SERVICE. Sure hope that porting my number over and switching to Century Link resolves my phone problems....for now, I'll keep COMCAST for internet and TV services as the problems I had are now resolved. But I am so over COMCAST, and will NOT recommend them to anyone for phone services.

[Tom Hannon]

I am also an unsatisfied customer. I just got off the phone with them. I am on automatic payment and we sent them a voided check last month to set up the routing number and account number. Someone must have typed in the wrong info and our bill this month was not paid...thus a $25 late charge. This is BS. The person I spoke too was ignorant and not helpful. I am waiting for my wife to come home to get more info before I reach a supervisor. Comcast is a monopoly. At least in NY you have a choice between Optonline and Verizon. Can anyone recommend a dish network that is cheaper, and the service better?

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by Tom Hannon

I am also an unsatisfied customer. I just got off the phone with them. I am on automatic payment and we sent them a voided check last month to set up the routing number and account number. Someone must have typed in the wrong info and our bill this month was not paid...thus a $25 late charge. This is BS. The person I spoke too was ignorant and not helpful. I am waiting for my wife to come home to get more info before I reach a supervisor. Comcast is a monopoly. At least in NY you have a choice between Optonline and Verizon. Can anyone recommend a dish network that is cheaper, and the service better?

Tom - Sorry to hear about your headache. We've got DirecTV in OH and had them install an antenna in TV for us as well. Brought our receivers with us when we came down last month and everything worked like a charm. Had to make an additional phone call to re-switch our service when we got back to OH but that was it.

Depending on your programming choices, DirecTV might not be the least expensive option. But we've been happy with service from them for 2 years so that's worth something, at least to me!!

Bill

[Tom Hannon]

Just got off the phone with Comcast. I spoke to a supervisor and got my $25 late charged removed. I now have to go into the Comcast webpage and redo my info. Not sure if I posted the wrong info such as account or routing number but whatever the reason it shouldn't happen again.

[ijusluvit]

I have had intermittent but regular problems with Comcast phone and internet service. After lots of calls, technicians and credits, I've been told the problem lies with the remote "node" which handles the signals for my area. Since they have not been able to fix the node, I switched to Century Link for phone and internet. I'm keeping the cable tv, (as much as I'd love to ditch Comcast forever), because I've had no real problems with it and because this website has a bunch of horror stories about both Dish & Direct TV.

Anybody have a clue as to when TV will have the fiber optic capability to host Verizon or Century Link tv service?

[Tom Hannon]

I second the vote for Verizon. A much better service

[gardenia]

I would be first in line to switch over to Verizon FIOS if they were in TV. I had bundled phone, internet and TV with them in NJ and the service and quality of all 3 were unbeatable!

[Redtail]

Originally Posted by gardenia

I would be first in line to switch over to Verizon FIOS if they were in TV. I had bundled phone, internet and TV with them in NJ and the service and quality of all 3 were unbeatable!

sounds like nj and ny are wonderful places! wonder why so many are here? i happen to have comcast and think they are great.

[JohnXI]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Tom - Sorry to hear about your headache. We've got DirecTV in OH and had them install an antenna in TV for us as well. Brought our receivers with us when we came down last month and everything worked like a charm. Had to make an additional phone call to re-switch our service when we got back to OH but that was it.

Depending on your programming choices, DirecTV might not be the least expensive option. But we've been happy with service from them for 2 years so that's worth something, at least to me!!

Bill

Hey Bill, I plan on doing the same thing except I'm trying to decide between DirecTV & Dish Net. Any comments on that would be appreciated.
Anyway, if I understand you correctly, you have two dishes/antennae, one set up here and one located in Ohio, so my question is, when you moved your receivers from one location to another and plugged them in, why would you have to call DirecTV?? Shouldn't your service just continue working as before?
Thanks,
John A.

[chacam]

We also had a problem with Comcast that lasted several months. Same story, dropped calls and no dial tone and no internet. After may calls and tech visits, I finally called corporate in PA. Corporate called Orlando and Orlando called Leesburg. Managers from Orlando and Leesburg called me to apologize and the problem has been fixed. We haven't had a hiccup with phone or internet since the end of November.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by JohnXI

Hey Bill, I plan on doing the same thing except I'm trying to decide between DirecTV & Dish Net. Any comments on that would be appreciated.
Anyway, if I understand you correctly, you have two dishes/antennae, one set up here and one located in Ohio, so my question is, when you moved your receivers from one location to another and plugged them in, why would you have to call DirecTV?? Shouldn't your service just continue working as before?
Thanks,
John A.

