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My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

sethclifford.me

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Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#61

Post by halayli »

grecy wrote: post #4

I know this is going to be unpopular, but... Comcast is a business, and their goal is to make ever increasing profit. Yes it's horrible your family and hundreds of others lost everything due to a natural disaster, but that's not Comcast's fault or problem. When you signed up for service from them, I'll bet it's in the fine print that you are responsible for returning the cable box. If it got stolen, that's not Comcas…

> You can't choose to have the benefits of cheap cable, then complain when the company wants to keep making profit, and enforces a contract you signed.

Cheap? $120+ a month for television is not cheap.

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#62

Post by belorn »

grecy wrote: post #4

I know this is going to be unpopular, but... Comcast is a business, and their goal is to make ever increasing profit. Yes it's horrible your family and hundreds of others lost everything due to a natural disaster, but that's not Comcast's fault or problem. When you signed up for service from them, I'll bet it's in the fine print that you are responsible for returning the cable box. If it got stolen, that's not Comcas…

A business goal is to make ever increasing profit, but that does not absolve them from unethical behavior. After all, most mobsters viewed themselves as a company, just out for profit.

This is when society should step in. There should be consumer laws (and some countries has those) that protect the consumer in cases of service contracts and natural catastrophes. For example in Sweden, such protection exist which covers both natural catastrophes, and wars (Lightning strikes are excluded).

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#63

Post by illuminate »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #51
rfugger wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most likely they would just put the unpaid bill on your credit report and move on, leaving you with tarnished credit and no recourse.

The usual procedure about disputed debts applies.

And the procedure will ask them if you indeed owe them, find out that you do indeed owe them this amount, and uphold the debt.

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#64

Post by HarryHirsch »

readme wrote: post #57
HarryHirsch wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The usual procedure about disputed debts applies.

Sure, and the credit bureaus will not side with you. Because you actually do owe the debt.

That is what they say. You say that the modem wasn't worth USD 500 when it was new and certainly isn't worth that much after five years of depreciation. In a civilized society, when two people disagree they go before the judge. If the judge says you owe the debt, then you do. If he says you do not, then you don't.

Can someone explain where the people defending iffy business practices are coming from? Has no one here rented from a shady landlord who tried to charge you $$$ for stains on the ten-year-old stained carpet that was already worthless when you moved in, and the practice didn't appear indefensible then?

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#65

Post by mech4bg »

dfjacobs wrote: post #47

A hurricane just blew threw, your neighborhood has just been declared a disaster area, your house is about to explode, and you're freaking out over a return charge that you haven't even been billed yet? IMO, Comcast isn't the only ones with their priorities out of whack here. If you do eventually get a bill for not returning the cable box, just go to the local Comcast office (the place you were supposed to return the…

I was coming here to post the exact same thing. Perfectly summed up - why are they stressing themselves out about such an inconsequential thing right now?

Yes Comcast handled it badly, but if I were worried my house was about to be destroyed, I would not be thinking about disconnecting the cable box. (In fact I have had my house flooded, and I can tell you nothing like this ever even crossed my mind).

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#66

Post by Someone »

wheelerwj wrote: post #30

I posted this because while I was not affected by Sandy, I did lose my apartment to a fire a few years ago and had to deal with the same thing from Direct TV. I got send to collections for the cost of the satellite, the receivers, and the failure to maintain the last part of the contract even though I was homeless. I am a business person and I understand that profitability is the bottom line, but these companies make…

On the other hand, imagine the effort Comcast would have to make to verify each such claim. If they don't verify such claims, I bet they will get at least a hundred scammers for every real claim, once their leniency becomes known.

In this case, the only thing I see is that this may not be the best moment to bring that message, but I also wonder how anybody would even think of giving Comcast a call so short after this happened to them.

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#67

Post by jrockway »

readme wrote: post #57
HarryHirsch wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The usual procedure about disputed debts applies.

Sure, and the credit bureaus will not side with you. Because you actually do owe the debt.

The credit bureaus have sided with me every time I've made a dispute.

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#68

Post by grecy »

halayli wrote: post #61
grecy wrote: post #4

I know this is going to be unpopular, but... Comcast is a business, and their goal is to make ever increasing profit. Yes it's horrible your family and hundreds of others lost everything due to a natural disaster, but that's not Comcast's fault or problem. When you signed up for service from them, I'll bet it's in the fine print that you are responsible for returning the cable box. If it got stolen, that's not Comcas…

> You can't choose to have the benefits of cheap cable, then complain when the company wants to keep making profit, and enforces a contract you signed. Cheap? $120+ a month for television is not cheap.

I said that thinking of the billions of people on the earth that can't get cable at any price.

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#69

Post by malkia »

At the same time... Verizon (never used them, was on T-Mobile, now AT&T and TWC for cable) - http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57543855-94/verizon-offers-...?

"Verizon offers phone charging and free calling for Sandy victims"

Yes, easy way to get more customers to sign for you in the future... Comcast just failed there...

Re: My mom and dad’s house might explode, but Comcast wants its cable box back

#70

Post by mung »

grecy wrote: post #4

I know this is going to be unpopular, but... Comcast is a business, and their goal is to make ever increasing profit. Yes it's horrible your family and hundreds of others lost everything due to a natural disaster, but that's not Comcast's fault or problem. When you signed up for service from them, I'll bet it's in the fine print that you are responsible for returning the cable box. If it got stolen, that's not Comcas…

hmmm... and just how did we get to the "world we live in"?
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