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Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

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Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#51

Post by chopsueyar »

ryannielsen wrote: post #31
wccrawford wrote: post #15

I totally disagree about broadband being a right. And neither is electricity, insurance, or clean water. However, I do agree that it's a necessity for modern living, just like the rest of the above. As such, I think it should be protected in the same ways.

Presumably you're also paying a fixed monthly fee for "unlimited" broadband. It's likely you're paying per amount used for electricity and water. I'd bet your insurance is a fixed periodic fee with coverage capped at a certain amount. If my assumptions are correct, then your broadband services is already treated very much like your insurance service. How do you propose things change?

Maybe have Comcast stop pretending that "unlimited" means limited?

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#52

Post by ctide »

naner wrote: post #18
Dylan16807 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem isn't comcast's policies themselves, it's the monopoly situation. And that seems like an FCC situation to me.

Assuming Comcast is the only ISP in his area, can he sign up for a Comcast business account? It appears he doesn't just want his account reinstated but he expects unlimited data use.

Or just pay for one of the higher speed options. I've gone over the bandwidth cap without fail every month, and they don't care since I pay for the higher speed option (previously the 50Mbit line, now the 105.)

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#53

Post by martianpenguin »

bradleyland wrote: post #24

The author had me up until the moment he claimed that internet access is a "right". Ok, so let's say internet access is a "right". Rights often come within a framework. You have many rights that are yours for the losing. Your freedom to come and go freely, for example. If you break a law, you lose your freedom by being put in jail. To say something is a "right" is to say that it ought to be available, or that the gov…

He never said he wanted unlimited data for a fixed price... he just wants access to the internet, and they cut him off. They didn't offer him another 250gb for 60 bucks or another 50gb for 10 bucks or anything...

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#55

Post by [deleted] »

rudle wrote: post #14
Goronmon wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yawn... first world problems. I wish I could slap you...

Why? I was turned off by the American view point of this post. I can't even stream Netflix in my country, and this guy is complaining that he can't watch 250GB of it?!

[deleted]

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#56

Post by fuzzmeister »

Thangorodrim wrote: post #11
fuzzmeister wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would agree with your argument if the broadband market were actually competitive. The author has no legitimate options for broadband besides Comcast, meaning Comcast can do essentially anything it wants to him. That is not the way a capitalist economy should work.

Actually, that is the way capitalist economies work in reality. This is a lot of crying for attention. If he wants to have a commercial use case, he should get a commercial circuit.

While I agree that he should pay for a commercial plan if he has a commercial use case, having one provider is certainly not the way the market should work.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#57

Post by fr0sty »

megaman821 wrote: post #34
bradleyland wrote: post #24

The author had me up until the moment he claimed that internet access is a "right". Ok, so let's say internet access is a "right". Rights often come within a framework. You have many rights that are yours for the losing. Your freedom to come and go freely, for example. If you break a law, you lose your freedom by being put in jail. To say something is a "right" is to say that it ought to be available, or that the gov…

Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off. Except if you go over a few times they won't ban you from their service for a year. They just want you to curb your use, which is exactly what this guy was willing to do.

>Your water and electricity utilities most likely also have caps on how much water or electricity you can use before they cut you off.

They do? Where is this the case?

My water and electricity usage have no monthly cap and are only shut off if I fail to pay the bills.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#58

Post by Splines »

peapicker wrote: post #32

Seriously, this is a technology company? If they mean to cap at 250GB per month, just halt service during the month when 250GB is hit. Don't let the customer go over, warn, go over, and then suspend them for a year. Seriously, if they are metering it, they can implement a technology solution to halt when the cap is hit that month and not even have this ridiculous abuse of customers having to 'self monitor' the behavi…

I completely agree. Use over 250GB? Your internet gets slowed down to molasses until the start of the next month. Customers will notice and adjust.

Here, Comcast is saying "we don't want you as a customer", which they're allowed to do, but doesn't generate very much goodwill. Having a clear cap and predictable consequences would be much preferred.

I don't know why they also couldn't put a little meter on your comcast.net homepage, showing how much you've used.

Re: Comcast cuts off customer for going over 250GB of legitimate use

#59

Post by martianpenguin »

naner wrote: post #22
crs wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually if you read his post from a day ago, you will see him state he stopped the open access point. He took steps to stop what he thought was the issue. It was not until the cap was broken a second time that he realized it was his backup system uploading to a 3rd party service. That is not entitlement at all. If anything it was ignorance of the fact that your upload data is also measured against the cap. I agree w…

Perhaps if he was more civil with the service reps and just explained the mistake he would have been given a reprieve. Regardless, it doesn't sound like he's willing to cut back his data use.

you've obviously never dealt with comcast's "customer service"
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