John - We had Dish for a number of years. Only reason for switching to DirecTV 2 years ago was based on programming offered at the time. Dish wasn't offering certain deal-breaker channels whereas DirecTV was. Either service is fine as far as I'm concerned - fairly minimal problems with either, at least for me! Just check and compare their programming packages for what channels they offer and what's offered in HD (if you're getting HD service). Also, if one knows you're checking out the other, they'll start tossing all kinds of deals at you to get you to go their way!

Additionally, DirecTV will generally do "free standard installation" of an antenna. (Dish might work this same way but I can't speak to that). "Standard installation" to them means roof-mounting the antenna, which we don't personally care for. If you want it pole-mounted in the ground, you'll have to arm wrestle with the service tech when he/she shows up at the time of the install for what the charge will be as they consider that a custom installation. The installers are independent contractors (generally) and they'll charge you whatever they feel is appropriate. I tried to get them to call me in advance of the install appointment - no luck with that. $75 seems to be what they'll usually do it for - but I've heard/read as much as $150 and some people manage to get the extra charge waived completely. So you're pretty much on your own with the installer's pricing tactics!!

There are a couple of different reasons DirecTV makes you call them when you're switching locations. First, they need to "flip the magic switch" somewhere in their world so that you pick up the appropriate local channels - ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, etc. So when we were there in TV, we were getting the Orlando stations as well as a few out of Daytona, I believe. Called them from back home and the locals get flipped back to central OH. Second reason: They we talking some FCC-type regulation stuff about ensuring you can only receive service for a single account in one locale at a time. So you can't leave one receiver back home and take others to TV and get service at both places.

Lastly, if you deal with DirecTV as a brand new customer, they might quibble over the installation (for free) of the 2nd antenna. The way I got ours done was through their "Mover's Connection" group - different 800 number and everything. It's the part of their business that handles new antenna installs when you actually change residences - the typical "We're moving!" situation. But they apparently handle the dual-location situation the same only they add the 2nd residence as an additional service address to your account. They told me that there would be no charge since we'd been with them for two years already, our account was in good standing, and we'd never done the Mover's Connection thing with them before. Apparently they allow it to be done just once every 12 months. So be prepared for a potential discussion with them about the 2nd location if you're going to be a new customer.

And the nice thing is that we still pay the same thing every month. No extra monthly charges for any of it!

Hope that helps!

Bill

[Bryan]

I've had problems with COMCAST Cable TV and not being able to receive some channels on my TV unless I pay for one of their "boxes". I am not talking a premium channel here - only TrueTV (used to be called CourtTV) which is Channel 70 on my Comcast. I get it on one TV )which does have their box) but not on my others. I called COMCAST to complaint and they were ZERO HELP. I'm on the lookout for a better way to get my TV signal and will change my internet service also, if I can.

[Talk Host]

Sorry to have to report this, but I had Direct TV for only six months and it was a nightmare. We had so much signal trouble, equipment problems, long waits on hold and unhelpful representatives that we opted to pay the huge fine (I think it was over $400) and bail out.

Imagine that a penalty of $400 to shed lousy service.

Some examples:

Receiver crashed. I had to unhook it, pack it up, take it to the UPS store and send it back. Then ONE WEEK later (without any TV for a week) I got a new one, had to hook it up, then spend ONE HOUR on the phone with customer service re-programming it.

We weren't happy with the quality of the high definition signal for a couple of months. Finally, they sent a servicemen and he determined that the wrong dish had been used and aimed at the wrong satellite. So, for our months of incomplete service, we got ZERO compensation from Direct TV.

I would hurry in to watch a favorite program and turn on the set. The screen would indicate that new software was being downloaded. It would take as long as 15 minutes before I would get a tv signal. Not once, but frequently.

Can you tell that I am not a fan. I am pleased that many customers like it.

Jlk

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

...........Sorry to have to report this, but I had Direct TV for only six months and it was a nightmare. .............So, for our months of incomplete service, we got ZERO compensation from Dish. ...........

Was your service with DirecTV or with Dish? You mention both in your post.

Just curious!

Bill

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by Bryan

I've had problems with COMCAST Cable TV and not being able to receive some channels on my TV unless I pay for one of their "boxes". I am not talking a premium channel here - only TrueTV (used to be called CourtTV) which is Channel 70 on my Comcast. I get it on one TV )which does have their box) but not on my others. I called COMCAST to complaint and they were ZERO HELP. I'm on the lookout for a better way to get my TV signal and will change my internet service also, if I can.

Comcast is starting to move some of the Extended Basic channels to the Digital Starter tier but are leaving them on the same physical channel. I went down to the Comcast office in Spruce Creek and picked up a flier about it. My problem was CSS (channel 31). It worked on the TV with the box and not on the other TVs. That is because they upgraded the channel to a digital channel.

The other stations that have moved are Oxygen (ch 65), tru TV (ch 70).

I don't understand why Comcast could not have told you that - probably a lack of communication in their offices.